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Randy Newman  Outside of his albums, if you've seen Monsters, Inc., both Toy Story movies, Pleasantville, Awakenings, Ragtime or The Natural (as a sampling) then you've also heard his songs and movie scores. The movies soundstage would seem inevitable for him as many members of his family have been movie composers. Most notable being his uncle Alfred Newman who garnered 45 Academy Award nominations, winning 9. This genetic trait was passed down to Alfred's sons (Randy's cousins) David and Thomas who currently have scored over 150 films between them. Most of his songs feature his pointed, humorous and poignant commentary on American life, past and present. And all of them performed with his signature deadpan delivery. The fact that he is by no means a technically great singer is a plus in that it doesn't act as a distraction to his serious lyric skills. A few of my favorite Randy Newman songs: ...Leave Your Hat On ...Marie ...Louisiana 1927 ...Sail Away ...I Miss You ...Political Science ...I Think It's Going To Rain Today (RN followed by Nina Simone's take) And finally... ...A Few Words in Defense of Our Country (2007)  tA  Tribal Disorder
http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431 [Edited 6/19/09 8:44am] "Ya see, we're not interested in what you know...but what you are willing to learn. C'mon y'all." | |
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theAudience said: ...Louisiana 1927  Excellent tune!
Whenever I think of Randy Newman, I instantly think of one of my aunts. She's all of 4'11", and if you even think about Short People, she'll deliver a verbal beatdown. | |
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RipHer2Shreds said: Whenever I think of Randy Newman, I instantly think of one of my aunts. She's all of 4'11", and if you even think about Short People, she'll deliver a verbal beatdown.
I'll keep that in mind if I ever meet her. 
It's a shame that Short People, along with I Love L.A., are the only Randy Newman songs many people are aware of. Very similar to the Bobby McFerrin Syndrome. tA Tribal Disorder
http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431 "Ya see, we're not interested in what you know...but what you are willing to learn. C'mon y'all." | |
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...
Kool thread on Mr Newman! When Three Dog Night first hit the scene , they had a knack for featuring tunes by writers who would later become big (They first recorded "Your Song" by a then-unknown Elton John--though Elton's version would come out first). Their 1970 album, It Ain't Easy, features two tunes by a young Randy Newman-- "Mama Told Me Not To Come"(originally written for Eric Burdon), and "Cowboy" (This tune was originally written for the film, Midnight Cowboy, but was replaced by Harry Nilsson's version of "Everybody's Talkin").... Mama Told Me Not To Come Cowboy ... [Edited 6/19/09 8:37am] " I've got six things on my mind --you're no longer one of them." - Paddy McAloon, Prefab Sprout | |
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I love about a quarter of his stuff ("Jolly Coppers On Parade" is my favorite), but find it hard to listen to the rest. I never liked "Leave Your Hat On" or "Mama Told Me Not To Come" for instance. But when he hits the mark he really hits it. In that sense I place him alongside Kate Bush, Bjork, Laura Nyro and Tom Waits as people who one moment are making music that I love to death and the next are trying my patience. Am I allowed to say this?
By the way, he's written some hilarious lyrics down the years. This one made me laugh out loud... We'll have a kid Or maybe we'll rent one He's got to be straight We don't want a bent one  “The man who never looks into a newspaper is better informed than he who reads them, inasmuch as he who knows nothing is nearer to truth than he whose mind is filled with falsehoods and errors.”
- Thomas Jefferson | |
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paligap said: ...
Kool thread on Mr Newman! When Three Dog Night first hit the scene , they had a knack for featuring tunes by writers who would later become big (They first recorded "Your Song" by a then-unknown Elton John--though Elton's version would come out first). Their 1970 album, It Ain't Easy, features two tunes by a young Randy Newman-- "Mama Told Me Not To Come"(originally written for Eric Burdon), and "Cowboy" (This tune was originally written for the film, Midnight Cowboy, but was replaced by Harry Nilsson's version of "Everybody's Talkin").... Mama Told Me Not To Come Cowboy A few more obscure tunes he's written that other artists recorded. ...Irma Thomas - Anyone Who Knows What Love Is ...Scott Walker - I Don't Want To Hear It Anymore ...Gene Pitney - Just One Smile ...Lou Rawls - Let's Burn Down The Cornfield tA Tribal Disorder
http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431 "Ya see, we're not interested in what you know...but what you are willing to learn. C'mon y'all." | |
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midnightmover said: In that sense I place him alongside Kate Bush, Bjork, Laura Nyro and Tom Waits as people who one moment are making music that I love to death and the next are trying my patience. Am I allowed to say this?
 I think you just did.
tA Tribal Disorder
http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431 "Ya see, we're not interested in what you know...but what you are willing to learn. C'mon y'all." | |
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