Friday Playlist: Late Randy Newman

To paraphrase Bill Murray: There are two types of people in this world, those who love Randy Newman, and those who hate him (What About Bob?...underrated movie everybody should watch). Those of us who love Randy Newman should rise up and kill the other type. If the lyrics are completely made up on the spot with no effort put into them, how can they be so spot-on so often? How are the arrangements not just so stunningly complex (and not just for a usual singer/songwriter album), but also beautiful? Leonard Cohen is life in an ashram, Johnny Cash is life in a dive bar, Bob Dylan is life on the open American road. Randy Newman is life. Life as it happens, life as it is, life in all its chaos; random, sentimental and sadistic, real and surreal, funny and sad, political and personal, abstract and direct, deep and cheap. Life.



We're not even getting into Randy Newman's musical: Faust. But just look at the original cast:

• Devil: Randy Newman
• Lord: James Taylor
• Henry Faust: Don Henley
• Angel Rick: Elton John
• Margaret: Linda Ronstadt
• Martha: Bonnie Raitt

...Somehow, the idea of James Taylor as the Lord makes you understand why the Devil wants to rebel...

My Country (LastFM)

Losing You

A Few Words In Defense of Our Country

Shame

A Piece of the Pie

Every Time It Rains (Joe Cocker cover)

Korean Parents

I Miss You

The Great Nations of Europe

Feels Like Home

The World Isn't Fair

Better off Dead

Going Home (Last FM)

I'm Dreaming of a White President

When I'm Gone

And of course...how could we leave out this?: