(Festival)
Herald rating: ***
Review: Graham Reid
This tribute to, and with, Burt Bacharach - as seen on television - is less amazing on disc than the title would have you believe.
Take out those who somewhat over-faithfully interpret these classic songs (Sheryl Crow as a faux-Dionne Warwick on One Less Bell, All Saints sounding uninspired on Always Something There), Elvis Costello on God Give Me Strength which has been aired better elsewhere, the joke appearance of Mike Myers (What's New Pussycat? which engages the fast-forward after one hearing) and, it has to be said, Burt's own version of Alfie and you are getting down to half an album.
The best, however, are worth hearing: Chrissie Hynde bringing restrained emotion to Baby It's You/Message to Michael; Wynonna equally pulling at the emotions on Anyone Who Had A Heart; Ben Folds' Five bring a bit of guts to the chintzy Raindrops, Barenaked Ladies similarly rescuing Close to You from MOR mediocrity and, of course, Dionne herself, Burt's finest interpreter, on a medley of her hits.
So well short of amazing. And is anyone else noticing Burt is getting all the kudos when it was Hal David who wrote all those memorable, sophisticated lyrics? Maybe Hal deserves a spoken-word album soon.
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