The Definitive 1000 Songs Of All Time 1955 to 2005: Number 958

Friday, August 04, 2006

Number 958 - Randy Newman

Number 958

Randy Newman

"Big Hat, No Cattle"

(1999)

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Genre:Singer/Sonwriter

You would probably argue Randy Newman doesn't belong in the definitive 1000, but geez if you heard this song you would laff, its part country and part satire of country music.

Now many who know me i am a very big fan of "modern" country music, but i am not allergic to humour of this genre (hell, have a listen to the movie Team America and their take of a quiet moment with a "send up" of a country song, classic stuff really)

Ok, your asking who the frag is Randy Newman, well he aint a comedian (most times anyway)......
First of all he's a pop singer (yup) well now he is anyway, he use to be a singer songwriter.(apparently there's a difference)

Randy Newman was an anomaly among early-'70s singer/songwriters. Though he was slightly influenced by Bob Dylan, his music owed more to New Orleans R&B and traditional pop than folk. Newman developed an idiosyncratic style that alternated between sweeping, cinematic pop and rolling R&B, which were tied together by his nasty sense of humour.

Where his peers concentrated on confessional songwriting, Newman drew characters, creating a world filled with misfits, outcasts, charlatans, and con men. Though he occasionally showed sympathy for his characters, he became well known for his biting sense of satire, highlighted by his fluke 1978 hit "Short People" and his parody of '80s yuppies, "I Love L.A." While Newman's records consistently received strongly positive reviews, he made his money through composing film scores for films like Ragtime and The Natural.

His albums may never have sold in large amounts, but his work influenced several generations of songwriters, including Lyle Lovett and Mark Knopfler."

For Bob Dylan see Number 491, #841 & #929

For Mark Knopfler see Number 610

Well, he belongs here in this 1000 ...why? So i can keep an eye on him

What does Rolling Stone think of Mr Newman?

Randy Newman writes mordant, ironic, concise songs with chromatic twists worthy of George Gershwin and Kurt Weill. He sings in a deep drawl and accompanies himself on piano (Fats Domino was an early hero) and often tours alone. Newman tends to write lyrics about characters usually bordering on the pathological: bigots, perverts, slaveship captains, ELO fans. While this practice tends to limit his pop appeal, a few of his songs have been widely covered, and he has a solid cult following. He has had one major hit single - "Short People" (#2, 1978) - and recorded other popular songs, including “The Blues” (#54, 1983) and “I Love L.A.” Since the ’80s he has also established himself as a leading composer of movie soundtracks, collecting 13 Oscar nominations for his efforts. ~ [Source:Rolling Stone - from The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll Simon & Schuster, 2001]

For ELO see Number 790

Rolling Stone Top 500 Songs ranked this song at Number (Randy did make "their" Top 500 with another song "Sail Away") and the Album ranked at Number (believe it or not 3 times there, just not this one)

This song has a crowbarred rating of 52.5 out of 108

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