https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBux4AlGQzM
I mean sweet Jesus, this is some beautiful music.
― Emperor Cos Dashit (Adam Bruneau), Sunday, 18 November 2012 22:21 (eleven years ago) link
I've seem him live a few times, and each time I've been amazed by his remarkable economy. For all the words in his songs, there often really aren't that many words. He just makes them all count. "Sail Away," for example, is just three brief verses, and a couple of simple choruses, but the song conveys so much.
― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 18 November 2012 22:38 (eleven years ago) link
sail away's practically an epic!!
― attempt to look intentionally nerdy, awkward or (thomp), Monday, 19 November 2012 00:45 (eleven years ago) link
Josh otm. He's really the anti-Elvis Costello.
― frogbs, Monday, 19 November 2012 15:00 (eleven years ago) link
I love how he says "I've been his friend since we were little babies" in "Davy the Fat Boy".
― Emperor Cos Dashit (Adam Bruneau), Monday, 19 November 2012 16:29 (eleven years ago) link
I went back to that record store (Full Moon Records in Atlanta) and found "Live" and it's pretty damn awesome. Also they had "All Things Must Pass" 3xLP set in very good condition also for $1!
― Emperor Cos Dashit (Adam Bruneau), Monday, 19 November 2012 16:55 (eleven years ago) link
I love the link he plays in rock history, too. His uncles were all film composers, as are a couple of cousins. Meanwhile, his best bud growing up was Lenny Waronker (they took piano lessons together) whose father Simon (after writing music in Hollywood) founded Liberty records, who made its fortune off Ross Bagdasarian, aka David Saville, who did the Chipmunks (Simon Waronker was where "Simon" came from). Simon parlayed that success into stuff like Jan & Dean. But thanks to Lenny, Liberty/Simon hired Randy Newman as a songwriter when he was still a teen. Eventually Lenny goes to Warner Bros. and brings along Randy and Van Dyke Parks. Etc.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 19 November 2012 19:53 (eleven years ago) link
'davy the fat boy' is blood-chilling, espec: 'YOU'VE GOT TO LET THIS FAT BOY IN YOUR LIFE!'
― (The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Monday, 19 November 2012 23:07 (eleven years ago) link
just reviving to say that Spotify now has what appears to be a very comprehensive Randy back catalogue on there. there used to be gaps and many of the albums missing but now it's the full thwack; live albums, soundtracks, the whole bit. at least in the UK.
― piscesx, Tuesday, 12 November 2013 00:59 (ten years ago) link
Thanks.
― Pazz & Jop 1280 (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 12 November 2013 01:03 (ten years ago) link
Also, Billboard keynote http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/record-labels/5770720/randy-newman-talks-film-scoring-new-studio-album-kanye-wests
― Popture, Tuesday, 12 November 2013 02:13 (ten years ago) link
Have to admit I only ever really listened to the obvious albums: Sail Away, Gold Old Boys and Twelve Songs. Where should I go next?
― Pazz & Jop 1280 (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 12 November 2013 03:20 (ten years ago) link
that url is a little misleading
― frogbs, Tuesday, 12 November 2013 03:35 (ten years ago) link
harps and angelsxpost
― making plans for nyquil (outdoor_miner), Tuesday, 12 November 2013 03:40 (ten years ago) link
thx
― Pazz & Jop 1280 (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 12 November 2013 03:45 (ten years ago) link
So far so good. Maybe on to the s/t debut next.
― Pazz & Jop 1280 (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 12 November 2013 03:55 (ten years ago) link
Little Criminals is the other classic i guess. also Land Of Dreams and Trouble In Paradise are great and under rated too!
― piscesx, Tuesday, 12 November 2013 07:43 (ten years ago) link
Randy must have been the first rock musician I ever knowingly heard, though not cognizant at the time of his respectable back catalogue. Watching Toy Story in 1995 as a little kid, sick with fever, hearing him sing "and I will go sailing.....noooooo more..." is one of those kiddie memories that has a little but secure place in my heart. It became even more special when I grew up and became a big fan of his 70s work. Sail Away is an album I never get sick of listening to, and Good Ol' Boys isn't far behind.
Is anything worth getting after the 70s? I've not investigated those yet.
― president of the people's republic of antarctica (Arctic Mindbath), Friday, 13 December 2013 01:28 (ten years ago) link
i want to know more about your youth. were you prohibited from listening to rock and/or roll?
― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Friday, 13 December 2013 01:29 (ten years ago) link
Not really, but at five/six, I hadn't got around to checking out zappa/vu/beefheart/can, et al.
― president of the people's republic of antarctica (Arctic Mindbath), Friday, 13 December 2013 01:32 (ten years ago) link
well sure but
when were you born
― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Friday, 13 December 2013 01:35 (ten years ago) link
nineteen-ninety.
― president of the people's republic of antarctica (Arctic Mindbath), Friday, 13 December 2013 01:36 (ten years ago) link
damn son
there are rock singers who are not as obscure as beefheart and lou reed,sometimes you hear them on the radio
― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Friday, 13 December 2013 01:40 (ten years ago) link
no kidding.
we didn't play the radio in my house.
to say randy newman was the very first one may not be true. but it's a first memory which i subsequently came to know as the author of "rednecks" and "god's song".
there were other extenuating circumstances which meant that music was not played much in our house. mostly revolving around my mother suffering extensively from mental illness during my childhood, other interests at the time, etc.
in any case, that's irrelevant. anyone know if newman is any good after the 70s?
― president of the people's republic of antarctica (Arctic Mindbath), Friday, 13 December 2013 01:47 (ten years ago) link
There are more than a few glimmers of acid brilliance here and there, and some lovely ballads, but a lot of his later albums are actually only good enough. Which ain't bad!
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 13 December 2013 01:59 (ten years ago) link
Believe it or not, his songbooks, which feature songs already released performed by just him on piano, are really good. The version of "Lonely At the Top" might actually be even better than the original Sail Away version.
― Dominique, Friday, 13 December 2013 04:05 (ten years ago) link
why is Little Criminals held up as a bad Randy Newman album when the second half (start with "In Germany Before the War" + the second side) is so good? I think it's almost as good a second half as Sail Away.
"I'll Be Home" sounds a lot different in sequence here than it does on Nilsson Sings Newman ( and it's not just Newman's voice compared to Nilsson).
― droit au butt (Euler), Monday, 8 June 2015 12:19 (eight years ago) link
the title track is great, I love the way that it manages to mock these people's delusions but still have that excitement + buoyancy be infectious
― THREE WOMEN IN THE LIFE OF TUFFY CRAG (soref), Monday, 8 June 2015 12:30 (eight years ago) link
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2016/10/10/exclusive-listen-to-randy-newmans-first-new-song-in-four-years-its-about-bare-chested-vladimir-putin-really/
song is hilarious
― who is extremely unqualified to review this pop album (BradNelson), Monday, 10 October 2016 20:39 (seven years ago) link
Kinda formulaic Newman musically though
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 13 October 2016 16:10 (seven years ago) link
http://www.npr.org/2017/07/27/537309087/first-listen-randy-newman-dark-matter
this record is so good
― ToddBonzalez (BradNelson), Thursday, 27 July 2017 15:22 (six years ago) link
this record Randy Newman is so good.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 27 July 2017 15:37 (six years ago) link
i kinda go back and forth on Maron's WTF, but his Newman interview this week was entertaining.
― tylerw, Thursday, 27 July 2017 15:38 (six years ago) link
josh otm
― ToddBonzalez (BradNelson), Thursday, 27 July 2017 16:02 (six years ago) link
"sonny boy" is wonderful
― ToddBonzalez (BradNelson), Thursday, 27 July 2017 17:34 (six years ago) link
As is "She Chose Me."
― Jazzbo, Thursday, 27 July 2017 18:09 (six years ago) link
never heard the Sinatra story
http://www.maximumfun.org/bullseye/bullseye-jesse-thorn-randy-newman
― a Mets fan who gave up on everything in the mid '80s (Dr Morbius), Monday, 6 August 2018 11:59 (five years ago) link
On my five favorites....
― Your sweetie-pie-coo-coo I love ya (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 3 January 2019 04:26 (five years ago) link
ta for this, agree with number 1, and glad Harps & Angels got a nod too :-)
― Ludo, Thursday, 3 January 2019 11:06 (five years ago) link
He's written a song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6Hk2L2G_W0
― Did somebody just say eat? (Tom D.), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 22:41 (four years ago) link
Just saw that
― Three Hundred Pounds of Almond Joy (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 8 April 2020 22:42 (four years ago) link
"Don't touch your face - I saw you!"
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 8 April 2020 22:50 (four years ago) link
https://skeletonstv.bandcamp.com/album/i-think-its-going-to-rain-today
― Maresn3st, Thursday, 2 July 2020 23:41 (three years ago) link
Finally got the Original Album series yesterday that I'd meant to buy for ages but hadn't been in the racks locally.So have now heard his 1st 5 which are pretty great. Wasn't sure what to expect in terms of settings etc so 1st l.p. was a bit of a surprise. But most of its great. Will be listening to this quite a bit I hope.
― Stevo, Sunday, 18 February 2024 09:44 (three months ago) link