I get what others say about the sadness in her voice, but '70s over production is tough to take as a whole. It all sounds like a shampoo commercial.

eephus wrote: Tue Jan 07, 2025 11:19 am It's like their entire catalog is terminally ill.

Incredible.

And yeah, 100% not crap. Reminds me a lot of Ida.

Ah, that moment when The Carpenters reappraisal (which I always chalked up to the world learning about Karen's anorexia) led to teenage me listening to some live video. My mom walked by and quipped, "I used to sing this song into a hairbrush in front of the mirror."

A chuckle was had by all.

CRAP

The pair of them were undoubtedly talented and she had a beautiful and unique voice.

Would never listen by choice though.

We doing Captain & Tennille next?

Krev wrote: Wed Jan 08, 2025 3:08 pm We doing Captain & Tennille next?

Seals & Crofts

Krev wrote: Wed Jan 08, 2025 3:08 pm We doing Captain & Tennille next?

Good pop band. I can imagine a world where Pale Saints wrote "Muskrat Love."

jfv wrote: Seals & Crofts

What is wrong with lilting melodies? The Infinite Monkey Theorem postulates a monkey banging away on a typewriter for an infinite amount of time would produce a worthy manuscript. I argue that a noise rock band given enough time would create a hell of a pop song.

I thought this was just horrible at first because it sounded so soft and nice, in a limp way. Like the oboe-drums starting off Superstar, I just thought ugh there is no weight in this at all and sounds like TV music. Now I like Superstar, and several other songs.

zircona1 wrote: Tue Jan 07, 2025 1:10 pm One of the only songs I know by them is 'Merry Christmas Darling', and it almost makes me cry, it just sounds sad. I don't know enough of their music to cast a vote.

Yeah. Exactly. The vibe is just...thick. They literally never escaped it.

Just as outsider artists don't know they're making outsider art--to them it's just art!--I don' t think they knew at all how much of themselves was revealed in what they were doing.

Their music is really beyond whatever soft-rock signifiers are used to create it.
The sound of it, the arrangements, certainly the quality of the performances, all that absolutely matters.
But in someone else's hands, it could all very easily be rendered meaningless.

llllllllllllllllllll wrote: Tue Jan 07, 2025 12:21 pm I like Superstar like everyone else with a pulse who isn’t visibly angered by it. The OG Carpenters version is much better than Sonic Youth’s but that’s no knock against Thurston and co.

I want also want to see that banned movie - not sure if it’s an option but I really haven’t tried very hard.

Superstar the film is very good.
Sounds like it's going to be a gag, and some of it is funny, but it's really not played for laughs.
Somehow manages to be quite sad in the end, which of course it should be.
First Todd Haynes joint in a long string of great ones.

Dovira wrote: I thought this was just horrible at first because it sounded so soft and nice, in a limp way. Like the oboe-drums starting off Superstar, I just thought ugh there is no weight in this at all and sounds like TV music. Now I like Superstar, and several other songs.

It's easier to get into once life has punched you squarely in the face.

eephus wrote: Wed Jan 08, 2025 4:26 pm

Dovira wrote: I thought this was just horrible at first because it sounded so soft and nice, in a limp way. Like the oboe-drums starting off Superstar, I just thought ugh there is no weight in this at all and sounds like TV music. Now I like Superstar, and several other songs.

It's easier to get into once life has punched you squarely in the face.

Haha! That could be it.