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Resumen
Resumen
One of the greatest songwriters of all time finally shares his story in this "absorbing" autobiography ( Rolling Stone ). From his tumultuous marriages and the tragic loss of his daughter to his collaborations with Dionne Warwick and the surprising stories behind the songs that generations have come to know and love, Burt Bacharach offers a frank, moving account of an unparalleled life.Over six decades, Burt Bacharach's legendary songwriting touched millions of devoted listeners all over the world. In Anyone Who Had a Heart , Bacharach steps out from behind the music to give an honest, engaging look at his life--from his childhood in Forest Hills, New York, during the 1930s and 1940s to his rise as one of the most accomplished composers in modern popular music, working with Hal David, Dionne Warwick, Elvis Costello, and many others.While he soared professionally, Bacharach's private life was dominated by the never-ending search for love--and the heartbreak that comes when it is lost. His first three marriages ended in divorce. His long-running partnership with the late Hal David suffered a bitter split that lasted seventeen years. Throughout the highs and lows, Bacharach pursued his muse. Powerful and honest, Anyone Who Had a Heart illuminates the sensitivity and intelligence of a musical legend and offers a unique backstage look at the world of show business."A congenial overview of a life devoted to music. . . . Illuminating and gritty."-- Kirkus Reviews
Reseñas (4)
Reseña de Publisher's Weekly
Though he's clearly a gifted songwriter, Bacharach as a memoirist disappoints. While Bacharach, writing with Greenfield, certainly has a story to tell (he was married to Angie Dickinson; toured with Marlene Dietrich; wrote mega-hits like "Walk on By" and "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head"; won Grammys and Oscars), he's in too much of a hurry to get to the end of his book to really dig in and tell readers what it was like to cut his teeth in the infamous Brill Building, work with (and sever ties with) his frequent collaborator Hal David, or even address his daughter's battle with Asperger's and depression that led her to commit suicide; he prefers to let Angie Dickinson and others do most of the talking. Bacharach spends more time talking about his tennis game and various marriages than his approach to songwriting (much more detail is given to who he worked with on a particular song than the song itself) . Moments of humility and candor, such as a blown opportunity to work with Sinatra, peek through, but it's not enough to save what could have been an illuminating work on many levels. Amy Schiffman, Intellectual Property Group. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
Reminiscences of a master songwriter. Compiled from interviews conducted by journalist Greenfield (The Last Sultan: The Life and Times of Ahmet Ertegun, 2011, etc.) with Bacharach and his associates, this oral memoir provides a congenial overview of a life devoted to music. Bacharach began reluctantly taking piano lessons as a child, then became smitten with classical and jazz compositions; they would later inspire him to bring a sophisticated palette to his own songs. After a few unspectacular years at the Brill Building, he hit the jackpot with lyricist Hal David; the two went on to create such iconic hits as "Baby, It's You" for the Shirelles, "The Look of Love" for Dusty Springfield and "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" for B.J. Thomas. Bacharach candidly details his transformation into a household name, his perfectionism in the recording studio and his sometimes-contentious relationships with David and the indomitable Dionne Warwick. The chanteuse acted as a muse for the pair and was aggrieved when they broke up their songwriting partnership after the colossal failure of their score for the 1973 box office bomb Lost Horizon. For decades, breaking up relationships was a specialty of Bacharach's; many of the women in his life, including his first three wives, describe him as exuding a combination of ambition, ambivalence and arrogance. The most moving recollections come from Marlene Dietrich, who highly valued Bacharach as her conductor and accompanist on the road, and from ex-wife Angie Dickinson, who laments Bacharach's decision to institutionalize their autistic daughter, Nikki. The specter of Nikki (who committed suicide in 2007) casts a shadow over the memoir. Whether Greenfield has purposely arranged the book this way or not, intertwining Dickinson's interviews with Bacharach's commentary paints a darker picture of the man whom most people identify with catchy love songs and cameo appearances in the Austin Powers films. Illuminating and gritty, though Bacharach's remarks are occasionally self-serving.]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Reseña de Booklist
This chatty autobiography (it feels like it was transcribed from tapes) tracks the famed composer's life and career from childhood to the present day. Major success didn't come immediately to Bacharach; he spent much of his early career as a pianist for such entertainers as Steve Lawrence and Marlene Dietrich. It wasn't until he was nearly 30 when one of his songs, written with lyricist Hal David, became a number-one hit in 1957. Although he partnered with various lyricists, it was his collaboration with David that produced some of his most popular work, including a lengthy association with Dionne Warwick. Film work followed: the score for Casino Royale (the 1967 spoof, not the 2006 version) and his hugely popular song Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head (lyrics by David, of course), for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The list of artists who recorded Bacharach's songs is impressive Johnny Mathis, Aretha Franklin, the Beatles, Cher, Herb Alpert, and many more and, during the 1970s and '80s, he transitioned from industry star to elder statesman, seeing his early hits remade and rerecorded, making cameo appearances in television shows and films (the Austin Powers movies being perhaps the most well known). Because he's primarily a composer and not a performer, Bacharach might not be as familiar to readers as, say, singer-songwriters like Paul Anka, who has also recently published an autobiography, but his career has been equally impressive, and his contributions to popular music of the twentieth century have been inarguably significant.--Pitt, David Copyright 2010 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Anecdotes, some singular, mark the autobiography of the Oscar-, Grammy-, and Emmy Award-winning composer ("I Say a Little Prayer" and 73 other Top 40 hits). Primarily known as lyricist Hal David's music-writing partner, Bacharach grew up in Queens, NY, with a mother who pushed him to play piano (like many kids, he just wanted be outside playing ball). He grew to love jazz and classical music, incorporating them into an urbane yet catchy musical style made most recognizable by singer Dionne Warwick. Listeners looking for a meaty blow-by-blow of Bacharach's work (e.g., Brill Building adventures, the genesis of significant songs) or a turgid tell-all will be disappointed. Though there are moments of intimacy, this is the "nickel tour"-breezy and fast-paced. Greenfield (Timothy Leary: A Biography) weaves together the author's musings and material from collaborators like Bacharach's second wife, Angie Dickinson, some of which is unflattering. Narrators Tony Call, Jeff Woodman, and Therese Plummer effectively pick up on heartfelt spots. VERDICT Most appropriate for large public libraries and music collections.--Douglas C. Lord, Middletown, CT (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.