Bette Midler produced a series of quirky albums throughout the 1970's. The strangest of those albums is undoubtedly "Songs for the New Depression", which received mixed reviews when it was released in 1976. I think the main reason it was so controversial when it was released was it was quite unlike anything else released, and was certainly a radical departure from Midler's previous 2 albums. In many ways a novelty record, yet in others, a serious musical experimentation, the album is undeniably charming. On the other hand, the contemporary production that was used threatens to overshadow Midler herself.
It is hard to pick `best songs' from the album. My favourite is "Tragedy", followed by the excellent "Shiver Me Timbers" and "Old Cape Cod". Even the disco interpretation of "Strangers in the Night" works musically. There is also a new version of "Buckets of Rain", which even features Bob Dylan. There is no one predominant style on the album, but as an earlier reviewer has noted, it is full of torch songs. Ultimately though, it does not really belong to any sort of genre, and so can be said to lack any sort of real direction.
My only major gripe with the album is the sometimes muddy production, which could have been remedied with better re-mastering. As such, the vocals seem very subdued on a few of the songs. Whilst not as bad as on "Broken Blossom", it does detract from the overall experience.
The interesting production and variety of musical styles mean that SFTND is almost a musical curio. While ultimately misjudged, it is a fun listen.