Burt Bacharach: Magic Moments

Burt Bacharach is one of the best American songwriters in 20th century pop, and his timeless songs have been covered by every type of band and artist imaginable. Any tribute to the man is immediately a hit-or-miss adventure, if only because of the sheer amount of recordings that have been made of his material. Many of the artists here have had huge hits with his material, including Perry Como and Dionne Warwick, among others. Yet this collection feels strangely flat, and the reason why becomes apparent after a few songs. Where Bacharach was always an excellent songwriter, his material lent itself to being performed any number of ways, including as slow ballads. And indeed, most of the material here is done in a gentle and slow manner that works well with certain tracks. But after a while the album really starts to drag, especially when the faster-paced moments are still rather slow and pedestrian compared to some more popular versions that are available. Fans of the adult contemporary approach to his music will find this most rewarding, but most others will probably get bored after a while and learn which songs to listen to and which to avoid. This isn't a bad collection, but it is an uneven affair that most will probably find quite average. ~ Bradley Torreano