Perhaps The Highs and Lows of Lionel Bart might be a more accurate sub-title. Something of a one-hit wonder, Bart was the writer of the classic musical Oliver!. But this 5CD anthology brings attention to his interesting marginal efforts. A larger than life working class bohemian character, Bart tried his hand at writing pop hits in the late 1950s for impresario Larry Parnes' artists including Britain's very own ‘candy floss Elvis’ Cliff Richard and Tommy Steele. There's a couple of albums worth of the latter likeably chirpy chappy for those interested. Most of the early stuff though doesn't really stand the test of time. Yet Bart's real passion was for Yiddish theatre, Broadway musicals and big band jazz. His initial breakthrough was Fings Aint Wot They Used T'be, a fringe production in the east end, which introduces his own cockney camp brand of music hall, subsequently revered by mod legends Ray Davies and Small Faces – their vocalist Steve Marriot, incidentally, is featured as a boy vocalist on a CD of a high-spirited 1962 stage version of Oliver! – through to Oi punks such as Jimmy Pursey and Blur's Damon Albarn and Morrissey. The better quality original theatre production of Oliver! from 1960 that had Ron Moody's Fagin is also here. Oliver! lifted Bart into the stratosphere and an accompanying hedonistic lifestyle and high expectations following Oliver! led to his career subsequently faltering. With a new musical theatre production Blitz! featured on disc 4, songs titles such as ‘Who's that geezer Hitler’ saw him hit a new low. This was followed by the disastrous Twang!, which, perhaps thankfully, isn't included here. For Bart's Sake is far better and has Bart in a rare singing role and introducing his own theatre songs. Covers of his repertoire are scattered throughout the CDs of which those by Russ Conway and Max Bygraves are the most unbearable. Light relief is supplied by Annie Ross singing ‘A Handful of Songs’ and his superb contribution to the Bond series ‘From Russia with Love’. The set is produced with an informative biographical booklet and nicely put together with original sleeve designs. A very uneven mix music-wise though, but that was the man. In a topsy-turvy career he never failed to entertain and intrigue.