Burt Bacharach: "The Best of Burt Bacharach"

A&M, 540 452 (66 mins)

Dial a track code: 1201

Oasis mainman Noel Gallagher claims that "if you can't persuade a woman to sleep with you after playing her Bacharach, you might as well forget it!" That's just one of Gallagher's quotes on the sleeve notes of this reissued collection of classic Bacharach, orchestrated and arranged by the composer himself. As to which songs Gallagher was referring to, well, you'll have to guess. I Say A Little Prayer, perhaps? Promises, Promises? Wives And Lovers? The Look of Love, or even This Guy's In Love With You which kicks off the collection, probably because Gallagher recently described it as "the best love song in the world"?

There is a lot of hype rolling round at the moment in relation to Bacharach, but this set of mostly orchestral tracks does highlight his highly imaginative composing and arranging skills, complete with ever changing rhythms, inverted melodic lines and the use of single instruments - such as castanets - to counterpoint the frequently sweepingly emotional soundscapes. Indeed, Bacharach can capture in music the more bittersweet aspects of love, as well as the best of his peers from Tin Pan Alley, such as Richard Rogers. But let's not overlook the too often forgotten Hal David, whose similarly profound talents added lyrical poetry to songs such as Alfie. The Windows of the World and the quite astounding Don't Make Me Over. Unfortunately his lyrics appear only occasionally in this collection.

Various Artists: "The Look of Love: The Classic Songs of Burt Bacharach" Polygram, 535 190 (72 mins)

Dial-a-track code: 1311

If it is poetry in the art of singing you want, you'll have to turn to this Polygram collection, which also contains songs such as Dionne Warwick's majestic reading of Walk On By, and the definitive take on Make It Easy On Yourself, by The Walker Brothers, including of course - the sublime aching baritone of Scott on lead vocals. In this sense, these songs really do pulse with the pain of lost love and betrayal. You don't believe me, go check Gene Pitney's Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa, though whether the motel woman in that song actually ever slept with ol' smoothie, Pitney, is never actually clear from the song. But then that, too, is the poetry of Burt Bacharach and Hal David.

It's a bit more contemporary songwriters don't take from them a lesson in subtlety, both lyrically and melodically. The songs will last as long as there is recorded sound. It remains to be seen if the same is true of songwriters like Noel Gallagher, who aspires to "the sophistication" of Bacharach and, rumour has it, is currently writing a song with the man.

Mark Eitsel: "60 Wall Silver Lining" Virgin, CDV 2798 (54 mins)

Dial-a-track code: 1421

As songwriter and vocalist with American Music Club, Mark Eitsel has already shown that his aspirations are nearer his grasp than are those of many of his peers. Here he applies his peripheral, peculiar and often Nick Cave like humorous perspective to subjects such as black "faghags" in Cleopatra Jones, murder in Southend On Sea and male rape in Aspirin. Weighty subjects, sure, but if pop music can't sustain such explorations: it may as well sell out completely to corporate concerns which normally run a mile from material such as this album. Full praise to Virgin for allowing the guy the forum to perform.

Sadly, though Mark's choice of Coffin/King's gorgeous No Easy Way Down is a wonderful opener for the album, he betrays the song by singing "and the past is unknown" rather than the proper lyric: "and the path is unknown". Some may also find his relatively limited voice a little off putting, though to this reviewer he sits in there beautifully with the likes of Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits in the kind of San Francisco bar he inhabits in the characteristically quirkily titled Some Bartenders Have The Gift Of Pardon. And like Waits, he uses jazz figures and moods in his music to magnificent effect.

Perhaps in that same bar, he'll also meet soul mates like Sinatra and Billie Holiday moaning low about the death of their most recent love affairs, which is the dominant theme of this album. Though I suspect that only Billie would want to frequent the kind of bars Mark Eitsel plainly prefers.