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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Three songs into Bad Love, Randy Newman lobs a smart bomb into the bunker of classic rock, impersonating a boomer-aged rocker just going through the motions, "Each record that [he's] making ... like a record that [he's] made--just not as good." Giving the punch line added snap is the happy irony of Newman's own music at midlife, which proves as perceptive, funny, and, yes, moving as any he's recorded. Comparisons to past triumphs are inevitable here, and mostly favourable, starting with the mock piety of "My Country", an anthem to America's virtual family life entranced by television, "having other people's voices fill our minds." Elsewhere, he grins through a new geopolitical patter song ("The Great Nations of Europe"), undertakes his own dialectic on materialism with the ghost of Karl Marx ("The World Isn't Fair"), and, in the album's mordant zenith, conjures the sputtering jealousy and lust of an elderly New Orleans burgher smitten by a sweet young thing. That song, "Shame", embellishes a piano blues that might have fit snugly on 12 Songs, with choral and instrumental flourishes that are apt and hilarious--mocking female singers repeat the title in frank emulation of Sylvia Robinson's venerable disco hit, while elsewhere Newman's arrangements suggest Carl Stalling's vivid Looney Tunes scores. --Sam Sutherland
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
By J. Skade
VINE™ VOICE
Format:Audio CD
Newman's albums come along infrequently and are always anxiously awaited by those of us who love his special brand of music. One day perhaps he will disappoint us, but not here. Age has not smoothed any of the edges from his talent and a string of successful film scores have not depleted his musical imagination.
This album is nigh on perfect.
'This Is My Country' which opens the album is an incisive and strangely moving picture of family life based around a tv set. It is a classic. Other highlights are the interplay of lead voice and backing vocals in 'Shame' (sung by one of Newman's most loathsome characters), the beautiful melody of 'Every Time It Rains' (ripe for covering),the bite of 'The World Isn't Fair' and 'Great Nations of Europe' which display a more political dimension to the satire ( can I hear a Gilbert and Sullivan influence on these numbers?). If there is nothing as strong as, say 'Sail Away' here,it is as good an album as Newman has made since 'Good Old Boys' at least.
This album is nigh on perfect.
'This Is My Country' which opens the album is an incisive and strangely moving picture of family life based around a tv set. It is a classic. Other highlights are the interplay of lead voice and backing vocals in 'Shame' (sung by one of Newman's most loathsome characters), the beautiful melody of 'Every Time It Rains' (ripe for covering),the bite of 'The World Isn't Fair' and 'Great Nations of Europe' which display a more political dimension to the satire ( can I hear a Gilbert and Sullivan influence on these numbers?). If there is nothing as strong as, say 'Sail Away' here,it is as good an album as Newman has made since 'Good Old Boys' at least.
Perhaps it is too late for Newman to win even a fraction of the audience he deserves, but for those willing to listen and lucky enough to stumble across this album they will find a 12 step lesson in classic songwriting.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
By S J Buck
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Audio CD
I can't praise this album high enough. Randy Newman returns with another brilliant recording. As an example of song-writing and performing skills this will take some beating.
There are tear jerkers like 'Every Time It Rains' ironic songs like 'The World Isn't Fair' all arranged and performed with Newmans distinctive southern drawl and under-rated Piano playing. This album also has a band and occasionally orchestral arrangements.
For me this is up there with his best work, perhaps not quite as good as Sail Away, but its very close. These days Randy Newman doesn't produce that many albums, and performs even less frequently, so get this album to remind yourself just how good he really is.
There are tear jerkers like 'Every Time It Rains' ironic songs like 'The World Isn't Fair' all arranged and performed with Newmans distinctive southern drawl and under-rated Piano playing. This album also has a band and occasionally orchestral arrangements.
For me this is up there with his best work, perhaps not quite as good as Sail Away, but its very close. These days Randy Newman doesn't produce that many albums, and performs even less frequently, so get this album to remind yourself just how good he really is.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By wiz
Format:Audio CD
One of the most universally admired and critically acclaimed, multi-oscar-winning song-writers, this old-timer still has one hell of a lot to say. Randy Newman is one of those guys who writes songs straight from his cynical, sardonic, soleful heart with more than a hint of black-comedy. Laden with pathos and humour in equal measure, this album sounds like it was written by a 60 year-old with more than a life-time's worth of broken hearts and hate-mail, but lucky for us, he likes to sing about it.
Picking highlights from this excellent album is hard - the hillarious "Shame" and "I'm Dead But I Don't Know It"(about an ageing, out of date, singer-song writer who just won't shut up...) or the beautiful "Every Time It Rains" (possibly the sweetest lost-love song ever recorded -written and sung as only Newman knows how... ) and "I Miss You" (a candid account of a love affair that never happened... "It's a little bit late, twenty years or so" )...
When you're taking time out from listening to whatever you normally listen to, listen to a superbly crafted, subtle, album, with real songs, written with a life-time's real experience.
Picking highlights from this excellent album is hard - the hillarious "Shame" and "I'm Dead But I Don't Know It"(about an ageing, out of date, singer-song writer who just won't shut up...) or the beautiful "Every Time It Rains" (possibly the sweetest lost-love song ever recorded -written and sung as only Newman knows how... ) and "I Miss You" (a candid account of a love affair that never happened... "It's a little bit late, twenty years or so" )...
When you're taking time out from listening to whatever you normally listen to, listen to a superbly crafted, subtle, album, with real songs, written with a life-time's real experience.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
New songs to add to the old collection
Randy Newman has been around for a long time.As with so many great artists, when you buy "the best of" albums, many fine songs are missing. Read more
Published on 10 Jan 2002
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another classic Randy Newman album
Having only really known about Randy Newman's work for just under a year, I had been putting off buying this album, as most places I saw it, it cost nearly twice as much as the... Read more
Published on 19 Feb 2001
5.0 out of 5 stars
Worth the wait
It's been over ten years since Randy Newman released his last studio album. But I've got to say that it has been well worth the wait, 'Bad Love' is a fantastic piece of work that... Read more
Published on 28 Oct 2000
5.0 out of 5 stars
He's still the man!
Bought this CD with some trepidation as I loved his earlier stuff and didn't want to regret buying it later on. Read more
Published on 13 Aug 2000
5.0 out of 5 stars
Top man returns
It's been a long time coming -but that's given us time to savour the old stuff. Now here's the new stuff, and Randy Newman proves that age doesn't necessarily dampen a cynical... Read more
Published on 7 Dec 1999
4.0 out of 5 stars
Randy Newman can still deliver in his middle age
Randy has produced a masterwork, which again offers his acidic view of the world. The TV obsessed family, rock stars passed their sell-by date, the imperialist nations of Europe... Read more
Published on 18 Nov 1999
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