Randy Newman new album of original material "Dark Matter" (08/04/2017)

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by pghmusiclover, May 24, 2017.

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  1. Beaneydave

    Beaneydave Forum Resident

    That was great I think I like it better than the studio version!


    Peace and love✌
    Dave
     
  2. JamesLord

    JamesLord Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    Listening now. I think this is up there with his best work. It's a great album :)
     
  3. chacha

    chacha Forum Resident In Memoriam

    Location:
    mill valley CA USA
    He's been doing Putin for years. I think I saw him sing it 3 years ago.
     
  4. Chris C

    Chris C Music was my first love and it will be my last!

    Location:
    Ohio
    Yes, that is the reason why I'm over that song and wished that he hadn't put it on the new album!
     
  5. Bemagnus

    Bemagnus Music is fun

    After repeated listening I defintively rank this album at the top of Randys work. Challenging but stunning
     
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  6. BeSteVenn

    BeSteVenn FOMO Resident

    Last edited: Aug 4, 2017
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  7. soundQman

    soundQman Senior Member

    Location:
    Arlington, VA, USA
    I think Harps and Angels is fine album. But whatever the pros and cons compared to other recordings of his, the last song on it, Feels Like Home is the most moving song of his I've ever heard. He drops the irony, humor, and sardonic stance he often takes to write a wonderful, direct, melancholy song about finding love, the end of loneliness, and heartfelt devotion. I wept when I first heard it.
     
  8. MRamble

    MRamble Forum Resident

    Very strange. I received a box from Nonesuch today but it only had the signed lithograph and no vinyl yet they emailed me a couple weeks ago saying that they would send the vinyl and that there would be a delay in the signed lithograph...
     
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  9. Mezzer

    Mezzer Forum Resident

    Location:
    Devon, UK
    Thought it also quite amusing that he references Short People too: "Stand up, sir, would you? You are standing, forgive me."
     
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  10. JamesLord

    JamesLord Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    Yes - really nice touch!
     
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  11. Dublintown

    Dublintown Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dublin, Ireland
    As a long time Randy Newman devotee, I'm just not getting the love for this album that others seem to....

    It's decent enough and I'll give it a little more time but...much of it comes across as Newman-by-numbers and too many of the songs sound like re-writes of earlier tunes. If I was to put my finger on it, I'd say it was lacking the melodic variation and resolve he's so renowed for. He used to be a musicians' songwriter but I couldn't see Dusty, Joe Cocker, Tom Jones, Bonnie Raitt, Nina Simone or Ray Charles covering any of these (and yeah, I know it wouldn't be possible for some of them anyway!)

    After listening to it a couple of times, I went back to some of his other relatively recent albums and 'Everytime It Rains' from Bad Love in particular stood out - it was devastingly poignant and more importantly, more melodic than anything I've heard on this.
     
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  12. Bemagnus

    Bemagnus Music is fun

    Guess it all cones down to opnion but....personally I think Dark matter on a sheer musical level is just as good or even better than his last few albums. Of course they are great to. Iv learnt that Randys music sometimes takes a very long time to sink in. My musical favourite on Dark matter might be Sonny Boy that for me is vintage Newman. Great storytelling to. But I enjoy all of it.
     
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  13. Chris C

    Chris C Music was my first love and it will be my last!

    Location:
    Ohio
    I love Randy's version of "Feels Like Home", but I believe that the definitive version of he song is this one by Raul Malo ...

     
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  14. Chris C

    Chris C Music was my first love and it will be my last!

    Location:
    Ohio
    When Randy writes a song like "Feels Like Home", "Ghosts", "Marie", I Think It's Going To Rain Today" or "Every Time It Rains", those are the ones that I love the most. I'm hoping that the new album has at least one of those type of heart breakers? I purposely went to the local CD store today just to buy Randy's new album and guess what ... they didn't order one copy of it! Should I be surprised???
     
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  15. jamesmaya

    jamesmaya Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    :thumbsup:

    Yeah, that reference cracked me up. Short people and scientists get no respect. :D Well, on first listen this is my favorite Randy Newman album since Good Old Boys. He may be a curmudgeon, but he's a curmudgeon with a heart.
     
  16. soundQman

    soundQman Senior Member

    Location:
    Arlington, VA, USA
    Nah. Not even close. Modern production values and dramatic show-tune ballad vocal stylings. Not what the song is about. No emotional vulnerability as in the Newman version. Newman's plaintive singing and humble delivery are what the song needs.
     
    Last edited: Aug 5, 2017
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  17. smoke

    smoke Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago
    The last two cuts are pretty damn poignant, imo. I know how you feel, I felt the same about Harps and Angels, which was ok but not nearly as good as Bad Love, which I still rank as one of his better albums. This one might get there, too. I only heard it one time but I really loved it, and like I said - those last two cuts, wow.
     
  18. Carl Steward

    Carl Steward Forum Resident

    Location:
    Castro Valley, CA
    Not counting the soundtracks, and maybe even the soundtracks, best work since Good Old Boys over 40 years ago.
     
  19. Bemagnus

    Bemagnus Music is fun

    Dark Matter for me is an outstanding effort even compared to Newmans own flawless legazy. It contains everything I love about Newman and some more. The lyrics are dark, humorous, multilayered and covers an amazing rank of subjects. From politics, history, faith versus science to more personal matters . Musically it s a sheer joy with orchestrations rarely heard these days. There are some melodies that belongs to Randys best like Sonny boy(what a track),Wandering boy or Lost without you. The 8minute plus the great debate contains both hilarious lyrics and some stunning musical moments. The wondruous dialoger between the Kennedy Brothers in Brothers is pure genius-both the words and the music that shift from ballad to cuban Rhumba. Newman makes things seem easy but obviosly there is a tremendosly amount of work put in this album. Put in like Putin another piece of sarcastic joy. Putin here is a completely timeless charachterization of any narcissistic strongman one can think of. Dark matter is a true piece of art and well worth the wait. It s not easy listening even though it s easy to listen to. One of the few albums released these days that I without a doubt would call a masterpiece.
     
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  20. Ha me too. Got the litho Un signed but no record !,!?
     
    MRamble likes this.
  21. I wrote Nonesuch this morning and I'm waiting for a reply.... Sending out record boxes with no recored inside is a new one for me :tiphat:
     
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  22. Beaneydave

    Beaneydave Forum Resident

    Maybe that's why the label's called Nonesuch!
    ;)


    Peace and love✌

    Dave
     
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  23. Reader

    Reader Senior Member

    Location:
    e.s.t. tenn.
    Once I ordered three 7" singles from Amazon. A huge box with three of their LP mailers inside arrived and two of them contained nothing. How that happened I'll never know. They did send replacements.

    I'm waiting on my Newman LP and sure hope it's in the box. I'm on the other side of the country so I hope it's here in a day or two.
     
  24. So why would they ship out a silly card in an LP box earlier and separately than the LP ? Waste of postage.

    [​IMG]
     
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  25. Bemagnus

    Bemagnus Music is fun

    Dark Matter is nothing but a masterclass in songwriting and storytelling. Perhaps one of the best I ever heard. Take a song like Lost here without you-a gorgeous irish influenced melody,a wondruous arrangement and a full story of a family facing the death of a mother and wife. Much has need said about Randys skills when it comes to politics-here he shows his mastery of exploring humanity. It s so good I find it hard to believe. Even stranger that there are so few reactions here about this landmark release
     
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