Four Dionne Warwick classics – all wrapped up in a single
set! On Here I Am, Dionne is still head and shoulders above most other female
pop singers of her generation, with a style that really sets a whole new
standard for the time! Burt Bacharach handled most of the arrangements here – with
that heavenly sort of quality that he virtually invented for Dionne – a way of
penning charts that are full, but never overbearing – and which have a subtle
kind of softness, even though they also manage a sneaky sort of rhythm at the
bottom. The balance is a beautiful one, and Dionne's vocals are the beneficiary
here – on a batch of mostly Bacharach/David tunes that includes the sublime
"Are You There With Another Girl", plus "Don't Go Breaking My
Heart", "Window Wishing", "Long Day Short Night",
"In Between The Heartaches", and "How Can I Hurt You" – as
well as a version of "This Little Light", which features solo piano
by Dionne!
In Paris is a unique concert album from Dionne Warwick – proof that
her talents weren't always restricted to Burt Bacharach arrangements in the
studio! The setting is the classy Olympia Theater in Paris, and the style is a
bit more open than on Dionne's studio albums – with less material by Bacharach
& David than before, and a wider range of tunes that not only includes a
few songs sung in French, but also a duet with Parisian popper Sacha Distel!
Titles include "I Love Paris", "C'Est Si Bon", "Walk
On By", "You'll Never Get To Heaven", "O Yeah Yeah
Yeah", "The Good Life", "La Vie En Rose", and
"What'd I Say".
Here Where There Is Love is one of Dionne Warwick's
biggest albums of the 60s – thanks to a near-classic selection of tunes, and
sublime arrangements from the mighty Burt Bacharach! There's a confident,
mature approach to the record that's arguably even better than Warwick's first
few albums for Scepter – a kind of gelling of the genius she'd discovered with
Bacharach & David – cast out over even more adult themes than before, with
less of a need to focus on pop-oriented material. The album includes two of
Dionne's most compelling cuts ever – "Alfie" and "Trains &
Boats & Panes" – both sadder than the usual numbers, and with a good
dose of remorseful soul – and other Bacharach numbers include "I Just
Don't Know What To Do With Myself", "Go With Love", "Here
Where There Is Love", and the seminal "What The World Needs Now Is
Love".
For On Stage & In The Movies, Dionne Warwick's making a bit of
a break from formula – by singing a batch of tunes from films and shows, none
of which were written by Burt Bacharach & Hal David! Yet despite this
change from earlier records, the album's still got a sound that's strongly in
keeping with Warwick's 60s years at Scepter Records – thanks to arrangements by
Burt that help transform these older tunes, and update them with a new sense of
maturity for Dionne's singing style. The real appeal of the record is the way
that Bacharach changes things up with some of these overdone numbers – finding
new corners to explore, and creating a sense of surprise that's quite different
than other albums of this nature. Titles include "Something
Wonderful", "Summertime", "My Favorite Things",
"I Believe In You", "My Ship", "Anything You Can
Do", and "He Loves Me".
~ Dusty Groove
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