Singles 1969-1981

Singles 1969 – 1981

“Blender dubbed them the “masters of soft rock,” and that sums it up about as neatly as possible. Karen Carpenter’s voice had a resignation, a fatigue towards romantic labors lost and a haunting quality that gave an edge to even the sappiest of songs. That haunted vocal texture made “Sing” quietly authoritative, after all.   This brother/sister duo came armed with a bevy of songwriters that would make numerous acts green with envy – Burt Bacharach, Paul Williams, Leon Russell, just to name a few – and Richard Carpenter gave them productions and arrangements that turned them slightly askew. They were toothsome, plainly attractive, very talented, and melancholic in the best of ways beneath that shiny surface.   The innate sadness of “Rainy Days and Mondays” doesn’t s” read more

100 Greatest American Albums of All Time (100 music items)

"Masters of soft rock Thanks to Karen Carpenter’s gently authoritative voice, these pristine pop singles illuminated the work of the era’s great songwriters (Burt Bacharach, Leon Russell, Paul Williams) — and topped the charts more than four times in a career now impossible to separate from its well-known and tragic end. Standout tracks: “Superstar,” “Goodbye to Love”"

500 CDs You Must Own Before You Die! (500 music items)

"Burt Bacharach gave the Carpenters hits, and death immortalized them. The unearthly voice of Karen Carpenter — pop’s greatest singing drummer — turned even the goofiest of brother Richard’s productions into a haunted place. Standout track: “Goodbye to Love”"