Editorial Review:

Amazon.com essential recording:
The greatest expression of Burt Bacharach's composing and arranging talents is the marvelous string of productions he made with Dionne Warwick and lyricist Hal David for a decade or so starting in 1962. Many of their triumphs are included in this three-CD box (also see the single disc The Dionne Warwick Collection), along with dozens of other tracks made between 1957 (Marty Robbins's 'Story of My Life') and 1996 (Bacharach's collaboration with Elvis Costello on 'God Give Me Strength'). The master's blend of froth, deep emotion, and challenging musicality provides many masterpieces and a few unfortunate moments: he doesn't have much to show for the '80s aside from 'That's What Friends Are For' and 'Arthur's Theme.' Its handful of missteps aside, though, The Look of Love is an essential trove of great pop things. --Rickey Wright









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Disc 1:

1. The Story Of My Life - Marty Robbins
2. Magic Moments - Pery Como
3. The Blob - The Five Blobs
4. Please Stay - The Drifters
5. I Wake Up Crying - Chuck Jackson
6. Tower Of Strength - Gene McDaniels
7. Baby It's You - The Shirelles
8. Mexican Divorce - The Drifters
9. (The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance - Gene Pitney
10. Any Day Now (My Wild Beautiful Bird) - Chuck Jackson
11. Make It Easy On Yourself - Jerry Butler
12. I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself - Tommy Hunt
13. It's Love That Really Counts (In The Long Run) - The Shirelles
14. Only Love Can Break A Heart - Gene Pitney
15. (There Goes) The Forgotten Man - Jimmy Radcliffe
16. Don't Make Me Over - Dionne Warwick
17. Let The Music Play - The Drifters
18. Blue On Blue - Bobby Vinton
19. True Love Never Runs Smooth - Gene Pitney
20. Blue Guitar - Richard Chamberlain
21. Reach Out For Me - Lou Johnson
22. Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa - Gene Pitney
23. Anyone Who Had A Heart - Dionne Warwick
24. A House Is Not A Home - Brook Benton
25. Wives And Lovers - Jack Jones
26. Wishin' And Hopin' - Dusty Springfield

Disc 2:

1. Walk On By - Dionne Warwick
2. (There's) Always Something There To Remind Me - Lou Johnson
3. Me Japanese Boy I Love You - Bobby Goldsboro
4. To Wait For Love - Tony Orlando
5. Kentucky Bluebird (Send A Message To Martha) - Lou Johnson
6. Land Of Make Believe - Dionne Warwick
7. The Last One To Be Loved - Lou Johnson
8. Fool Killer - Gene Pitney
9. Don't Go Breaking My Heart - Burt Bacharach
10. What The World Needs Now Is Love - Jackie DeShannon
11. Trains And Boats And Planes - Burt Bacharach
12. What's New Pussycat? - Tom Jones
13. My Little Red Book - Manfred Mann
14. Here I Am - Dionne Warwick
15. A Lifetime Of Loneliness - Jackie DeShannon
16. Made In Paris - Trini Lopez
17. Promise Her Anything - Tom Jones
18. Are You There (With Another Girl) - Dionne Warwick
19. Come And Get Me - Jackie DeShannon
20. Alfie - Cilla Black
21. In Between The Heartaches - Dionne Warwick
22. Nikki - The Burt Bacharach Orchestra & Chorus
23. So Long Johnny - Jackie DeShannon
24. The Windows Of The World - Dionne Warwick
25. Take A Broken Heart - Rick Nelson
26. I Say A Little Prayer - Dionne Warwick
27. Casino Royale - Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass

Disc 3:

1. The Look Of Love - Dusty Springfield
2. Do You Know The Way To San Jose - Dionne Warwick
3. This Guy's In Love With You - Herb Alpert
4. Knowing When To Leave - Jill O'Hara
5. Promises, Promises - Dionne Warwick
6. Pacific Coast Highway - Burt Bacharach
7. Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head - B.J. Thomas
8. Odds And Ends - Dionne Warwick
9. Everybody's Out Of Town - B.J. Thomas
10. I'll Never Fall In Love Again - Dionne Warwick
11. (They Long To Be) Close To You - Carpenters
12. Paper Mache - Dionne Warwick
13. One Less Bell To Answer - The 5th Dimension
14. Check Out There - Dionne Warwick
15. Hasbrook Heights - Burt Bacharach
16. The Balance Of Nature - Dionne Warwicke
17. Living Together, Growing Together - The 5th Dimension
18. You'll Never Get To Heaven (If You Break My Heart) - The Stylistics
19. Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do) - Christopher Cross
20. On My Own - Patti Labelle & Michael McDonald
21. That's What Friends Are For - Dionne & Friends
22. God Give Me Strength - Burt Bacharach & Elvis Costello

Rating: - The best...
Without a doubt, this is the best album that I have ever owned...well maybe next to Steely Dan's Aja, which was the first I ever owned. I love the lyrics, the tempo changes and the genius that is Burt Bacharach and Hal David. This album is even more haunting for me since the untimely death of Burt's daughter Nikki. Nikki was one of my favorite songs, even before I ever knew who it was written for, but even more so now. All the Dionne Warwick hits plus Tom Jones, Trini Lopez, Bobby Goldsboro, Dusty Springfield et al, this is a must have for any true Bacharach afficianado.

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Rating: - Wingtips, Telstar, Rotary, 1964 Worlds Fair...
Fantastic Voyage, Ursula Andress, AM Radio, Sean Connery, Paisley, Man From Uncle...

In short, Burt Bacharach represents pop culture of the 1960's. At it's apogee. Like a moon shot Bacharach's gorgeous melodies and Hal David's brilliant lyrics spanning the decade from the Blob to Movie of The Week. From Bobby Vinton to the Age of Aquarius. Sock Hop to Woodstock.

Essential: Frankie Valli, Beach Boys, Beatles, Stones, Airplane, Sinatra... Bacharach.

Great music of... and beyond... it's era. Timeless... as long as Anyone Has A Heart and The World Needs Love.

This is MUSIC. Not hip hop. Orchestral, composed, inspired.

Genius.

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Rating: - Burt's Beanery
WOW. This series of albums is wonderful PLUS A whole CD of Dionne Warwick doesn't hurt!

I'm amazed at how many of these songs i've forgotten but when I hear a few notes I recall the entire song... sort of like I had amnesia or something! Its amazing that so many of the songs in this list are in the mainstream ... still after as much as 40 years!

This is a definite BUY

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Rating: - DIG THAT BACH-AH-RACH
my late uncle hipped me to ole burt. i love what he did with a track.........those percussive horns, man!!!!! i dig this. although i do not like all the joints on here, it's a good thing to have. what stands out for me on here are the lou johnson joints. i especially love REACH OUT FOR ME. more standouts for me are IT'S LOVE THAT REALLY COUNTS (IN THE LONG RUN) by the shirrelles and PLEASE STAY by the drifters. now i like some of the dionne warwick songs on here, but in the liner notes, i think her reasons for doing some of those songs were ridiculous. i thought it was her on WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW IS LOVE. i had no idea that it was a white lady. amazing vocal arrangement. another that just came to mind is DON'T GO BREAKING MY HEART. actually, that is like my fave on here. i wished that they would've put dionne warwick's version of YOU'LL NEVER GET TO HEAVEN IF YOU BREAK MY HEART ON HERE though. the stylistics did their thing, but i prefer the original. all in all, it is wonderful, but then again, it is another reason i am a skeptic whenm it comes to box sets.

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Rating: - Superb historical box set
This is not a "greatest hits" set, though many of Bacharach's greatest hits are contained here. Rather, it's a fascinating historical view of the progression of the songwriter(s) through four decades. It is truly instructive to listen to some of the less well-known pieces. The book that is included in the box set is an essential component: The writers really knew what they were talking about, and I've spent hours reading along with the (very detailed) descriptions of each song's history.

Highly recommended.