the world isn't fair

Oh god, here I go. My friend Timmy rolls his eyes when I start talking about Randy Newman, which I've been doing with a lot more frequency these days than I ever in my most self-doubting moments assumed I would be. Still, I'm unable to solidly vouch for anything beyond 'Sail Away' and 'Good Old Boys,' mutant masterpieces by this odd literate svengali who was destined to be misunderstood until he finally gave up and began pleading his case to millions of children via their worn-out copies of Toy Story.

He performed several songs on NPR last week and is interviewed by the Onion's AV Club.

So, not expecting this to up my indie cred or provide people anything other than ammunition in any argument involving cultural strata from now to the end of time, I offer 'The World Isn't Fair' from the Randy Newman Songbook Vol. 1, a history lesson/raymond carver/bar joke. All of it at risk of crumbling without his voice, which Mark Deming described as "the model of making the most of a limited instrument." Plus I really like it when he mumbles filler instead of sweating the cadence.

The whole album is a lot richer than an aging soundtrackist and his piano has any right to be, and his deadpan amusement at his own past elevates it to the perfect introduction to the gist of Newman, despite the large gaps of content, and the unique sensibilities he brings to songwriting. Of course, like I said, I talk about this a lot more than I should, and have been repeatedly prone to throwing my arms just a bit wider than they should go in the heat of the moment. Maybe Newman rates his new album best: "It's sort of an ugly Norah Jones record. You can put it on and eat potato chips and drink Pepsi to it, unlike my other records."

Posted by xtop at October 12, 2003 11:57 PM