Rating: Summary: Carpenters are still Cool! Review: In Singapore, Thailand, Europe, Hong Kong and particularly Japan are constantly keeping the Carpenters legacy alive with domestic releases and promotions. Unfortunately, their country of origin hardly gives them any luke-warm interests. The Carpenters are still VERY popular TODAY and I have seen teenagers buying and humming to Carpenters tunes. Our radio stations still play a lot of their music. Ask anyone in the streets in Asia and Europe and you'll be suprised how many people will know the Carpenters that made beautiful music to the ones that make a career out of wood. "Carpenters Gold" was first released as "Yesterday once more" on DVD in Japan and Taiwan with the addition of "I need to be in Love". This compilation was first released way back in 1985 and a must to every fan of Richard and Karen. Viewers will get a glimpse of the duo's showmanship as well as Karen's bubbly personality and her infectious smile. Listen to that timeless sound and the arrangements.These were music makers with solid talents and didn't rely on 'special effects' or wacky images like some artists do today. Experience the Carpenters through this highly recommended collection!
Rating: Summary: Wonderfull Karen Review: Karen Carpenter is also my favorite singer of all time. I could stay for hours and hours just seeing her sing. Her voice was like velvet. I'm a little disappointed to see that this DVD does not include all of her songs. I think that a GOLD DVD should include at least 3 ou 4 more newer songs. As it is I think it should be entitled SILVER only. I hope to see something better on Karen Carpenter in the near future. She and all of her fans deserve it.
Rating: Summary: Lip sync a real disappointment! Review: Karen Carpenter is my favorite singer of all time, and I was expecting to see her sing. Instead, the entire DVD consists of lip-sync-ing. The songs sound exactly like the recordings, and Karen certainly does not look like she was really singing. I don't mind a few music-video type performances, where lip-sync is the norm. But even the supposedly "live" staged performances where there is a "performing" band in the background are lip-sync-ed! That is cheesy! Furthermore, the video quality is very poor for a DVD. What is amazing though is that someone had the foresight to make these videos way back in the 70's. Especially interesting is "Ticket To Ride"; I am surprised they HAD video back then! (That's lip-sync-ed too) I am still waiting for a DVD of Karen REALLY singing; I need to prove to myself that beautiful voice really belonged to her.
Rating: Summary: where is the surround mix Review: My only complaint: Given that Richard Carpenter seems to spend most of his time in the studio remixing old Carpenters' tunes, why didn't he take the time to create surround mixes for this collection. Yes, the stereo tracks sound nice, but this would have been the best opportunity to create surround mixes for all of the Carpenters' hits. That being said, this dvd is excellent. Carpenters featured one of the best voices in pop music working in seeming perfect synergy with her brother, who came up with the best arrangements possible for their music. Yes, the outfits were sometimes awful -- but everyone wore awful outfits in the 70's -- that's what makes the decade so kitschy! My favorite videos here: "Ticket to Ride." Oddly set outside in the snow. Very strange. Karen's facial expressions reveal her true connection with heartbreak. Even though it didn't dent the top 40, this has to be one of my favorite Carpenters' singles. Richard took the jangly Beatle number and found its soul. This is maudlin on the level of their later original "Goodbye to Love." I also love "Please Mr. Postman." It surely is goofy (pun intended), but it's fun to see Karen and Richard in Disneyland, not to mention Karen appearing to have a good time. As many others have noted, Karen looks extremely frail in the later videos. It is sad to watch these, but I'm glad that they're not being hidden in an attempt to reconstruct history. Yes, Karen got progressively more sick over time, and those on the outside of the Carpenters' inner circle can only imagine how difficult this must have been for those close to Karen, not to mention how much pain Karen must have been in. What's also truly sad is that Karen never looked fat or heavy. Yes, she wore a couple of outfits that revealed that she had a little tummy fat. I can't believe that anyone would point out something like that in a review, and it's a sad commentary on our culture that someone having such a build can come to view themselves as grossly overweight. Carpenters is still one of my favorite groups ever. I think I'll be listening to Karen sing until it's my time to go.
Rating: Summary: It is an excellent bio. and discussion of anorexia nervosa. Review: Ray Coleman has written an outstanding book that deserves to be read both as a biography and a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa. Karen's death made a. n., which Sir W. Gull discovered in 1874, a household term, yet, it remains to most a mysterious illness. This frank and honest book has two objectives; a history of the Carpenters, and trying to make anorexia understood. It achieves both goals extremely well. A. n. still claims 5% to 15% of the millions who suffer from it, so this is, sadly, a much needed relevant book. The reader will proably be moved to tears for all those victims of anorexia in the past and in the present. END
Rating: Summary: Carpenters "GOLD" DVD- "Something's Missing" Review: The Carpenters DVD "GOLD" is an outstanding DVD version of the 1985 VHS "Yesterday Once More', and nothing more. What a disapointment for long-term Carpenters fans to not have anything new on this DVD. How long does the record company think we will keep buying new DVD and CD collections without any new remixes or unreleased material (from Karen's solo project there are at least 10 songs (Including the beautiful track, "Something's Missing", that were not included on "Karen Carpenter", produced by Phil Ramone that could be completed, or Carpenters sessions...there must be more)? There are many more video clips that could have been included on "GOLD", like "I Need To Be In Love", Carpenters ABC TV Shows, live performance tracks, especially the ABBA cover, "Thank You For The Music, which Karen & Richard performed on "the Tonight Show", Richard Carpenter interviews and updates on him, etc. Note to A&M Records/Universal Music... RELEASE "AS TIME GOES BY", which is an outstanding 'new' Carpenters CD of previously unreleased material available as an Import from Japan. I've been a Carpenters fan since 1972. I've bought everything available. So far.
Rating: Summary: Carpenters "GOLD" DVD- "Something's Missing" Review: The Carpenters DVD "GOLD" is an outstanding DVD version of the 1985 VHS "Yesterday Once More', and nothing more. What a disapointment for long-term Carpenters fans to not have anything new on this DVD. How long does the record company think we will keep buying new DVD and CD collections without any new remixes or unreleased material (from Karen's solo project there are at least 10 songs (Including the beautiful track, "Something's Missing", that were not included on "Karen Carpenter", produced by Phil Ramone that could be completed, or Carpenters sessions...there must be more)? There are many more video clips that could have been included on "GOLD", like "I Need To Be In Love", Carpenters ABC TV Shows, live performance tracks, especially the ABBA cover, "Thank You For The Music, which Karen & Richard performed on "the Tonight Show", Richard Carpenter interviews and updates on him, etc. Note to A&M Records/Universal Music... RELEASE "AS TIME GOES BY", which is an outstanding 'new' Carpenters CD of previously unreleased material available as an Import from Japan. I've been a Carpenters fan since 1972. I've bought everything available. So far.
Rating: Summary: Carpenters "GOLD" DVD- "Something's Missing" Review: The Carpenters DVD "GOLD" is an outstanding DVD version of the 1985 VHS "Yesterday Once More', and nothing more. What a disapointment for long-term Carpenters fans to not have anything new on this DVD. How long does the record company think we will keep buying new DVD and CD collections without any new remixes or unreleased material (from Karen's solo project there are at least 10 songs (Including the beautiful track, "Something's Missing", that were not included on "Karen Carpenter", produced by Phil Ramone that could be completed, or Carpenters sessions...there must be more)? There are many more video clips that could have been included on "GOLD", like "I Need To Be In Love", Carpenters ABC TV Shows, live performance tracks, especially the ABBA cover, "Thank You For The Music, which Karen & Richard performed on "the Tonight Show", Richard Carpenter interviews and updates on him, etc. Note to A&M Records/Universal Music... RELEASE "AS TIME GOES BY", which is an outstanding 'new' Carpenters CD of previously unreleased material available as an Import from Japan. I've been a Carpenters fan since 1972. I've bought everything available. So far.
Rating: Summary: It is awesome and so are the Carpenters Review: The Carpenters were a wonderful duo their music is timeless and so are they. Karen had a awesome voice and a beautiful woman. she is greatly missed to her fans. I recommend this video highly to everyone.
Rating: Summary: Carpenters Yesterday Once More Review: The Carpenters YESTERDAY ONCE MORE is a wonderful video. It is The Carpenters Music Videos. It is in the memory of Karen Carpenter. You should buy it! I got it for $20.00 at a store in the mall. I wish I'd have bought it here! Alex Hutchins Mail me at: parkyast@hotmail.com
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