Harps & Angels

His humor and wit cannot be matched. I enjoy listening to this at work...puts a smile on my face.

This is a one-song album for me. "Feels Like Home" is one of the most touching and beautiful ballads ever written; the rest of the stuff is hardly listenable.

Newman insists on putting politics into his music, of all the things in the world, but he is no Tom Lehrer, not by light years.

At 50 years of age this is my first Newman album. Great melodies, lyrics and singing. All beautifully arranged and performed. Very funny,very sad,sometimes both at the same time. Can someone recommend some more of his recordings?

Now, I LOVE Randy Newman, but it has happened before, some of his older albums were simply generic blues... sounds all the same, and none of it very interesting.

But, going back twenty years or so, with the "Born Again" Album, "Trouble in Paradise", "Little Criminals", and especially "Land of Dreams" we were given really very good MUSIC. I play piano myself, and at least one or two songs per Album were fun to play. Not like all his earlier stuff, just stupid drug soaked sorry for yourself minority Blues. Besides, Newman is no Black. The man could be a Banker if he wanted. Playing that thick lipped Blues style, pretending to be so dizzy ... I should hope he is just trying to kid somebody.

And here, in "Harps & Angels" Newman has returned to his earliest primitive style, as though he had forgotten everything he learned, the most symplistic Blues. Even where the lyrics are intrigueing, as on track number two, an old man lamenting past love, still the Blues tune is so predictable. You don't have to buy it. You already know it.

I guess some Record Company Suit told Randy that Lyrics are the only thing that matters, that everybody was buying the stuff because the lyrics were so smart. Randy must have been holding off, waiting to come up with some new catchy tunes, but the Record Company couldn't wait. Well, they should have.

Now I don't regret having bought "Angels & Harps" though I simply threw it in the trash. Poor Randy needs some retirement. I'll toss him a few bucks. I don't resent him pocket money. But I used to admire Randy Newman.

Now I pity him.

So buy "Angels & Harps". Randy must need the money really bad.

Same old Randy at his critical best. I wish it would have been longer.