Live at the Sydney Opera House

AMG Review of Live at the Sydney Opera House

Thom Jurek
All Music Guide

Burt Bacharach's Live at the Sydney Opera House is the first live record he's released since 1979's Woman. Impeccably recorded during his 80th year in front of a sold-out house, Bacharach and his collaborators perform 32 of his compositions from throughout his six-decade career. The composer conducts the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and employs Josie James, John Pagano, and Donna Taylor as vocalists, fronting a small studio band. The music is arranged in three long medleys, two assembled from hit singles written for other performers as well as his albums, and one from his many hits from the movies. A number of tracks also stand outside this format. Beginning after the swelling "What the World Needs Now Is Love," the first medley might have been enough as it contains eight tunes including "This Guy's in Love with You," "I Say a Little Prayer," and "Walk on By." In other words, these are themes of love's aspirations and expressions. The second medley contains broken love songs -- "One Less Bell to Answer," "I'll Never Fall in Love Again," and "Only Love Can Break a Heart," but ends with the sprightly "Do You Know the Way to San Jose." In other words, after the jarring experience of love, the resolution is to return to one's roots and begin again. The medley presentation might have had its drawbacks with a lesser talent, but Bacharach is nothing if not a total perfectionist and gets nothing less from his singers. While it's tempting to hear the voices of, say, Dionne Warwick and Herb Alpert or even Elvis Costello from the original versions of these songs, and to find the music a bit of a shock, that notion is dispelled quickly, long before the first medley ends.

This trio of soloists interprets these songs by sticking close to the source material, never veering far from the original arrangements. Pagano in particular is startlingly strong, whether he's singing the yearning "Always Something There to Remind Me" or the elegant expression of need in "God Give Me Strength," the album's longest cut at over six minutes. This gives way to a gorgeous rendering of "Make It Easy on Yourself." The movie medley begins with "The Look of Love." (Bacharach in his creaky age-old voice even takes some turns here on the film medley, and these are more poignant than frail.) Other cues, such as hits from the films Arthur, What's New Pussycat, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and of course Alfie are present as well. The twin reprise themes "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" and "What the World Needs Now Is Love" close out this performance. The Sydney Symphony Orchestra are wonderful throughout. They play Bacharach's arrangements tautly, they are suited to the poignant or humorous parts in each tune, and their accompaniment feels quite natural. Ultimately, this is not a schmaltzy career tribute to one of the true songwriting originals that has become one of the architects of the new American standards book. Instead, this is what the composer no doubt envisioned: a concert-length overview of his vast body of work, realized with full glorious accompaniment and in front of a live audience. If this is all we get from Bacharach, it's more than enough, the best sendoff we could have hoped for.