Good collection of early Newman the songwriter
Randy Newman is one of our greatest songwriters and composers.He is,however,limited vocally,as he himself has noted.When Nilsson offered to do an album of his songs,Newman said he was very happy at the prospect since Harry could do things with his voice that he couldn't do-like hold a note.Here we have a good mix of both familiar and unfamiliar songs by a bunch of folks who sing quite well and do Newman justice. Scott Walker,Gene Pitney,Gene McDaniels,Dusty Springfield,Nilsson and,yes,Rick Nelson are among the high points of this album.The abrupt ending of Nelson's song may be due to its inclusion in a Newman medley on Nelson's album.Although I haven't heard it, I do know that "Love Story" is reprised later in the medley ,perhaps with the last line saved for that appearance,for dramatic effect. My only criticism of the album being reviewed here would be that I don't think it's quite as good as the afore referenced "Nilsson Sings Newman" ,one of the best albums ever.Still,this CD has a lot more songs than Nilsson's,so I would recommend buying both.

A wonderful collection, but...
Of course, nobody sings Newman like Newman. However, this long overdue collection includes many inspired versions by other performers. There's just one odd man out: Rick Nelson, who had the nerve to rob the classic "Love Story" from its final verse, leaving the ending up in the air. The original lyrics, giving this subtle story its bittersweet aftertaste, go like this:

"When our kids are grown
With kids of their own
They'll send us away
To a little home in Florida
We'll play checkers all day
Until we pass away..."

Could it be this was too depressing for Nelson's taste? The liner notes, extensive as they are, don't offer an explanation. Well, nobody knows how to kill a Randy Newman song like Rick Nelson, that's for sure.