Taking Sides: The White Stripes vs The Carpenters

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

Prompted by hearing Desmond Carrington play the latter. The comparison is clear. But which does ILM prefer? (I know which one my money's on.)

― the pinefox, Sunday, 5 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Beyond the fact that they're allegedly both brother/sister acts (yeah, yeah I know...the Whites were actually married...whatever, who cares? Like it affects the music?), and that both Met White and Karen Carpenter played the drums, there's really nothing else simillar about them -- one band plays amped-up, stripped-down bluesy rock and the other plays mawkish, middle-of-the-road lite pop. My vote goes to the White Stripes.

― Alex in NYC, Sunday, 5 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

mawkish, middle-of-the-road lite pop

"Fell In Love With a Girl" isn't *that* bad.

― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 5 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Never heard Carpenters but White Stripes are just annoying.

― Marc, Sunday, 5 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I will say this: the Carpenters have a sterile, robotic quality to their music that was quite unusual. Not good, mind you. But unusual. And Karen Carpenter didn't even attempt to simulate emotion in her singing. If I was feeling charitable, I'd almost say there was a sense of pathos in her blankness. In fact (someone please stop me now), "Superstar" is kind of affecting for this very reason. Did she do painkillers or downers or something? Eerie. But not good! Get that straight.

― Sean, Sunday, 5 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I'd almost say there was a sense of pathos in her blankness

You know, I almost think I'm onto something here. I also think I'm a very disturbed man.

― Sean, Sunday, 5 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Um, what's the deal with the White Stripes=married thing?

― Jordan, Sunday, 5 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Right? Everyone knows they were next-door neighbors.

― Sean, Sunday, 5 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Desmond Carrington - who he? Former foreign secretary?

― Dr. C, Sunday, 5 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Oh, and 'Goodbye to Love' is one of the greatest records ever made. I cry buckets everytime I hear it. Great guitar solo too.

― Dr. C, Sunday, 5 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

THE CARPENTERS! Because, Karen had a great voice.

― jel --, Sunday, 5 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

sorrow/pathos is a powerful emotion, no?

― jel --, Sunday, 5 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Indeed; but I'm suggesting that she achieved this without necessarily projecting sorrow in her voice. Maybe I need to pick up a greatest hits in the bargain bin to refresh my memory, but even the chorus of "Superstar", where it gets more upbeat; horns, overdubbed vocals, tambourine; doesn't change the mood... it's flat all the way through. Thinking about it almost has me thinking I like this song, it's probably the only Capenters song I really know. Am I off-base in my analysis of Karen as emotionally flat? OK, so if you're getting sorrow and pathos from the performance, where's it coming from?? This is a serious question, btw.

― Sean, Sunday, 5 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I'll go with the Carpenters for the wedding and the White Stripes for the reception.

― Curt, Sunday, 5 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

all stripes haters are hype reactionaries

― Ron, Sunday, 5 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The White Stripes overall but I'll listen to 'Yesterday Once More' and 'Superstar' forever. There is a cetain numbness in Karen's delivery, but it is still very affecting I think, at least on these tracks. Others like 'Calling Occupants' and 'We've Only Just Begun' I can do without. Too, too mawkish. And daft.

(Sonic Youth's cover of 'Superstar': my fave cover ever. And I hate Sonic Youth)

― DavidM, Sunday, 5 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Prolapse.

― Clarke B., Sunday, 5 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

hype reactionaries

*Lurking prominent magazine writers simultaneously race to phones* "Hello, Al? Listen, I have better angle for that White Stripes profile. Here's the headline..."

― The Actual Mr. Jones, Sunday, 5 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"a better angle..." Ha ha. Serves me right.

― The Actual Mr. Jones, Sunday, 5 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Gloria Trevi

― dave q, Sunday, 5 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

A glamorous, uninhibited Latin dynamo, she tears up the stage performing her own popular tunes as well as songs by Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and The Doors. This multi-talented sensation not only sings, dances and plays piano, but literally sets the stage on fire with her African drum riffs--her drumsticks are set ablaze.

holy shit, she's better than Savatage!!!

― Ron, Sunday, 5 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

also she's in jail i think

― mark s, Sunday, 5 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

What if the whole Carpenters As Siblings story was just a "knowing media prank" along the lines of the White Stripes thing? That'd be crazy, man.

― Mark, Sunday, 5 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

How can anyone like Karen Carpenter's bowdlerised version of Superstar if they've heard Bonnie Bramlett's original Groupie?

Stripes have it, if only for the cute way Meg sticks her tongue out at moments of more than rudimentary rhythm.

― chris j, Sunday, 5 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

all stripes haters are hype reactionaries

i've been thinking that about myself, 'cause when i 1st heard em i thought they were pretty good, then i saw em live & i was bored but maybe that's just 'cause i hate going to rock shows, then they started being popular & i felt like, oh i cant hate them cause of that, that would be ridicuous. but anyway : just got sent the 7" of "fell in love w/ a girl" - i'd already heard it, it's OK - so i played the other side which is a version of "i just don't know what to do with myself" - how could you make that song sound bad? they do tho', it's awful! anyway jane & christine were there & they both (a) like rock'roll & (b) don't even know what is "popular" or "overhyped" & they both said this sucks.

― unknown or illegal user, Sunday, 5 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

oh yeah & most of the carpenters hits were great. especially "superstar". they're definitely more emotionally affecting than the "authentic" "bluesy" w. stripes too.

― unknown or illegal user, Sunday, 5 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

who here's heard that version of "i just don't know what to do with myself"? isnt it terrible?

― unknown or illegal user, Sunday, 5 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

White Stripes = most reactionary band in the world.

And yeah 'Superstar' and even 'Tunic' by Sonic Youth are ESSENTIAL (but not perhaps for the PF...)

― Andrew L, Monday, 6 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

White Stripes = most reactionary band in the world

What does this mean?

― Kris, Monday, 6 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Obviously the Carpenters. I find it alarming that so many on the list find Karen's voice unemotional. Her phrasing & tonality can certainly bring me to tears.

Something of a relief to find that I'm not the only person in the world who listens to Desmond Carrington's show (sunday lunchtime, radio 2, FYI Dr. C). Yesterday he played the Carp's version of 'Help'.

― harveyw, Monday, 6 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Kris - I have no fuckin' idea, but Ron started it!

― Andrew L, Monday, 6 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The Carpenters making their music using just guitar and drums would have been the best thing EVAH!

Carpenters = 2nd best LP of 1971
White Blood Cells = 2nd best LP of 2001

So I call it a draw.

― Jeff W, Monday, 6 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

sorry guys, btw i dont really understand mr. jones comment. duane is of course right. all stripes haterz are hype reactionaries = 99% of stripes haters are crap = you dont have to take it seriously when we blurt out such nonsense

― Ron, Monday, 6 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I've never heard the White Stripes, but I think I know what they sound like. I quite like them, but I prefer The Carpenters. I saw them live and that guitar solo just sliced the tops off everyone's heads. The support act was a comedian, I think it might have been Jimmy Cricket. One thing I like about The Carpenter's original Greatest Hits album is that kind of introductory medley of all the songs you're about to hear. It ceratinly makes for a very cohesive album despite being a compilation. A kind of MOR Sergeant Pepper. How did they do the backing vocals? I think that might be repsonsible for the alleged eeriness. The only good thing about the Sonic Youth version is the little snatch of the original.

― Sister Disco, Tuesday, 7 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I quite like the Carpenters. I only really know "Fell In Love With A Girl" and it got boring very quickly - it was better than I thought it would be though. The other stuff I've heard by them sounded like I thought it would, i.e. not my thing. Visually the WS are fantastic. Musically I take the Carpenters.

Duane have you heard the CARPENTERS Bacharach medley though - that is AWFUL!

― Tom, Tuesday, 7 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

i dont really understand mr. jones comment

Only meant to underline your "hype reactionaries" comment Ron, which is as succinct a description of the backlash phenomenon as I've come across lately... I drew attention to it on the Rolling Stone's Uncoolest thread too. Certainly didn't mean to imply that I disagreed, just that the backlash itself is becoming part of the hype in some cases. Which has nothing to do with the Carpenters. This is probably a good time for me to think about taking up the "winky face" after clumsy posts.

― The Actual Mr. Jones, Tuesday, 7 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"Visually the WS are fantastic. Musically I take the Carpenters."

Mr E is clearly OTM here. Perhaps the WS would be better if their records didn't have any grooves, just sleeves?

― the pinefox, Tuesday, 7 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

thankee jones, you have a good point there. i dont have a very good handle on 'the nature of the hype' and what people are actually saying about them. i haven't really been watching tv and i dont read any music press to speak of. i just lurve their records a lot.

― Ron, Tuesday, 7 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The Carpenters were fantastic visually too. Karen had some kind of furry waistcoat that she wore underneath her denim jacket so that she looked like she had a hairy chest.

― Sister Disco, Wednesday, 8 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The Carpenters look like a demented wedding photo.

― Sister Disco, Wednesday, 8 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

karen carpenter's drumming is better, though only marginally as both her and meg white are stiff and godawful. the bloke in the carpenters ... what did he do again?

the best thing about the white stripes is the guitar tone. a thing of beauty (listen to that gorgeous reverb), but really ... they aren't in any way original. they're just a led zeppelin cover band without any potential of ever being groovy (stiff drummer, no bass player). anything that sticks that closely to a formula of years- gone-by ends up getting forgotten. remember all that elephant6 stuff? what happened to that? people got tired of hearing brian wilson all over again and either went back to the source or moved on.

of montreal, anyone?

i think the proper word for the stripes is "revisionist".

― fields of salmon, Wednesday, 8 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

ten months pass...

Now that I've downloaded "Superstar" (ha, I really must hate it), I have to revisit this. I was getting at something above that I'm still confounded by--why does this song get me so hard when on the surface the singer comes on so blank? Where is all that emotion coming from?

― Sean (Sean), Sunday, 30 March 2003 14:51 (twenty-two years ago)

you

― mark s (mark s), Sunday, 30 March 2003 14:51 (twenty-two years ago)

TS: The Carpenters vs Lightning Bolt

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 30 March 2003 14:55 (twenty-two years ago)

all stripes haters are hype reactionaries
-- Ron (ohronn...), May 5th, 2002.

How would I go about subscribing to your newsletter?

― David Allen, Sunday, 30 March 2003 15:26 (twenty-two years ago)

i've cooled off quite a bit on the stripes, but still like em fine and am looking forward to hearing the new album. no newsletter

― ron (ron), Sunday, 30 March 2003 16:04 (twenty-two years ago)

The one Carpenters song I've heard is gorgeous. All the White Stripes I've heard is kinda OK.

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Sunday, 30 March 2003 16:52 (twenty-two years ago)

I'd go for Carpenters, if only for "(They Long To Be) Close To You"

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Sunday, 30 March 2003 17:08 (twenty-two years ago)

four years pass...

Everyone involved in boosting the White Stripes on this thread is a bad person.

― caek, Tuesday, 27 November 2007 02:27 (eighteen years ago)

Fuck the Carpenters. How about that?

― Alex in NYC, Tuesday, 27 November 2007 02:39 (eighteen years ago)

hey, I didn't say your name three times.

― caek, Tuesday, 27 November 2007 02:42 (eighteen years ago)

Nobody has made a movie about the White Stripes entirely starring Barbie Dolls.

I have no qualms about the WS (my hype reaction has been to simply ignore them).

Carpenters have great songs, beauty, and tragedy. They get my vote.

PS - points to Jack White for producing the Loretta Lynn song about my town.

― Nate Carson, Tuesday, 27 November 2007 03:34 (eighteen years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.