"Guilty: 30 years of Randy Newman" (Warner Bros) (Four-CD boxed set)

Satire is not one of popular music's great strengths. It shows. But this "ultimate tribute to the master of twisted pop songs and musical tales of woe", as this essential and wonderfully entertaining collection is subtitled, doffs a cap to this most sardonic of songwriters. Randy Newman is 55 tomorrow, but his work over the past 30 years stands the test of time admirably.

He has released only nine albums, excluding his extensive film scores, but the enduring quality of his songs has amply compensated for the paucity of his output. Most of the key songs from his recording career - due to be revived next spring with a new release - are represented on the first two CDs. These range from early classics such as Sail Away and Political Science to later, celebrated stabs at society's soft underbelly such as Short People and It's Money that I Love. These songs lampoon prejudice of all kinds though he can be equally successful with songs of mood, such as the murderous stillness of In Germany Before the War. The third CD features odds and ends, including live tracks and 23 unreleased tracks, and the final CD features songs and music written for films such as Toy Store and Parenthood.

In an accompanying essay, producer Lenny Waronker writes that "in years to come, his work will be considered as much a part of Americana as that of Stephen Foster, George Gershwin, Aaron Copeland and Irving Berlin". Tall order perhaps, but this collection makes a strong argument for the proposition. (For further evidence check out www.randynewman.com.)