Nilsson Sings Newman

I'm a pretty big fan of both Randy Newman and Harry Nilsson, so I expected to like this album. I didn't expect it to be as good as any of their solo albums. It is. I read that this album pretty much made Newman's name, and Nilsson had really struggled to this point (1970). I don't think it was a hit, but something of a step forward for both men. It's a really pretty album, with ten songs chosen by Nilsson. Newman is the pianist, and for the most part, it's just piano and layers of voice. The whole thing is very subdued, very minimal, and, even for these two, pretty strange. For such a well produced album, it's especially weird how much studio chatter was allowed to remain on the tracks. You can hear Newman complaining about his ending on one. It's not annoying though; it actually adds to the live, in your living room, sound of the album. I like this album a lot. I think it is just as good as anything else the two were involved in, and that's saying a lot. It might take a few listens to get into, though, especially if you're not familiar with Nilsson or Newman.