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Richard Harris - The Webb Sessions 1968-1969

This is a compilation containing the material on his two albums of songs written and produced by Jimmy Webb, plus one extra song.

Track listing:

Tracks 1-9 from the album "A Tramp Shining":
1. Didn't We?
2. Paper Chase
3. Name of My Sorrow
4. Lovers Such As I
5. In the Final Hours
6. MacArthur Park
7. Dancing Girl
8. If You Must Leave my Life
9. A Tramp Shining

Tracks 10-17 from the album "The Yard Went On For Ever":
10. The Yard Went On For Ever
11. Watermark
12. Interim
13. Gayla
14. The Hymns From The Grand Terrace
15. The Hive
16. Lucky Me
17. That's the way It Was

Extra track:
18. One of the Nicer Things

Although MacArthur Park is the song for which he is remembered, I used to have the second album on vinyl and I think overall it is superior to the first. The first album is a collection of very nice songs, but only one that I consider outstanding, and it's the obvious one. The second album feels more like a structured album; for example the closing track morphs very cleverly into a reprise of the title track.

I guess you either like Richard Harris's operatic style or you don't. Personally I think he absolutely nailed those songs, and whenever I hear them done by someone else, such as Art Garfunkel or even by Jimmy Webb himself, I find myself comparing it unfavourably to the Harris version.

Worst track:
Lucky Me (but it's not actually bad, I just find the song a little puerile)

Best tracks:
MacArthur Park
Watermark
The Hymns From the Grand Terrace

I'm sure everyone here is familiar with MacArthur Park - no point in posting that - but have a listen to this one... some rather disturbing and thought-provoking lyrics here, and it also shows off the very intricate and detailed production that featured on these two releases:

[video=youtube;hWaJyysEA10]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWaJyysEA10[/video]