The June, 1981 release, "Made In America" is Richard and Karen Carpenters last album together. Karen would subsequently die of complications of anorexia nervosa in February of 1983, and although Richard would still continue to release additional unreleased recordings, "Made In America" represents the last album that the duo would make together.

"Made in America" is the first album to be released by the Carpenters since "Passage", released in 1977, a drought of 4 years. Both Karen and Richard went through a period of personal crisis that began with Karen's descent into anorexia nervosa and Richard's addiction to prescription sleeping pills. While Richard made a successful withdrawl at the Menniger Clinic in Topeka, Kansas, Karen continued to spiral downward. Karen also married Tom Burris in August of 1980 and this delayed the album as well.

"Made In America" was not a colossal commercial success for the Carpenters compared to their other string of huge hit albums. It went to #52 in the charts and spawned one top-20 hit, "Touch Me When We're Dancing". Yet, don't let the album sales fool you, this is a terific album and represents a return to their roots - producing beautiful touching musical ballads as only the Carpenters could.

The album shines brightly with many other strong Carpenter-brand ballad songs. There is the heartwarming "Those Good Old Dreams" and "When You've Got What It Takes", the touching and tear-jerking "Somebody's Been Lyin'" and "I Believe You", as well as "When It's Gone", and finally the lively nostolgic "Beechwood 4-5798", (which the Carpenters turned into a "fun" music video). Then there is the special song that Richard specifically wrote for Karen's marriage day, "Because We Are In Love". What makes this album so good is that once again the songs have that Carpenter signature to them, that unique sound that is theirs alone. Everyone will find a wealth of material that they will find to their liking.

It saddens me that "Made In America" is the last original Carpenter album. Karen's premature death meant that her beautiful melodic voice would not entertain and charm us fans again. I can only think of what might be had Karen survived her heart attack and conquered anorexia (some friends say she did conquer it and was planning to help others by getting the word out through her personal testimony about this tragic mental disorder). But it was not to be, and all we have of her are her recordings and our warm memories of a beautiful woman with the magical voice of an angel. I miss her still, over 20 years after her death.

"Made In America" will please you immensely, and will help you recall the girl with the signature voice and sound.

Jim "Konedog" Koenig

When I first heard MADE IN AMERICA, it struck me as a "fun" Carpenters album, one that is more guilty pleasure than breath-taking beautiful. As with A KIND OF HUSH, this album would almost have you believe that Karen and Richard Carpenter really were as happy as they appeared in public.

While VOICE OF THE HEART and CLOSE TO YOU will probably always be my favorite Carpenters CDs, there IS something special about MADE...perhaps because it's the first Carpenters album I actually remember seeing in the record store when I was a kid, the one that produced a top 40 single I wanted to request on my local radio station even though I was too embarrassed to say "touch me."--Imagine thinking a song with that title was racy:)!

In college I started a belated CD kick and tried to get all the Carpenters albums in that format. It took a while before I was able to track down "Made in America" after my cassette fell apart. Once I found it, though, I was thrilled (and a little dismayed) to rediscover songs such as the adorably catchy "Beechwood 4-5789" and the sexist "Strength of a Woman" (no woman in her right mind would have such an attitude toward a cheating man!)

Lightening up, I took a second look and realized that MADE IN AMERICA had more ballads than I thought it did and that it was
not nearly as fluffy and commercial as I had previously imagined. Yes, "(Want You) Back in My Life Again" and "Touch Me When We're Dancing" are pleasant by-products of their attempts to ride that early 80s pop bandwagon and "When You've Got What it Takes" is just a bit too precious, but all the other tracks hold out just fine 25 years later, especially the bittersweet "When It's Gone (It's Just Gone)"--a song that took on an even sadder edge after Karen Carpenter passed away.

The three songs on the album most true to the Carpenters' classic sound are "Because We Are in Love (The Wedding Song)," "I Believe You," and "Somebody's Been Lyin.'" The perfect balance between songs that are fun (if maybe a bit dated) and songs that are timeless may be why so many of fans believed the talented duo would have gone on to do so much more in the 80s.

Yes, this was the last album completed by the Carpenters while Karen was still alive. In subsequent releases, including "Voice of the Heart", it was leftover material that Richard assembled by cutting and piecing together. Much has been said of "Made in America", it seems to divide the loyal Carpenter fan base. Even reading the postings by buyers and fans on this Amazon site, opinions are very mixed. Personally, this is the perfect "swan song" by the Carpenters. Who knew this would be their last completed issue? In less than 2 years, Karen would be dead.

Though the Carpenters were defined by their "hit singles", each of their albums could still be counted on for rewarding non-single tracks and this CD is no exception. Aside from the hit singles "Touch Me When We're Dancing", "I Believe You", "Those Good Ol' Dreams", there are some great album tracks here: "Beechwood" and "Want You Back in My Life" is fun, perky listening. Karen's mature melancholic voice gets a good workout on "Somebody's Been Lyin'" and "When You Got What It Takes". She turns dross material into gold; that's always been her gift as an unparalleled interpreter of pop catalog.

It's sad to think "What Could've Been...", which people are constantly asking themselves and the music industry in general had the sad events of February 1983 not happened. It seemed the Carpenters were on the verge of a comeback or at least on the trail. You can hear Richard's gifts as an arranger growing in scope on this CD and Karen was seemingly on the rebound trail recovering from the devastating effects of Anorexia. As a singer, she never lost her God-given gift. Maybe instead of wondering "What Could've Been....", we should be grateful and glad for what we have with their legacy of classic songs and recordings. We still miss you, Karen.

This was the last album that Karen completed before her untimely death in 1983. It didn't have the same quality of songs as in their early work, but this is a solid collection of pop songs. The biggest hit from the album is "Touch Me When We're Dancing." It climbed to number 16 on the pop charts in the spring of 1981 and stayed there for four weeks. There were several other tracks released, but they failed to crack the top 50. Strangely, the best song on the album, "Stregnth of a Woman" was never released. This scorcher of a song had Karen singing in that rich lower register of hers about a woman holding on to her man, even with his infildelity. It was a classic Carpenters' song and I think could have taken them back to the top 10. Other highlights on the album include the uptempo "(Want you) Back in my life again" and beautiful yet tragic "When It's gone (It's just Gone)." Unfortunately, there was a remake of Beechwood 4-5789, which pales in comparison to other remakes the Carpenters did, and "Because We are in Love (The Wedding Song)" which is an over produced track that almost drowns out Karen's incredible voice. This was somewhat of a musical departure for the Carpenters. It had some of the same sounds as before (ie Karen's strong vocals and the harmony backgrounds) with an experimental musical side that should have paved the way for years of great music to lie ahead. Unfortunately, on February 4, 1983, Karen's voice was silenced forever. We are left with thinking what might have been. This album is pointer to what might have been and should not be listened to for that reason alone, but because it is a good album in its own right.

Granted, I have some sentimental reasons for loving this album. I had just gotten married when it was released and several of the album's songs spoke to the wonder of a new life with my wife.

However, it is the beautiful texture of the album in its entirety that makes this the Carpenters' best effort. The songs do not just sing out with catchy melodies and arrangements, they speak to the listener in quiet words that hide just below the surface of the actual recording.

This album is pure poetry and each session I spend listening to it reminds me how great our loss was when Karen died just a short while later. And frankly, I was not that much of a "Carpenters" fan!

At a time when punk was ascendant and disco was waning, Karen and Richard Carpenter crafted an album that will endure long after the world forgets The Sex Pistols, Blondie, and Saturday Night Fever.

This is a gem that belongs in everyone's music collection.