Burt Bacharach wrote his first professional song in 1952. It was called "Once in a Blue Moon," and it was performed by Nat King Cole. Last week, he passed away at age 94 due to natural causes. While family, friends and fans mourn the loss of one of the world's greatest modern composers, his legacy is a rich, beautiful and expansive catalog of music that can be cherished by all.
In this article: Audio-Technica Fully Automatic Bluetooth Belt-Drive Stereo Turntable, Sonos Arc The Premium Smart Soundbar and Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) Wireless Earbuds.
With a career that spans well over half a century, Burt Bacharach has made an indelible mark on the world. He is a six-time Grammy Award winner, a three-time Academy Award winner and an Emmy Award winner. Bacharach wrote or cowrote seven No. 1 Billboard hits, including "This Guy’s in Love With You" (1968), "Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head" (1970), "(They Long To Be) Close to You" (1970), "Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)" (1981) and "That’s What Friends Are For" (1986).
Bacharach's songs have been recorded by over 1,000 different artists, ranging from Dionne Warwick and Tom Jones to Dusty Springfield and Rod Stewart. While he most often worked with Hal David, Bacharach also collaborated with such luminaries as Bob Hilliard, Paul Anka, Carole Bayer Sager, Christopher Cross, Peter Allen, Neil Diamond, Elvis Costello and others.
Dennis DeYoung of Styx summed up the brilliance of Bacharach in a recent post: "He was one of the greatest songwriters of my lifetime. His compositions were like none other, what with their unique use of chord progressions and melody. Complex upon examination, they never felt that way while listening. The naturalness of it all seemed to flow beautifully from one section to another. Trust me, that ain’t easy. It never felt like he was showing off his skills but rather inviting the listener to join him on a marvelous musical journey."
Christopher Cross wrote, "Burt Bacharach was a genuine musical genius. His harmonic and rhythmic style was truly unique. Burt was incredibly prolific, and the world is richer for him."
To listen to Burt Bacharach's music, you'll want to have the best equipment. Here is a list of top-quality record players, speakers, earbuds and other items.
Audio-Technica Fully Automatic Bluetooth Belt-Drive Stereo Turntable
If you like your Bacharach on vinyl, you'll need a turntable to listen to it. This fully automatic two-speed model has a redesigned tonearm base and headshell to provide a superb listening experience.
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Jensen CD-65 Portable Personal CD Player
If you want to own your music, instead of streaming it, a CD is an economical way to do that. However, to listen, you will need a CD player. This portable model has a multifunction LCD, included earbuds and a built-in AM/FM radio.
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Panasonic Streaming 4K Blu-Ray Player
This Blu-ray player lets you watch content in ultra HD for a premium home theater experience. It works with Alexa and Google Assistant to provide voice control without a remote. The exclusive HCX technology delivers natural textures and depth while maximizing color, clarity and detail.
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Sony SRS-XB13 Extra Bass Bluetooth Travel Speaker
The Sony travel speaker has extra bass to deliver a deep, rich and resonant sound. It's dustproof, waterproof and gives you up to 16 hours of performance per charge. With the built-in mic, you can also take advantage of hands-free calling.
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Sonos Arc The Premium Smart Soundbar
For an exceptional listening experience, consider this Sonos soundbar. It can be used to stream your favorite Bacharach tracks or playlists. Alternatively, you can connect it to your favorite device to enhance the audio.
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Beats Studio3 Wireless Noise-Canceling Over-Ear Headphones
The best way to listen to music is with a pair of over-ear headphones. These top-of-the-line Beats have adaptive noise cancellation, superior connectivity and offer up to 22 hours of listening per charge.
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Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) Wireless Earbuds
If you prefer to listen to your Bacharach with earbuds, you can't go wrong with Apple AirPods Pro. The active noise canceling reduces environmental distractions while the personalized spatial audio puts you in the center of the music.
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