| The Joy of Living | |
| Type: | album |
| Artist: | Nelson Riddle |
| Cover: | Nelson_Riddle_-_The_Joy_of_Living.jpg |
| Released: | 1959 |
| Recorded: | 1959 |
| Studio: | Capitol Records, Hollywood, California |
| Genre: | Traditional pop |
| Length: | 34:01 |
| Label: | Capitol ST-1148 |
| Chronology: | Nelson Riddle |
| Prev Title: | Sea of Dreams |
| Prev Year: | 1958 |
| Next Title: | Sing a Song with Riddle |
| Next Year: | 1959 |
The Joy of Living is the sixth studio album by American composer and arranger Nelson Riddle, released in 1959.[1]
William Ruhlmann reviewed the album for Allmusic and wrote that the arrangements "never get too lively or somber" and felt the casual, mid-tempo pieces were an assertion by Riddle of his stature with the popularity of Billy May and Gordon Jenkins. Ruhlmann felt the album was a precursor to Riddle's arrangements on Frank Sinatra's 1960 album Nice 'n' Easy as an "easygoing collection of small tonal joys".
Gramophone magazine described The Joy of Living as an "outstanding Riddle collection" upon its 1998 reissue.[2]
Capitol Records released the title track "The Joy of Living" as a 45 rpm single, backed with a Nelson Riddle composition, "Somethin' Special."[3]