Carpenters – The Singles 1969-1973 (1973) [Japanese SHM-SACD 2014] {SACD ISO + FLAC 24bit/88.2kHz}

There’s a certain inherent sadness listening to this concise 12-song collection of the Carpenters’ early hits, especially as it opens with “We’ve Only Just Begun,” with its hopeful, dreamy lyrics — for it was never supposed to be definitive, just the first of at least two such collections. But changes in the public’s taste and a slackening (though never a disappearance) of hits for the duo, and Karen Carpenter’s death in 1983, made this the first and only real mass choice for a Carpenters collection. Ten of the duo’s dozen Top Ten hits are present, from “Close to You” to “Top of the World,” with their gorgeous and original slow ballad interpretation of “Ticket to Ride” and their cover of Carole King’s “It’s Going to Take Some Time” thrown in to offer a slightly wider perspective. Listening to this material, it’s easy to accuse the Carpenters of being hopelessly retro even in their own time — bear in mind that “We’ve Only Just Begun” and “Superstar” being contemporaneous with the Allman Brothers’ At Fillmore East and Eat a Peach and you get the idea. But the lush melodies brought out in Richard Carpenter’s arrangements and Karen’s singing are justification in themselves.

Tracklist:
01. We’ve Only Just Begun
02. Top Of The World
03. Ticket To Ride
04. Superstar
05. Rainy Days And Mondays
06. Goodbye To Love
07. Yesterday Once More
08. It’s Going To Take Some Time
09. Sing
10. For All We Know
11. Hurting Each Other
12. (They Long To Be) Close To You

Remastered February 18, 2014 by Richard Carpenter and Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman Mastering.

SACD ISO

CarpentersTheSingles196919731973Japan2014SHMSACDIS.part1.rar
CarpentersTheSingles196919731973Japan2014SHMSACDIS.part2.rar

DSF DSD64

CarpentersTheSingles196919731973Japan2014DSD64.part1.rar
CarpentersTheSingles196919731973Japan2014DSD64.part2.rar

FLAC 24bit/88.2kHz

CarpentersTheSingles196919731973Japan2014FLAC2488.2.rar