"Easy Listening"......Never !!!

[blueonblue]

I've never understood why certain people class Burt's music as
"Easy Listening" ???
Anyway, here's another "clip".........


Take Care,
"blue"

[steveo_1965]

you're right Blue, it;s not easy listening, it;s more dramatic,
like a dramatic presentation!
Steveo

[Steve Schenck]

This is the saddest and most untrue characterization of his music. Anyone who writes or plays music, looking over his sheet music or scores would never say it's "easy." They may not think it's the greatest thing ever, but no one "in the know" would characterize it as easy. Ditto for singers. I read somewhere that Frank Sinatra once said he liked Burt's music but found it too hard for himself to sing; just wasn't his brand, or within his range. And when you listen to less able singers attempt his music, after hearing pros like Dionne, you realize that it ain't easy! People complain sometimes that you can't dance easily to his tunes... well, that's because the time signatures and rhythms are not "easy." Listen to themes on the Pussycat or Casino albums, or Futures, Woman or At This Time, and you cannot conclude that this is easy music. The fact that he can produce melodies that are so memorable and moving (a quality people easily confuse with being "easy"), and that are at the same time so complex even for experienced musicians is proof that this guy's work is far from "easy." Go Burt!

[steveo_1965]

Steve,
You are right! It was 1964, and I remember going to the "teen center" in a basement of the Fire Dept, in our little home town in 1964...The high school group was dancing to Anyone Who Had A Heart...The tune had a lot of extra beats, etc. and was complex musically, but the kids somehow found it easy to slow dance to...I sat and I watched and was fascinated how they somehow grooved to these oddball time signatures, but they did...I know, cause I was the Dee Jay perched up in the booth...

Steveo

[blueonblue]

Steveo, Steve,
Thanks for your replies....I'm in full agreement with you !
This next song sure ain't for the "pipe and slippers" brigade !!!


"Viva La Bacharach"
"blue"

[Marcel]

I agree to all of you that the songs from Burt aren`t so easy listening.
People who place the music of Burt in the category of "easy listening" don`t know much about music because his songs are sweet as honey!
When you here his jewels as the Summer of `77 or Magdalena is that easy listening?
I don`t think so!
Maybe you could place i`ll never fall in love again, alfie or the look of love in to that category of easy listening, but not Burts total catalog.
His maybe less (un)familiar songs are far away from "Easy listening"
Thats my opinion!


Kind regards Marcel

Burt thanks for all the beautifull and great songs that you gave us!
And once again most of his songs they are not so "Easy Listening"!

[blueonblue]

Hi Marcel,
Yes, the two songs you mentioned off the "Woman" album are
certainly not "easy listening".....and neither is the "complex"
instrumental "And The People Were With Her"
I had difficulty with this piece when I first heard it, and over the
years it's not got any............"easier" !!!

"blue"

[grooverider]

I don't care what people call his music, I'm just glad he did it (and continues to do it). Labels just pigeon-hole musicians and many times prevent someone listening with "open ears" to music they might not otherwise think of listening to (hip-hop, for example). Like someone once said, "There's two kinds of music, good music and bad music"...
May Burt Bacharach continue to make "Burt Bacharach" music for a long, long time!

[An Enormous BB Fan]

Even WORSE! I've heard people refer to Burt's music as ELEVATOR music. I just laugh to myself and think, "How ignorant they are!" Of course, the same goes for "easy listening" music. Of course, I do find Burt's music easy to listen to. Is there "hard listening" music? I guess lousy songs would fit into that category. I would categorize Burt's music as "I Can't Wait Until I Hear That Song Again" music. I honestly don't believe there's a songwriter who ever lived or will live that has or will have Burt's genius for musical composition. End of story.

[ron hertel]

I've been to many many music retailers (I still call them "record stores") over the past 50 years and I do not recall ever seeing Burt's or Dionne's recordings in the "Oldies" section. That says a lot about the TIMELESS QUALITY OF THEIR WORK. The "easy listening" tag for the most part distinguishes it from the "hard rock" and "bubble gum" categories. It seems that Warwick and Bacharach product usually turns up in the "Vocals" section with Dionne sometimes landing in the "R&B" bin and Burt often can be found under "Instrumentals". Over the years I have heard some plain vanilla "elevator music" versions of BB/HD/DW classics that make me cringe; however, I rationalize their existence by thinking they will motivate the casual listener to go out and buy the "real thing"

[blueonblue]

Here's another "clip" from the same programme......er..sorry !
With some great B/W footage !
Dionne you're "Magnificent" !!!!!!!!!!


"blue"
PS
"Easy Listening".........NO WAY !!!!!!!!!!

[steveo_1965]

Blue,
Thanks for posting this marvelous clip...I enjoyed it very much!

Steveo

[blueonblue]

Hi Steveo,
Don't thank me, thank the man who supplied the "clips" DEREKakaDJUK.
Here's another amazing video from the same man !!!



A "Big" Thank You Derek....whoever you are !!!

"blue"

[Rio]

A review I once wrote to Amazon.com:

This is one of those great albums that Bacharach recorded at A&M. Make It Easy on Yourself is superb, and might just be my favorite. Perhaps what one will find most rewarding about this album is that relatively unknown compositions such as Pacific Coast Highway, She's Gone Away, Knowing When to Leave, Whoever You Are (I Love You), and Wanting Things, are unspeakably beautiful --that's all I can say... Lots of people seem to think they know Bacharach because they know Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head, or I'll Never Fall In Love Again, for instance --but this album gives everyone a chance to find out what Bacharach is all about. It is clear enough that Bacharach's music should never have been labeled (by some) as "easy listening." But what this album does is show that his music (understood to include his arrangements) often is not easy to listen to either. It is too beautiful --and often too sad-- for that.