The Burt Bacharach Discussion Forum

Anybody else heard the first released Bacharach composition of 2008, Irma Thomas' reading of "What Can I Do"? It was released this Tuesday on Irma's SIMPLY GRAND disc for Rounder, penned by Bacharach & Tonio K. Musically, it's much in the vein of Burt's more recent work, a moody, somewhat jagged melody with those unexpected (well, I guess they're expected for Burt...) changes. It never explodes like an "Anyone Who Had A Heart" or allows Irma to cut loose, but it's understated quality won me over, and it's pretty catchy on repeated listenings, natch. There's a very UN-Bacharachian piano solo in the middle, and it's disappointing Burt didn't get to accompany Irma himself as some of the album's other composers did (such as Randy Newman on a stunning "I Think It's Going To Rain Today"). Burt would probably have filled the solo with a horn arrangement, or played piano in his own inimitable style. But the piano work is still very solid and Irma's delivery flawless, and WOOHOO, it's Burt's first new recorded song of '08. Let's hope his new instrumental piece arrives on that long-aborning live CD soon...

I just downloaded a copy from the iTunes store. It's a neat song, very Bacharach. On the copy I purchased the piano is very, very, very forward. I wish I had copies of some other Bacharach songs (mostly Dionne's) with the piano so far forward, so I could hear it better. Think of "Looking With My Eyes", for example. The piano is doing all kinds of wonderful things rhythmically, but it's a bit hard to follow because of the way the recording was mixed.

-Dennis Webb