Bacharach gets personal: writes lyrics, slams war

For the first time ever, famed pop music composer Burt Bacharach has written the lyrics for his own songs, and he's injected some political comment.

His new album, At This Time, is his first solo effort in 15 years. The 77-year-old Bacharach has written a number of songs about current politics, including an anti-war tune a major departure from the easy-listening style he has cultivated over the years.

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Throughout a musical career spanning more than five decades, Bacharach has collaborated with lyricists for a multitude of catchy hits, including The Look of Love, What The World Needs Now, Alfie and That's What Friends Are For.

Most notably, the U.S. composer worked with Hal David in the 1960s and 1970s, his ex-wife Carole Bayer Sager in the 1970s and 1980s and Elvis Costello in 1998.

"[I've never been] a political person in my life," the Oscar and Grammy-winner said. "I wrote songs during Vietnam, not about Vietnam. I was just writing love songs. Leading my own life in my own insulated world.

"You could say, 'How does a guy who has written love songs his entire life suddenly decide to rock the boat?' ... I had to do it. This is very personal to me," he told Reuters.

Bacharach's anti-war song Who Are These People, which criticizes the U.S.-led war in Iraq, is sung by Costello. Other musicians featured on the new album include Canadian singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright and rapper and producer Dr. Dre, who provided some drum loops.

Bacharach, whose musical education included studying at Montreal's McGill University, called his album "very streety, as streety as I can make it."

At This Time will be released internationally Oct. 24, with a U.S. release set for Nov. 1.