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I always reflect on my friend Andrew's thoughts about Karen Carpenter when looking back at her catalog: "It just sucks that we can't spend $80 bucks to see her in Palm Springs right now." Karen Carpenter is not only a heavenly vocalist with almost eerie, yet totally serene timbre, she's a distinct mega-talent whose gift for confessional vulnerability is still unmatched. You want her vocal perfectionism to live on forever (which it does), but you want the sublime Karen there to keep delivering it herself. Ugh.
Today marks the 30th anniversary of Karen Carpenter's death at the age of 32, a tragedy that finally shed light on the under-discussed disease anorexia nervosa. To commemorate her sterling legacy, I figured we'd pick out some of Karen's most underrated moments.
1. Her vaudevillian drumming skills.
The girl remains mysteriously underrated among drummers, even though she could dazzle and amaze at a kit. Here she is working the hell out of 4,000 drums on the first Carpenters variety special. Who is allowed to be this talented? She's only 26 years old here.
2. Her Bacharach medleys
The Carpenters became superstars with their version of Hal David and Burt Bacharach's "(They Long to be) Close to You," but they're not given enough credit for their rousing versions of other Bacharach standards. This breezy medley highlights Richard Carpenter's brilliant arrangement skills and Karen's versatile interpretative gusto. They even slay it alongside the magnificent Carol Burnett!
3. Their Oscar-nominated movie anthem "Bless the Beasts and Children"
Sure, Richard didn't write it, but Karen's lovely trill on "Bless the Beasts and Children" is as grand and emotional as familiar gems like "Rainy Days and Mondays" and my favorite Carpenters jam, "Hurting Each Other." All Karen songs should feature "darkness" as a lyric. Her voice is the ultimate illuminator!
Your turn. What's Karen's most underrated moment?
