Dionne Warwick and Rob Shrock playing at Blue Note 6/02/11

[BachtoBacharach]

Blair you are right about the work Burt did with Elvis Costello. The tunes were amazing and inspired. The edge he had with Dionne in the 60s and early 70s was in full eviidence there. Alas, much of Burt's work in the 80s was dreck. The worst excesses of MOR and the treacle that Bayer-Sager wrote that passed for lyric. Only a couple of tunes Dionne did with Burt then have stood the test of time...sad to say but the best Dionne had to offer during that time was NOT composed and produced by Burt. Painted from Memory remains my absolute favorite post-Dionne Bacharach albums and it's brilliant and I for one would have loved to hear Dionne in her sixties voice sing This House Is Empty Now. Alas, that will never happen. I believe there is a reason that Burt has chosen not to work with Dionne in a recording studio since 1999's Isn't She Great and that's because of her vocal deterioration. I don't think she could tackle a complex arrangement/composition by Burt of the type he did for Elvis Costello. Her chops are gone.

[alexpaige]

>>Alex, can you explain to me what the point is to keep debating what opinion is versus what is a fact?>>

There's nothing to debate. We all know the difference between opinion and fact, don't we? What I was saying is simple: don't pretend that one is the same as the other.

>>Yes, Dionne has a voice, just as Julie Andrews does. Is the voice the same as it was even 15 years ago? No, it's not. Is it a pleasing voice? That's a matter of personal opinion. To me, it's not often pleasing these days and sometimes cringe-worthy. That's my opinion and I have every right to express that opinion as does Blair.>>

Did I suggest otherwise? I don't think so.

[BachtoBacharach]

I believe you did suggest otherwise. You wrote "Please get your facts straight folks because uninformed people come to websites like this, read comments and take them as fact, assuming that "fans" are well-informed." You also seemed to suggest that "fans" can't offer contrary opinions to your facts and opinions thus earning the quote "fans" designation, as if someone owes an explanation. You seemed to be stating that it was a fact that Dionne had the same range she had years ago only it's "shifted" which is not fact and seemed to be chastising Blair and others for saying that Dionne has no range when that is Blair's subjective opinion and is as subjective as your statement that she has the same range as she did years ago. I am not a member of the fact police and appreciate your opinions even if you state them as facts...you have every right to do so as does anyone else who visits this forum, but the chastising tone is not necessary but you are certainly free to continue in that vein just as others are free to challenge you and the "facts" you state. It's a fact that her voice has changed. Taking others to task for presenting opinions as fact when you are presenting your opinions as fact is your perogative just as it's my perogative to challenge you as you have challenged me and others. I will sign off this discussion now and look forward to continued rousing debates on substantive topics.