“You could start by saying that this new Carpenters album is the most daring, innovative, surprising, serendipitous and satisfying one they've yet made.
Another listen to their previous albums - beginning with the last two, the superb A Kind Of Hush and the sublime Horizon, then continuing all the way back to their debut LP, Ticket To Ride - will reinforce the conclusion that Karen and Richard's records have of course always had the qualities listed above, combined with impeccable taste and a quality of production that made their work a standard against which to measure that of their contemporaries. Taken as a whole, the Carpenters' recorded output makes up an oeuvre in which all pieces fit, in which daring adventurousness and taste have equal place.
Be that as it may ...
This is STILL the most daring, innovative, surprising, serendipitous and satisfying Carpenters album yet."
-Original Liner Notes for “Passage”.
The first Carpenters album I ever bought with my own money was The Singles 1969-1973. I remember making my friends listen to it every day after school! But it wasn’t until a bit later that my interest in them turned into a full-blown obsession!
It was only after years of collecting all things Carpenters that I realized two things : One: Passage was one of my favorite albums by The Carpenters, and Two: It didn’t really seem to be anyone ELSE’S favorite!
Strictly speaking, my two favorite albums by The Carpenters are “a Song For You”, and “Passage”… While “Song” is rightly hailed as the great album it is (even getting the Mobile Fidelity “Gold Disc” treatment), Passage seems to remain largely unknown to the general public.
In fact, I remember one day talking to a fellow employee at Tower Records about Passage, and when he didn’t know what album I was talking about, we went to look for it, only to find out that PASSAGE had been discontinued! :(
At some point the CD was re-released and remastered along with most of their other albums, but even THAT version is currently unavailable, and that is a real shame -
To me, PASSAGE is the dividing album that marked the end of the 70’s “Pop Icon” Carpenters and the beginning of the “Adult Contemporary” Carpenters that appeared next on the “Made In America” LP. There is no other album like PASSAGE in their catalog, and it remains one of my favorite albums to this day!
1. B'wana She No Home
From the opening tune, you knew you were in for “something completely different” ! This rocking South African flavored song was unlike ANYTHING the Carpenters had done before…low, growly voices from Karen and a jazzy sax & flute accompaniment by Tom Scott!
Lots of Carpenters fans have expressed a dislike of this song, but I liked it tremendously from the first time I heard it, and have only grown to love it more!
2. All You Get From Love Is A Love Song
When I was growing up, my mother was a HUGE fan of the Carpenters and most of the early songs I learned listening to her singles, but this was the first single I liked by them on my own. Whenever the song played on our tinny old AM car radio, I remember always quietly sitting there listening intently to the tune, the chorus was so catchy!
“It’s such a dirty old shame when all you get from love is a love song…”
3. I Just Fall In Love Again
One of only two songs on this album that sound like ‘traditional” Carpenters fare!
Also done by Anne “Snowbird” Murray in ‘79.
4. On The Balcony Of The Casa Rosada / Don't Cry For Me Argentina
When I first heard this song, I expected to be bored out of my skull listening to it - but surprisingly, I really took to it, and would always find myself singing along to the song.
I didn’t realize how much I liked the Carpenters version of this song until Madonna went through her “Evita” phase and I had to listen to HER version all the time in the record store! Only then did I realize how honest and pure Karen’s take had been!
5. Sweet, Sweet Smile
Carpenters enter the Country charts with this catchy Juice ”Queen Of Hearts” Newton song! Another song I love to blast and sing along to!
6. Two Sides
The only other song on “Passage” that sounds like “Traditional” Carpenters fare…in fact, this song sounds like it would fit right in with the playlist of the HORIZON album.
7. Man Smart, Woman Smarter
Zany Harry Belafonte song made even zanier by Richard’s arrangement.
I always get the vision of a band of monkeys and birds playing the music in this song.
Beginning with them playing their jungle whistles and flutes, and ending with the animals forming a noisy parade as the song fades out segueing into…
8. Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft
(The Recognized Anthem Of World-Contact Day)
While this is surely the wackiest song The Carpenters ever recorded, at the same time, I feel this is one of the best produced and arranged tracks they’ve ever put to disc!
Originally written and recorded by the group KLAATU only a few months earlier, Richard took the song and gave it the Carpenters treatment, and what resulted was what I consider their finest album-closer of them all!
Calling Occupants.
Listening to it now, it is hard to believe this song ever made it to the radio! And yet, it DID, even making Top 40 on the US charts! Even as a kid, the song was funny, and yet, it never failed to captivate me whenever it was on.
I know that it is hard to believe NOW, but I remember that back in the 70’s (what with 2001, Star Trek and Star Wars) there really was this feeling like Earth was on the verge of making contact with extraterrestrial beings, and I’ve always loved that the song proclaimed itself “The Recognized Anthem Of World-Contact Day”!
My obsession with the song.
When I finally got my hands on a copy of PASSAGE, I hadn’t heard “Occupants” in years, but listening to it again, I was blown away by how WELL the song was done. This was no jokey-silly song, SERIOUS production went into crafting this tune, and the more I listened to it, the more I picked things out that really made the song special to me…. I cannot put enough emphasis on how WELL this song has been arranged! EVERY single verse has some kind of embellishment that adds to the song’s overall impact…at least to MY obsessive perception!
The production is so melodramatic and overblown, I think people might have perceived it as a bit contemptuous if it wasn’t for the fact that they introduced the song with Carpenters lead guitarist Tony Peluso as a wackily befuddled Radio DJ conferring with the “listeners” before launching into the majesty that IS “Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft”!
[The song starts out with Karen’s lone voice gently singing with Richard’s keyboards softly backing her up. She sounds like she is in the middle of a field or on the top of a mountain (and in fact, the original KLAATU version has the sound of someone walking through grass before the song starts) staring into the sky, letting us in on a little secret:]
In your mind, you have capacities, you know,
To telepath messages through the vast unknown.
Please close your eyes and concentrate with every thought you think…
Upon the recitation we’re about to SING….
[at this point , the piano chord strikes down, to give attention to the message:]
Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft…
Calling Occupants of Interplanetary most extraordinary craft!
[The effect here is great…you can feel Karen’s voice projecting into the huge empty vastness of the sky…then the song kicks in!]
Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft
Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft
Calling Occupants of Interplanetary most extraordinary Craft
[Then Karen in a dreamy wistful voice sings out:]
You’ve been observing our earth,
And we’d like to make a contact with you…
[then they say the simplest message they can give:]
“We Are Your Friends.”
Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft
Calling Occupants of Interplanetary ultra-emmisaries!
[here with distorted voice, Richard acts out an alien voice responding back:]
“We’ve been observing your earth…and one night, we’ll make a contact with you.”
“We are your Friends”
Calling Occupants of Interplanetary quite extraordinary craft!
[Then the bridge, and the music turns fanciful as Karen and Richard start playfully adding more and more requests to the message!]
And please come in peace, we beseech you!
Only a landing will teach them
Our earth may never survive - so do come, we beg you!
Please, interstellar policeman!
Won’t you give us a sign (give us a sign) that we’ve reached you?
Oh!
{then the music has this inquisitive sound to it, as if the message is going out into the vast space, around planets and beyond, before the piano pounds back in and leads us to a huge crescendo, until the music cuts back…and suddenly, we’re back on that mountain top, alone with Karen again.]
With your mind, you have ability to form
and transmit thought energy far beyond the norm
[here, a fanfare type of music starts playing in the background, as she reiterates:]
You close your eyes, you concentrate, together, that’s the way!
To send the message:
“WE DECLARE WORLD-CONTACT DAY”
[then the music comes in full, with Tony Peluso’s awesome guitar zooming in to strengthen the passage…]
[then Karen refraining the call, with Richard simulating the sounds of outer space with its tinkling stars and whirling satellites…]
Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft
Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft
Calling Occupants of Interplanetary most-extraordinary craft!
[I love this part…first Richard’s lone voice singing:]
Aa-a-ah-ah…
[then Karen comes in:]
AA A AH AH!
[This seems to be demonstrating how one lone voice can become powerful and strong when we all take the time to concentrate the message together!]
Ahhhh Ah Ah Ahhhhhh….
Calling Occupants
Calling Occupants
Calling Occupants of Interplanetary anti-adversary craft!
[Then the patriotic music swells up, as if to say we ALL stand together to represent Planet Earth!]
[Then they fade out with the symphony blaring and the choir singing out,
as Karen leaves us again with the single most important message we can send:]
“We are Your Friends”
