My Take on "At This Time"

[Steve S]

Well, I hesitate to say what I will say, for I am a devout Bacharach fan for more than 40 years... I think ATT is good, but not great. To be honest, I especially like the instrumental pieces, but the ones with lyrics leave much to be desired. Burt is not a lyricist; there is no shame in that. He is a composer without parallel, in my view. But his lyrics are almost embarassing at times - he speaks of the NY subways as if only now are they dangerous places. I grew up in Brooklyn in my early years, and on Long Island in my teens. The subways of NYC are safer today than they have been for 45 or 50 years. The lyrics make it sound as if only recently has Burt become aware of this... And so he wants to write songs about it. Well, OK, but it's almost like a vanity production - as far as lyrics go. As always, I find his music mind-boggling and ecstatic. He is able to go with a line of music where no one else can. I so appreciate all he has given and, hopefully, will continue to give to those of us who love to listen... I'm not saying he should not have made the album. I just think, though, that it's a bit much to expect the general public will find the words compelling when they seem a bit too little, too late. He has every right to do it, if he wants to; and nothing can take anything away from his musical genius. I am listening to the "In Our Time" track over and over... Well, I hope my thoughts don't offend, and I'd be interested to learn if any other devout Bacharach fans have the same or alternate views. Long live Burt!! Steve

[Guest]

Steve-

Thanks for the thoughtful and insightful posting. After all of the hoopla leading up to the release of At This Time it is refreshing to have a well thought out, respectful opinion of the new work. It was very interesting how little was posted here after the release, especially considering all of the political slamming prior. The silence was almost deafening. I am working diligently on producing an all instrumental version of the new work and will post a link to it here in the next few weeks. The way the CD was mixed it is very tedious to extract the vocals but possible. I think most of the professional critics agree with your assessment while not the masterpiece we were all hoping for , At This Time is a solid body of work.

[CC]

Steve -- I agree with you on all points. I too am a long time Burt fan and eagerly anticipated ATT's release...but was disappointed with what I heard. Good for Burt for doing what he wanted to do, but I will not be buying this album.

[mark]

Some of the lyrics are obviously Bacharach speaking in his own voice, as when he's referencing "What the World Needs Now" or talking about his children, but I would strongly suspect most of the other lyrics were written entirely by Tonio K. with Burt's blessing. Tonio K. is no Hal David and compared with the emotional depth and sophisticated wordplay of Elvis Costello, some of the lyrics are painfully trite. I agree with the reviews that suggest the controversy surrounding the lyrics is much ado about nothing. The overall tone of the record is not so much angry or bitter as lamenting and wistful. While I might have cringed a little when I first heard some of the lyrics, I don't find them distracting any longer because I think they function in support of the music, almost in the same way Burt's solo recordings would employ choruses to sing the key words. The drum loops are a brilliant device, injecting into Burt's music a more contemporary feel than he probably could have managed on his own. I'm not crazy about Burt's reliance on the David Sanborn-ish sax, but musically I think it's a wonderful record that, like "Painted From Memory," reveals greater richness and depth upon repeated listenings.

[Guest]

About those drum loops, the "tripped up" drum stick sound that appears twice on Please Explain, it'd be interesting to know whether they were something Dr. Dre contributed or an effect that Burt himself came up with. The first time the effect appears it's almost as if the drummer got tripped up, but when the effect comes in a second time, one would think it was intentional. However it came to be, it's certainly very unusual. On the same track, I swear I hear a mellotron, which I don't recall Burt ever using before. Elsewhere on the album, it's nice to hear Burt use a tack piano again. It brings back fond memories of the music from BC & the SK.

[Guillermo]

First of all, hello everyone and sorry if my english is not so good I wll try to do my best.

Im 38 years old and along of all my life I admired Burt music and his magic, and I just buy the new record and for me is a master piece of work !!, definitive is not the kind of Burt compositions we used to hear, the new album is full of "new kind of sounds" like the one named "lounge" thats is so popular in the 2000's Era, and just mixed with his clasical magic touch, for me the "At this time" album is Burt at this time (now literal) doing music with the musical tendences that is hearing in these 2005 but with all the quality of the Burt Bacharach style, Is like a Burt declaration saying "I could do this new kind of music too" and from my point of view he can do it just GREAT !!!.

Just share this album with your sons or grandsons and Im sure they will think that is just a "new electronic musician" and that is good, and see their faces while you tell them the age of this "new lounge music star".

In conclution I just do not know other musician that can consider a really musical genius for more than 50 years and playing with the diferent musical tendences in every time.

Thanks !!!

Guillermo (México City)

[Ron]

Guillermo:

You stated your feelings very well - no need to apologize - your English is far superior to my Spanish! I agree with many of your observations and continue to appreciate and enjoy this recording the more I listen to it. Hope you will continue to contribute to this forum.