Notes & Personnel Info |  | Personnel includes: Burt Bacharach; Grant Geissman (guitar); Dennis Wilson (reeds); John Thomas (horns); David Joyce, Rob Shrock (keyboards); David Coy (bass); David Crigger (drums); John Pagano, Donna Taylor, Lisa Taylor (background vocals); Sheryl Crow, All Saints, Elvis Costello, Chrissie Hynde, Mike Meyers, Wynonna, Ben Folds Five, Barenaked Ladies, Luther Vandross, David Sanborn, George Duke, Dionne Warwick. | | Recorded live at the Hammerstein Ballroom, New York, New York, on April 8, 1998. Includes liner notes by Daniel Durchholz. | | The Burt Bacharach revival began simmering in 1994, when Oasis featured his portrait on the cover of Definitely Maybe, but it truly reached its apex in 1998. Not only did Rhino release a lavish three-disc box set of his best work, he made a genuine artistic comeback with his collaboration with Elvis Costello, Painted from Memory and was still riding high from his cameo in Mike Myers' cult comedy classic, Austin Powers. He also gave an all-star concert in the spring, which found everyone from Dionne Warwick to Sheryl Crow showing up to salute Bacharach and his classic songs. Good intentions don't necessarily make for good music, however, and One Amazing Night, the aural document of the concert, is proof that. Like any tribute album, it's quite uneven, ranging from the sublime to the irritating in the switch of a track. There's little question that all the artists involved have genuine affection for Bacharach, but many of the featured musicians simply don't have the technique to pull off these songs, which are often much more difficult than they appear. Still, there are enough good moments -- Costello on "God Give Me Strength," Ben Folds Five's "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head," All Saints' "There's Always Something There to Remind Me" -- to maintain the interest of Bacharach fans for one listen, even if it doesn't quite hold up to repeated listens. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine | | The Burt Bacharach revival began simmering in 1994, when Oasis featured his portrait on the cover of Definitely Maybe, but it truly reached its apex in 1998. Not only did Rhino release a lavish three-disc box set of his best work, he made a genuine artistic comeback with his collaboration with Elvis Costello, Painted from Memory, and was still riding high from his cameo in Mike Myers' cult comedy classic, Austin Powers. He also gave an all-star concert in the spring, which found everyone from Dionne Warwick to Sheryl Crow showing up to salute Bacharach and his classic songs...Like any tribute album, it's quite uneven, ranging from the sublime to the irritating in the switch of a track. There's little question that all the artists involved have genuine affection for Bacharach, but...these songs are often much more difficult than they appear. Still, there are enough good moments -- Costello on "God Give Me Strength," Ben Folds Five's "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head," All Saints' "There's Always Something There to Remind Me" -- to maintain the interest of Bacharach fans... ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine | | The Bacharach revival continued apace with the release of this live soundtrack for the TV special which aired in April of 1998. Contemporary artists such as All Saints, Barenaked Ladies and Wynonna all take creditable stabs at Bacharach classics from the purview of their respective genres. Comic relief is provided by a droll "What's New Pussycat," courtesy of Mike Meyers, whose '60s spy spoof AUSTIN POWERS did much to put Burt and his music back in play. Not to be outdone, power pop pianist/singer Ben Folds brings off a cheeky, over-the-top "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head." | | The most heartfelt performances, however, belong to those old punk rockers, Elvis Costello and Chrissie Hynde, whose identification with Bacharach's transcendent songcraft was ongoing even in their angry salad days. Costello performs his new co-written hit "God Give Me Strength," originally written for the film GRACE OF MY HEART and the powerful catalyst for the wonderful Costello/Bacharach full-length collaboration PAINTED FROM MEMORY. And yes, Dionne Warwick, late of the Psychic Network, returns to the land of the living with a strong three-song medley, still the only singer fully able to claim these difficult but beauteous songs as her own. |
Producer: Burt Bacharach |
Musical Guests | | Barenaked Ladies | | Sheryl Crow | | Elvis Costello | | Ben Folds Five | | Chrissie Hynde | | Luther Vandross | | Dionne Warwick | | Wynonna |
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