Tonight’s selections from the 1994 Carpenters alt-rock tribute album, If I Were a Carpenter.
In popular culture, the cyclical adage "Everything old is new again" is often embodied in the form of the tribute album—an unwieldy vehicle of veneration whose success lies as much with the source material as with those interpreting it. A tribute album’s chances of hitting that sonic sweet spot are also enhanced when it follows the loosely structured (and hotly debated) 20-year nostalgia cycle—the idea that one’s generational fads of music, fashion, technology, books, slang and other cultural touchstones resurface after a couple decades (give or take) of mainstream dormancy. With its roster of 1990s alternative music rabble-rousers celebrating the 1970s clean-cut, musical prodigy duo The Carpenters, the left-of-center tribute album If I Were A Carpenter wonderfully delivers on these concepts in spades.
This month marks 25 years [Aldo: 29 now] since the release of If I Were A Carpenter, providing a nice echo of its origins, as the tribute album was initially conceived as a commemoration of the 25th anniversary of The Carpenters' debut album, Offering. On its surface, the idea of rowdy alt-rockers running bubbly Carpenters songs through cranked guitars and buzzy amplifiers might've seemed like nothing more than a tongue-in-cheek goof. As KROQ’s music director Darcy Fulmer said of the album at the time, "It shows that people who like alternative music liked dork music when they were little, too." — Grammy
Sonic Youth :: Superstar
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Shonen Knife :: Top of the World
Aside from being the era that saw the rise of rock bands such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam, and pop acts like Hanson and the Spice Girls, the 1990s was the time that an explosion of tribute albums flooded record store shelves. Numerous all-star compilations honoring the music of artists like Elton John, Leonard Cohen, Charles Mingus, Led Zeppelin, Curtis Mayfield, and Jimi Hendrix all appeared during the decade. One of the more intriguing projects to be released among this plethora of homages was If I Were A Carpenter, a musical paean to the sibling duo that ruled the AM pop radio airwaves for much of the 1970s. They recorded tunes from top songwriters like Paul Williams, Burt Bacharach, Neil Sedaka, and Carole King. The Carpenters scored numerous hits, which centered on Karen’s lovely and expressive voice and Richard’s multi-layered arrangements.
If I Were A Carpenter features a group of alternative rockers sharing their renditions of a number of Carpenters classics. Veteran producer Matt Wallace and music journalist Dave Konjoyan, who both have a long-time love and admiration for the music of The Carpenters, initiated the project. Many of the bands featured on the disc grew up listening to The Carpenters and were excited to be part of the album. Grant Lee Phillips, aka Grant Lee Buffalo, who covers “We’ve Only Just Begun,” has spoken of his appreciation for The Carpenters music (and Karen’s unforgettable voice) in interviews, as have some of the other artists involved with the disc, including Johnette Napolitano of Concrete Blonde. It’s tough to make such iconic songs your own, but that’s just what bands like Redd Kross, who amped up the vibe with their cover of “Yesterday Once More,” manage to accomplish on this eclectic collection. — Culture Sonar
American Music Club :: Goodbye to Love
Highlights of the album include American Music Club’s [Aldo: lovely depressive SF band led by Mark Eitzel] stripped-down take on “Goodbye To Love,” and Bettie Serveert’s [Aldo: Dutch for “Bettie serves” — a tennis reference] guitar-driven version of “For All We Know.” There’s also an energetic, pop-rock infused run-through of “Top of the World” by Japan’s Shonen Knife. The Cranberries provide a faithful version of “(They Long To Be) Close To You” while Sheryl Crow brings out the emotion in her lovely cover of “Solitaire.” Cracker [Aldo: ex-Camper Van Beethoven] turns in a stark rendition of “Rainy Days and Mondays,” which fits the melancholy tone inherent in the song’s lyrics. One of the most remarkable and striking tracks on If I Were A Carpenter is Sonic Youth’s dark-hued reading of the Leon Russell-Bonnie Bramlett tune “Superstar.” It’s a knockout rendition of this oft-covered song, which illustrates that a great tune can stand up to many styles and interpretations. — Culture Sonar
Redd Kross :: Yesterday Once More
It’s not a coincidence that everyone from Madonna to Sheryl Crow, Shania Twain and Kim Gordon all cite Karen Carpenter as a critical influence. Following on from the likes of Grace Slick and Janis Joplin, she was an artist who showed the men how to do it, rising to the top despite her personal demons and the misogyny that permeated the industry.
In short, she was a trailblazer for all strong female leads that followed, opening up the gates for all the legends we see ubiquitous today, such as Beyoncé, Rihanna, Taylor Swift and Lorde.
Showing just how far her influence reaches, in 1994, perhaps the best covers album of all time was released, If I Were a Carpenter. Featuring some of the biggest stars of the day, and some of the most lauded alternative rock acts of all time, the album is magnificent from start to finish. The most notable track is Sonic Youth’s cover of ‘Superstar’, but there is so much more to it. — Far Out Magazine
Sheryl Crow :: Solitaire
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Babes In Toyland :: Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft
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All Repeats
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