This came out in 2001 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
There are a million great songwriters out there — but few with such diversity as Burt Bacharach, who is arguably the finest pop songwriter of the late 20th century.
Think about it — who else could write tunes tailor-made for The Carpenters (Close to You), Aretha Franklin (I Say A Little Prayer), Tom Jones (What’s New Pussycat), Marty Robbins (Story of My Life) and Elvis Costello (God Give Me Strength). All of those, along with 25 more, are collected here on this thorough two-CD compilation, which naturally includes a hefty portion of cuts by Bacharach’s favourite female vocalist Dionne Warwick (Do You Know the Way to San Jose, I’ll Never Fall in Love Again, Walk On By, Message to Michael, Don’t Make Me Over, That’s What Friends are For, Trains and Boats and Planes, Alfie, Anyone Who Had a Heart). Sure, you know all these songs. So do your parents. That just means you’ll finally have a CD to play that everybody can dig.
