The beautiful Bacharach arrangements, odd meters, and melodies are still there - not bad for a guy in his late '70s. A mostly instrumental album, sometimes tracks get the full lush Bacharach treatment while others feature drum and bass loops by Dr. Dre (you read that right). The composer wrote his own lyrics here and they're oddly placed and, for the most part, teenage angry. He shoulda stuck with the collaborations with Chris Botti (FWIW I'm down for a full collaboration album between Bacharach and Botti if Burt is up to it at age 90.)
The album won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album over smooth jazz artists such as Earl Klugh and Jeff Lorber. I'm guessing it was a makeshift legacy award for his past contributions because while this album has its moments, it is very uneven.
Ultimately, I respect Bacharach the composer more than Bacharach the performer. As a whole, I can't decide if I like this easy listening album or not. And I'm not sure I want to invest the time to find out. Sorry, Burt.
Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart
Tracks: My top picks for today are In Our Time, Who Are These People, Can't Give It Up, Dreams, and Fade Away.
Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None
Previously revisited for the blog:
The Very Best Of Burt Bacharach (2001)
Blue Bacharach: A Cooler Shaker (1999)
Best of (1999)
One Amazing Night (1998)
Painted From Memory (1998)
What The World Needs Now: Big Deal Recording Artists Perform the Songs of Burt Bacharach (1998)
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