What the World Needs Now: Burt Bacharach Classics

is a comprehensive single-disc compilation of 's recordings of his music for and between 1965 and 1974, drawn from his albums , , and , as well as the to . arranges and conducts the performances, using a studio orchestra including strings and electric instruments, usually with a female chorus to sing some portion of the lyrics written for the tunes by (or, in one instance, ). The composer himself also handles occasional vocals, humming here and there and even singing whole lyrics on such songs as The studio trickery of the 21st century no doubt could have made it sound like he could sing competently if he were cutting this material 40 years later than he did; as it is, he has moments in which he sings expressively and on key, but for the most part his voice is poor. While these recordings are a cut above mere run-throughs, boasting interesting arranging ideas and sections that illuminate 's melodies in ways the more familiar hit recordings did not, this is still music that depends heavily on the listener's recollection of those hit versions. When the tune is less familiar, such as on or the loss is felt particularly. For those who want to hear 's own, largely instrumental, take on his most popular songs of the 1960s and '70s, this is an excellent selection from his catalog. ~ William Ruhlmann