⭐ Official Review [Compilation]: "THE SINGLES, 1969-1981" [SACD]

[Chris May]

"The Singles, 1969-1981" [SACD]



Catalogue Number: B0002996-36
Date of Release: 1/11/05
Medium: SACD Hybrid/Multi-layer
5.1 Surround + 2-channel

​

Track Listing:

1.) Yesterday Once More 3:57
2.) We've Only Just Begun 3:04
3.) Superstar 3:46
4.) Rainy Days And Mondays 3:35
5.) Goodbye To Love 3:56
6.) I Believe You 3:55
7.) It's Going To Take Some Time 2:59
8.) This Masquerade 4:53
9.) Ticket To Ride 4:09
10.) Top Of The World 2:58
11.) Only Yesterday 3:47
12.) Hurting Each Other 2:48
13.) Please Mr. Postman 2:47
14.) Merry Christmas, Darling 3:05
15.) Sing 3:18
16.) Bless The Beasts and Children 3:15
17.) I Won't Last A Day Without You 4:29
18.) Touch Me When We're Dancing 3:19
19.) For All We Know 2:33
20.) (They Long To Be) Close To You 3:41
21.) Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft 7:09

Produced for SACD by Richard Carpenter

Surround Sound mix by Al Schmitt and Richard Carpenter at Capitol Studios, Hollywood, CA
Assisted by Steve Genewick and Bill Smith
Pro Tools Editing: Bill Smith at Sky's the Limit Studios, Studio City, CA
Mastering by Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman Mastering, Hollywood, CA
Digital Editing: Stewart Whitmore at Marcussen Mastering, Hollywood, CA
Stereo Fold-down Mixes: Richard Carpenter and Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman Studios, Hollywood, CA
SACD Authoring: Lon Neumann

Art Direction: Vartan
Design for SACD Reissue: Artministry, Inc.
Production Manager: Shannon Steckloff

Front cover photo by and courtesy of Annie Leibovitz and Richard Carpenter archive.
Back cover photo courtesy of Richard Carpenter archive.
Inlay Cloud Photo by Fred Valentine for Silver Lining Untld.

Supervised for SACD by Paul Bishow and Michel Etchart
Project Director: Mike Ragogna

© 2004 A&M Records

"If 5.1 is used to its full potential, rather than just using the back channels for ambience, it can open up the recording from stereo in a way that stereo opens it up from mono. Glad to see attention being paid to "I Believe You", as I feel it is one of our stronger tracks and a perfect vehicle for Karen." -Richard Carpenter, January 2005

 

[Jeff]

lovin the showcase!

Jeff

P.S. How clever to draw reviews from this release. Thanks CM!

 

[Chris May]

lovin the showcase!

Jeff

P.S. How clever to draw reviews from this release. Thanks CM!

I thought in light of my recent interview with Richard, more specifically our discussion regarding the SACD, this was most appropriate!

 

[Jeff]

Haha I forgot the to reveal my vote and Bless The Beasts and the Children...the children...the children...

Jeff

 

[Harry]

Tough call. There are so many things in so many of the SACD tracks that stand out, especially on the actual SACD 5.1 surround layer. The first one that jumps out at you as you're listening to the disc is "Superstar", which also got downmixed to the CD and 2.0 layers. Even though it's a remix, it now sounds much closer to the way the record was originally constructed.

The next biggie to hit for me was "I Believe You" with its substituted main vocal part and the emphasized "ooh, ooh" parts. This disc made a relatively unnoticed track stand up and say "Here I am, listen to me!"

Then I really fell in love with the update to "Ticket To Ride", just the way I did when I heard the 73 remix, and when the song aired on radio back in 1969 in its original mix. Listening in a 2.0 downmix from the 5.1, Richard's piano and Karen's vocals are now united in the center channel instead of separated across the stereo.

Though I've never really been fond of the 1978 re-do of "Merry Christmas, Darling", the surround sound update to it just delightful, and really brings a new clarity and crystal sheen to the song that it hadn't had until this release.

"Bless The Beasts And Children" also sounds really wonderful on the SACD, again with a clarity it never had. The backing vocals are just magical.

It almost seems as though the album keeps getting better and better as it goes on, and the next-to-last track "(They Long To Be) Close To You" also benefits from the remixing magic. The vocals again shine - both lead and backing.

But the clincher, the one I voted for, the one that gave me the most goosebumps again after all these years and all of my listening, is "Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft". I can just imagine Richard having a ball in the studio on the day this one was done. This really stupid song about contacting aliens just blows me away - I can't help it. It had the same effect on me the first time I heard it in the PASSAGE days, and this 5.1 update just sends it into a higher orbit. Listen to Karen go up to the higher octave in the backing vocals at 5:51 - gorgeous and magical. It's there in the stereo version, but is so much nicer in surround.

My kudos to Richard and Al Schmitt on all of these tracks - they're superb. My only regret is how long it took me to finally listen to them.

Harry

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

My vote goes to "Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft" this is the highlight for me....hearing new things going on with this that I never heard before. I have always loved this song and although the DJ stuff gets tiring to hear after while....this mix is so spectacular. There are parts that just really struck me like at 3:44 when Richard comes in then Karen a second later just stood out for me. The sounds just pop and make it so much more realistic....at 4:23 Karen softly comes in then it gets stronger and then at 4:32 to 4:50 her voice just commands your attention...like take note!!! The ending is just spectacular...I love how Tony's fuzz guitar goes down at 6:00 and then back up at 6:03 that really stood out to me. It's too bad Karen could not have heard this, she would have been proud of what Richard did to their music with this SACD.

 

[aaflyer98]

My vote is for "I Believe You". New vocal take in parts and background vocals brought up made this track POP for me! Loved it! 2nd choice is "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft". Third choice is "Touch Me When a Were Dancing" for raising the volume on the fade out on the "you know you've got that lovin touch" fade just like the radio stations did back in 1981. Clever. Touch Me When Were Dancing gets a bad rap from time to time around here, but what people need to remember is that for those of us who lived the Carpenters era, we had a Loooonnng dry spell of NO hits. None. So when "Touch Me..." Came out in 1981 and made it to #16 on the Billboard charts and #1 on Adult Contemporary chart, it was a HUGE deal for us. Radio play was back. Single was a hit. So for those that dismiss this song that weren't there back in the day, just imagine that it was a thrill for those of us that were.

 

[A&M Retro]

I agree about 'Touch Me When We're Dancing'. I still remember being at Record Bar, and searching the Top 100 each week for anything Carpenters or Beatles/solo related.....and being SHOCKED when that single showed up with a bullet at #71. I was so relieved they were finally back, and the wait was worth it. It was a magical single when released in '81, and I love the SACD with all the wild background vocals in the center channel.

I picked 'Ticket To Ride' as my favorite due to the crisp sound of Karen's drums and isolated vocals. Great stuff, though there are others that are just as impressive. 'Occupants', 'I Believe You' and 'It's Going To Take Some Time' with the alternate vocals, etc. etc.

 

[Chris May]

I was really happy with the emphasis that was placed on the center channel in a majority of the mixes, particularly where there are stacked harmonies (i.e. This Masquerade & Touch Me). It allowed for the BGVs to really punch thru and sound full mixed center, as opposed to if they had been assigned to the stereo front or rears. Another thing I was so impressed with were the fold-down mixes. If you listen to Top or Superstar, they are flawless and pristine. I'm SO glad we have this disc for so many reasons! And now, given the information we have about the originals, this already-valuable piece of media just shot up

 

[Mark-T]

Will a non SACD player play the disc? I'd love to hear it. What would the changes sound like?

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

Will a non SACD player play the disc? I'd love to hear it. What would the changes sound like?

Yes this will play on non SACD players but you won't hear the things mentioned in this thread. Can you imagine the fans that bought say 10 or 20 of these discs when released and held on to them? I love the jewel case for this just speaks of premium quality, rounded edges feels so nice and smooth has a nice closure. There is also a nice write up inside of the tracks.

 

[Harry]

Will a non SACD player play the disc? I'd love to hear it. What would the changes sound like?

This particular SACD has three layers:

- SACD 5.1 surround layer. Here is where you'll hear every track remixed for true surround sound and where ALL of the goodies are.
- SACD 2.0 stereo layer. This one will provide the standard stereo tracks in upgraded SACD sound quality.
- CD 2.0 layer. This one plays standard stereo on standard CD players.

There were two songs that got upgraded for even the stereo layers: "Superstar" and "Top Of The World". So even on just the stereo layers, you can hear these 2004 remixes. But to hear the full album's worth of remixes, you need a player that's SACD capable.

I never bought an SACD player, though I did look at them at one time. I almost bought one when it was on sale for $99.99, but by the time I was ready to pull the trigger, it had gone back up to $129.99. I thought I'd wait it out and see if it went on sale again, but it never did - in fact it just disappeared from the shelves as the format wasn't taking off.

But a few years ago I got a Sony Blu-ray player (BDP-S570) that has the capability of playing SACDs. Since Sony was one of the proponents of SACD, I guess that makes sense - but we also just got a second Sony Blu-ray player, and it DOES NOT have SACD capability. So I guess even Sony has thrown in the towel on this kind of disc - or it's only available on the top of the line models. This newer one (S3100) was a middling player for the bedroom.

Anyway, when I found out that the main Blu-ray player did SACDs and was compiling entries for the Resource, I began playing with the settings on the player and the receiver and managed to get the surround layer to be downmixed in the receiver to two channels, and then recorded that onto a standard CD-R. So anytime I want to hear the mix differences, all I have to do is play that downmixed CD - or the two-channel digital files on my computer.

So, if you happen to have a Sony Blu-ray player, check out its additional functions. Maybe it'll surprise you too.

Harry

 

[Mark-T]

Thanks, guys!

 

[aaflyer98]

I bought an expensive SACD stereo system speakers wires and all just for the release of the Carpenters SACD...no regrets, although now of course, it turns out it would not be used nearly as much as I thought. Yes it plays everything, but, what a huge expense for one CD.

 

[Murray]

I bought an expensive SACD stereo system speakers wires and all just for the release of the Carpenters SACD...no regrets, although now of course, it turns out it would not be used nearly as much as I thought. Yes it plays everything, but, what a huge expense for one CD.

Tell me about it! I even bought a second SACD player when they went on clearance, just in case the first one died! After the Carpenters disc, I bought only two other SACDs, and one DVD-A (The Corrs "In Blue"), and then the surround formats disappeared. At least I get use out of the receiver and speakers for watching movies.

I voted for "I Believe You", primarily because of the alternate vocal take, which only appears on the surround mix.

What really makes the SACD special for me, is that Karen's lead vocal is isolated on the center track (along with drums and bass). I enjoy listening to the center track by itself, and hearing Karen's voice without any doubling is a totally mind-blowing experience!

 

[ullalume]

yup, I already had an amp and speakers, but I had to buy a new dvd player that also had the SACD option. . .it was about 300 quid, I think. . .back in 2005. And it was sooooo worth it. Occupants, Beasts, Dancing and Believe are my favourites due to the musical discoveries to be made on each track. Each one is pretty much as good as the next, but I picked "Dancing". . .hearing the backing "ahhhhs" during the sax solo swung it for me.

neil

 

[Dave60640]

I blame you guys solely for talking me into getting a SACD player (arriving in 2 days) ok...a little blame belongs to RC. But all of your reviews made it impossible for me not to venture into this. Looking forward to some Private Stock (neat) and some "new" K&R material.

 

[Chris May]

It's funny - I talked to engineer/producer Al Schmitt yesterday (we're working out details on an interview) who mixed the SACD for Richard, and to this day he still has never been given a copy! I remember Richard telling me how irritated he was that Capitol didn't want to give him a ref disc either. So lame...

 

[Mike Blakesley]

How about a blu-ray player, will that play the SACD tracks?

 

[Harry]

How about a blu-ray player, will that play the SACD tracks?

Some will, notably Sony Blu-rays - but not all. Generally only the higher-end players have the SACD capability.

Harry

 

[ullalume]

does anyone know if the 40/40 collection from 2009 includes the SACD 2004 down-mix of the songs. I was listening to it the other day then compared it to the Interpretations album, and the 40/40 tracks sound so much warmer and superior in audio quality.

 

[Harry]

40/40 contains the stereo remix that was used on the SACD for "Superstar". All other songs are just the regular mixes and remixes.

http://carpenters.amcorner.com/album/4040-us

Harry

 

[Dave]

The "All Purpose-Set" covering what came after 1974 & I don't even mind the one Christmas song on it or that only
"Touch Me When We're Dancing" is the only song from Made In America included on it...


-- Dave

 

[LondonRobert]

does anyone know if the 40/40 collection from 2009 includes the SACD 2004 down-mix of the songs. I was listening to it the other day then compared it to the Interpretations album, and the 40/40 tracks sound so much warmer and superior in audio quality.

The UK Ultimate collection includes the down mix of Superstar but also includes the down mix of Top Of The World......

 

[Rudy]

Harry described the three playback options of SACDs, but let me clarify on the players.

DVD-A is dead as a consumer format, but it is still viable for burning HDTracks downloads to disc. Although, you can also burn something called an "audio DVD" that plays on all players.

SACD as a format is alive and well--Mobile Fidelity and Audio Fidelity are two labels doing superb reissues. And if you're a fan of the classic RCA Living Stereo classical recordings from the mid 50s to the early 60s (before DynagrooVe ruined it all), RCA released a mid-line series of SACDs that are known for their excellent sound. There are also still plentiful copies of titles by Elton John and others from about 10 years ago that have surround mixes. (I don't care for the sonics so much with Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, but the surround mix is well done IMHO.)

So SACD is still alive even as a niche format. SACD as a surround format though? Dead. Surround just doesn't sell. If anything, it shows up on the rare DVD-Audio or BluRay release as part of a "deluxe" set with stereo versions of an album, but it would be rare to find a surround release today.

BluRay is also getting some audio releases, although some of those are no higher than 24-bit/96kHz which DVD-Audio was also capable of.

Now, about the players...

No Sony player can play DVD-Audio in full resolution (it would only play the surround as compressed DTS or AC3 digital). And being a BluRay player never guarantees SACD playback either (very few players have it). Oddly enough, Sony's PS3 game system plays SACD.

A true "universal" player can play back all formats, in both stereo and surround. The point of entry is more expensive though. You used to be able to get a cheap Pioneer for $99 or less (paid under $70 for my DV-578A, for a second system). Today, I'm not even sure what it starts at. The Oppo BDP-103 is a good bet for something with good sound, and I think it starts in the $500 range. Denon makes a couple also, as well as Marantz. One nice thing is that the better players today also over the ability to play back streaming digital as well as play back files from a computer, portable drive or a network server (which is the way I went).

There were some stereo-only SACD players back in the day, which cost megabucks. (Look up a Sony SCD-1: http://www.stereophile.com/hirezplayers/180 or the SCD-777ES.) I've heard the Carpenters SACD on the 777ES and it sounds good, but haven't had a chance to try it on the BDP-105 yet (at least in 2-channel, as I no longer use surround in my "good" system).