Lionel Bart's musical version of Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens's novel of Industrial Revolution London in the late 19th century, was far more entertaining than the subject matter would suggest. The show has Dickens's sad story of poverty and crime, but also one of the strongest scores heard on Broadway in the 60s -- "I'd Do Anything," "Be Back Soon," "Oom-Pah-Pah," "As Long As He Needs Me" -- in fact, it's one hit after another (no wonder this album reached #4 in the charts and went gold). And it has the incomparable Georgia Brown too. [The soundtrack appeared in a deluxe version in 2003, featuring a new remaster, four bonus tracks, interviews and original, previously unreleased photography.] ~ William Ruhlmann