Only Yesterday: Richard & Karen Carpenter's Greatest Hits - The Carpenters

Is it the slick production? Or the catchy tunes? The irresistible hooks? Or is it the true sweetness of Karen Carpenter's voice? What exactly is the enduring appeal of The Carpenters? I'm usually found listening to loud, guitar-driven music, or sometimes jazz if I'm in the mood. Smooth, easy-listening tunes are not my thing at all - so why do The Carpenters never fail to improve my mood and bring a smile to my face? I've noticed that many, much more unlikely, people have a similar strange bent! I once arrived home to find my flatmate of the time (a frighteningly trendy club DJ in the early acid house scene) smooching in the living ...

Only Yesterday? - The Carpenters First , a brief history...> Many of you who read this review , will have read other music reviews of mine , concentrating on groups I really love , eg Queen , Fleletwood Mac and Erasure . All have been very well received via the ratings given , which is always good news . Well here lies a review , on what is basically a greatest hits album , from a brother/sister duo , who first hit the headlines in 1968 , and continued to do so unto the untimely death of Karen in 1983 . Yet still the albums sell , and so the world is richer for the voice of an angel , who just happens to have got my vote as best female vocal , ...

Only Yesterday includes many of their tops hits including Rainy Days and Mondays, Goodbye to Love and For All We Know. I think it encompasses their hits during the height of their fame and reflects the incredible depth of feeling they had at this time. Many of the songs are about love and hurt, especially, my all time favourite.. The Masquerade. This song alone, shows the hurt and loneliness Karen, especially felt and gives her incredible vocals, especially at the lower end of her range a medium to prove what a fantastic voice she had. Another of their best songs.. Only Just Begun (remixed on this album) was originally an advertising tune for an american bank, but once ...