Album Review: Carpenters- A Song For You

Hi,
   My name is Surjo, and I'm a professional musician. The songs you're hearing (hopefully) are from my debut album 'The Key Has Turned', which you can buy here.

   The album up for review is 'A Song For You' by The Carpenters. The album was released in 1972, and is yet another example of being humbled, because the music and words from more than 40 years ago can kick any album's ass out there right now. Listening to the album for the very first time last year, opened out a lot of blocked doors in my mind as far as songwriting went, and was definitely a major factor in the way 'The Key Has Turned' was written.

'A Song For You' starts off the album. Karen Carpenter's voice needs a laundry list of adjectives to describe just how good it is. Her vibrato is near flawless. Some of the lyrics in the song really struck a chord with me, and in combination with her voice, it's magical. The sax solo at the end is something that I've heard in Floyd albums, but I think this predates Floyd. 

'Top Of The World' is a song I had learnt in school, and to hear it so many years later filled me with surprise and joyous nostalgia. Lovely slide solo at the top, and the production is very interesting, with the way the drums and the EP is set up. The string arrangements come in with the 2nd verse, and fill the sound up. The harmonies come in from the chorus and keeps it interesting throughout. Her voice is just too good. The lyrics are basically the sweetest love song ever. 

'Hurting Each Other' shows off more of Richard's piano skills and arrangement skills with the string sections. It does sound like they've doubled her vocal for the chorus, and all this is way before pro-tools, so kudos for the perfection. Some of the lyrics are sugar-coated sweet. Karen's harmonies are spot-on, just great. 

'It's Going To Take Some Time This Time' is a very interesting song title. More interesting piano and vocal work. Again, really interesting harmony work, and no two verses are treated exactly the same, with subtle changes in arrangement always. A really interesting flute solo, and then a key change. 

'Goodbye To Love' showcases Karen's vocal depth in the first 2 lines itself. A lot of interesting piano chord work in the background. A lot of the typical orchestration in the song, but the real outstanding feature is the fuzz guitar solo, which laid the groundwork for ballads of this sort to always feature the overdriven guitar solo. Tony Peluso was on guitar for that solo, and the song was refused radio play because it was perceived to be too edgy because of the guitar solo. Some amazing harmony work at the end. 

'Intermission', man that's just an interesting 30 seconds to use in an album. What novel songwriting. 'We'll be right back, after we go to the bathroom'. Bravo, respect. Incredible reverb and harmony work.

'Bless The Beasts And The Children' starts off with a cute piano riff. The lyrics are very innovative, talking of the unique position of animals and children in this world. They who see the world with the greatest silence, and the greatest innocence. 

'Flat Baroque' is an instrumental piece in the album, and the name does it justice, because it does sound like baroque music, being played on a piano, but the execution is a little tongue-in-cheek, and that makes it fun to listen to. 

'Piano Picker' was a revelation to me when I first heard it, because the lyrical treatment to the song is so silly and straightforward, and almost foolish, that it gave me great courage, to then write foolish songs, just because I wanted to. It of course talks of how Richard is a piano prodigy, but with a very humorous take on it. Why does the song remind me some of Syd Barrett's Pink Floyd work? Must be that same sense of simplicity devoid of pretense. The false drama at the end of the chorus is hilarious. 

'I Won't Last A Day Without You' will make you fall in love with Karen Carpenter. Period. If you had a girl in your life who could sing like that, and those words, then you're going to be reshaping your entire life to make sure that she doesn't go anywhere without you. 

'Crystal Lullaby' is an interesting song title. It starts off as a lullaby, but there seems to be a time jump in the narrative. Real easy listening. 

'Road Ode' speaks of being on the road, which by this time, I'm sure they were experiencing a lot. The chorus has the most 'heavy' (for lack of a better word) movement in the song, with an involved bass line and drum pattern. Almost Motownish. The flute solo definitely has that vibe to it, which does very interesting contrasted with the mood of the rest of the album. 

'A Song For You (Reprise) closes out the album, to lend it that prog edge. 

One thing which I can say for sure, is that this is what easy listening is, and Karen Carpenter is a heck of a singer, and Richard Carpenter is a heck of a musician. Quite a brilliant album.