We should listen to…Karen Carpenter. Why was she better than the American Idol contestants? – Blog - Jaclyn Holland-Strauss

Karen Carpenter was part of a group called the Carpenters, made up of her brother and Karen herself. She played the drums originally, and was one of the best, according to some. However, her singing is what was unique, and set her apart from her peers. Interestingly, it was the transition of her being behind the drums to performing at centre stage that propelled her nervousness about her body image, leading her to develop anorexia nervosa. When she looked in the mirror, she saw someone fatter than what reality said.

Why should we listen to her music? She has a perfect alto, in an industry where most women are some variation of a soprano. She is reported to never have been off pitch. In this day of autotuning, that is very impressive. Her voice had a strong tinge of melancholy to it, which seems glamorous. Greta Garbo, the famous movie star from the 1920s and 1930s also had this aura of melancholy, although of course she expressed it differently.

Carpenter was not a belter like Barbra Streisand, Whitney Houston, or Mariah Carey. She was more like the alto version of Olivia Newton-John, another famous singer (very famous!) from the 1970s and ’80s. Carpenter would put today’s American Idol contestants to shame.

The main problem with the female contestants on musical reality shows these days is they feel this need to add a run. Carpenter confined herself to singing the melody and since her brother arranged astoundingly beautiful music, the melody was all you needed to be transported to a place of beauty. American Idol contestants are overly fond of melismas, which are basically runs, and sometimes are attempted in order to cover up problems with staying on pitch, a problem from which Carpenter reportedly never suffered.

Even when music was much better, in the ’70s and ’80s, Carpenter stood out. Here are some recommendations if you are interested in hearing from this beautiful singer, or just want to be reminded of how good she was:

A Song For You

Close to You

Rainy Days and Mondays

We’ve Only Just Begun

All you get from love is a love song

Desperado

Solitaire

Mr. Guder

Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrAA6VMIPb0

Leave a Comment (cancel)

I am an amphiist, which I define as someone who looks at both sides of issues (it's a Greek word). However, I have my own expanded definition, which means that I believe in three interrelated concepts, which, when taken together, inform an amphiist viewpoint. Abraham Maslow talked about self-actualization, a person reaching their highest potential. Thomas Carlyle discussed natural aristocracy, which is a principle the Founding Fathers created with regard to the United States, that a person did not have to be of royal birth to have merit; it was the content of their character that counted. And scholars Mayer and Salovey came up with the concept of emotional intelligence, an idea popularized by Daniel Goleman. We should have control over our emotions, and see the bigger picture. All of these together make up an amphiist, and I apply this reasoning to politics, entertainment, etc. I defend the oppressed by offering an alternative perspective. I am currently raising funds for publication of an Amphiist newspaper, the primary focus of which will be anti-extremism. We need to find common ground. We need to stop thinking in terms of liberals against conservatives. Right against left. Men against women. One race against another. One religion against another. If you would be interested in contributing, please consider supporting my work at Paypal via jaclyncarter2005@gmail.com.

Agatha Christie is the best-selling single author of all time. She has sold over 4 billion copies to date (they’ve stopped counting!), and has been translated into over 100 languages. She has been outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare. Her influence on the murder mystery genre is still being felt in the 21st century, with authors like RT Raichev, (a recent discovery of mine), frequently featured in Ellery Queen Mystery MagazinAgatha Christie is the best-selling single author of all time. She has sold over 4 billion copies to date (they’ve stopped counting!), and has been translated into over 100 languages. She has been outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare. Her influence on the murder mystery genre is still being felt in the 21st century, with authors like RT Raichev, (a recent discovery of mine), frequently featured in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, and who has authored 9 published novels, carrying Agatha Christie’s literary torch. The books under discussion in my own book are The Mysterious Affair at Styles, Peril at End House, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (masterpiece), Evil under the Sun, The Body in the Library, A Murder is Announced, Murder at the Vicarage, The ABC Murders, Death on the Nile and Lord Edgware Dies (the last two of which are my personal favourites).e, and who has authored 9 published novels, carrying Agatha Christie’s literary torch. The books under discussion in my own book are The Mysterious Affair at Styles, Peril at End House, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (masterpiece), Evil under the Sun, The Body in the Library, A Murder is Announced, Murder at the Vicarage, The ABC Murders, Death on the Nile and Lord Edgware Dies (the last two of which are my personal favourites).