Need Two Versions!

This is the Carpenters finest collection ever released, but there are some open ended questions. Did these songs need added music or did they get it right the first time? Do these songs have to be remixed? The answer to both is "No". This act was never meant to be heard in a souped up sound. The Carperters were never meant to come off like The Miami Sound Machine. They were suburbia-vanilla with wonderful vocal overdubs led by one the greatest pop singers of the century - Karen Carpenter. Richard Carpenter often being given not enough credit for his contribution to the duo goes a bit too far. He would do everybody a favor and release a second version of this collection in original form. If you are a purist music listener and decide to purchase this baby lower your bass to about 1/4 because Karen's vocals at times gets lost. The only other alternative is buy the original albums if you got the bread. What should have been easy became difficult. God bless you Karen Carpenter! You are right there with Barbara Streisand and belong in The Rock Hall Of Fame. Too bad we can't get a collection that finally serves your legacy to the max. Maybe brother Richard will one day figure it out and get off his perfectionist ways.

The Purest Alto I Have Ever Heard

Karen Carpenter is a gal I think about often. I miss...very much miss what I can only characterize as the purest Alto I have ever heard. I purchased another Carpenters' greatest hits album awhie back, and it somehow went missing. I just purchased this one tonight and I can't wait to hear that sublime, divine, voice once again. Now this isn't to ignore the extraordinary gifts in composition and arranging of Richard. Indeed, some huge names in Music still consider him to be among the best arrangers of all time. This album is very much evidence of that fact. I would recommend this purchase to anyone who simply loves the best-of-the-best. It's all here, including...the purest soul-and-Alto, Karen.

It has been a long time ...

.. but their music still makes me cry. It has such an honest and deep quality in the way it describes life, its pains and worries. And yet, it always projects a positive outlook without being unnecessarily spiritual. I just love them.