*I was staring at the sky, just looking for a star...*

I’ve recently gotten myself a copy of Fiona Apple’s latest album, The Idler Wheel… It’s definitely a very interesting listen, and one I’d recommend. For those of you unfamiliar with Fiona Apple, her music is dark, dreary, occasionally uplifting, and always emotional. The songs have a structure more associated with pop music, but her deep voice shows that there is something more profound and disturbing under this facade. Her husky alto voice carries the songs with a rare intensity (and is a bit reminiscent of a torch singer from the '30s), backed with swelling strings and delicate piano melodies.

 

While Fiona has been in the music scene for more than 15 years, she has been a fairly recent addition to my music collection. I actually went and searched down some of her music a few years ago, after watching some VH1 show featuring the “Top Songs of the ‘90s”… The first song I heard of hers is probably her most famous, “Criminal”. After downloading a handful of songs from her first album, Tidal, I ran across “Paper Bag” and it quickly became a favorite of mine – and one I’ve often dubbed as my theme song.  The simple, grooving drumbeat, melodic piano and poetic lyrics hooked me. I listened to the song over and over, each time identifying with and finding a new appreciation in another layer of the song.

 

Since then, I’ve found myself listening to Fiona Apple on a fairly regular basis. She only has 4 albums, but all of them have noteworthy qualities and songs that I would urge anyone to take the time to listen. Tidal  is dark, murky, and soulful. As a songwriter, her songs are blunt, emotional, pensive, and self absorbed yet strangely relevant. This is a woman who knows she's screwed up, but isn't going to ground herself in her pretensions. She's world weary... Opening with "Sleep To Dream", a stalking theme of romantic collapse with biting lyrics and thundering piano taps. "Sullen Girl" is powerful. In fact, this whole album is commanding. "Slow Like Honey", "Never Is A Promise", "Shadowboxer", "Criminal", are all significant. It's hard to believe that a 17 year old girl wrote these melodies and words. Her vocals ache with disappointment, regret, and pain. And what’s even more interesting about hearing her first album, is to see how she evolves as a musician and songwriter.

 

Her next album, When The Pawn…,  is still probably my favorite album. While her first album could become a bit tedious, this album contains all of my favorite songs of hers. “Limp” is, musically, a wild ride of complex melody, jazzy interludes, and poetry. “Love Ridden” is a mellow discussion of the aftermath of a breakup. “Fast As You Can” is another amazing song. Opening with an unique drum fill before kicking in with a driving piano part and fast paced vocals, the tempo change in the middle makes for an interesting listen and stands out in contrast to the rest of the song. And “Get Gone”… The repeated piano riff through the verses is rather addictive and interesting and I find the lyrics and passion behind the performance quite liberating. Again, I love the contrast in this song – how the quiet verses transform to the strong chorus, where she defiantly sings, “I do know what’s good for me”. I love that. The album closes with the slow, subtle ballad that is an almost hopeful end to a somewhat cynical album.

 

After six years of waiting, Fiona released her third album in 2005, Extraordinary Machine. away, "Extraordinary Machine" grabs you, with its unexpected orchestrations--oboe and bells that delightfully enhance this downright catchy tune. The ironic pairing of such whimsy with lyrics about adaptability in a raucous relationship is delicious. “O’Sailor” may be my favorite on the album, with her trademark piano style and smoky yet yearning vocals. "Not About Love" describes the scene after a late-night fight or possibly break-up. "Get Him Back" narrates the vengeful plans of a jaded lover that eventually finds herself wanting back the one man who didn't disappoint her. Probably the most outwardly angry songs on the album is "Window" where she tells about how a "filthy pane of glass" was obstructing her view out a window while a lover is confessing to having an affair.

 

Which brings me to her latest album, The Idler Wheel… Upon my first listen or two, I knew this was different from previous releases. I listened to it often through the month of December and it really hit me that Fiona is pouring her emotions out like never before. She is really letting loose and her voice sounds better than ever. The writing and creativity is superb. While not all of the songs are instantly accessible, this is some of the most passionate, emotional work I have heard from her. "Every Single Night" starts out quietly, with a vibraphone/toy piano sound, joined by an acoustic base; she starts softly, soon becomes demanding: "That's when the pain comes in...Like a second skeleton/Trying to fit beneath the skin/I can't fit the feelings in/Every single night's alright with my brain." There are not words at my disposal to describe the emotional changes that this song brings you through, but it had my mouth open in disbelief, it was so powerful.

"Werewolf" is another standout track set to a chiming piano. This dichotomy, this my fault/your fault push and pull is something that she excels at, and this song is no exception, and it is developed into a description of an obsessive relationship, full of pain but full of fire. "If I'm butter, then he's a hot knife, He makes my heart a cinemascope..." she croons to an insistent tom tom beat on "Hot Knife" and soon a dark dancing piano figure comes in, and Fiona, tight and controlled begins harmonizing with her sister, twisting in and out of each other's melodies, forming a complex web of sound that is still focused and sharp. It is an astonishing achievement that she pulls off with incredible focus, and her sister's voice is not only an amazing counterpoint to her own, but is hauntingly similar. All in all, this is an incredibly intimate album.

 

Fiona brings a sultry mix of blues, pop, rock, and R&B to the table, along with edgy lyrics and fresh perspective. I look forward to hearing more from her, even if I have to wait another 7 years for a new album.

It started off so well…

I can't believe it's taken me so long to get around to writing about this band, but Queen has long been one of my favorite bands. I got hooked on Queen about a decade ago after I had listened to a mix CD that included “Bohemian Rhapsody”, “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”, “We Will Rock You” and “We Are The Champions”. I’d known those songs before, but never really listened to them… and as is typical for me, after hearing a band I really like, I dive right into their music for several months.

 

After borrowing News of the World from a friend, it seemed that each week I’d run out to buy another one of their albums. So, what can I say about Queen? Queen was incredibly different. They could have wild, loud rockers one minute, and then they would have a pretty ballad the next.  Or even better, they would have some bizarre song that was filled with their British charm. John Deacon is an amazing bassist. Deacon bass lines aren’t just that thumping you tend to hear – His bass lines were melodic and beautiful – And he wrote some of the biggest Queen hits. Roger Taylor can totally rock out on the drums and watching him behind a ridiculously huge set, and know exactly where he’s going… It’s pretty impressive. (And it’s because of him that I mastered the drumstick twirl!) Not to mention he can sing higher than me! Brian May is my favorite member… (I think I’ve already mentioned my “thing” for guitarists). Brian is an extraordinary guitarist and the way he used guitars as other instruments – Well, I’ve never heard another musician able to orchestrate a choir of guitars the way Brian can. And Freddie? Jeez, he’s one of the most charismatic front mans ever. He wasn’t much to look at, but that voice! So powerful which such a fantastic range… And he had a distinctive style on the piano as well. And he’s written some of rock and roll’s most complex songs.

 

My favorite album may be The Game – though, that’s not to say I don’t dig their other albums. Honestly, every album of theirs (particularly the earlier albums) have tons of noteworthy songs. I know that to some The Game marks the beginning of the end for Queen. It’s Queen’s first pop album and is the first of Queen’s albums that doesn’t boast the use of no synthesizers. In fact, the first sound of the album is a synthesizer. So, the album may lack the depth of Queen’s preceding albums and lack the edge of News of the World, but it doesn’t make it a bad album. “Play The Game” is a fantastic showcase for Freddie’s amazing vocals. “Another One Bites The Dust” is quite a departure for the band and for the writer of the song – John Deacon – successfully crossing over into the funk genre. Brian’s heavy “Dragon Attack” and John’s catchy “I Need Your Loving Tonight” are both great tunes. And “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” is a lovely little rockabilly tribute to Elvis with a great Brian May guitar solo played on a Fender Telecaster instead of his usual “Red Special”.

 

Brian wrote two absolutely gorgeous ballads on this album as well – “Sail Away Sweet Sister” is by far my most played Queen song. I love Brian’s vocals and amazing guitar solo – and Freddie’s vocals on the bridge tend to blow me away. (How does he hit that note?!) “Save Me” is the other ballad – and it has another killer guitar solo. And Freddie’s vocals are, of course, perfect. It builds up to a poignant climax flawlessly with its catchy and heartfelt chorus. While it may not be groundbreaking, it doesn’t detract from the beauty of the song. It’s a lovely and strong closer to the album.

 

So… I suppose that’s about all I’ve got to say about Queen for now, but be prepared for me to revisit the subject somewhere down the line.

The record goes from blue to gold…

I believe I’ve mentioned this band before, but allow me to say few more things about the “punk-cabaret” band, The Dresden Dolls. I was introduced to their music several years ago. The first album I heard was Yes, Virginia and was the music immediately caught my attention. What is so cool to me is that the music is, more or less, rock, but is played on the piano. Also, for a band that doesn't consist of anything more than a piano and drums, the tracks are huge, your brain won't even realize that there are only 2 instruments being played here. I’m in love with the piano parts Amanda Palmer always has – really crazy chords, kind of a bastardization on Jazz and Classical… and the consistently dark and twisted lyrics… I dunno, there’s something about all of that that really appeals to me. And let’s not forget about Brian’s drumming – inventive and powerful.

 

The song I first became infatuated with was “Backstabber". It’s kind of a 4-minute litany of insults aimed at some unknown critic, but it has an amazingly catchy piano riff and a captivating melody – with fantastic drumming by Brian. For all of her venom and sometimes-frightening intensity, Amanda has a sharp wit and I think it’s quite apparent in this song. The other song that quickly became a favorite of mine is “Dirty Business”. I love the feel of this song, the powerful chords, and some of the sarcasm that Amanda delivers in the lyrics – and the way the song builds throughout the last chorus. It’s really an amazing song.

 

Fairly recently, I dusted off the DVD of a concert The Dresden Dolls did quite a few years ago and was immediately impressed again with their commanding stage presence and energy during a performance – and they obviously love performing. I’m so glad I’ve had the opportunity to see them live, because it was an amazing experience. One thing you can say about The Dresden Dolls, their brand of theatrics, cabaret, and dark confessionals is a refreshing change of pace. So yeah, if you can get past their somewhat unusual appearance and not be freaked out by them, check ‘em out. You may enjoy them!

Don't let 'em tell you what you wanna be....

What can I say about Paul McCartney that hasn’t already been written somewhere? Probably not too much, but I’m gonna try.

 

Paul McCartney is my favorite Beatle. I think it was the White Album picture that officially hooked me. I remember after I had gotten The White Album while I was in high school, I was laying on my bedroom floor looking at the photos included with that album. I remember looking at that picture of Paul (you know the one) and thinking, “Okay yeah, he’s pretty good looking.” Of course, there’s much more to Paul McCartney than a pretty face. He is an amazingly talented musician, songwriter, entertainer… I mean, how many people have written such a vast amount of songs that basically everyone knows? I can tell you, there aren’t that many songwriters you can say that about. His voice is so extraordinary – it’s distinctive, but so versatile at the same time. It’s pretty amazing that he could sing “Here, There and Everywhere” in such a sweet voice and alternatively launch into a song like “Lady Madonna” or “Helter Skelter”. There was a time when I didn’t realize the same person sang those songs! And as a musician – his bass lines were always melodic and distinct, he played some pretty awesome guitar solos, he can rock on the piano, and can even hold his own on the drums.
 

Anyhow, I’ve recently had the good fortune to get tickets to see Paul McCartney in concert – again! I’ve been lucky enough to have seen him twice before. In fact, my first real concert was to see Paul McCartney. Let me tell you, that was an amazing experience. I was able to see him towards the height of my Beatlemania – with my best Beatle friend – and it was the most incredible concert I’ve ever been to. Even the second time I saw him couldn’t compare. Also, up until that concert, I really couldn’t understand the girls during the ‘60s screaming and carrying on the way they did when they saw the Fab Four. And while I still don’t completely understand the logic of screaming during the performance of a song (how can you hear it if you’re screaming?), I do understand the involuntary emotional response that happens being so near such a magnetic and charismatic presence. I’ve never been a very scream-y person, but at the beginning and ending of each song, the excitement just is too much to keep bottled up.

 

Since I found out I’m going to see Paul again, I’ve dug up all of my Paul-related CDs and have been listening to him and The Beatles almost exclusively. This is something I haven’t done for about 7 or 8 years. It’s been interesting and amazingly, despite the fact that I know all of this music so well, it still triggers that emotional response in me. Giddiness, exhilaration, and a bit of wonder at the awesomeness of the songs.

 

I think my favorite Paul album post-Beatles is Ram. “Too Many People” has been one of the songs I’ve been constantly going back to this week. I really love the song. The guitar, the drums, the way it builds… To me, it’s a pretty great way to open an album.  “Dear Boy” is another track on the album that I tend to keep going back to. I know I’ve mentioned it before, but I’m such a sucker for harmonies, and this song is saturated with them. Absolutely catchy melody, simple lyrics, and so many layers of McCartney,  that one could almost get lost in it. My favorite bit is the last 30 seconds of the song when there are all those parts going on at the same time. Oh my god! It’s almost as good as a guitar solo for me!  I also must mention the fantastic guitar riff in “Smile Away”. But really, the entire album is incredible. It’s strange for me to think that this album was actually met with a fairly poor critical reception – especially since it’s so well revered now.

 

Oh well, before I close for now, I do want to say one last thing. While I am definitely a Maccaholic, I don’t want you to think I play that stupid game of “who was better? John or Paul?” I just refuse to play that game, just as I reject any suggestion that the Beatles could have done what they did, been what they were (or are) to millions of us, without George or Ringo. They all had a very important part in the band and are all amazingly talented individuals. And like Paul said in Living In The Material World, “I always likend us [The Beatles] to four corners of a square. People say, ‘Ah, well, John and Paul were the important ones.’ But I say, ‘No, no, it’s a square.’ Without any of the four corners, you collapse.”

 

So, be prepared for more entries about “My Boys”, but until then, I’ll leave you with this:

With only the blue light of the TV on…

I obviously have a thing for great pop songs with notable lyrics – I suppose it’s the writer in me that I always take notice of lyrics – particularly when unusual words are used or great imagery is utilized. So I suppose it would be no big surprise that I dig Elvis Costello, who once in an interview jokingly referred to himself as “rock and roll’s scrabble champion.”  His lyrics are unique, memorable, meaningful, funny, and clever.  As a songwriter, he’s really great. He’s written a ton of really tight pop songs. And his voice, while it’s been criticized rather often being called “limited and harsh”, in the opinion of this rather unimportant individual, it’s pretty great. It works well for his songs and is distinctive and I love it.

Elvis Costello has been a staple of my music collection for quite a few years now and I’ve even had the pleasure of seeing him live in 2008. The first song I had heard by him and truly took notice of was “Human Hands” off of the album, Imperial Bedroom. It’s a fantastic song with a cool piano part (Steve Nieve is a very talented pianist), great rhythm and amazing lyrics.  Starting with the crash of chords and drum fills before settling into a slightly reggae rhythm. The piano during the chorus is awesome. Some of my favorite lines are… well, the first line is pretty great: “I’ve been talking to the wall and it’s been answering me.” Paints a very specific image. And the chorus is also a lot of fun to sing along with because of the rhythm of the words with the music: “Whenever I put my foot in my mouth and you begin to doubt that it’s you that I’m dreaming about, do I have to draw you a diagram?” I also love the line “Tighter and tighter, I hold you tightly. You know I love you more than slightly.”

 

A couple other songs I’ve had moments of infatuation with are “Blue Chair” and “I Want You” from Blood and Chocolate, “Oliver’s Army” from Armed Forces, and “You’ll Never Be A Man” from Trust.

 

I love the chorus in “Blue Chair”... but my favorite part is the middle eight (though, I don't think that's what it’s called since it's actually 16 measures). I especially like the line "We can watch our troubles rise like smoke into the air and drift up to the ceiling". I also LOVE the ending. As for “I Want You”, that song does something to me. I disagree with some of the interpretations of the lyrics though... there are quite a few people who seem to think he's a psycho stalker who is going to kill the girl. I don't get that image at all... I think of it more of a guy who is devastated by his girl cheating on him. After finding out, he's obsessing over the situation... wanting to know every detail, even though it hurts him to know. But that's just me... The song itself though is awesome. I love the twang of the guitar after the intro. I love Elvis' passionate, slightly hoarse, sometimes sarcastic sounding vocals. The lyrics are pretty steamy too... though, it might have something to do with the fact that every other line is "I Want You"... but the line "did you call his name out as he held you down..." Very erotic. The whole song has a very steamy and erotic feel to me... My favorite part is (big surprise) the guitar solo.

 

“Oliver’s Army” is an upbeat melody with great piano flourishes and rather serious lyrics. My favorite part is during the last verse when he’s singing harmony with himself. I kind of have a thing for harmonies, specifically when the vocalist is harmonizing with themselves. And the line of the chorus, “And I would rather be anywhere else but here today” is a line that has run through my head in a number of different situations throughout my life! “You’ll Never Be A Man” I adore for the lovely countermelody in the piano (Steve really shines in this song), the harmonies, and the clever lyrics and rhymes in the chorus.

 

Anyhow, I suppose that’s enough for the time being, but you will undoubtedly be hearing more about Elvis Costello in the future.

Ticklin' The Ivories

I’ve been trying to write a post about piano solos for the last few weeks and somehow, the number of songs I discuss keeps getting way out of control. There are just too many awesome piano dominated songs to talk about in just one post, so I’ve forced myself to limit myself to just a few songs that I’ve been more partial to recently.

Piano is a very versatile instrument.  It works with a number of different genres and rarely sounds out of place. Also, I love how you can get such a full sound with just the one instrument. While I don't have the same infatuation with piano solos as I do with guitar solos, I do love listening to a really great piano part. There are tons of piano dominated music ranging from the classical pieces, to ragtime (Scott Joplin was pretty awesome, by the way), to jazz, to early rock ‘n’ roll. The Beatles used it constantly in their songs (and there are a number of great Beatle-piano songs). Queen and Elvis Costello are no strangers to piano music – and Billy Joel and Elton John are known for it. Fiona Apple has a large amount of piano driven songs, as well. There just doesn’t seem to be an end to artists that feature great piano parts, which is why I had to take a step back and re-evaluate before writing this post! But here are a few of my favorites:

 

I’ve still been on an Elliott Smith kick as of late. I mentioned in my last post about Elliott’s talent as a songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist, but he also was pretty decent behind the keyboard. (If you don’t believe me, search on youtube for Elliott Smith playing Rachmaninoff). One song that I’ve been going back to lately is off of the album Figure 8, “In the Lost and Found”. It has a pretty nice ragtime-y piano riff that I enjoy listening to. It’s not the most impressive solo, but it’s catchy as hell.

 

The Carpenters also had a ton of piano songs – Richard is an exceptional pianist with an inclination towards jazz influenced solos, though, he’s no stranger to classical composers (the arrangement of “From This Moment On” accompanied by Bach’s “Prelude in C Minor” proves that). And there are quite a few Richard solo songs featured on various Carpenters albums, but one of my favorite solos is from “This Masquerade”. As is Richard’s style, his excellent technique is showcased with jazzy runs and a lovely variation of the melody. Though, the tune “Flat Baroque” is a lot of fun to play – and his tribute to Karen, “Karen’s Theme” is exquisite.

 

I have already mentioned that The Beatles often featured the piano in their music – and after the band called it quits, the instrument continued to consistently be featured in their solo efforts. I suppose the most popular of these songs is John’s “Imagine” – and while it is gorgeous song – I’m more than a little partial to the piano solo in the song “Out the Blue” from Mind Games. (I find this album is quite underrated, but that is best saved for another post). While the piano isn’t performed by John, but rather jazz pianist Kenny Ascher, it is fantastically performed. Wonderful mixture of rock and jazz combine into this love song. And the solo is amazing. Love the tremolo moments and the arpeggios at the end of the solo. As for Paul, he constantly uses piano in his songs as well – and though (again) there are a number of songs I’d love to mention, my favorite is probably “Maybe I’m Amazed.”  While Paul was never classically trained as a pianist, he definitely can hold his own – and the chromatic runs are so much fun to play! (Of course, the guitar is great as well!).

 

Jumping ahead in time a bit, Ben Folds is a rather impressive pianist. He has a rather distinctive style that I enjoy listening to. Since he is a pianist, you’re going to find some pretty remarkable piano work in all of his songs. My favorites, however, may be the songs “Philosophy” and “Landed”. Both include captivating intros and catchy melodies and lovely solo work. In “Philosophy”, I really enjoy the ending – particularly when he launches into a bit of “Rhapsody in Blue”. And I always love glissandos on the piano and how the very end it finishes with a crash of chords. “Landed” is really just a really beautiful song so I wanted to mention it here. (Though, he also has an Elliott Smith tribute song, “Late”, which I have learned to play on the piano!)

 

It seems that there are quite a few women in pop music who have a talent at the piano and Carole King is one of my favorites. She obviously has significant talent for songwriting – since she co-penned dozens of chart topping hits through the ‘60s, but she can really rock on the piano. The song, “I Feel the Earth Move”, off of Tapestry, has a great, driving piano part and pretty rocking solo.

 

Another female who rocks the piano is from one of my favorite bands, The Dresden Dolls. The Dresden Dolls is a “Brechtian punk cabaret” band out of Boston. There are just 2 members of the band, Amanda Palmer on piano and Brian Viglione on drums. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing them live and they are both amazing to watch perform. Amanda, as a pianist, is forceful and theatrical. I highly recommend the album, Yes Virginia, particularly if you like piano driven rock – or women who play their instruments with an uninhibited passion. The song with one of my most favorite piano solos is “Necessary Evil”. I feel like that solo just builds to a wonderful climax.

 

The last piano soloist I’m going to talk about here is Billy Preston. He’s well-known for his work on The Beatles album, Let It Be, but he had a few hits during his solo career as well. “Nothing From Nothing” is a song that never fails to put a smile on my face. It has a great swingy piano groove that is a bit reminiscent of the ragtime saloon style of the 1890s. The intro and solo are both amazing – and like I’ve mentioned in other solos, I adore the tremolo part. The other solo of his that just astounds me is during his performance of “Isn’t It A Pity” at the tribute Concert for George. What I find so impressive about his organ solo is that he seems to be able to bend the notes the way a guitarist or vocalist can do – a technique you don’t hear all that often on the keyboard. It’s really a fantastic performance. (Of course, Eric Clapton’s solo is up there too!)

It’s got you layin’ up nights, just waiting for the music to start…

My first Carpenters album. It's a
little worse for wear these days.

So… as is consistent with my music addiction, I have a tendency to make myself various CDs of the tunes I’m in the mood for during a week. And yes, I tend to make about 1 (sometimes 2) official mix CDs a week. This last week, I made a CD of the music I listened to the summer before I went into 9^th grade. Okay, so that’s been a little while ago and some people are impressed that I can remember the music I was listening to at that time, but music has always been an important part of my life and my life has definitely had a soundtrack. Besides, during my early teenage years, I didn’t have too big of a variety of music. At that time in my life, I mostly listened to the Carpenters and the Partridge Family – with a little bit of Judy Garland soundtracks, one Petula Clark CD, and The Beatles CD – Past Masters Vol. 2, because I wanted the song “Let It Be”.
 
Okay, so I was a bit of a dork. But honestly, I maintain my love for The Carpenters. The Carpenters have been a staple in my music collection for as far back as I can remember. I knew their albums because of my mother and I picked out my first “grownup album” out shortly after I turned 6. It was The Carpenters Singles 1969-1973. My favorite song became “Hurting Each Other” and I used to play it over and over. At 6, I obviously didn’t understand the feelings behind the song, but I knew it was a beautiful song – and I still love it. And there’s something about her voice when she’s singing just before the chorus “Oh why should it be”… It’s strange, but it’s one of those moments that I can listen to over and over.
 
So, yeah… My love for The Carpenters started ages ago and it ebbed and flowed during various stages in my life. I really only had the one album until my serious obsession began at age 11. I don’t really remember what kicked off the obsession, but I remember dusting off my old cassette tape and popping it into the stereo and I was hooked all over again. I listened to that tape so many times throughout that year and the following Christmas I got a CD player and a Carpenters two-disc compilation album: Yesterday Once More. That’s another album I listened to pretty much non-stop for months – my favorite song during that time was “Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft” – and this song kicked off my fixation for getting the album, Passage (which was out of print at the time). Over the following couple years, I sunk most of my allowance into buying Carpenters albums (though, The Partridge Family received a great deal of my allowance money as well… I had it bad for Keith Partridge). I think a lot of my favorite Carpenters songs during this time tended toward their non-hits: “Let Me Be The One” (from Carpenters), “Maybe It’s You” (from Close To You), “Love Me For What I Am” (from Horizon), “Boat to Sail” (from A Kind of Hush), “Where Do I Go From Here?” (from Lovelines), “I Can’t Make Music” (from Now and Then),  “I Won’t Last A Day Without You” (from A Song For You), and “Turn Away” (from Ticket to Ride)…

I learned quite a few of their songs on the piano during this time too. “Hurting Each Other” was the first song I learned by them. And I remember sitting at the piano with my headphones on, trying to play “Flat Baroque” along with the recording… Richard is a much better pianist than I am, let me tell you! I could play most of the “Bacharach/David Medley” with the recording though (and here’s another little music-related secret of mine: I kind of have a thing for medleys).

Somewhere along the line, during my high school years, I didn’t listen to them so much.  I didn’t seriously start listening to the Carpenters again until a few years back… I don’t really know why I didn’t… It might have been the “non-cool factor”, or maybe I had too much other music to listen to, or maybe I just burned myself out on them in my early teenage years. Whatever the reason, I looked them up on youtube a few years back and was hooked all over again. Being an adult at this point, I heard them again with fresh ears – and a new perspective. Yes, I knew all the songs like the back of my hand, but I heard them differently than I did before (and even found some songs I hadn’t known before – outtakes from Karen’s solo album). I had a better understanding of music and what real talent is. Now, I know they get a lot of crap. “They’re too sugary, too sentimental, too melodic”.  They’re definitely not rock and roll, but… I don’t know if I can really consider them a guilty pleasure because, really, I’m pretty proud of being a fan of theirs. I’m proud of knowing all their music!
 
So no, not a guilty pleasure (the Partridge Family on the other hand, might fall into that category - but that's a subject for another time…). Why not? Because, no matter what anyone says – they were extremely talented individuals. Karen’s voice is what always gets mentioned – and it rightfully should. It was incredible. She had nearly a 4 octave range. She had impeccable phrasing, resonance, and consistently perfect pitch. No vocalist has ever matched her vocal quality- the haunting, sadness and the natural mellowness. She never screeched (like so many vocalists are apt to these days). She always produced a lovely pure and rich tone.
 
But it wasn’t just Karen’s voice – She was an astounding drummer… after trying to play the drums, I became aware of just how fantastic she was and how much natural talent she possessed on the drums…  She’s also the whole reason I wanted to play the drums.
 
Of course, you can’t over look Richard’s contributions – and amazing pianist, composer, and arranger. It’s the combination of the 2 that make them what they are. And the layers and layers of Carpenters voices in each recording? Nothing can quite compare to that.
 
My Recommendations –
Albums: A Song For You, Close To You, and Carpenters
Songs:   Hurting Each Other
                Goodbye To Love
                Let Me Be The One
                We’ve Only Just Begun
                All You Get From Love Is A Love Song
      

And here’s a little clip from their appearance on The Tonight Show. Karen really rocked on the drums.