The DVD version. I think my DVD is from China, as the choices for subtitles are Chinese and English. I don't know how the Japanese DVD release differs from this one. My copy of the DVD has no regional coding, so it can play in DVD players anywhere in the world. It has a slightly different track listing than the LD:
This is the first official collection of Carpenters "videos." And a good one it is!
There are actually a few "videos" on this collection, having been filmed in the days of music videos. "Those Good Old Dreams," "Beechwood 4-5789" and "Touch Me When We're Dancing" were all filmed with the intent of being "videos."
And while everything else on the collection pre-dates the era of "videos," there are quite a few "promotional films" that were shot during the '70s that are essentially videos. Many look like concert footage but were actually shot specifically to be a promotional film. And some, like "Ticket to Ride," "Please Mr. Postman" and "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft," are really video-like.
Several of the "videos" here are actually from TV specials. "Top of the World" was taken from a Bob Hope special, and "Close to You" is from the Carpenters' own series, Make Your Own Kind of Music.
The sound on the laserdisc is top-notch, and it includes the "Close to You" intro to "We've Only Just Begun," as in The Singles: 1969-1973.
The DVD version of this video contains one previously-unreleased video, for "I Need to Be In Love." It is sort of a concept video in that Karen does not lip-synch the words in the video, but the film was obviously made to go with this song -- Karen and Richard look dejected and lonely as they watch other loving couples, and Karen even flirts with a guy on a plane, only do discover that his wife/girlfriend is waiting for him when they land. It's definitely a nice addition to the DVD.
Produced by Paul Surratt and Fred Paskiewicz
Return to the Carpenters Album Index.