Nilsson Sings Newman is the fifth album by American singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson, released in February 1970 on RCA Victor. It features songs written by Randy Newman. Recorded over six weeks in late 1969, the album showcases Nilsson's voice multi-tracked in layers of tone and harmony. Its arrangements are otherwise sparse, with most of the instrumentation provided by Newman on piano. The record was not a great commercial success, but won a 1970 "Record of the Year" award from Stereo Review magazine. The LP record cover art was illustrated by Dean Torrence.
Background
thumb|upright|left|[[Randy Newman in 1975]]
In 1968, Ricky Nelson released his concept album Perspective, a move to expand his musical horizons. The album included songs by Newman, Nilsson and others woven together to tell the story of the interactions of a famous family; author Kevin Courrier writes that this album may have been part of the inspiration for Nilsson Sings Newman.
Recording
On August 20, 1969, Nilsson and Newman began to record what would become Nilsson Sings Newman. As many as 118 overdubs were laid down for a single song. The audio equipment and record review magazine Stereo Review named Nilsson Sings Newman their album of the year. Cue said that the album was free of the "overwhelmingly complex" personal expressions that came earlier from "Nilsson singing Nilsson, and Newman singing Newman".
|rev2 = Christgau's Record Guide
|rev2Score = B+
| rev3 = The Essential Rock Discography
| rev3Score = 7/10
Here Comes Inspiration, a 1974 album by Paul Williams, begins with a 54-second track called "Nilsson Sings Newman".
In 1993, Newman prepared to record an entire album of Nilsson songs, a returning of the favor 25 years later. Newman had never before recorded a Nilsson song.
Nilsson Sings Newman was re-released as a CD in 1995. In 2000, the 30th anniversary release was padded with five additional tracks. One was "Snow", unreleased in 1970 for lack of room on the LP, and four were alternate versions of songs that were on the original album. In 2000, Ben Wener of the Orange County Register wrote that "Newman's sly, dramatically structured impressionistic pop was ideally suited for Nilsson's theatrical tone ... It's not so much that Nilsson's takes are better than Newman's ... just refreshingly different—less wicked and vicious, more melancholy." Ron Sexsmith, AllMusic wrote of Nilsson Sings Newman as "a subtle, graceful masterpiece where the pleasure is in the grace notes, small gestures, and in-jokes," and that once a listener has acquired a taste for Newman's idiosyncratic songs, "is as sweet as honey."
Track listing
Personnel
- Harry Nilsson – vocals, additional instruments
- Randy Newman – piano, electronic keyboards
The credits give "special thanks to George Tipton and Lenny Waronker".