Burt Bacharach & Friends - Gold [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

Burt Bacharach, Sergio Mendes, Dusty Springfield, Carpenters, Cher

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 10, 2006)
• Original Release Date: October 10, 2006
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Hip-O Records
• ASIN: B000ICLT50
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #12,045 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Bacharach's Astonishing Songbook Opened Up by a Motley Gallery of Artists, April 28, 2007

By	Ed Uyeshima (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Rock music aside, there was not likely a better pop tunesmith in the second half of the 20th century than Burt Bacharach, and this robust two-disc retrospective set shows ample evidence of his infectious, idiosyncratic style, most notably his sophisticated pop melodies accompanied by momentous orchestra swells and infused with a sweeping, unapologetic romanticism. Sometimes amusingly dated but eminently listenable, this set covers the full breadth of Bacharach's career highlighting his 1960's work with his most mutually copasetic partner, lyricist Hal David, and inevitably, the dregs of the 1980's pop treacle he composed with then-wife Carole Bayer Sager ("Arthur's Theme", "Heartlight"). Because the intention is to showcase a number of different artists who had already covered his tunes on their own recordings, there is more of a hodgepodge feel here than with the more satisfying single-disc compilation, 2001's The Very Best of Burt Bacharach.

Consequently, among 41 songs presented, Bacharach's most pervasive muse, Dionne Warwick, is featured only on three classic tracks - the deceptively perky "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?"; the ironically sung "I'll Never Fall in Love Again"; and the syncopated swelling of "Anyone Who Had a Heart". Her radiant voice is missed most on "Alfie" where we instead get a twenty-year old Cher's unnecessarily bombastic performance; "Walk on By" made over into a psychedelic soul epic by Isaac Hayes; the sauntering "Message to Michael" covered by early Motown girl-group, the Marvelettes; Sybil's 1990's dance-club revamp of "Don't Make Me Over"; and "Trains and Boats and Planes" performed by Merseybeat band Billy J. Kramer & the Dakotas. The upside of the multi-artist approach is that we do get Aretha Franklin's saucy, gospel-fueled take on "I Say a Little Prayer"; the Stylistics' Philly soul-styled version of "You'll Never Get to Heaven (If You Break My Heart)"; and Broadway veteran (and future "Law & Order" star) Jerry Orbach's fresh-faced performance of "Promises, Promises".

Other classics included are the Carpenters' "(They Long to Be) Close to You" highlighting Karen's sparkling alto voice; B.J. Thomas' unavoidably sunny "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head"; Herb Alpert's casually off-key "This Guy's in Love with You"; Jackie DeShannon's symphonic rendition of "What the World Needs Now is Love"; the samba-sized cover of "The Look of Love" by Sergio Mendes and Brasil `66; Tom Jones' Vegas-style, hip-shaking "What's New Pussycat?"; Dusty Springfield's yearning smokiness on "Wishin' and Hopin'" and "I Don't Know What to Do with Myself"; and the 5th Dimension's "One Less Bell to Answer" featuring Marilyn McCoo's studio-polished vocals. Luther Vandross' lengthy, melisma-filled take on "A House Is Not a Home" is also here, as is Bacharach's valedictory collaboration with Elvis Costello on the powerful "God Give Me Strength".

Obscurities are offered in the mix as well, for example, the hard-rocking Pretenders, of all bands, do a 1989 number called "The Windows of the World", and the 5th Dimension covers a long-lost song from the disastrous musical version of "Lost Horizon", a catchy sing-along therapy session called "Living Together, Growing Together". The height of 1960's sexism is represented by Jack Jones' lounge-act singing on "Wives and Lovers", and sad-voiced Gene Pitney is featured on three early sixties tracks uniquely his - "Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa", "Only Love Can Break a Heart" and most famously, "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance". Bacharach himself ends each disk with instrumental versions of "Knowing When to Leave" and "That's What Friends Are For". Even if the performances vary with the artists, this collection shows how impressive Bacharach's expansive songbook truly is.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, November 23, 2008

By	Susan "Bubbasu" (ZEBULON, NC USA) - See all my reviews

After seeing Burt on stage he was 77 at the time and still had what it takes to perform .I was reminded how much we enjoyed his music and how talented he is. This cd is really enjoyable with so many of his wonderful songs.It also brought back many wonderful memories of our younger times!!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great songs, great price, March 24, 2008

By	K. Hudson (Virginia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I haven't heard many of these songs in 30+ years, and I was singing along with most of them the first time I listened. There were so many tracks and the price was very good. I highly recommend this CD.