MetaFilter posts tagged with Carpenters

But You're Not Really Here... It's Just The Radio...

Joey Michaels — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 12:54:55 -0800

Karen Carpenter's isolated vocal tracks.

Todd Haynes' "Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story"

Trurl — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 19:51:13 -0800

One of the more famous suppressed films of recent years is Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story, an early work by writer/director Todd Haynes (Safe, Velvet Goldmine, Far from Heaven). Filmed in 1987, the short film -- which relates the rise and fall of Karen Carpenter with a cast of Barbie dolls -- barely got a year's worth of festival time in 1989 before the twin iron boots of A&M Records and Richard Carpenter came down on Haynes.* Thanks to dedicated fans, Superstar can be readily found within seconds, but the illicit feel of watching a scratchy bootleg in a YouTube video only exacerbates the uncomfortable mood of the film. Barely visible and demonstrating a few sound issues that suggest Haynes’ did not regularly have access to good mixing equipment, Superstar nevertheless remains one of his finest works, perhaps second only to his masterpiece Safe. It is also one of the few times he has found a balance between his arch, symbolic approach and his occasional flashes of more emotive humanity. Perfectly timed at 43 minutes, the gimmick never wears off, and Superstar gives the viewer the space to contemplate the themes and implications of its harsh but sympathetic view of a woman’s tragic demise without monotonously beating us over the head with a message. No short film so completely captured its maker’s crystallizing technique just before he hit the big time since Martin Scorsese’s The Big Shave.*

Live From New York... Ed Sullivan

terranova — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 22:49:03 -0800

He couldn't sing, dance, or tell jokes, but he was television's greatest impresario. He was a stone-faced puritan -- America's arbiter of status quo -- but had a sly sense of humor , and in the segregation-tainted 1950's, welcomed blacks to his stage, and in the 1960's showcased rock n' roll's most anti-establishment acts. His show, the longest-running variety show in history, ran from 1948 to 1971. “Ladies and gentlemen, tonight, from the Ed Sullivan Theater on Broadway…the Ed Sullivan Show…and now, live from New York… Ed Sullivan!…” 1956 Elvis Presley, Love Me Tender 1958 Buddy Holly, Oh Boy 1964 The Beatles, All My Loving, Till There Was You, She Loves You, I Want to Hold Your Hand The Beatles, From Me to You, This Boy, All My Loving The Beatles, Twist and Shout, Please, Please Me, I Want to Hold Your Hand, Manfred Mann, Do Wah Diddy The Animals, House of the Rising Sun Dusty Springfield, I Only Want to Be With You 1965 Beatles, Yesterday Petula Clark, I Know a Place Tom Jones, It's Not Unusual The Byrds, Mr. Tambourine Man 1966 The Beatles, Paperback Writer/Rain James Brown, It's a Man's World Nancy Sinatra, These Boots are Made for Walking 1967 Beatles, Hello, Goodbye The Doors, Light My Fire Rolling Stones, Ruby Tuesday Jefferson Airplane, White Rabbit Ray Charles, What'd I Say Paul Revere and the Raiders, Him or Me The Turtles, She'd Rather Be With Me 1968 Mamas and Papas, California Dreamin' 1969 Janis Joplin, Maybe, Maybe, Maybe Rolling Stones, Honky Tonk Woman Diana Ross and the Supremes, Love Child Jerry Lee Lewis, Whole Lotta Shakin' Creedence Clearwater Revival, Down on the Corner 1970 Jackson Five, I Want You Back, ABC, The Love You Save The Carpenters, We've Only Just Begun

The Carpenters' Final Frontier

hermitosis — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 20:04:19 -0800

The Carpenters... Space Encounters. Just what it sounds like! Parts 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. An alien race learns about the joy of music from Karen and Richard. Skip to Part 6 for robot showgirls -- or enter hyperspace by opening all the links in 8 different windows!

Auf Der Walz.

Effigy2000 — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 18:11:44 -0800

Since the Middle Ages, German craftsmen have gone 'auf der Walz' (taken to the road) as part of a kind of working-pilgrimage that artisans make after completing an apprenticeship with a master craftsman. These travels are meant to teach them about work and life and takes precisely three years and one day; they are not allowed to return home before this time. The trip can take these young craftsmen and women (all must be under the age of 30) halfway around the world (and often does) and they are allowed only a small rucksack. Other than that, they can bring along their uniform (a simple black and white affair that almost defies description), their tools, undergarments, a sleeping bag, a book and their trademark walking stick.

Although today this is a dying tradition, and is often more traditionally known as being a Journeyman today, it still exists and has inspired some to write about the strage travellers they see on the road. Indeed, perhaps the most famous work this tradition inspired is Australian poet Banjo Patterson, whose work Walzing Matilda is believed to have been inspired by this fascinating yet waning custom.