For anyone who loves the beautiful, expressive voice of Karen Carpenter, this collection of previously unreleased songs and medley versions of some of their greatest hits, is a terrific surprise. Hearing her sing the Beatles' "Nowhere Man" from the 1960s is an emotional moment, and "California Dreamin'" is another discovery from the vaults. "And When He Smiles" is a lovely, lilting melody and Karen's duets with veterans Perry Como and Ella Fitzgerald are quite memorable. The other songs from Carpenters televison specials are welcome too, and on two numbers Richard is spotlighted on the piano ("Dizzy Fingers") and with a full orchestra (on the "Star Wars"/"Close Encounters" medley). This CD is stuffed full of great music at a very good price if you buy the regular U.S. release from A&M/Universal Music. There are some wrong-headed, misinformed and misguided reviews/comments posted on Amazon about this album. It is a treat for all of us who miss Karen and want to hear more songs sung by this timeless talent. Richard contributed greatly to her career with the incredible songs they recorded and the artfully crafted arrangements and it is certainly fair that he be featured on a couple of tracks on this album. You will love this album if you love the Carpenters. No doubt about it.

I bought this CD today......and I absolutely love it! I don't understand the previous bad reviews. Any true Carpenters fan will love this album. There is lots of Karen here, and a bit of Richard as well. I have always enjoyed Richard's talent as well as Karen's and this CD has that balance that all of their older original albums have....they were a duo, after all, still are in my opinion and I am thankful for whatever recordings I can get. I enjoy Richard's arrangements and piano virtuosity. The movie score medley on this album will take your breath away; Rich does a splendid job here and will send chills down your spine. I have been buying Carpenters records since the 1970's; have all the single vinyl releases and LP's...(first strikes) and most of the CD's as well. I was honored to see them live in concert twice while I was still in high school. It has always been a tradition for me to wait for the next release and this one is a thrill. I had not heard most of these selections before today; the medley with Karen and Ella is haunting and made me cry. There is a lot of Karen on this album and serves to keep her memory alive and is sort of like she is still singing new songs. I love Carpenters dearly. K&R, you have a special place in my heart and thank you Richard for continuing to bring us exciting new cuts and arrangements. I don't know how this album slipped by me but I'm glad I found it today!

I just found this CD. Didn't realize it had been released. What a wonderful surprise!. Karen's voice can do no wrong and she always manages to touch my heart. Richard put a lot of hard work and obvious love in putting this CD together. Read the liner notes. It explains where each track originated from. Most are from their TV shows or other un-released demos, etc... Not 'rejects' as an earlier reviewer mentioned. As Richard says if you are new to the Carpenters, buy one of their other 'best of compilations. If you are a Carpenters fan buy this CD! Richard, if you're reading, keep the music coming. Thanks.

For any Carpenters fan who already has it all, this collection has several tracks from television specials and a few previously unreleased album outtakes. The best of the lot being "Leave Yesterday Behind" and "The Rainbow Connection". The famous medley of Karen Carpenter and Ella Fitzgerald alone is worth the purchase of this album. Also equally delightful is the short but entertaining "Dancing In The Street".

At first this album surprised me. I hadn't anticipated so many songs from tv specials. But I soon found most of the songs nothing less than charming, and a few really epitomize the "Carpenters Sound". The cd features a whopping 15 tracks, including a few unheard ones before As Time Goes By was released. NOWHERE MAN, sung by Karen at just 17 years old is fantastic, with wisdom and pain in her voice far beyond her years. Their version of DANCING IN THE STREET, gave me quite a kick. DIZZY FINGERS, I found to be pleasant, until I saw Richard perform it on the CLOSE TO YOU documentary. He literally runs from one piano to another while performing it! Its more than pleasant its a song that's entertaining, especially with the visuals! YOU'RE JUST IN LOVE spotlights Karen's husky voice beautifully, and towards the end when she and Richard are harmonizing, its not only good, but rather touching. Of course the several medleys are quite charming and classy. In the medley with Perry Como, he sings some of their hits, and they sing some of his. HITS MEDLEY'76 is delightful, especially the Goodbye to Love part. It is heart rendering, ironic, touching, and as impressive as the original version in 1972 (which got a lot of heat for its guitar solo). A different sounding collection of songs, but any TRUE fan'd pay to hear Karen and Richard read the phone book and slap a thigh for a beat. Get this cd, listen to it a couple of times, and surely you'll find it as worthy as A Kind of Hush, Close to You, Voice of the Heart, and Carpenters, tan album, etc.

Sara E. Jordan