Horizon

IN my opinion no other Female singer had a voice like Karen Carpenter. I have a long list of favorite Female voices in music but Karen will always be #1 to me. Her voice is absolute perfection. Her diction and pitch is right on the note every time. After all these years that have gone by, I still say "WOW" to myself when I hear her gorgeous voice. With her brother Richard who did the incredible arrangements, this recording is a masterpiece. A must have for Carpenters fans. This music is timeless. Their music will live on forever.

The music is great. The mastering of this new 180g LP is pretty good.So, what's not to like? The quality of the pressing is not good at all. Mine is off-center, slightly warped, and there is a lot of noise and crud in the grooves. Rather than clean it on the ultrasonic, this one is going back to Amazon for a refund. UMe is currently offering replacements, but they have this ridiculous stipulation that you DESTROY the record, and email them PROOF that you've destroyed it. Paranoid much? If they are that concerned, they should be providing a postage paid label to return the record.

"Horizon" is easily the Carpenters most technically advanced album musically and Karen's most alarmingly intense vocal work of her entire career. The album contains three great hits "Please Mr. Postman","Solitaire" and fan favorite "Only Yesterday". Yet there are many other wonderful songs."I Can Dream Can't I" is an excellent big band song which remains true to the style of the 1940's with the technology of the 1970's and is arranged by veteran Billy May.The Carpenters' rendition of the Eagles' "Desperado" is absolutely mind blowing. Karen's vocal on this song is chillingly dark and soulful. And Tommy Morgan's harmoica adds a mystique to the song."(I'm Caught Between) Goodbye And I Love You" is a country flavored bittersweet song which in it's simplicity is absolutely effective in showcasing Karen's soulful yearning."Love Me For What I Am" is one of the Carpenters finest power pop ballads with electric guitar and stirring lyrics. The message in this song is strong and is delivered by a impeccably by Karen."Happy" is highlight of this album. It's a great upbeat song with some sythesizer effects toward the end which give this song an otherworldly appeal. Carpenters guitarist extraordinaire Tony Peluso wrote this song and of course contributes all the guitar parts including a great guitar solo.This album moved along seemlessly from one great song to the next. Every song on this album is outstanding.

This is my favorite Carpenter's album - for several reasons. Not in any particular order:1. Karen's voice is recorded in such a manner that every nuance is faithfully captured to reveal one of the best female singers - definitely Top 5 or better - in the history of audio recording. Her voice on this album, compared its sound on earlier ones, is like a 72 megabyte TIFF image compared to a 750KB JPEG.2. Aside from "Please Mr. Postman," which fits in with this album about as much as a stray clam strip that by chance ends up in an order of waffle fries, the songs fit together quite well in an enveloping abstract mood painting which makes this one of those albums that you listen to the whole thing for the effect, instead of concentrating on the individual songs.3. Aside from "Postman," "Horizon" is the first album finally free of the hokey, jokey, nerdy asides and musical quotes which marred each of their previous albums in one way or another. This is a serious album of music - the mask removed - this is Karen in all her suffering and glory.4. I have always noted the contrast between the slightly foggy, occluded cover photo, and how Karen poured everything into the mic here with no artifice - no barriers - she is naked and revealed in all the highs and lows - the mania and the depression - I don't believe that in any album before or after she opened up and showed her inner self this clearly. This makes "Horizon" a sometimes painful - but often riveting - listen.All in all, definitely my favorite Carpenters album. Put it on in the background and do something else - "Horizons" will reveal itself in its own way and time, and you will come to understand what I mean. Karen never sang like this again.

What I love about this book is it's very contemplative, not your run-of-the-mill self-help book. This one will make you think more deeply and question your heart's true desire. I appreciate the author's vulnerability and candidness. She comes across in a very sincere way which allows the reader to relate and empathize. There is nothing condescending in her tone; you walk beside her, not behind her in this journey.