I purchased this CD based on the reviews here, and mostly based on the names: Warwick, Bacharach, David. But after listening to the album, I very much doubt that any of the three would endorse it.

The "Import" label was suspicious, and the songs sound like imitations of the originals. There's no doubt that this is Dionne's voice, and Burt and Hal's lyrics and songs, but these are not the renditions that we've fallen in love with. Dionne's voice lacks the familiar soul and mastery of the originals (just where did they get those vocal tracks?), and the musical arrangements lack depth and texture and do not blend well with the vocals.There is distortion and poor balance between vocals and music in this production, making it disturbing to listen to.

This is an album I thought I would want to listen to over and over, but it lacks the musical magic we know of these songs and these artists. Warwick, Bacharach and David will always be five star by my estimation, but this production is a zero.

When OH! When will Ms Warwick and the Powers That Be release the COMPLETE discography of her Scepter recordings (63-73) and/or ALL of her Burt Bachrach? For many of us GI's in Viet-Nam, during the era of Acid Rock, Ms Warwick's artistry (Thanks to the Columbia record Club) was the soul of Sanity. Most of her Bachrach has NEVER been equalled, much less surpassed. I believe that she is the only 60's and 70's major artist, the great bulk of whose greatest work, is currently unavailble on CD, Any Takers?

Right after 11/9 Dionne Warwick came to Amsterdam (Carre Theater) and though for her this was just another performance,at certain point of the evening she got audience in the palm of her hand completely - we were all stressed and worried because of possibility of thrid world war - suddenly she softly introduced her next song,saying it's an old song but it's meaning is strong today as ever.
And by God,she sailed right into slowed-down "What The World Needs Now" and got us all reduced to tears,the whole damn theatre sniffing and crying - it was truly a magical moment (funny enough,I never cared for that song before but it did sound powerful and moving that particular evening).

That song is included on this CD together with 20 other hand-picked songs composed by Burt Bacharach. Majority of them were written for Warwick,though other singers often covered them and even charted with their versions (ask Cilla Black about it).
It really is high-quality, classy 1960s pop and though personally I think Warwick grew up to be better singer in later years, this is where her legend was built.

Dionne Warwick is a gifted singer, her long musical relationship with Burt Bacharach and Hal David produced a string of hits for her, all of them except "Don't Make Me Over" are included in this CD, and many are today timeless pop classics.
Their musical relationship had a gap in the 70's and early 80's. In this period Warwick recorded with some other producers or songwriters as Holland-Dozier-Holland, Jerry Ragovoy and notably the album "Heartbreaker" produced by Barry Gibb and others with songs written by The Bee Gees, which stamped her voice in the 80's and gave her a new profile that continues up to now. She joined again with Bacharach as a songwriter and producer, and also with Bararach and David for a new song in the 90's.
This CD also contains some cover versions of Bacharach-David songs which were hits for other artists as "I Just Don't Know What to Do with myself" (Dusty Springfield), "Trains and Boats and Planes" (Billy J Kramer and the Dakotas), "Raindrops Keep Falling in my Head" (B J Thomas) or "Only Love can Break a Heart" (Gene Pitney) to which Dionne Warwick give her personal approach. Very good collection, not 5 stars because the sound quality could be very much better.

Warwick's version of the Bacharach songs are the best. I think somehow because the then fresh musical arrangement and Warwick's unique voice have seldom been copied or imitated. Everybody else have done the songs the tired old way.

Moreover, in my mind, Warwick has not sung (nor chosen) any other song well.

It's a pity this CD does not include "Papier Mache" and "Theme from the Valley of the Dolls"

Just the same, 22 top songs aren't that bad.