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Burt Bacharach's latest venture was commissioned by Sony BMG Music in the UK, which is rather appropriate in my eyes given his close associations with Britain over the years by virtue of the huge success he has had here. Success with British artists such as Dusty Springfield, Cilla Black, Sandie Shaw and Tom Jones.  And more recently Elvis Costello, who again appears on the album. Burt says "I hate what's going on in the world and I wanted to say something about it. This is very personal to me, and this is the most passionate album I have ever made. I had to express myself, not only musically, but lyrically. It was time for me to ask - who are these people who are taking control of our lives and how do we stop the violence? - I've got two little kids and a 19-year-old son and I wonder what they're going to do with their lives. It's so personal to me that I even decided to do some of the singing. This is dedicated to my kids and your kids." 

'At This Time' is a major departure for Burt Bacharach. The man who has provided us with many of the finest melodies and love songs of the last 50 years, has here not only written some beautiful songs but co-written the lyrics as well as the melodies. And these lyrics are often painfully poignant and personal. Bacharach is concerned with the human condition, post 9/11, and the dire state we have got ourselves into. This is not background music for a dinner party - it's a collection of 11 distinct and individual tracks, all clearly with the Bacharach fingerprint, but with the added dimensions of thought-provoking lyrics and some contemporary collaborations with the likes of Elvis Costello, Rufus Wainwright and Dr Dre.

While the trademark piano and strings, horns and highly-polished and multi-tempo (35-piece) orchestral productions are omnipresent and a joy, what makes this album unique is Bacharach's thoughts and philosophies in words. 

In the opening track 'Please Explain', Bacharach asks "Where is the love?" while the strings play out a repeated memorable and haunting phrase.

In the second track 'Where Did It Go', Bacharach talks about a time when he was a boy of 12 and it was safe for him to wander the streets and subways of New York on his own, contrasting that with today. Horns and strings combine to create a delightful track, with reminders, for me at least, of the 'Philly' big orchestra sounds of the 70s. 

Track 3, 'In Our Time', is a pleasing instrumental, one of two on the album, and while saying that I must point out that the 9 tracks which do have vocals do so in an often unorthodox way in that the vocals appear 'hidden' deep inside the track rather than as an accompaniment to the melody from the outset as might be deemed 'traditional'.  

'Who Are These People?', track 4, finds Elvis Costello on vocals and questioning the politicians and big businesses that seem to have a stranglehold on the fate of our world. "Make them stop, see things really have to change, before it's too late" implores Burt through the voice of Mr. Costello. 

The fifth track 'Is Love Enough?' is a great fusion of contemporary sound and classic Bacharach components. In this track Burt seems to suggest that after all that life has to offer us or throw at us, "Nothing but love's ever enough" and I wouldn't argue with that.

The sixth track, 'Can't Give It Up', has an intro reminiscent of  'Look Of Love' (and why not?) and the effect is so cool and laid-back it's almost horizontal. 

'Go Ask Shakespeare', track 7, has a truly haunting theme and the Rufus Wainwright vocals are quite enchanting. Bacharach persists in his insistence that love is the key and suggests that we seek the answer to life's conundrum from another great bard of a previous century. This is probably my favourite track on this album.

Track 8, 'Dreams', reminds us that Burt doesn't seem to have a cynical bone in his body. Though dreams may die love can see you through would seem to be the message here.

'Danger', track 9, proceeds as if like an old steam train until it slows into the sidings to 'take on coal and water' in the middle of the track, then speeding-up once more. I thought I detected a few bars with a Butch Cassidy ring to them somewhere in the middle - you know, the scene where they are larking about on the bike, but again maybe that was just me! 

In 'Fade Away', track 10, Burt seems to be questioning what we can expect after death. I say 'seems' because these lyrics are somewhat  akin to poems, in that there seems to be no single message in there, but one that the listener can take out for themselves.

While in the final track 11, 'Always Taking Aim', Burt refers to Cupid and his arrows which will always, according to Burt, prevail. And a quite appropriate ending for an album from the man who made the 20th century love song his own.

This is an album that can be enjoyed on several levels. It works, as any Bacharach album works, as a great musical feast. If one delves into the lyrics - 9 of the 11 songs have words written by Burt - then there's a lot more to appreciate, especially the fact that this is the first time Bacharach has reached into his inner-soul and put pen to paper lyrically. And then there's the collaborative nature of many of the tracks which work by bringing the, albeit timeless, Bacharach sound up-to-date. By mixing styles and tempos, riskily-abrasive orchestrations that could only be achieved by someone who knew music inside-out, and enlisting contemporary musical professionals to add their ideas and sounds, the man who wrote the soundtrack to our lives, the Mr. Cool of popular music, has indeed delivered what he set out do.

Photos: Olaf Heine

I would like to thank Allison Ravenscroft of Linda Dozoretz Communications for her cooperation with this review. 
For more information on Burt Bacharach and his work, please visit:

www.bacharachonline.com