October 13, 2023

As We Eye the Blue Horizon's Bend

Artificial Intelligence is here to stay, but there's a lot to be said for the original music made from the original artists. Yes, it is great fun to hear what could be- or in the case of Karen Carpenter- what could have been. Richard Carpenter has been more than great about giving fans everything he did, keeping the Carpenters flame burning bright. But, like most of us die hards, I'd still like more. Human nature, I guess.

After returning home from a very long but productive business trip, I just wanted to hug my wife and listen to some music. Instead of popping on a piece of vinyl or dropping in a favorite disc, I found myself on You Tube, and the ghosts in the machine did the work for me. 

Up came "I Can Dream, Can't I?" the absolutely mesmerizing 1940's standard found on the duo's 1975 landmark album Horizon. Pure sonic perfection! In one way, this is truly a Karen Carpenter solo recording. The lovely time honoring arrangement was done by the great Billy May not Richard, nor is he on the keyboards, and even those adored, refined and renowned layered background vocals were performed by a trio of singers instead of the famous siblings. 

Wow- a breathtaking performance, one of the best Karen ever put on record. Was there anything she could not do?

In my initial review of Horizon, I considered the album the duo's masterpiece. In many ways, this holds true. The disc's second single Only Yesterday remains an incredible record, and the Neil Sedaka tune Solitaire shows off Karen's incredible range as few songs do. But that's only the beginning. It's just made up of one standout cut after another. 

When I gave the Horizon album a fresh look (listen) and revisited the collection years more than a decade later, I referred to it as one that shows the duo at their artistic peak. I still stand by that assessment. 

Could there ever be more official Carpenters music to come? I Can Dream Can't I?

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For any fan of the Carpenters or this particular album, I'd highly recommend purchasing  Carpenters: The Musical Legacy, written by the man himself with Mike Cidoni Lennox and Chris May. It's filled with insights on each album by Richard, rare photos, and recording information. 

If you want to read more of my reviews, both the initial ones and the Revisited/Fresh Look versions, check out the list below. 

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