The Burt Bacharach Discussion Forum

at mxdwn.com

http://www.mxdwn.com/article.php?sid=603

Hmm... You know, far be it from me to play the malcontent, but I must confess: Dunphy's review is not far off the mark, sadly.

I have to join the handful of those not entirely satisfied with ATT, and few more passionate connoisseurs of BB/HD/DW exist than myself.

Technically, ATT is dazzling... really dazzling. Burt's sophisticated, never-before-heard harmonies and voicings are gorgeous throughout, and the sparkling digital production values of this album are state-of-the-art. The album is to have a post-911 disenchantment... bravo, full marks there.

But I agree: the album is often synth-heavy, and many of the synth patches have a mid-1980's, DX7, "Toto" kind of sound which is either a). stale by now, or b). not quite ready for a resurrection yet.

And then, when the Kenny G. style soprano sax comes whining in-- certainly a tired sonority for many modern ears-- Dunphy is right: Burt is only inches away from Muzak. Only the sophisticated harmonies keep it airborne.

The EC tune, "Who Are These People?" comes as close as any track to sounding like a single-- a SONG song, of the kind Burt has always been famous for. But even it lacks a certain finesse, an attention to minute detail I've come to associate with Burt. EC's scat choices are not the best or most original ones, if I may dare say so.

The Rufus Wainwright tune is, to me, unlistenable. Here I cannot pretend the Emperor wears fine clothes. That young man's listless, nasal bray, albeit "modern", is just way too relaxed and unpolished to meet the discipline required of a BB vocalist. Burt has selected lead vocalists of late whose voices, to be charitable, are, uh, quirky. But in seeking to be a mensch with the common touch, he hasn't yet crowned a new vocalist with the stricter discipline-- and conventionally pretty sound-- of his earlier vocalists (Dionne, B.J., Stephanie, Gladys, Cliff, Dusty, DeShannon, Steve Lawrence, Jack Jones, et.al.). On ATT, I find myself longing to hear a vocalist who's been (traditionally) music educated within an inch of their life. Pop music may have changed, but sound, old-fashioned aesthetics cannot have changed THAT much.

Charm, warmth and humor are missing from this album. Though true, the whole concept of the album was to have been a modern "plaint", and no-one would expect that to be gay, exactly. I do like Burt's singing on this album, just as I have liked it on his earlier solo and concept albums. His lyrics are simple and sad... I think he wanted them that way.

Sadly, lot of reviewers take pride in clever turns of phrase to knock an album, movie, or book. The even sadder situation is when these reviewers' words are taken as something more than another person's opinion. I've always loved BB's work simply because, for the most part, what he writes touches me. Listen to the CD for yourselves, see what touches you, and form your own opinion.

Truth614:

You're right on the money -"clever turns of phrase" most accurately describes just what these "reviewers" do to denigrate the work of others. I believe they consider their "cute remarks" to be "works of art" in and of themselves which is laughable! I agree - LISTEN FOR YOURSELVES!