What's New Pussycat? – Burt Bacharach

Bacharach's soundtrack to the silly 1965 comedy was highlighted by three familiar songs, cut as singles by stars: Tom Jones' athletic attack on the theme (which was a big hit), Dionne Warwick's "Here I Am" (which was a small hit), and Manfred Mann's "My Little Red Book" (which was an even smaller hit, although Love had a bigger one with their cover). The rest of the album is occupied by instrumental background filler, and while this is much better than another Bacharach mid-'60s soundtrack (After the Fox) -- "High Temperature, Low Resistance," "Downhill and Shady," and "Stripping Isn't Really Sexy, Is It?" have a swinging bachelor pad feel -- it's not nearly as good as the actual tunes with vocals and lyrics. Most fans of Jones, Warwick, and Manfred Mann (and indeed most big '60s rock fans in general) will have the three best cuts on easily available reissue compilations, so this disc is only recommended to serious Bacharach/soundtrack collectors. The Rykodisc deluxe-edition CD reissue has extensive liner notes and a neat bonus track: Manfred Mann's film version of "My Little Red Book," although this isn't hugely different from (or as good as) the familiar take used on their single. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide