With Burt Bacharach’s death on February 8, 2023, this 2-CD set would seem to be the culmination of the Bacharach & Costello recordings. Disc 1 is a remastered version of Painted From Memory–20 years old–and now sounds even better than ever!
Disc 2 features not only great music but guest singers like Cassandra Wilson, Bill Frisell, Audra Mae, Don Byron, and Jenni Buldaur. Fittingly, the last song is sung by Burt Bacharach. If you love this type of moody, languid music and Elvis Costello’s slick lyrics, you’ll have a couple hours of delightful music to enchant you if you listen to The Songs of Bacharach & Costello. Are you a Burt Bacharach and Elvis Costello fan? GRADE: A
Here’s the Wall Street Journal review: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-songs-of-bacharach-and-costello-an-unlikely-pairs-pop-poetry-d176063f
TRACK LISTING — DISC 1
A great collection! “Painted from Memory” is one of my favorite albums from Bacharach or Costello. Highly recommended.
Deb, I’ve only listened to THE SONGS OF BACHARACH & COSTELLO twice since it arrived a few day ago. You’re right: it’s a great collection!
I lost track of Costello by the late eighties but I do remember reading about this at the time. I should finally give it a listen. The Elvis Costello web site shows a 4 CD, 2 LP box set with all kinds of extras.
https://www.elviscostello.com/the-songs-of-bacharach-costello/
Seperately, I do have the Bacharach box set which is honestly a bit overkill (the two-disc set is honestly enough) and I still have Costello’s “Imperial Bedroom” and a really great collection called “Girls, Girls, Girls” that is well worth tracking down.
I read an interesting Costello interview a few days ago. He was genuinely in awe of Bacharach and his music and very dismissive of the kind of rock orthodoxy that tried to make it unhip to like it. He seems quite pleased at how social media killed rock journalism and the whole rockist school of thought responsible for that kind of prejudice.
Byron, I first heard Elvis Costello’s “Alison” in 1977 and immediately went out and bought My Aim Is True. Fast forward 40 years and the merger of Bacharach and Costello results in a more traditional style of music that is classic. The “Deluxe” sets look pricy…and redundant.
My friend Laura, who primarily listened to classical music, saw Costello and the Attractions (I believe, though it might’ve been Clover still) on a ’70s SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE was impressed by the complexity of the music. One of the few rock acts she would dig for quite a lot of years.
I like a lot of Bacharach and dislike a lot. I am a big Elvis Costello fan. Although a lot of his stuff since the 90’s has been hit or miss. He’s very good live. I’ve seen him about 15 times over the years.
Steve, I’ve watched Bacharach and Costello on videos and they look happy together. Please check your email, I sent you an offer. Let me know what you think.
This is new to me. Never heard of the two of them recording together. I like some of each of their individual music. Right now, though I have a best of cd in the car, Bob Seeger. enjoying that. Since I’m going to Left Coast Crime and then a week after I return, doing the Charleston/Savannah trip that got cancelled in 2020 due to covid, will not start another book in the car
Maggie, I almost always have four or five music CDs in my Rogue to listen to. Audio books work for me on driving trips.
Don’t know their music together but I am certainly interested in getting this when we get home. I don’t know all of Costello but I like what I’ve heard, including some covers. I am a Bacharach fan.
Jeff, you can listen to much of this music on YouTube right now.
I’m not familiar with any of these, George. And I didn’t know he collaborated with Elvis Costello.
I’ll give these a listen.
Beth, I think you’ll enjoy this music made in collaboration with two gifted musicians.
Costello is a restless talent. I have enjoyed a number of the works of both composers/performers, to say the least.
Todd, and I love Costello’s talented wife, Diana Kroll!