Registered: 05/18/02
Posts: 55391
Loc: San Miguel de Allende, Mexico ...
A nearly perfect piece of work, as strong as anything he did when he was in his supposed prime. I know he has a more recent album and in fact I have it but haven't gotten around to listening yet...but I've listened to Bad Love at least 4 times in the last two days!
Thee's one song that doesn't do anything for me, but the rest are all classics or close to classics.
If you like him, listen to the first five songs. My Country, Shame, I'm Dead But I Don't Know It, Every Time it Rains and Great Nations of Europe--you get the full spectrum of his lyric and music-writing style.
Good production and arranging too--usually his own arranging.
Registered: 10/13/01
Posts: 2964
Loc: Kicking it in Y Town Louisiana
Bad love is my favorite Randy and one of my favorite albums. The first song along is worth the price of admission.
Shame... holy shit...
Pretty little baby How come you never come around Pretty little baby How come you never come around I sent you all them pretty flowers Now you're nowhere to be found
I call you up at midnight sometimes I must admit But I I find you're not at home My head heats up like a furnace My heart grows colder than a stone So what's the good of all this money I got If every night I'm left here all alone It's a gun that I need
Shame shame shame shame shame I ain't ashamed of nothing Shame shame shame shame shame I don't know what you're talking about
All right let's talk a little business You know what I'm saying A man of my experience of life Don't expect a beautiful young woman like yourself To come on over here every day And have some old dude banging on Her like a gypsy on a tambourine That's not what we're talking about That's not what we're talking about That's not what we're talking about
But I will say this I've been all over the world I've seen some wonderful things I haven't been well lately I have no one to share my plans, my dreams My hopes and my schemes, my
Shame shame shame shame shame You could be right I've sunk pretty low this time Shame shame shame shame shame These are truly desperate times
Saw your little sandals baby Out behind the wishing well Down here in the cool depths of the quarter Where the rich folk dwell And I pictured you in diamonds, satins and pearls Come on back to daddy Daddy miss his little baby girl
Now, my father, he was an angry man You cross him he made you pay I myself, am no longer an angry man Don't make me beg you Don't make me beg
Do you know what if feels like To wake up in the morning Have every joint in your body aching, god damn it Do you know what it feels like To have to get up in the middle of the night And sit down to take a piss You do know So you say I have my doubts, missy Do you know what it feels like To have to beg a little bum like you for love God damn it you little b**** I'd kill you if I didn't love you so much Shame shame shame shame shame Shut up
Forgive me My unfocused words I was flying blind I lost my mind (shame shame shame) If you could find it in your heart, if you got one To forgive me I'd be ever so grateful (shame shame shame) Will you stop that please (shame shame shame) Will you stop that please I'm trying to talk to someone (shame) Thank you You know, I have a lexus now I don't get out much You know what I'm saying Come on home
Registered: 10/13/01
Posts: 2964
Loc: Kicking it in Y Town Louisiana
Popmann, every single Album I've listened to by Randy since I was a kid was a slow burn for me. I started listening as a kid when Short People came out and soon became obsessed with the King Fish song.
I had bad love for about 2 years before I really started listening to it to the point of it becoming my favorite randy. Probably more to do with me than anything, but The new one is starting to grow on me. I've waited years for a proper "MONK" theme recording and he's done that and added verses on the new one.
love birmingham, rednecks, guilty and kingfish off that good ole boys album.
"Rednecks" we talk real funny down hyeah. we drink too much and we laugh too loud. too dumb to make it in no northern town.
"Kingfish" there are 20,000 frenchmen in new orleans in new orleans there are frenchmen everywhere your house could burn down, your baby could drown not one of those frenchmen would care.
"Birmingham" you can travel cross this entire land there ain't no place like Birmingham.
i loved his stuff when he was younger - short people was the beginning of the slide for me.
Edited by pbrowne (08/10/1708:04 PM)
_________________________
Send two dozen roses to Room 424 and put "Emily, I love you" on the back of the bill. Groucho Marx
Registered: 01/06/03
Posts: 10921
Loc: Clayton, California
I'd say, Karl I recently stumbled Into a new family With two little children in school Where all little children should be I went to the orientation All the young mommies were there Karl, you never have seen such a glorious sight As these beautiful women arrayed for the night Just like countesses, empresses, movie stars and queens And they'd come there with men much like me Froggish men, unpleasant to see Were you to kiss one, Karl Nary a prince would there be
Registered: 05/18/02
Posts: 55391
Loc: San Miguel de Allende, Mexico ...
There is treasure on every album--seek out Real Emotinal Girl, that's why I love mankind, and I'll think of some others. 'Still the same girl' is an amazing one.
Registered: 05/18/02
Posts: 55391
Loc: San Miguel de Allende, Mexico ...
Sure feels good to see so many fans here. I realize that out of all the great singer/songwriters in the world, he's been at the top of my list since 1969.
Registered: 10/13/01
Posts: 2964
Loc: Kicking it in Y Town Louisiana
You Suck Jazzooo.. . I didn't hear Randy till 1977.
It took a while to really get all those songs on all those albums that I'd skip over to get to the "hits" like Short People.
He's is one of my top songwriters. Who else has a song about the band ELO???
It's funny. I live in Louisiana and the LSU support drives me fucking crazy. I've seen randy 4 times in Louisiana and twice in texas. Every single time he plays Rednecks the people in Louisiana always applaud for the LSU and there's always a few people like myself that are looking at the ones who aren't clapping and mentally ask each other "do these idiots know that he's not sending props out to LSU, quite the opposite?"
I'm sure a percentage of those clapping are clapping because they hate LSU too, but I've already sized up the crowd by then and there are those who are waiting for the Toy Story songs (especially the two times I saw him with orchestra).
In New Orleans, he did rednecks and there were two parents who were in front of me with their 9 year old (who was playing a game system the whole time). They were appalled at the lyrics of the song and were hoping their son didn't catch the words. At that I point I kindly asked them with a mean face to have that kid turn off the game system because the game system was distracting and I paid great money for those seats. They complied and left right after "you have a friend".
Doug, maybe you can give me some feedback on this. I am a big fan of not changing lyrics. I hate when artists do that even though it's their song.
In the song "It's money that I love" he changes one Number on one line when he plays it live.
the original lines are:
They say that's money Can't buy love in this world But it'll get you a half-pound of cocaine And a sixteen-year-old girl And a great big long limousine On a hot September night Now that may not be love but it is all right
Now he'll sing "a nineteen-year-old girl"
I hate that he changes that. Why would he? It's not the worst thing he sings about.
Registered: 05/18/02
Posts: 55391
Loc: San Miguel de Allende, Mexico ...
Maybe he was always going back and forth between the two--maybe it was originally 19 year old girl but in the studio he did a take and sang 16 one time, just to see how it felt to create that character and decided the take was good but it wasn't right for the song down the road?
Registered: 05/18/02
Posts: 55391
Loc: San Miguel de Allende, Mexico ...
The piano playing and arranging--wow. As for his self-deprecation about his time...I respect that but I'm enough of a fan to have heard that he can get the ob done.
Registered: 10/13/01
Posts: 2964
Loc: Kicking it in Y Town Louisiana
Love My LIfe is good.... especially this verse...
Just his evening Some young associates of ours Are flying in to see us from New York City They're gonna stay with us Oh, a couple weeks or so I'm gonna take 'em to Restaurants and everything Gonna get 'em some Real good cocaine They don't get much Where they come from And this one guy's wife Is such a pretty little brown thing That I'm liable to give her a poke or two Whaddaya think of that?
Registered: 05/18/02
Posts: 55391
Loc: San Miguel de Allende, Mexico ...
I'm watching the interview now, thanks! Man, they just brought in the theme from Ragtime...what composing.
The fans singing his songs! That's a riot, wish I'd known about it and could have submitted something.
He is so not for dumb people or even for casual listeners who might not look beneath the lyrics to see what he was really saying.
When he's straining for those high notes in My Country, my throat hurts for him. I'm rooting for him to get the note, like a sports fan cheering his favorite player!
Great interview, although they play so much for laughs and and never really address how he can write some of the truly poignant things as well.
Registered: 05/18/02
Posts: 55391
Loc: San Miguel de Allende, Mexico ...
My new FB post:
What's on my mind? Randy Newman, that's what.
I think that he is at the very top of my list of singer/songwriters. I was hooked in 1969 when I heard his album Sail Away, and I'm hooked today--I've listened to Bad Love four times in the last week, and that was just to prepare me for his new album Dark Matter (which actually plays more like musical theater than a pop album with theatrical touches like he often makes).
What serious composer would not appreciate his inside out, major to minor chord voicings on the score to Ragtime or his songs like Real Emotional Girl and Still The Same Girl?
And what poet or social critic could ignore his gently condescending commentary on American life called "My Country'? Or his hysterically funny self-deprecating turn in "I'm Dead (But I Don't Know It)" where he says:
"When will I end this bitter game? When will I end this cruel charade? Everything I write all sounds the same Each record that I'm making Is like a record that I've made (Just not as good!)"
If he ever comes across this post, then I'm sure it will be just another heart-felt blah blah blah from one of his fans. But if I could make him feel how enthusiastic I am about his music--so much high quality, innovative and beautiful and poignant music over the years--well, then I'd be a far better writer myself. Anyway, he sure is great.
Registered: 09/27/00
Posts: 19118
Loc: Sacramento, CA, USA
Thanks for bringing him to my attention. I had always thought of him as a wry humorist first, and clever songwriter second. I always enjoyed when I happened to hear him, but never sought out his albums. A fun voyage of discovery awaits.
I always liked Three Dog Night's version of Mama Told Me Not to Come... but the lyric is not, "Open up the window, sucka!" It ain't Mr. T who is getting uncomfortable at the party.
_________________________ "Bobby, I'm sorry you got a head like a potato. I really am."
my take on rednecks is he's making fun of southerners in the first part but is condemning northerners that think their culture is racist-free at the end.
he's an equal opportunity accuser which of course i just love.
i still do his "My Old Kentucky Home" and get those glares from people who want to be offended - fuck 'em - it's just a song.
_________________________
Send two dozen roses to Room 424 and put "Emily, I love you" on the back of the bill. Groucho Marx
Registered: 09/27/00
Posts: 19118
Loc: Sacramento, CA, USA
He changed several of the lyrics in his performance of Putin on Colbert, but the captions used the lyrics from the album version.
I've noticed that Paul Simon also tweaks his lyrics in performance sometimes. I think it gives interesting insight into how the composer thinks, works and evolves.
_________________________ "Bobby, I'm sorry you got a head like a potato. I really am."
What's an example of a song of his that is ONLY funny? Seems to me he always works on more than one level.
So, you don't think of Randy Newman as a comedian? A musical clown?
Contrast 1988's It's Money That I Love with Henley's Gimme What You Got from the same time. Both use humorous lyrics to make not dissimilar socio political commentary. But, Henley's does sound like a comedy record. Newman's does.
Contrast in country music lyrics, "He Stopped Loving Her Today" with "I'm Gonna Miss Her(the fishing song)"....on repeated listening, one shows to just be a comedy record.....the other has been a staple of country radio for 50 years.
Two approaches to humor/wit in lyrics. One stands up to repeated listening to me, the other is MUCH more belly laugh funny....but, after a few plays, I'm done with it.
Registered: 05/18/02
Posts: 55391
Loc: San Miguel de Allende, Mexico ...
He's funnier than Don Henley, sure. But listen to the song Old Man just above. That's a musical clown? No, I think of him as a great songwriter who can use humor to deliver his message, but he's far from being limited to that.
What about if you include some of his most important--to me--social commentary that does use humor, such as Lonely at the Top or Political Science (No one loves us, I don't know why...)? He's really not about mass appeal, but I think those will live on with his fans for a long time.
I misspoke....It's Money That Matters is the 88 tune--I thought mentioned by someone above, which is why I zero'd in on it.
It's Money That I Love actually stands up better as a stand alone song.....but, is from that "heyday" you speak of....
Musical jester probably better word....but, he's primarily a humorist first is my point....who also writes some lovely earnest songs, which are mostly always better with someone else singing them. McLachlan singing When She Loved Me....is stunning. Bonnie Raitt owned Feels Like Home....
...."we've got the most expensive scientists in the world!!"
