![]() ![]() And with the vocals of Karen Carpenter thrown in the mix, it just works. Some of their songs are sad, but many of them also feature the wide-eyed innocence that makes vintage pop so god damn cute. The brother-sister duo (Their last name is Carpenter, wouldn’t you know) capitalized on many of the things 70’s pop lacked, and, in an era of flamboyancy and pomp The Carpenters gave Pop the bleeding heart it always wanted. ![]() Their somewhat trippy and ever soulful tunes paved the way for 1960’s Pyschadelia to molt into 70’s Disco Pop, with two pairs of bell bottoms and a brewing case of anorexia nervosa. The Carpenters are no doubt a 1970’s pop band. By the time I get on the bus I am simply blown away. The song goes on without a hitch, the perfect pop tune, and then as Richard’s bombastic string section falls into step with an epic build-up of back-up singers and horns, the perfect vocals of Karen can heard climaxing an epic song before fading away again. For an entity so sad Karen’s vocals exude strength in every form. “Rainy days and Mondays always bring me down” she moans in a crystal clear, vintage feminine coo. Karen Carpenter’s sad, refreshing vocals bring an air of blues to brother Richard’s orchestral (often very Christmassy), somewhat cinematic arrangements. The song’s hook hits like a ton of feathers (or bricks, either way it’s still a ton). Rainy Days and Mondays begins with a soft harmonica melody, one that is so instantly recognizable that it brings forth no less than half a dozen memories as I take my first steps out on to hard concrete. The doors open and I’m hit with a blast of brisk air. If I want to get some music in, it’s going to have to be now. Of course! The last moments of the school day always sound better to a soundtrack! But what to play? Scrolling through artist after artist I realize quickly that the big, glass front doors are quickly approaching. ![]() I reach deep into my pocket, fingers folding around my precious iPod. In a matter of steps this school day will be just another memory. School just got out, I’m walking down the hallway, backpack full of homework, eager to be spread across the couch and never completed, jacket buttoned unevenly in obvious preparation for subzero temperatures. Memorable single, Rainy Days and Mondays brings it all together. You’ll never hear Karen and Richard the same way again.Review Summary: 1971 album gives brother/sister duo a big hit, but falls short as far as diversity goes. Taken as a whole, If I Were A Carpenter succeeds wonderfully in finding new (and often weird) resonance in one of the most familiar catalogues in pop history. And then there are tracks (such as Cracker’s “Rainy Days And Mondays”) where the mood teeters between parody and homage. Several bands - including Redd Kross and Shonen Knife - don’t bother with such analysis and simply romp through their tunes with reckless abandon. At the other extreme, Sonic Youth picks up on the depressive side of the Carpenters’ work and turns “Superstar” into a suicidal dirge. The Cranberries’ cover of “(They Long To Be) Close To You” and Matthew Sweet’s version of “Let Me Be The One” stick close to the originals. But their interpretations vary radically, veering from the coyly sentimental to the coolly ironic. Most of the artists contributing to this project seem to be fascinated with the sibling duo’s often-haunting brand of ‘70s-era pop. ![]() Not exactly a tribute album, If I Were A Carpenter (1994) is more like a psycho-aesthetic exploration of Karen and Richard Carpenter’s musical legacy. ![]()
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