Well, this one stung.
Born the same year as my late dad. Simply put, to my mind Bacharach was the greatest writer of American popular music of the 20th century after Irving Berlin, Berlin being the greatest in the first half of the 20th century, Bacharach in the second half. Yes, I can list his dozens of hit songs (especially the ones with lyricist Hal David), but more important to me is the craft that he brought to songwriting that made him unique. My wife, is so tired of hearing me pontificate on what makes Bacharach compositions special and important. In an era when popular music is decidedly 'unsophisticated' (I'd say dull), Bacharach's passing recalls a time when composers of popular song were classically-trained musicians who learned the trade. Bacharach was a music graduate of McGill, which should make my alma mater proud, studying a range of styles including jazz. It's easy to hear in his songs; the use of extended chords and harmonies, the complex rhythm changes, and the modulations of keys. We simply don't hear this anymore in popular music. It's why I think Bacharach's compositions will endure, and the shoddy junk of today won't. Bacharach's songs are always interesting and reward repeated hearings. For me, it was Bacharach's partnership with Dionne Warwick when he reached his peak. He found the perfect vocalist for his melodies. A (female) voice that could soar, had range, but also had a tone that made it feel grounded in honesty and experience. Her delivery made every word sound true. I don't think it's coincidental that he is Jewish American and she's African American (see also: Leiber and Stoller, and Hound Dog), but that's for another essay. As an example of Bacharach's compositional mastery, I like to take the song Promises, Promises, originally written for Broadway, and a personal favourite. Consider the song-craft employed over the course of a mere 3-minutes. No less than three changes in time signature. His arrangement has the rhythm section and strings moving in different but complimentary directions. The song launches sparsely and builds to a crescendo which perfectly matches the emotional journey described by the singer, from one broken love relationship to the promise of a new more fulfilling one. At the beginning, (Warwick) tells us, 'I'm all through with promises / I don't know how/ I got the nerve to walk out'. By the end, her spirit is rising as she finds the fortitude to move on, 'My kind of promises/ Can lead to joy/ And hope and love/ Yes, love!' It's practically the full narrative arc of a story, redemptive and trumphant! Bacharach may have had a reputation as a womanizer, but there is no doubt that he had a profound empathy for the experience of women. And he steadfastly believed in love, despite the ups and downs of relationships. Bacharach may have been a romantic but he wasn't naive. His songs about love were always tinged with a certain trepidation. Songs about love - who writes them anymore? It almost sounds trite. But admit it, love is most certainly what the world needs now/ it's the only thing that there's just too little of/ No, not just for some, oh, but just for every, every, everyone. Burt Bacharach will be sorely missed.
I, too, was stung by his death. You almost can't understand the 60's without his music. It was as intrinsic to the times as the Beatles were.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of his background and training, I compare him to Dave Brubeck, whose music, also, provided a distinctive soundtrack to the times.
So I just did me some talking to the sun/And I said I didn't like the way he got things done/Sleeping on the job/Those ...