JIM O'ROURKE PRODUCES, ARRANGES, MIXES, AND BRINGS TOGETHER THE PLAYERS AND SINGERS FOR A SINCERE BATCH OF COVERS OF BURT BACHARACH'S CLASSIC HITS? I HAD NO IDEA THAT THIS EXISTED 1 WEEK AGO AND IT WAS ONLY UNTIL THE LAST TRACK LEFT MY EARS WITHOUT A WHIT OF PISS-TAKING, "DECONSTRUCTION", OR REINTERPRETATION THAT I BELIEVED IT AT ALL.
O'ROURKE, WILCO/LOOSE FUR DRUMMER GLENN KOTCHE, BASSIST TOSHIAKI SUDOH, AND PIANIST KYOKO KURODA OF THE AKIRA SAKATA TRIO LAY DOWN THE FOUNDATION A LITTLE HEAVIER THAN THE ORIGINALS, BUT IT DOES HELP TO REMEMBER THAT BACHARACH'S ORIGINALS WERE OFTEN GOSSAMER THINGS THAT CAUGHT THE BREEZE.
GUEST VOCALISTS SUCH AS THURSTON MOORE, YOSHIMI P-WE, AND DONNA TAYLOR TURN UP TO CONTINUE THE SINCERE VIBES. EVERYONE SOUNDS LIGHT AND FUN AND IT REALLY MAKES THIS A TENDER AND INTERESTING LISTEN.
IT'S AN INSIGHT INTO A PATH NOT TAKEN BY JIM. HE CAN ARRANGE COMPLEX LOVE SONGS FOR THE RADIO: HERE IS MORE PROOF. HE CAN DO THIS IF HE WANTS TO. AND HE LIKES THIS STUFF: YOU DON'T JUST DO AN ALBUM LIKE THIS AS A THEORETICAL EXERCISE.
A SOLID COUNTER MIGHT BE 'WHY NOT JUST LISTEN TO THE ORIGINALS?' AND I SAY WE CAN DO BOTH. THIS RECORDING GELS DISPARATE BACHARACH CUTS (MOSTLY WELL-KNOWN, BUT A COUPLE OF OBSCURE GEMS TOO) AND COHERES THEM TO THE RIGOUR OF ONE ALBUM.
AN EASY CERTIFIED: GOOD HERE.
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