788 Randy Newman - Good Old Boys (1974)

Studio Album - Country Rock

About the Act:

Even if you don't know who he is, you would probably recognise his voice and his piano playing. He has been inescapable after writing "You've Got A Friend In Me" - that song from Toy Story. He has done many more songs and soundtracks for many more films, including "I Love To See You Smile" - the opening song from Parenthood. From the 80s onwards, he has mostly been doing film music, but in the 70s he had a moderately successful career as a singer/songwriter creating albums of his own songs, and back in the 60s he was writing songs for other people. Before that he did normal things like going to school.

He grew up between LA and New Orleans, and maybe considers himself to be from New Orleans more. His style is certainly reminiscent of that. He plays piano in a kind of jelly-roll honky-tonk way that smells like the bayou, with hints of soul and even gospel in it. His voice sounds like he is black but he is from Jewish descent and about as white as can be. He sings songs that have stories, and content to them, and his satirical side has a wicked sense of humour that somehow he gets away with. "Short People" is sung with affection, but describes short people as being rather horrible and hopeless.

You know that song, the one that Tom Jones covered, that was originally a hit for Three Dog Night - Mama Told Me Not To Come? It's a 70s classic. Written by Randy Newman.

About the Album:

This was Randy's fourth studio album, and was originally intended to ne a concept album about a fictitious Southern American, but it got changed instead to be a broader album with songs about characters from the south, and connected stuff. There's a song written by a politician and featuring the Eagles as backing singers, and a song by Randy about the same politician. There's a scathing satirical song called "Rednecks" which criticises both the North and the South in equal measure on their attitudes to racism. There are love songs, and a song about flooding in Louisiana in 1927. There are other songs too.

My History with this Album:

None

Review:

Ahhh, Randy Newman. He's a breath of fresh air. He pushes the limits of acceptability with a chuckle in his voice and in his piano playing. It's all light, even when it's serious, and the song writing, to be honest, is superb. I love story songs and he is the master of them. He manages to do sentimentality without dolloping on the saccharine, which is why he has been so successful with his schmatlzy film songs.

This album is a great example of his stuff. It's short and punchy and to the point and in equal parts whimsical and thoughtful. He makes it look so easy, but it is crafted and crafty and he knows exactly what he is doing.

The style - well Wikipedia has it as Roots Rock/Country Rock but it is only Rock in the lightest of senses, and only Country in the most New Orleans of senses. It's almost vaudeville. If he was British it would be Music Hall. The roots of this piano playing is in speakeasies and east end pubs and honky-tonk bars and German Cabaret. This is the 70s so some songs have strings on them, but not to heavy and OK despite that.

It's a delight.

8.2/10

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/4UY90kcO4N9ZPBl4xPLvvU

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSCMVE-cd8em_v3lxJVAvGCcCKZHy6LkF

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Old_Boys_(Randy_Newman_album)