Customer Reviews

Sings Bacharach & David Songbook

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have recently become very interested in these songs (songs from my youth.) I had about 1/3 of this album on mp3 files and wanted the other songs available here.

Much to my disappointment, this album does not sound very good. While completely listenable, it sounds muddy and veiled. When comparing the same track back-to-back with my mp3 files, my older files always sounded clearer with better defined bass. This was true even though the mp3 files had a lower bit rate!

I am crushed, because I had hoped to obtain a "definitive" recording of these great songs. I guess I'll keep looking.

This album does not sound awful, and I will listen to it in my car where the differences may not be as noticeable. If you're looking for a "great" recording of these songs, I advise that you keep looking.

I LOVE Dionne Warwick. Imagine my disappointment when I played this CD and from the opening track heard hiss and noise. Then on track two, "What the World Needs Now," there's so much distortion it makes the gorgeous song essentially unlistenable. And so on through the album. I'm going to recycle the disc through a used CD store, and get a different collection with better sound. Sorry, I don't yet know which one might be the best -- but it isn't this one.

This is the music you have heard in countless elevators and department stores - and it never sounded better. Bacharach's music was deceptively simple-sounding while containing tricky key changes and sharps and flats. Dionne navigates it all as if she were singing a children's tune. Pure '60's and early '70's! Great for a theme party!

I purchased this CD based on the reviews here, and mostly based on the names: Warwick, Bacharach, David. But after listening to the album, I very much doubt that any of the three would endorse it.

The "Import" label was suspicious, and the songs sound like imitations of the originals. There's no doubt that this is Dionne's voice, and Burt and Hal's lyrics and songs, but these are not the renditions that we've fallen in love with. Dionne's voice lacks the familiar soul and mastery of the originals (just where did they get those vocal tracks?), and the musical arrangements lack depth and texture and do not blend well with the vocals.There is distortion and poor balance between vocals and music in this production, making it disturbing to listen to.

This is an album I thought I would want to listen to over and over, but it lacks the musical magic we know of these songs and these artists. Warwick, Bacharach and David will always be five star by my estimation, but this production is a zero.

In the sixties, Dionne Warwick was much more successful in her native America than she was in Britain, but this was mainly because so many of her American hits were covered by British artists and became hits for them instead. As time progressed, this practice died out and Dionne gained the recognition she deserved in Britain too. This compilation focuses on her sixties music, specifically the songs that Bacharach and David wrote.

Bacharach and David were prolific songwriters in the sixties and Dionne relied heavily on their songs at that time. Do you know the way to San Jose and Walk on by were the only songs here to provide Dionne with significant British hits. Many of the other songs provided Dionne with American hits, but even in America, some songs were given to others to have hits with.

Among the songs here that were hits for other singers in Britain, America or both are Anyone who had a heart (Cilla Black), Raindrops keep falling on my head (B J Thomas). I just don't know what to do with myself (Dusty Springfield), Always something there to remind me (Sandie Shaw), I'll never fall in love again (Bobbie Gentry), I say a little prayer (Aretha Franklin), Make it easy on yourself (Walker brothers), What the world needs now is love (Jackie De Shannon), Alfie (Cilla Black), You'll never get to heaven (Stylistics), The look of love (Dusty Springfield) and Only love can break a heart (Gene Pitney). Indeed, there are very few songs on this CD that will be unfamiliar to fans of sixties music.

Notable omissions are Close to you (later made famous by the Carpenters), Don't make me over, and This girl's in love with you, all of which qualified for inclusion here. Still, the quality of the songs here is excellent and, for the price, this is wonderful value.

If you are looking for a collection of Dionne's sixties music, you'll find it difficult to improve on this one.

When OH! When will Ms Warwick and the Powers That Be release the COMPLETE discography of her Scepter recordings (63-73) and/or ALL of her Burt Bachrach? For many of us GI's in Viet-Nam, during the era of Acid Rock, Ms Warwick's artistry (Thanks to the Columbia record Club) was the soul of Sanity. Most of her Bachrach has NEVER been equalled, much less surpassed. I believe that she is the only 60's and 70's major artist, the great bulk of whose greatest work, is currently unavailble on CD, Any Takers?

This 3 CD Set is wonderful. With old songs and Duet with today singers really make this Set worth having. Just kick back and enjoy. What's not to like with Dionne Warwick and the songs of Bacharach & David?
This would make a great gift for those who enjoy good music and wonderful written songs.

When you get an "import" you're never, ever quite sure of the support the disk has been given by the record companies holding the original master tapes. With Rhino compilations you can basically be assured that the best source material available has been used, with foreign imports you never ever know. The use of dubious source material is what holds this album back. I have 4 different CD versions of most of these songs available to me and I can truly tell the difference with this disk. I won't go so far to say that Dionne's vocal tracks were ripped and placed on inferior backing tracks, but I do think that some of the tracks on here are copies of copies and, as a result, sound washed out and flat. Still there are some gems on here that make the disk worth buying. I primarily bought this disk because it saves me the trouble of making a single disk of the Bacharach & David compositions. Buy it with that in mind and you'll be well served.

Da Worfster

Right after 11/9 Dionne Warwick came to Amsterdam (Carre Theater) and though for her this was just another performance,at certain point of the evening she got audience in the palm of her hand completely - we were all stressed and worried because of possibility of thrid world war - suddenly she softly introduced her next song,saying it's an old song but it's meaning is strong today as ever.
And by God,she sailed right into slowed-down "What The World Needs Now" and got us all reduced to tears,the whole damn theatre sniffing and crying - it was truly a magical moment (funny enough,I never cared for that song before but it did sound powerful and moving that particular evening).

That song is included on this CD together with 20 other hand-picked songs composed by Burt Bacharach. Majority of them were written for Warwick,though other singers often covered them and even charted with their versions (ask Cilla Black about it).
It really is high-quality, classy 1960s pop and though personally I think Warwick grew up to be better singer in later years, this is where her legend was built.

Dionne's voice is strong, sometimes so strong there's a slight distortion. Volume levels vary from song to song but it's not irritating. the order the songs are in tells a beautiful story of life, love, heartbreak, and hope.