Burt Bacharach - At This Time
Billed as Bacharach's political album, At This Time is a ruminative piece of work largely given over to instrumentals and unlikely collaborations. Dr Dre, for one, contributes a couple of drum loops. There is anger in songs such as 'Who Are These People?', sung briefly by Elvis Costello, and 'Where Did It Go?', in which a bewildered Bacharach aches at how threatening our world has become. This anger actually communicates itself as great sadness, with strings and pianos putting in a great deal of the emotional work. You have to respect the poet Bacharach's bravery in making what are often very prosaic points (what kind of a world are we leaving to our children? Love is the answer - that kind of thing). Tragically, however, there's always a horrid saxophone on hand to transform the atmosphere of gently outraged melancholia into muzak. Not even Rufus Wainwright (who guests on 'Go Ask Shakespeare') can quite save what, sans sax, would be an elegant polemic.
Burt Bacharach - At This Time
The great man is back and with something completely different. If you think Burt Bacharach is just about classic love songs and timeless easy listening anthems then think again!
'At This Time' features a whole host of collaborators including the likes of Elvis Costello, Dr. Dre, Chris Botti and Rufus Wainwright to name but a few. Set to beats, loops and stirring melodies, the album is intensely personal and passionate as Bacharach concerns himself with life expereriences and the American administration.
For one of music's most legendary and creative forces it's an emotional project that wears its heart on its sleeve.
"I feel it is the most important album I have made and I am very proud of it, because these times require passion and emotion." - Burt Bacharach
Burt Bacharach - At This Time
It would have been easy for Burt Bacharach, arguably the greatest melodicist of the 20th century, to settle into gentle retirement in his eighth decade. Yet he shows no sign of easing off creatively: Painted From Memory, his last effort, was an intermittently great record, spoiled only by Elvis Costello's croaky vocals.
At This Time is similarly fine. Jazzy and smooth in its textures, it summons to mind Donald Fagen at his most chilled, or Harry Connick were he actually any good. Costello turns up again on the brilliant orchestral pop of Who Are These People, his thin voice sounding heavily filtered so as to do the least amount of damage. Happily, RufusWainwright does a much better job on the limpid, languid Go Ask Shakespeare.
Every track is drenched in dappled strings and tinkling piano, while Bacharach layers the melodies on with a trowel: the entire listening experience is like sitting in the plushest hotel bar in the world, very late at night.
Rating: ****
Burt Bacharach - At This Time
Yeah, look out for this, its about to be released on Nov 1. I heard 3 or 4 cuts from it and its great as usual. Bacharach is a legend and some of his music from the past is so beautiful to listen to. You probably need to lack any cynicism to love his shit which 99% of critics out there lack. What I love about Bacharach and his music is that it is the soundtrack to so many peoples lives. You listen to indie music like White Stripes and shit like that and while it is critically acclaimed, seriously, who will remember this shit in 20 years time apart from some disillusioned kids rebelling in their day. Say A Little Prayer For You by Aretha Franklin is just one of the best songs ever. Raise a glass to Burt.
Burt Bacharach - At This Time
IT ALWAYS worries me when great songwriters move away from what they are good at. Old Burt's come up with some classics in his time but in teaming up with the likes of Dr Dre and Rufus Wainwright for a politically correct `trendy' album it verges on the embarrassing. Even putting Elvis Costello on vocals for one track fails to salvage this from being anything other than a quirky experiment which doesn't work.
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