Burt Bacharach died today. He’s a man whose work I’ve respected and admired, rather than loved. So many of his compositions are old friends which have been there most of my life and I’ve rather taken for granted. So I wish I had a Bacharach compilation on CD to review today.
However, my only Bacharach is this collaboration with Elvis Costello from 1998, songs the pair co-wrote and produced, performed by Costello, with Bacharach on piano, and a strong band. The opening song, In The Darkest Place is pleasant without leaving an impression, but it’s followed by Toledo, a much more catchy number, with trademark Bacharach horns. I Still Have That Other Girl has the feel of a Bacharach Motown ballad, however the next few songs just slip by, and there’s nothing else makes me think “That’s a good song”. Sadly, I don’t think Costello’s voice suits Bacharach’s smooth horn-laden tunes, and while this isn’t awful, much of it is disposable.
The story of the recording of the Painted From Memory album
2* - when musical historians look for Costello’s finest songs or Bacharach’s finest songs, sadly they won’t be visiting much of this collaboration.
Comments