Who loves early Randy Newman?

This thread is for showing deserved love for Randy Newman's early years circa 1968-1977.As always open to discussion.

My opening post will be short and sweet.

Randy Newman &Donald Fagen are 2 of the greatest exponents of Bob Dylan's nonchalant higher than a kite intelligent & passionate style of singing among other Dylan circa 1965-1968 musical characteristics and influences.Let's not forget about Ian Hunter being schooled as well.Anyway....

On "12 Songs" Randy completely smothers EVERYTHING in Dylans Blonde On Blonde era style.High praise indeed but worthy of it all.
When was the last time you listened to this masterpiece? Well that's too long.

50 yrs later early Randy sounds as good as ever!

 

My introduction to Randy Newman was the Lonely at the Top compilation, which I borrowed from a public library on cassette. While I liked all of it, I preferred the earlier material. Sail Away and Good Old Boys are easily two of my favourite albums of all time. I like the string-soaked debut and polished LA sound of Little Criminals very much as well. 12 Songs was never a particular favourite, I have to be honest. I'd rather listen to Randy Newman Live. But Sail Away and Good Old Boys are both incredible records.

 

All great albums indeed.Thanks for posting.I like Randys choice of musicians on "12 Songs" a lot especially Ry Cooder that being said I like the more rocknroll approach Randy used on the album.Not to mention the Dylan influence I already posted.But Sail Away isn't that far behind 12 Songs as far as my favorites go.12 Songs is 1st with Sail Away a close 2nd.

 

Not me, he's too short.

 

i do.

 

i just bought his 3 of his first 5, not the first 2 yet. They are great. Known of him for years by radio songs and reputation but hearing him was better

 

I will buy any LP that has a cover of "I Think It's Gonna Rain Today" on it.

 

I love Randy Newman especially early Randy Newman

His debut has some of his best ever tunes but is over burdened by the heavy hand of Van Dyke Parks’s production (which admittedly may have felt better for the times).

Still my one wish is that Newman cont’d to work with Harry Nilsson, as that combination was special and turned out my favorite album by either artist, the magnificent Nilsson Sings Newman....

 

I love all Randy Newman (except maybe Born Again), but for me 1968-1977 is a bit more special than the rest. What a great songwriter. Not as prolific as Dylan, Springsteen or Neil Young, but in my opinion equally as good.

 

I pretty much enjoy anything that Randy does. Some of his early work continues to be part of his live shows and it fits in well along side his later stuff. I think that there is some great stuff on "Born Again". It seems to be a polarizing album but I believe that there are many gems to be found. Substitute a couple of the weaker tracks or even shorten it by removing them and you have a strong album.

 

Among my favorite albums of all time by anyone are Randy Newman's 12 Songs, Live, Sail Away and Good Old Boys.

I saw him live in the fall of 1974, just a very thin Randy Newman with a lot of curly hair, sitting at a piano and singing, with no other musicians onstage. Ry Cooder was the opening act, just Ry sitting on a stool with his guitar, with no other musicians onstage. It is still one of the best concerts I have ever been to.

 

I love early Randy Newman, and am puzzled by something from that period. On Lee Hazlewood’s album, 40, there’s a song by Randy called Wait’ll Next Year.

To me, it’s a classic tune, but I know of no other version by Randy or anyone else. Has anyone here any further info on it, or have you ever heard it?

Hazlewood also does a fine version of Burn Down The Cornfield on the same LP, which is a great record, imo.

 

Man I am envious.Thanks for posting.

 

Yeah - Randy played with that one quite a bit early on but never played it live and only demo'd it ultimately. One of the many good to great songs he wrote before he had the confidence (or was forced by Lenny) to record himself. Ultimately put out by Eric Burden and The Animals (Alan Price was a MASSIVE Randy fan and recorded as much as he could!). "Rick" Nelson was in his latter day mature years when he also recorded "Wait Til Next Year" (some great stuff on those mid to late 60s LPs, early 70s).

But that's about it - we believe Harry Nilsson was considering singing it on Nilsson Sings Newman but instead he recorded Randy-originals-not-sung-by-Randy "Caroline" and "Snow".

"Early" Newman for me starts with the DOT single of "Golden Gridiron Boy" from '62 and three of his own compositions under the direction of Pat Boone - pre-Beatles. The flip, "Country Boy" has yet to see a re-release.

BTW, since 1977 is considered "Early" Newman (which I guess it is)... "Short People" hit #2 exactly 40 years ago this week (Jan 28, 1978). That is his only hit. His only top 40 song.

I know the OP mentioned Dylan, but I don't compare the two - not fair to Bob.

Jeff

 

His first album is beautiful and deranged.....all in the same song sometimes.......simply magnificent and one of a kind.

 

Another interesting thing about that 1974 concert, with Randy Newman and Ry Cooder. Years later I met someone who had been at that concert. We could not figure out how we had not seen each other in the audience, because it was held in a small University theater and it was not all that well attended. Around the year 2000, we found a old newspaper advertisement for that concert online, and the mystery was solved. The other person spent $2.50 for a balcony ticket. I splurged for the $3.50 floor ticket.

 

I remember Short People when I was in grade school. Although it's from '83, I think my favorite is I Love L.A. Great song and video.

 

Was it in Kansas City or University of Wisconsin? Or Minneapolis? Either way, you heard at least some of the songs from Good Old Boys live first!

Jeff

 

It was at the University of Wisconsin, in the theater inside the Memorial Union. I don't think that he sang songs from Good Old Boys. He did a lot of 12 Songs and Sail Away, and some of the songs on Randy Newman Live, which are not on those albums. That is what I remember.

He was engaging. Before his last song, he said to us, "now I will play my last song, and then we will do the whole routine where I leave the stage, you clap and wonder if I am coming back, and then I come back on and play an encore." The way he delivered that was very funny.

 

I agree 12 songs is great, but its too modest in scope and production to say its smothers anything better. That said, I think it's just the right amount of window dressing on these songs. I can never understand why people like him and Van Dyke Parks and Ry Cooder - intelligent resourceful musicians - don't work together as sort of a 'superstar cult band'. They'd probably go from selling 20,000 albums to - who knows - 30 or 40,000!

 

A modern day Will Rogers in song. An American treasure.

 

I was a high school senior in 72 and remember buying Sail Away. I bought each subsequent album through Trouble In Paradise, and loved them all. That was the last Randy Newman album I owned until recently getting his first two albums on cd. Just a wonderful songwriter.

 

I bought "Sail Away" at 15 on the advice of my HS English teacher. I absolutely loved it. Been hooked ever since. Have most of his earlier albums and a couple from the 80s. Not really into his Disney/Pixar soundtrack work though.

 

DefinitelyTE="Captain Groovy, post: 17983140, member: 2072"]Yeah - Randy played with that one quite a bit early on but never played it live and only demo'd it ultimately. One of the many good to great songs he wrote before he had the confidence (or was forced by Lenny) to record himself. Ultimatel out by Eric Burden and The Animals (Alan Price was a MASSIVE Randy fan and recorded as much as he could!). "Rick" Nelson was in his latter day mature years when he also recorded "Wait Til Next Year" (some great stuff on those mid to late 60s LPs, early 70s).

But that's about it - we believe Harry Nilsson was considering singing it on Nilsson Sings Newman but instead he recorded Randy-originals-not-sung-by-Randy "Caroline" and "Snow".

"Early" Newman for me starts with the DOT single of "Golden Gridiron Boy" from '62 and three of his own compositions under the direction of Pat Boone - pre-Beatles. The flip, "Country Boy" has yet to see a re-release.

BTW, since 1977 is considered "Early" Newman (which I guess it is)... "Short People" hit #2 exactly 40 years ago this week (Jan 28, 1978). That is his only hit. His only top 40 song.

I know the OP mentioned Dylan, but I don't compare the two - not fair to Bob.

Jeff[/QUOTE]
Just to clarify.I think you read the post wrong.I would never compare any artists to the Master (Dylan).He is not only untouchable he is #3 on my top artists behind the Dead & ELVIS.All the post is stating that Randy used everything he learned from mid 60s Dylan to great effect on "12 Songs".

Definitely not a comparison.Big difference.

More to the sound of;Impersonation the highest form of flattery is where I was going.

Thanks but I had to clarify.