Screw you, Burt

[it's_all_about_the_music]

I sure don't care what he thinks of politics when I listen to his music.

I agree--but--the problem is that Burt Bacharach explicitly stated that the album is about his political views: "I had to express myself, not only musically but lyrically". (http://www.billboard.com/bb/daily/artic ... 1001219531)

At a time when the quality of music--particularly songwriting craftsmanship--appears to be sagging, one of the problems in my view is the pervasive view that the "meaning" of the music is more important than the music itself, and that the "meaning" has to be making some sort of social comment or the music is "bubblegum" or otherwise (i.e., the implication being that it is worthless), the last thing I'd consider desirable is a great songwriter devoting an album to propagating political views.

As it is, one can hardly turn on the TV without hearing this stuff. Well, I don't care what happened in Iraq. Why? Because I'm not interested in international affairs one bit, and I'm tired of those who seem to think it is morally imperative that every dialogue switches to a partisan discussion on such issues. And I certainly don't want it contaminating pleasurable content--music--which in my view is not only unsuited to political communication (because there are so few words in the typical 3-4 minute song that it is restricted to broad emotional strokes, and heck, music doesn't even have to have or can be played without lyrics), but songwriters, while they probably very intelligent and may well be relatively well informed, are not experts on politics or international affairs or any of the other very tricky subjects connected with them (in the case of New Orleans, perhaps environmental science and civil engineering), and--while it may be OK to offer opinion in an interview--they should otherwise stick to their expertise, namely, the difficult task of creating and crafting outstanding music.

Burt Bacharach is surely one of the world's finest living songwriters, and I want to hear beautiful music--not drum loops from rappers and political whining. But I guess we'll soon see how "At This Time" turned out, and to be fair, judgement should probably wait until we hear it.

[Rio]

One thing I keep thinking is this: Burt is not known for his political views, so if he wants to make commercially available an album that contains lyrics that may be offensive to the political views of some buyers, he should be upfront about that. And the political content should be made widely known. Most people would probably think it inexcusable if he should decide not to talk about that while promoting the album.

But this has the negative effect of allowing some fans to think that Burt is overly concerned about the album's political content (relative to his concern for the music itself). I could be wrong, but I don't think that's the case. In fact, I take it for granted that Burt is extremely concerned with the quality of the music, and I believe that shows in the BBC interview as well as in the songs we were able to listen on that program.

[rasputin]

This is not the first time Burt has taken a political stance in his music...

I think "I Say A Little Prayer", "Windows Of The World", "What The World Needs Now (Is Love), "Everybody's Out Of Town", "In The Land Of Make-Believe", "Be Aware", "Paper-Mache", "Check Out Time" and the entire LOST HORIZON concept all have a political message and viewpoint, even if subtle.

This next project just seems to be more explicit, as it would tend to be, being made by a genius in his 70th decade.

[An Enormous BB Fan]

This is not the first time Burt has taken a political stance in his music...

I think "I Say A Little Prayer", "Windows Of The World", "What The World Needs Now (Is Love), "Everybody's Out Of Town", "In The Land Of Make-Believe", "Be Aware", "Paper-Mache", "Check Out Time" and the entire LOST HORIZON concept all have a political message and viewpoint, even if subtle.

This next project just seems to be more explicit, as it would tend to be, being made by a genius in his 70th decade.

Actually, Burt had nothing to do with those lyrics. Those words were Hal's. And Burt has said that he paid no mind to what Hal wrote... that if the words fit, he didn't care one way or another.

This, of course, is different from the new songs where he wrote some of the lyrics himself... a first for him.

[towahead]

american
go f**k yourself. I am a veteran and HATE GWB. He has destroyed this country. You f***ing loser

[guest]

...WHOAAAA...after reading these posts, I have to comment...on the DEFENSE of Mr. Bacharach. My cousin has worked in Washington DC for the last 40 years...the last 30 at the White House under the past (and present) seven presidents. She is a die hard Republican...and I say this because it relates the rest of the story. ...................Two years ago she was in Paris with President George W............she was in the hotel conference room with him for an hour and half....trying to 'teach' him and 'explain' to him the speech she had just written for him (to present in France) He couldn't understand the content, he couldn't pronounce words, she said he didn't even know the names of the "heads" of European countries...........with the exception of Tony Blair......AND THAT WAS ONLY BECAUSE THEY HAD JUST COME FROM ENGLAND!!!! She said she walked out of that room pulling her hair out...,,, saying "I am a failure to this my country...I can't teach that man anything!!." Remember me saying she was a die hard Republican??? She did not vote for him (and she works for him) She also said the most intellligent President she ever worked for was Bill Clinton...as Tom Brokaw stated the same thing about Mr. Clinton's intelligence.

[guest]

NICE TRY!

[guest]

........nice try...........???? too many people in D.C. are vividly aware of this TRUE story

[JOHN D]

........nice try...........???? too many people in D.C. are vividly aware of this TRUE story

I HEARD IT ABOUT A YEAR AGO FROM A RELIABLE SOURCE. I ALSO KNOW WHO THAT CORRESPONDENCE WAS THAT TRAVELS WITH THE PRESIDENT, IT'S VALID, UNFORTUNATELY. WE ALWAYS LOOK TO THE LEADER OF THE FREE WORLD TO HAVE SOME KIND OF BRAINS. NOT IN THIS CASE

[Guest]

It is no secret in Washington that GWB is just a mouthpiece for the Republican core (Rove, Chenny, Rumsfeld, et al). The sad thing is he isn't even good at being a mouthpiece. Unless he is spoon fed his lines he is a bumbling idiot. What we are now seeing, with his all time low 39% approval rating, is the American people, outside of Washington, are starting to get hip to just how moronic he is. CNN did a report last week in which it was reveled that no less than 13 times, when the Republicans were losing ground in the polls, there were 13 terrorists alerts/threats within 24 hours (i.e. If you scare them, they will follow).

[good friend]

I heard a gal tell Bill Maher once the "W" should stand for WIMP. what a good laugh the HBO comedian supported, and, Bill promised to use it in his monologues. What 'threads' are being posted about our sitting duck president!!! I must tell you that I am a direct-decendent of one of the five men that founded the Republican party, so I 'grew up' in THAT MIND SET. I am here to tell you that my father was an attorney, as my grandfather, staunch Republicans, so they weren't ignorant people, but listen to this, my family is SO EMBARRESSED of this presidency, '''because he's (Goerge W)not too bright'""...............that most of us CHANGED POLITICAL PARTIES!!!!! I don't think your Mr. Bacharach is very far off on his statements. I would say Mr. Bacharach KNOWS what he's talking about.

[aldous]

We need more Americans like Burt Bacharach. His bullshit detector is on and he is ready to call it like it is. Way to go! I promise to buy this album and it will be my first of Burt's.

As for the rest of you, go ahead and keep the blinders on, turn the hate radio up, and continue in your pursuit of fascism. This American is going to call it out anytime the Emperor has no clothes. Jesus people---think for yourself and take a look around. We're invading countries for no damn good reason---any reason given has been proved to be bunk. But oh no, don't acknowledge it. Let's all pretend! Let's go to happy land! Our billions and hundreds of thousands of lives wasted, but let's just pretend that everything is happy cake!

Suckers. You're screwing our children out of a future because you're unwilling to admit to yourselves that you've put a party and president into power whose only real goal is to enrich their cronies. You'll be rah-rah-rah, waving your American flag and singing praises to Reagan to the very end, while the country sinks. That is, unless more regular folks can follow the lead Burt has taken and say, hey people, the house is on fire.

Burt, you rock baby!

[friend]

AMEN I know a lot of conservatives that are embarrased as hell of the simple minded leaded of the GOP. WHAT was this country thinking??? ..........for him to SIT..... SEVEN PLUS minutes and listen to a stupid goat story (after secret service whispered in his ear what was taking place) while our country....(world trade centers) were being smashed into by terrorsts... and you all RE-ELECTED him??

[Guest]

Love Reagan. Hate Bush. Think Kerry, Hillary and Gore are just awful.

Nothing unRepublican or unrepublican about profoundly disliking what W has been doing. (Look at American 20th century history and notice that Democrats have been a lot more fond of wars than Republicans. And W is a big spender as are liberals in general.)

But... Does anyone need reminding that many terrorist acts against Americans, including the World Trade Center tragedy, happened before the Iraq war and that the alternative to Bush-induced reality would not have been a stroll in the park?

In order to put Saudi Arabia in its place the US needs a strong base in the middle-east. Or else the dependence on that country would keep the US from fighting that country's dinasty and its support (for fear) for terrorists. It would also allow the US to remove its troops from the terrorist's sacred land, which could also reduce anger against the US.

So even if I hate big spender, poor-war-manager, uncivil-libertarian Bush, I do not think that the alternatives are wonderful.

[Guest]

>In order to put Saudi Arabia in its place the US needs a strong base in the middle-east.

Or better yet, an energy policy that weans us off the crude (yeah, include trying to control and/or kill people in that term) and enables us to become more energy independent. "Texas tea" is finite anyway, and thank God our Texan-in-chief's term is finite too.