Randy Newman - Songbook Volume 1

Posted by: Minky on 12 October 2003

Does anyone out there still cares about melody, lyrics and good old fashioned craftsmanship ? I do, so I spent a lot of this weekend listening to this album :



The "man at his piano" format can leave me a bit queasy because you have to be so damn good to pull it off, especially when you are re-litigating material that has been previously lushly orchestrated. Jimmy Webb's "Ten easy pieces" is a good example. Great songs but let's face it - the man is wrestling with them - it's an exhausting listen. Randy Newman's new one is exactly the opposite. It's a revelation to me that one man and one instrument can so perfectly get to the heart of the original arrangements and in many ways improve upon them.

I'm not going to try and preach to the unconverted here. Fans will already know that Newman crafts songs of incredible beauty; that with a handful of lyrics he can get further beneath the skin of the American dream than a stack of Roths, Hellers or Bellows; that he writes love songs like "Living without you" that are perfect beyond words. If you do already know these things I beg you to rush out and buy this album.

For the rest of you, please repeat after me : "Um, Randy Newman. Isn't he the guy that wrote "Short people" ? Nah, he's crap isn't he ?".
Posted on: 12 October 2003 by Wolf
I too appreciate the troubador even if he is singing a ditty about short people. I just obught three CDs of classical so will have to wait on the Newman.

Life is analogue
Posted on: 14 October 2003 by Keddie
Thanks for the tip - I didn't know about this album but I will definitely buy it. Randy Newman is one of the great songwriters: 'A wedding in Cherokee county' (it IS Cherokee isn't it?) and 'Rednecks' are just two examples of his abiltiy to combine stunning (and often funny) lyrics with beautiful (and sometimes funny) music.
Posted on: 15 October 2003 by greeny
I also like Randy Newman, and have seen other good reviews of this album.

I have: Good Old Boys, Excellent; Land of Dreams, Excellent and Born Again, Average.

I might have to purse some of his earlier works and I hear that Sail Away and 12 Songs are supposed to be very good.
Posted on: 15 October 2003 by woodface
Both are excellent. Bad Love is also great and I really like Little Criminals but some see it as over rated (obviously they are wrong). I think he is probably the finest American Songwriter!
Posted on: 15 October 2003 by fred simon
quote:
Originally posted by woodface:
I think [Randy Newman] is probably the finest American Songwriter!


Well, definitely one of the finest, anyway. There's Joni Mitchell for another, after all.
Posted on: 15 October 2003 by Bhoyo
Fred:

Joni's Canajun.
Posted on: 15 October 2003 by Minky
I've just noticed that this and the "Dido" thread were created at almost the same time. This thread has attracted 75 hits and 6 responses. The steaming pile of poos that is Dido on the other hand has amassed a slightly more healthy 420 hits and 16 responses.

Forget about getting the horse to drink. Sometimes you can't even get the bugger down to the water. Confused
Posted on: 15 October 2003 by Minky
quote:
Originally posted by Bhoyo:
Fred:

Joni's Canajun.

I think Fred meant to say "James Taylor".
Posted on: 15 October 2003 by fred simon
quote:
Originally posted by Minky:
quote:
Originally posted by Bhoyo:
Fred:

Joni's Canajun.

I think Fred meant to say "James Taylor".


Oops, my bad. Yes, Joni's from the Great White North, as are two other great songwriters, Leonard Cohen and Neil Young.

But, yes, definitely James Taylor.

However, I'd still be inclined to include all of them as among the finest North American songwriters. And I'd even add Irving Berlin, who although born in Russia, is still one of the finest (North) American songwriters. In fact, you can't get much more American than Irving Berlin.
Posted on: 16 October 2003 by greeny
quote:
I've just noticed that this and the "Dido" thread were created at almost the same time. This thread has attracted 75 hits and 6 responses. The steaming pile of poos that is Dido on the other hand has amassed a slightly more healthy 420 hits and 16 responses.

Forget about getting the horse to drink. Sometimes you can't even get the bugger down to the water.


This isn't such a suprise, after all Dido's first album sold over 12 million copies, so you might presume that a fair number of people would be interested in comments on her new album.

Anyway who's to say Randy Newman is better than Dido? Well I suspect most people who had heard a couple of his albums would think that, but that's life I suppose.

quote:
Oops, my bad. Yes, Joni's from the Great White North, as are two other great songwriters, Leonard Cohen and Neil Young.

But, yes, definitely James Taylor.

However, I'd still be inclined to include all of them as among the finest North American songwriters. And I'd even add Irving Berlin, who although born in Russia, is still one of the finest (North) American songwriters. In fact, you can't get much more American than Irving Berlin.


When we user the term 'American' do we always assume we mean the USA. Surely 'American' could correctly be applied to anyone from the North or South American continent.
Posted on: 16 October 2003 by Minky
quote:
Originally posted by greeny:

Anyway who's to say Randy Newman is better than Dido? Well I suspect most people who had heard a couple of his albums would think that, but that's life I suppose.

You are right of course. Like many things in life, if you like it, it is good. Full stop. The problem isn't that people listen to Randy Newman and listen to Dido and prefer Dido, but that they don't even know who Randy Newman is. Or to put it another way, how many people with "Matchbox 20" albums have heard of the Eels ?
Posted on: 16 October 2003 by Bhoyo
quote:
Originally posted by greeny:
When we user the term 'American' do we always assume we mean the USA. Surely 'American' could correctly be applied to anyone from the North or South American continent.

greeny:

The usual way to refer to someone from either continent would be 'North American' or 'South American'. It may not be incorrect to call them as 'American' but that is not general usage. Test this out for yourself: Call a Canadian an American and see how he/she reacts.Smile

Best,
Davie
Posted on: 16 October 2003 by greeny
quote:
The usual way to refer to someone from either continent would be 'North American' or 'South American'. It may not be incorrect to call them as 'American' but that is not general usage. Test this out for yourself: Call a Canadian an American and see how he/she reacts


I know you're right of course, but it seems strange to me that the USA seems to have hijacked the continent's name to such an extent that others would feel offended to be thought of as American.

When I was a lad there were 5 continents, Europe, Africa, Asia, American and Australia.

So Canadian's are OK with 'North American' but not American, I think they need to start claiming back their continent. Wink


As an aside, this thread prompted me to listen to Good Old Boys, and there's some great songs on there, but there's also some bloody awful Lyrics (e.g. Birmingham, Marie) so don't let anyone tell you his lyrics are universally excellent. (same with Bod Dylan really)