Music Review: Painted From Memory

One of the best collaborations ever to find its way to an album is Painted From Memory, the 1998 union between Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach. This Grammy winning, sublime music is the result of a true partnership between the legends. They worked on melodies and lyrics together, hashing out what turned out to be a terrific melding of Bacharach's retro song style (circa 1960) and Costello's nightclub croon. There's nothing very upbeat about these songs; they're pretty much all about breakups and falling apart. But that's the brilliance of these tracks. They're alive and painful and, well, beautiful. This album was a big comeback for Bacharach, and another notch in Costello's eclectic belt. The best thing about it? The delicious music that gets better with each listen. Turn the lights out, pour a glass of champagne and enjoy.