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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
not quit eon target but interesting, 26 Aug 2002
Originally released in 1976, this album is a bit quirky. Midler's first two albums had very clear direction and move along. "Songs for..." is an altogether different bag, not picking a road but exploring several, from the up tempo "Strangers in the night", through Bob Dylon's "Buckets of Rain" which he guests on, to "No Jestering" and the classic "Tragedy" (not the Bee Gees one). Despite its quirks, or perhaps because of, it is a great album once into.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Bette Midler does torch songs on her most underrated album, 4 Oct 2003
After the success of her first two albums, "The Divine Miss M" (#9) and "Bette Midler" (#6), her third album, 1976's "Song For The New Depression" (#27) was a disappointment. The album is certainly a departure from the mix of Forties Boogie-Woogie and R&B and the album does not contain a recognizable Bette Midler standard: the one single was a disco version of "Strangers in the Night," and while that went to #7 it was on the Billboard Club Play Singles chart. Still, along with "The Divine Miss M" and the soundtrack for "The Rose," I would contend that this album is one of the three essential Bette Midler albums from the Seventies. If you need a one-word description for the key style on this album it would be torch songs. Just list to "I Don't Want the Night to End." Add to this list the ballads "Let Me Just Follow Behind" and "Tragedy". For those who need camp, Midler provides "Mr. Rockefeller" and "Marahuana." My favorites would be the duet with Bob Dylan on his "Buckets of Rain" and her version of Tom Waits's "Shiver Me Timbers." As is usually the case, the Divine Miss M corrals some major talent to play on this album, including Todd Rundgren, Rick Derringer, Eric Weissberg, and Luther Vandross. This is not one of the first Bette Midler albums that come to mind, but most of her true fans know this really is one of her best, even if it is one of her most atypical.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting listen, 21 May 2006
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.
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