Carpenters - The Singles: 1969-1981 (2000)

The older I get, the better they were. This is a fantastic compilation featuring the pure voice of Karen Carpenter and the imaginative arrangements of brother Richard. Granted, the early '70s stuff is the best, but it's all familiar to these ears. To be honest, though, if you're in the market for a Carpenters compilation, go with The Ultimate Collection from 2006.

This is where I usually complain about the song sequence not being chronological, but it doesn't seem to bother me on this disc. That cover photo, on the other hand...

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #45

Tracks:

Song	Year	Hot 100	AC*
For All We Know	1971	3	1
I Believe You	1978	68	9
It's Going To Take Some Time	1972	12	2
We've Only Just Begun	1970	2	1
Those Good Old Dreams	1981	63	21
Superstar	1971	2	1
Rainy Days And Mondays	1971	2	1
Goodbye to Love	1972	7	2
All You Get From Love Is A Love Song	1977	35	4
Top Of The World	1973	1	2
Only Yesterday	1975	4	1
Ticket To Ride	1969	54	19
Hurting Each Other	1971	2	1
Yesterday Once More	1973	2	1
Sing	1973	3	1
Touch Me When We're Dancing	1981	16	1
Please Mr. Postman	1974	1	1
I Need To Be In Love	1974	25	1
I Won't Last A Day Without You	1971	11	1
(They Long To Be) Close To You	1970	1	1
For All We Know (Reprise)	1972

*Before 4/7/79, the Adult Contemporary chart was known as the Easy Listening chart.

Songs that peaked in the Top 40 that didn't make the cut for this compilation: Solitaire (#17, 1975), There's A Kind Of Hush (All Over The World) (#12, 1976), and Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft (#32, 1977). Solitaire and There's A Kind Of Hush both topped the AC chart, too, bringing the Carpenters' total #1 songs on the AC chart to 15, spending a combined 38 weeks atop that chart.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: Growing up, my sister had a Carpenters piano songbook that included most of these tunes and she would play them often. On occasion, I would go in and sing along. IIRC, she also had a copy of the A Song For You Lp, so I'm sure we listened to that as well as I had neither albums nor a stereo at the time.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Christmas Portrait (1984)