The greatest singer of my lifetime

[frenchie]

The one thing that really stood out with Karen Carpenter was her Diction. There was never a word sung that you couldn't understand.

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by Mandobart

It can be difficult to separate an artist from her material/genre.

The Carpenters music was just never my thing. Huge pop stars, lots of hits, millions of fans, I'm just not one of them.

None of that detracts from Karen Carpenter's beautiful clear voice.

But I couldn't say she's the greatest of my lifetime, when we also remember that Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Ann Wilson, Annie Lennox, etc. span the same time period....I'm not offering an opinion on which is "the greatest" (though Emmylou is my personal favorite).

Now if we just talk stats like number of hits, radio airplay, Grammy awards, TV appearances, etc. that's something else. But that isn't the same necessarily as being the greatest in a generation or in a multi-decades lifetime.

Funny, the Carpenters mark a very significant time for me.

It wasn't my genre as I was heavily into bluegrass, and one tends to listen to what one id playing, but my girlfriend of the time was a total carpenters fan and that was what we listened to ALL the time. Not just the voice - pure alto, pure diction, pure interpretations and beat/tempo perfection, plus wonderful orchestration and, one can only imagine perfection in editing, mixing etc.

That was the time I was dealing with the busiest part of my corporate life, travelling to clients all over east Anglia, Home counties, and travelling in and out of London to see and feed my dying mother, and my Dad who was developing dementia, and wondering what would hit me next.

Gin and Martini and the Carpenters in a tiny flat above a Woolworths store with a 4'11" Elizabeth Taylor lookalike was my shelter from the storm.

This young lady Shane Ericks, comes uncannily close. (perhaps a little too close), but certainly very very talented.

For me my female voice of the '70s and '80s was Linda Ronstadt, with Emmylou very close behind.

[martinlover]

Linda Ronstadt

[boombox]

Originally Posted by frenchie

The one thing that really stood out with Karen Carpenter was her Diction. There was never a word sung that you couldn't understand.

I grew up listening to Radio 2 and The Carpenters were a staple of that station in the 70s. I may prefer other singers (as much for their material, which I prefer, as their talent), but it would be really hard to disagree with this - astounding diction. This probably why I still know all the words to the hits forty-odd years later.

[rmp]

Greatest voice of my lifetime? For me, that answer is a tossup tween Ronnie James Dio and Freddie Mercury. --- Probably Freddie by a nose hair.

To each their own...

Karen was great, and it's heartbreaking what happened to end her life as it did.

A great talent, gone way too soon. Not a huge fan of all their stuff but no denying, she was special

[gibpicker]

Originally Posted by fitness1

Close To You was one of the first three albums I ever bought. That voice was just intoxicating.

Back in '72 there was a band that came through my school that included Milt Schultz (drummer from the Flip Wilson Show) and a lady named Sandy Stone - she was a dead ringer for Karen.

Many of you have probably heard this young gal in the last few years....she's channeling her own version as well....

Anyone know what Gibson she is playing? Looks a whole lot like my 86 J-30.

[auggie242]

Karen Carpenter?

My choice is easy. Eva Cassidy.

YMMV

[LiveMusic]

Originally Posted by gibpicker

Anyone know what Gibson she is playing? Looks a whole lot like my 86 J-30.

I don't know but she needs to either play it louder or buy another guitar, lol.

As for this young lady being great, she is a great singer but she sounds like Karen Carpenter instead of something unique, and unique is good. Unless she wants to just do Karen Carpenter tribute gigs, which she could probably do well. I also think she smiles too much, lol. I'm serious. In this video anyway. But, I think that video was four years ago, hopefully, she's got it all down now.

And I *did* admire Karen Carpenter so much that I bought her records back in the day and the rest of my collection was mostly rock. I am def a sucker for talent and a good melody.

[Mycroft]

Karen Carpenter did have a great voice, but I probably would have liked her better without the milquetoast music that she sang against.

I will raise you a Johnette Napolitano...

[Acousticado]

Karen had a terrific voice and I’ve always liked the song Superstar, but most of the Carpenter’s tunes and the genre were and are not to my taste. My favs of that era were Linda Ronstadt and Ann Wilson (and sister Nancy arguably as the best female guitarist).