Listeners looking for the sultry vocals of
Dionne Warwick, the genial delivery of
B.J. Thomas, or the impossibly even tone of
Karen Carpenter will throw their hands up in the air a few songs into A&M's
Best of Burt Bacharach, as none of these 20 classic
Bacharach compositions are the ones that casual fans will be familiar with. That said, hearing "What the World Needs Now Is Love," "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head," "(They Long to Be) Close to You," and "Trains and Boats and Planes" presented in their instrumental, choral, and occasionally sung (by the man himself) forms really brings out their lounge/cocktail vibe, resulting in the perfect tonic after a long day at work, or the audio equivalent of a Tom Collins. Fans looking for the radio hits should pick up WEA International's mammoth three-disc Look of Love collection. ~ James Christopher Monger