The
Absolute Sound
October 2002
The
chief architect of timeless soul and pop classics such as
"Everybody Needs Somebody to Love," "Piece
of My Heart," and "Twist and Shout," Bert
Berns is a figure who has inexplicably been overlooked,
if not completely forgotten. That's about to change, thanks
to Universal's The Heart and Soul of Bert Berns. Aside from
being an indispensable collection of pop standards, the
disc aims and succeeds at bringing Berns' accomplishments
to light, finally giving the visionary producer and songwriter
his due, 40 years after his career began.
When
Berns died of heart failure in 1967, at age 38, he had already
cemented a legacy few songwriters or artists would equal,
let alone surpass. That his death prematurely robbed him
of further triumphs is no reason for Berns' name and achievements
to have remained unrecognized by critics, panels, and institutions.
Between
1960 and 1967, Berns wrote and/or produced an unfathomable
body of work. The very mention of the name of many of his
songs so effectively trips our memories that the song's
tune instantly plays in our head. Van Morrison's "Brown
Eyed Girl." Solomon Burke's "Cry to Me."
Garnet Mimms' "Cry Baby" (the very same Janis
Joplin would cover). Arsenio Rodriguez' "Hang on Sloopy."
Berns wrote and produced all of these. He's also responsible
for producing much of the material that landed on Van Morrison's
first solo album, several Them singles, including "Gloria"
and "Baby Please Don't Go," The Isley Brothers'
"Hold on Baby," The Drifters' "Under the
Boardwalk," and Erma Franklin's "Big Boss Man."
He wrote "Twist and Shout," "I'll Come Running,"
and "I Want Candy." One disc cannot address all
of Berns' feats, and The Heart and Soul of Bert Berns doesn't
pretend to do so. Rather, as the album's producer and Universal
CEO Doug Morris explains in the liner notes, "This
record is not just a collection of Bert's biggest hits.
These 10 songs are what I feel are the essence of Bert Berns."
Freddie Scott's "Are You Lonely For Me Baby,"
Erma Franklin's "Piece of My Heart," The Isley
Brothers' "You'll Never Leave Him," and Hoagy
Lands' "White Gardenia" are among those Morris
chose to include, noting that most "deal with the tough
emotions of life, somebody searching for something that
isn't easy to find."
The
Heart and Soul of Bert Berns just scratches the surface,
but does so effectively and persuasively, allowing the music
and songwriting to speak for itself. The liner notes contain
a list of Berns' "essential" songs, but for a
complete list, check out www.bertberns.com. Hopefully, some
record company will recognize the possibilities of Berns'
catalog, and issue a four- or five-disc box set to tell
the complete story. This beautifully remastered, classic
set is a wonderful start.
-
The
Absolute Sound October, 2002
