Randy is a colossus.
I remember my mum surprising me by drawing my attention to a concert of his on TV, he at the piano singing his twisted songs, backed by an orchestra. How could my mum love such an peculiar, discomforting voice? And, he is hardly the best looking human on the planet. But, what brilliant songs. I was impressed. With my mum. And Randy.
There are a small number of artists I mimic at karaoke; Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Lou Reed, Tom Waits, Randy Newman. Spot the similarity.
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/jan/05/randy-newmans-20-greatest-songs-ranked
He’s a talent, but I can’t stand his voice. Have tried, but I can’t get past that.
His voice is perfectly ok. You, sir, need to be taken outside and thrown naked into the Canadian snow
You’ll love this: Randy Newman doing a cover version. He makes it his own, of course, especially the last 30 seconds. It’s the most Randy Newman of Peter Gabriel’s songs.
Yeah his voice is a bit of an acquired taste but his best songs are wonderful. Noone has used satire and irony to such great effect in popular music -eg Political Science and Gods Song. But he can also be very tender and sentimental – the song about the cowgirl from Toy Story 2 was an utter tearjerker I recall when I took my then young daughter to see it many ears ago.
Oh yeah, great songwriter. My favourite
Another Philips act from the 60s made a pretty decent job of this song:
Scott’s hair on that cover is the 1965est thing in the world. He looks like he’s under one of those old-fashioned hairdryers.
Can’t fault their choice of “God’s Song” as his absolute best. An astonishingly good song.
Nice to know that he appreciated Etta James’s version. It is the definitive one for me.
Is there another album as perfect as Sail Away?
GS was the first thing I heard by him, on the Alexis Korner show – quite a compliment as the great ‘Lex did not go a bundle on singer-songwriters (JJ Cale excepted)
A bold statement! I’d counter with Blonde On Blonde and Electrif Lycanthrope but Sail away is up there…
BoB is a double, and, therefore, by definition, includes a few larking about numbers that are a smidge less than perfect. EL has been a bootleg for so long I can’t *see* it as perfect.
It’s probably a good thing there’s no equivalent to the Gary Numan/Oldman twins.
Much as I like God’s Song, I’d never consider it to be his best. It’s difficult to apply a filter that would decide what I think is his best, but God wouldn’t be in my top 10. Maybe the atheist in me affects my rejection, though I can appreciate there is a very atheistic vibe to the song.
It’s a strange list because it completely ignores the Born Again album, which is chock full of great songs.
My favourite song of his, ‘They Just Got Married’, is on Born Again. A great album which, as you say, never gets enough love. Perhaps it’s the cover art?
The cover art is a distinct possibility, as it is so different from any other album of his.
It’s difficult to think that Randy bent to a label executive’s will, but I can’t imagine that he came up with the idea himself – “No seriously Rand, a bit of theatrical make up à la Kiss and I promise you, it’ll go platinum…
Yes, he’s brilliant, and you could just as easily pick a list of twenty other songs and it would be as good as The Guardian list. I see that in the other thread someone’s mentioned Wandering Boy, and I wholeheartedly concur. It’s the last track on his last album (to date) and it’s a masterpiece that has me in tears every time I hear it.
Hey! That someone was me, an utterly epic slice of music to be sure. Found it mildly funny you concurred but I didn’t see it til a bit ago.
Competing threads, “which is better?” = Harry Hill
Can’t believe, etc…this seems relevant.
Randy Newnan is a genius and I don’t use that term lightly.
My favourites not on that list are Feels like home
and I want you to hurt like I do.
But I could add at least another 20 and still leave loads waiting in the wing.
Going to see him in Edinburgh next month and I can’t wait
You lucky so and so! Suspect this may be the last chance to see him on these shores. Do report back.
I thought that on the Harps and Angels tour. Glad I went but don’t need to go again. That tour was just Randy at the piano. Don’t know why but I had expected some other musicians. His between songs chat was worth the price of admission so no complaints.
Think the time I saw him was in 1989, at the Dominion, so around the time of Land of Dreams. Same then – just him at the piano. I loved it – those songs are irresistible.
Another odd list and that old canard about short people. Being 5 foot 4 I have had that sung to me many times.
I respond with the verse noone ever seems to hear.
Short people are just the same
As you and I
(A fool such as I)
All men are brothers
Until the day they die
(It’s a wonderful world
FWIW I think it’s going to rain today is my #1
Great choice.
On a related note, and inexplicably not on the list, Dayton Ohio 1903
See other Randy thread.
Oh yes!
Holy shit, forgot about Real Emotional Girl. It makes me, ahem, “Real emotional”
Also in case any one hasn’t seen it, I present the best accomplishment of Jon Ronson storied career , (except ‘Frank’ maybe?)
Very well done, Tiggs. You were always going to win
Tee hee
The gloves give him that extra purchase.