by Thom JurekBurt Bacharach's Live at the Sydney Opera House is the first live record he's released since 1979's Woman. Impeccably recorded during his 80th year in front of a sold-out house, Bacharach and his collaborators perform 32 of his compositions from throughout his six-decade career. The composer conducts the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and employs Josie James, John Pagano, and Donna Taylor as vocalists, fronting a small studio band. The music is arranged in three long medleys, two assembled from hit singles written for other performers as well as his albums, and one from his many hits from the movies. A number of tracks also stand outside this format. Beginning after the swelling "What the World Needs Now Is Love," the first medley might have been enough as it contains eight tunes including "This Guy's in Love with You," "I Say a Little Prayer," and "Walk on By." In other words, these are themes of love's aspirations and expressions. The second medley contains broken love songs -- "One Less Bell to Answer," "I'll Never Fall in Love Again," and "Only Love Can Break a Heart," but ends with the sprightly "Do You Know the Way to San Jose." In other words, after the jarring experience of love, the resolution is to return to one's roots and begin again. The medley presentation might have had its drawbacks with a lesser talent, but Bacharach is nothing if not a total perfectionist and gets nothing less from his singers. While it's tempting to hear the voices of, say, Dionne Warwick and Herb Alpert or even Elvis Costello from the original versions of these songs, and to find the music a bit of a shock, that notion is dispelled quickly, long before the first medley ends. ...