Burt Bacharach - The Look Of Love: The Burt Bacharach Collection

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Music reviews of The Look Of Love: The Burt Bacharach Collection

Music Review: Overlong anthology provides more detail than most will need
Rating: 4 Stars

The inclusion of original versions of "(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me" and "Kentucky Bluebird (Send a Message to Martha)" by Lou Johnson, Bacharach's early take on "Trains and Boats and Planes," and Cilla Black's rendition of "Alfie," are interesting in their illumination of the composer's original intent. But their substitution for Warwick's hit versions leaves this collection missing several of Bacharach's important singles. This is all the more evident when one realizes that Bacharach's own version of "Trains and Boats and Planes" omits the middle section's lyrics - apparently too difficult for the composer to handle vocally. (Other memorable versions of Bacharach's songs, such as the Box Tops' "Trains and Boats and Planes" and Love's "Little Red Book" - the latter of which Bacharach reportedly hates - would have been valuable in drawing a broader picture of what Bacharach's songs have meant to the music world.)

The hits are awe-inspiring in their variety, and Bacharach's longevity is impressive. Stretching (on this collection) from late 50s hits for the likes of Perry Como ("Magic Moments") to seminal moments in the 60s, 70s and 80s, and artistic flourishes in the 90s. The catalog of flagship recordings from the early 60s, including The Shirelles' "Baby It's You," Gene Pitney's "(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance" and "Only Love Can Break a Heart," Jerry Butler's "Make It Easy On Yourself," gives just an inkling of the extended success Bacharach (primarily with lyricist Hal David) would find.

Most impressively, as rock 'n' roll regained its chart dominance (spurred by the British Invasion), Bacharach and David still found plenty of fresh ground upon which to remain relevant. The 60s were studded with Bacharach/David hits, including Jackie DeShannon's waltz-time "What the World Needs Now is Love," Dusty Springfield's "The Look of Love" (taken higher up the charts by Sergio Mendes the following year; unfortunately not included here), trumpeter/bandleader Herb Alpert's vocal "This Guy's in Love With You," B.J. Thomas' "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head," and the continuing onslaught of hits from Dionne Warwick (including "Walk on By," "Alfie" - not included here, "I Say a Little Prayer," "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?" "I'll Never Fall in Love Again," to name some of the high points).

The end of the 60s wasn't the end of Bacharach/David's hit-making powers. They opened the decade with the Carpenters' #1 "(They Long to Be) Close to You" and followed up with The 5th Dimension's "One Less Bell to Answer." The 80s brought collaborations with Carole Bayer Sager that resulted in Christopher Cross' chart topping theme to the film "Arthur," Patti Labelle and Michael McDonald's "On My Own," and Dionne Warwick's "That's What Friends Are For." Disc three closes with a taste of Bacharach's more recent work with Elvis Costello.

The liner notes are very illuminating, especially the sidebar given to lyricist Hal David. As much as Bacharach is (and deserves to be) lauded for his melodic inventiveness, David's lyrics are often the hook upon which our memories of these songs hang. A similar sidebar on Dionne Warwick gives her the due not completely afforded by the track selection. The song-by-song notes (with release and chart info) round out a very full booklet.

There are a lot of hits here, but stretched over three discs, they seem spaced further apart than one might remember them from their lengthy, overlapping radio play at the time of their issue. One's memory of the charts often omits the lesser successes, many of which are included here. Slipping all three discs into a CD carousel along with a collection of Dionne Warwick's hits will allow you to program the view of Bacharach's work that best fits your memories. All but the Bacharach aficionado will want to edit this box after a couple of passes.

Description of The Look Of Love: The Burt Bacharach Collection

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