TRAINWRECKORDS: "Passage" by Carpenters

Love the Carpenters Christmas albums

I'm now imaging what would happen if Imagine Dragons tried covering Ayreon (extremely nerdy Sci-Fi prog rock/metal band) and it somehow came out good. Ayreon for reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUSoR4EdyIo

James

Things that make you go "huh?"

Stephen Gillie

Oh, and depending on how you classify Christmas albums, you may have made a mistake around the 28 minute mark - they actually put out two studio albums after Passage - Christmas Portrait and Made in America. Normally I’d say that Christmas albums don’t count, but considering that it ultimately went platinum, that’s a pretty big deal. Plus “Merry Christmas Darling” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” have cemented themselves into regular Christmas radio airplay.

“This is some real nerd shit” and I love it! I am putting Calling Occupants next to Michael Sembello’s Automatic Man on my “top songs” playlist.

A lot of 70s music really feels like a throwback to 40s and 50s music. Smooth-voiced crooners backed by a large ensemble playing light jazz arrangements? Even disco is more like an amped-up branch of that musical family tree than a descendant of hard rock music.

Joe G

She'd have been awesome on the "Discovery" and "Oracle" sections for sure but I'm damn curious how she would have tackled "The Temples of Syrinx".

Joe G

Also, We're gonna groove tonight, we'll make you feel alright Carpenters Christmas Boogie!

Russet Burbank

Wait a minute. Wait a minute. "Calling occupants of interplanetary craft" -The Carpenters "Voodoo priestesses and interplanetary crack" -Lard, with Jello Biafra Could that be... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95RNUOtiloI&t=01m05s

Russet Burbank

As a Canadian musician, I've met people who've met people from Klaatu - but man are they reclusive! I'm glad you love Occupants, it deserves so much love, and I really admire them for going for it and taking a risk.

Taylor Abrahamse

I'mma be honest, I thought this was gonna be about the Cranberries.

The Carpenters were my mother's favorite band. If you had known my mother that would not be at all surprising.

Josh Liller

It's quite likely that the best song on this album wouldn't even have been on it if it weren't for a rumor that would have been squashed in like thirty minutes if the Internet had existed.

maruhkati

I cannot express to you how happy I was to hear you talk about Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Crafts, a completely bewildering song that I have a deep, sincere love for. Week made

Jared Walske

After thinking about this more, the moral to the Carpenters’ story in the latter half of the ‘70s is a simple one: you can get critical acclaim or you can cohost variety specials with John Davidson. Pick one, because you can’t have both.

Kristopher Bluth

I never realized that The Carpenters pretty much only did covers. I looked back at their discography, 95% of their stuff, they don't have a writing credit on. To me it was always elevator and department store music. Being 1977, I was alive when this album came out, although very young - even then I mostly knew The Carpenters as a punchline.

Library of Context

I don't know why, but I find Todd's sponsor ads to be fucking hilarious. They're the perfect example of being technically correct while drowning in irony.

AstarothLuLz

Aw man, I love Klaatu and the original “Calling Occupants”! Then again, I did nod appreciatively and knowingly at Todd’s line “This is some real nerd shit,” so… Guilty as charged.

Garrett Hicks

Apparently, Michael Jackson’s “Rock With You” was originally written in consideration for Karen’s solo album which just feels weird to think about

The most shocking part of this video was learning that their choice of that sci-fi song actually predated Star Wars, I would have bet the farm on them seeing that Star Wars was a hit and scrambling to find their piece of the pie instead of it just being a fortunate decision. That TV special though, woof, that might be the second most obvious Star Wars cash grab to hit network TV after, you know, the obvious one.

Nick Ostrem

No Star Trek references Todd? Cuz Calling Occupants sounds like the result of The Carpenters binge watching too much of TOS and TAS, (but not TNG, that hadn't been made yet).

JasSpy

Okay, I heard that Calling Occupants song and was INSTANTLY reminded of Princess Leia’s song about Life Day from the Star Wars Holiday Special. Is it just me?

Tom Carter

I never thought I’d see a Trainwreckord that’s even more banana-sandwiches insane than Funstyle, but here we are.

Henry Kiley

"When you put the drummer in charge, you get drum solos." Karen was the drummer. That line made me LOL. :)

John Wick

And on a related topic, Karen’s solo album should certainly qualify as a Trainwreckord. It was recorded in the late ‘70s, scrubbed at great expense, went unreleased until the ‘90s…and yeah, there’s a reason. Want to hear Karen Carpenter singing horny mid tempo disco ("My Body Keeps Changing My Mind")? How about a duet with Peter Cetera called “Making Love in the Afternoon”? Yep, it happened. I understand her feeling stifled by her image and wanting to branch out, but talk about not playing to your strengths…

Kristopher Bluth

Probably just my opinion, but yeah it's a misfire but with just enough good in it to recommend. Looking over the others it's probably the most respectable one -- they tried and it didn't quite work. It's not cynical like Metallica or Jewel or unlistenable like The Beach Boys.

Justin V

Stuff like this is why I’m a patron. Bra-fucking-vo.

Kristopher Bluth

Yeah, the fact that Karen died so tragically, and wanted so badly to be loved in a way that never really happened for her, adds a lot of pathos to that song.

Shiny Skunk

So is this easily the best album done in this series?

Jasper Phua

The “Calling Occupants” cover is basically what you get if a similar down the middle and uncool artist today like Ed Sheeran and Adam Levine tried their hand at covering some weird and obscure song and somehow managed to make it sound good against all expectations to the contrary.

"Attempting to appease the critics is almost always going to fail when you're the disliked subgenere." Tell that to Genesis lol. They got hugely successful almost immediately when they started writing more accessible songs. But I see what you mean generally.

Nicole Crawford

Me: yay, new Todd video! This’ll be entertaining. *sees who the videos is about* Me: oh, wow. This is gonna be a wild one

Erik Danielson

Agreed. My mom was a huge Carpenters fan, and I have to ask her if she knew about that song.

Jennifer Layton

Carpenters go Prog rock? OK Sure why not? Couldn't be any worse than that time Billy Joel thought he was Keith Emerson.... This Klaatu cover actually sound pretty damn good, I agree with you. Probably a bit late in the decade to go in that particular direction seeing as how badly more established groups in the genre would flop just a year following this album. Perhaps that was part of the reason why the album didn't do as well as it could have.

Nicole Crawford

Karen had a wonderful voice, and it even had a touch of tragic melancholy to it which was downright haunting after her death. I'm just old enough to remember stories of her battle with anorexia in health classes. Like all Light Rock in the 70s, this was going to be derided by critics and ultimately pushed off to EZ Listening radio while the bands made cash. Attempting to appease the critics is almost always going to fail when you're the disliked subgenere. That said, "Calling Occupants" is so perfectly weird that they deserve all the credit for going for it.

Justin V

I was shrieking with laughter throughout the "awkward" reveal.

Anthony Hansen

I love the Carpenters, always have, but hearing Karen Carpenter singing a racist tirade at her maid is like seeing Bob Ross running a dogfighting ring. That just feels WRONG.

Wyatt

Oh man, I fucking l o v e The Carpenters so I am PUMPED for this.

Shiny Skunk

Watching the Star Wars Holiday Special commercials (preferably by Rifftrax, they're all on YouTube) makes awful 70s TV Specials make a lot more sense.

Justin V

this is what i get for wanting you to talk about klaatu someday..

Jordan Schmidt

The thing about Don't Cry For Me Argentina is, I think it's SUPPOSED to be condescending and glurgy. Like, it's not a sincere song, especially if you apply to an Evita like Patti Lupone, who wear's her social climbing and bitchiness on her sleeve. She's acting to her voter base. Granted not all actresses play Evita that strongly, but does lend me to to think that Karen Carpenter was not the one to cover this.

Angela

My main take away is that they do a very good David Bowie.

Juan Nunez

I guess my takeaway is that had Karen lived longer, we really needed to hear her on an Ayreon album.

Teddy Haines

“Really putting the Karen in Karen Carpenter” lol good one.

C. Puffer

Advertisement Todd is evolving rapidly

Sarah, the Creator

As a GenXer who loved the Carpenters growing up, I loved this episode. I agree with you about their country songs. Karen was suburban Connecticut, not Nashville.

Jennifer Layton

Excited for this one - the Carpenters are one of my three favorite groups of all time, so I’m ready to fiercely defend them lol. They haven’t gotten the critical attention they deserve until recent years.

Gaby G

In the introduction to the video, you might've meant 'hippies never liked them,' rather than 'hipsters never liked them.'

Gordon Stearns

Holy cow that was a wild one.

Kevin Wilkes.

There's something I find particularly funny about hearing the "you put the drummer in charge" line in relation to The Carpenters since Karen was the drummer. That's a solid joke, Todd.

Alan Kase

Absolutely loved it. I literally punched the air when Todd revealed his love for Calling… Happy World Contact Day everybody.

Tom Williamson

Very cool! There's a glitch around 8:18 where your voice doesn't match the footage of you speaking.

Georgina Storey

The audio and video are out of sync at 8:18. Great video as always, what a frickin' ride

Sam Frederich

Oof. I haven’t even watched the video yet, but The Carpenters were my mom’s favorite band growing up, so, of course, they will always mean a lot to me. Plus, they’re still extremely highly regarded in a lot of Asian countries (Japan, Philippines, etc.) and still get a metric ton of radio play on soft rock stations around here. I just know that this video will hurt me. I can’t wait.

Franco del Rosario

The opening ad has killed me

This made me tear up a little. Great ending.

S. R.

This is interesting video I honestly don’t really know anything about the Carpenters.

Aaron Anaya

Holy crap, back in February I somehow ended up looking at a few Carpenters TV specials and discovered Space Encounters. I just kind of wrote it off as "Star Wars is popular, so get some goofy 70s cheese out of it." Didn't realize there was all this backstory and explanation for it.

Lewis Lovhaug

Now I kind of want to hear "2112" as sung by Karen Carpenter.

Timur Hahn

Tbh I had no idea about the respect or hate the carpenters got.. they always just existed

duke86fan