Little Girl Blue: The Life of Karen Carpenter Book

4.5 stars

"She was like a little girl to me, really. A little girl who happened to have an extraordinary voice. Karen was very kind and sweet . . . [but] she was a sad little girl, basically. She couldn't seem to do anything for herself or make any decisions. Everything was done for her. She had her mom and dad and brother and managers, and she was lost in this whole thing." -- music exec John 'Softly' Adrian

Just last week I took some issue with author Philip Norman's recent take on Jimi Hendrix's life in the recent book Wild Thing because, although excellent on the biographical part, I thought it was lacking in focus on the musician's . . . y'know, actual musical output. Author Schmidt doesn't make the same mistake in his Little Girl Blue, which examines the tragically brief life of the vocalist half of the brother / sister pop duo the Carpenters, who were responsible for a string of hit singles during the first half of the 1970's that amazingly ran the gamut from the downbeat ('Rainy Days and Mondays') to the very upbeat ('Top of the World'), making them a ubiquitous presence on AM and FM radio. Often penned by first-rate songwriters (like hit-maker Paul Williams, a staple name on 70's Top-40 tunes) and featuring strong musical composition by pianist Richard Carpenter, the songs are - both then and now - chiefly remembered for Karen Carpenter's mature-beyond-her-years and haunting vocals.

Another refreshing thing that Little Girl Blue has working for it is a lack of sensationalism, as author Schmidt provides an even-handed although not whitewashed portrait of the woman. (Interviews include former childhood classmates, long-time close friends, studio musicians, record company executives, etc., and they sound open and honest, but are certainly critical when need be.) Also, the Carpenters estate - headed by brother Richard - declined official involvement, so certain family members (aloof matriarch Agnes!) are taken to task for their behavior towards Karen. It is not the happiest reading that I've done lately - it's downright sad that her anorexia and related health issues, leading to her early demise in 1983, were not really well-known and/or understood at the time - but at its core it celebrates the life of a talented young woman, and asserts that her voice will live on.