A Sneak Peak at Carpenters: The Musical Legacy Book

Fans of Richard and Karen Carpenter will be delighted and sometimes shocked by the content of the new book penned by Mike Cidoni Lennox and Chris May with the help of Richard himself. Carpenters: The Musical Legacy contains scores of previously unseen photos from his collection. But it is his self-assessment of their music and the stories that drove its creation that shocks.

I knew the book was out, and while Amazon promises a delivery this Tuesday, I could not wait, so I journeyed to Barnes and Noble to see it for myself. It's gorgeous! With more than 300 pages, the book is filled with stories from interviews with Richard, Billboard chart scans, a discography and more. 

Fans of the duo will go back to it over and over. But it is the non-fan that has the most to gain! From my sneak peek into the book, I walked away with even more respect and appreciation for both Karen and Richard and what they accomplished. From Top of the World, Yesterday Once More, Goodbye to Love, Only Yesterday, I Need to Be in Love (and these are only the hits written by Richard and writing partner John Bettis), and many more, Karen and Richard created a substantial and beloved body of work in just over a decade. Quite a legacy indeed.

It may be the book that keeps Carpenters on the musical map of the world for at least another 50 years. What a read!