The Burt Bacharach Discussion Forum

Only Dionne could have sung this...


"blue"

When I first played this to my partner a couple of days ago he thought he was listening to a medley of all 3 "lost" BB/DW tracks and not to a single song:-)

But I have to say that both "And Then He Walked..." as well as "And Then You Know..." have almost become an addiction to me. The more I listen to them the more they grow on me.

However Burt in one aspect certainly was right: Based on the three tracks they totally had lost their midas touch as hit makers. In that sense the magic definitely was gone and they both needed half a decade to recover. And then each returned with much less complex songs to the charts.

Downtown,
That's exactly what I thought, three songs rolled into one.
Very complex and highly sophisticated, it's almost as if Bacharach was trying too hard here.
I also found it very hard to memorize, but in a strange way....I like it !

"blue"

This track is fascinating, it's almost like a prelude to the Futures album or even Woman...with a much more freeform & complex approach to songwriting, maybe closer to jazz/classical music, I find it very interesting.

spanisheyes,
And what's more, it seems to sound better and better with repeated listening.

"blue"

"blue"

You're absolutely right regarding repeated listenings! ....... I'm finding most of the tracks on this CD quite good. ...... Favorites are the "3" Bacharach tunes and I really like the Ashford Simpson composition "Someone Else Gets The Prize" and the title tune is also good. ..... Makes me think a full Ashford/Simpson/Warwick album could have fared well back in the 70's. ...... I've often said that - in her prime - Dionne could have sung the "Yellow Pages" and it would have sounded great! ... Throughout this album Dionne's inimitable vocal skills, unmatched phrasing and musicality shine through - even on the weakest material.

ron

ron,
I absolutely agree with you, Dionne could have sung nursery rhymes in her heyday and still
have made them sound fantastic !
I really like the three "new" Bacharach songs and Dionne is sublime !
As Anthony Newley once said... "Burt Bacharach has replaced "noise" with "creative music"

"blue"

It makes 'Looking With My Eyes' seem about as complex as 'The Story of My Life'! On the first couple of hearings I can't say that the words and the music are a match made in heaven and of course there are the 'holes' ("La, La Las" in place of lyrics). Pity it fades out just when it's gaining some momentum and with the song's best 'hook'. No doubt after I've heard it a few more times I'll be calling it a 'classic'!

Martin, you're right... this almost sounds simple by comparison.


"blue"

This recording is just crazy...it's like complex trigonometry mixture with chemistry, religion, and music. Musically it's just so advanced that I am like a 5 year old. I am having problems understanding what they are doing here. It does appear brilliant to my head and Dionne sounds amazing I don't know how in the world she could sing this stuff, I really am impressed. Just not sure what to think really...

Thanks for the link, Blue. Yes, 'Looking With My Eyes' still sounds extraordinary after all these years. As for other complex BB songs, I used to think that 'A Young Pretty Girl Like You' from 'Promises, Promises' was quite complicated, that is until I heard 'And Then You Know What He Did'!

Martin,
Thanks for that great song !
What I find really annoying is when people refer to Burt's music as " Easy Listening " ???
......never in a million years !!!
To quote Dionne; "you almost need a Master's degree in music to sing some of Bacharach's melodies"
Here's another example...


"blue"

I´m very impressed neither of all tracks of the album. The Ashford and Simpson tunes are very good. Maybe someone knows if Valerie and Nick are in the backround? On "We need to go back" I believe I hear the both bakrounding Dionne. It sounds similar like Martha Reeves "I´m a winner" on "Sugar`n`spice". There are no Vandellas on the song. The Bacharach tracks are the most sophisticated ones on the album. But I think "You are the sunlight, I am the moon", "Give a little laughter" and "The laughter and the tears" are amazing tracks too and are perfect for Dionne´s voice too.

In my opinion the first ten or twelve tracks are the best. I know Dionne Warwick and her Music since I´m 16 years old, but until today I´m 39 years old I can´t say anything about the HDH album. I have two opinions and I can´t say if its bad or very amazing. I think the album brought her back to her roots on the other hand the music is not perfect enough for her impressed voice. May favorite track of the album is indeed an album track "Don´t burn the bridge (you took across)" This and a little bit more could be chance to reach a Bacharach/David Level, the second one ist "You´re gonna need me" but this one is a real soul song with no "surprises" and no sophistication.

Which CD are we discussing please?
I remember a Dionne track called "Burn No Bridges Behind Me" - or am I wrong?

The newly released Dionne Warwick CD .... "We Need To Go Back" - The Unissued Warner Bros. Masters