Dionne Warwick has finally found a compatible producer/arranger in Philadelphia soul maestro Thom Bell, whose only previous work with Warwick was her one-shot hit with the Spinners, "Then Came You."

Track of the Cat is not as memorable as Warwick's greatest collaborations with Burt Bacharach and Hal David, but it's still her best album in years—a collection of eight songs (five of them Thom Bell/Linda Creed creations) backed by the strings and horns of MFSB, the whole arranged in the relaxed, creamy style that has become a Bell trademark. Bell treats Warwick's vocals in the manner of the Stylistics, his goal being a polished choral sound in which production gets top billing. Though Bell's work has become increasingly formulaic—his songs are at least as identifiable by their predictable chord changes as by their tunes — he varies the recipe just enough to avoid tedium.

If Warwick doesn't show the exuberance and passion she did a decade ago, her singing still maintains its distinctive edge and fine sense of phrasing. Should a hit single materialize ("Once You Hit the Road" and "Jealousy" are the strongest candidates), Track might bring Dionne Warwick back to the top. (RS 205)

STEPHEN HOLDEN