Good Old Boys

More politically complex versions of the songs from Toy Story 2. The worst one. Actually, 4 is the worst one, but I don't consider that to be in the proper film in the series, as it falls outside of Andy's character arch.

He might know more slurs than chord progressions but ill be damned if he doesn't have panache

I like the potato head the best

The South Park parody of this guy is shockingly accurate. “Naked Man” sounds like Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da’s long-lost crackhead cousin.

Randy Newman’s finest, most complex work and concept album. There’s a quote somewhere—I can’t find it now—from Mr. Newman where he talks about making dinner party music that you can’t play at dinner parties. I believe that was in regards to his 1971 album Sail Away, of which its central song is told from the perspective a slave trader trying to entice an African to “sail away” to America. Well, if any self-effacing white American hosting a dinner party in the early 70s had an awkward moment with the content of that otherwise gentle, bluesy, and sensible pop song, then the color would have been absolutely drained from host and guest face alike when the chorus of “Rednecks” set in. Newman’s dedication to voice, satire, political intent is as punk rock in Good Old Boys as any punk rocker ever was. But even more so, the empathy he shows here—his ability to actually stand in the shoes of the good-old-boy, Southern characters he sketches and breathes life into across this album—makes that satire even harder hitting. It forces the listener to embody a place, a person, a history, and to reckon with a responsibility we all have for the pervasive racism of this country whether in the South, North, East, West…everywhere. That the songs are so stunningly beautiful—“Louisana 1927” is as fine a Randy Neman song I can think of and it has soundly soundtracked these last few months of California 2023 rain for me—makes the satire, history, and characters in this album bright and brilliant beacons. It makes the whole story go down easy, even as it gets hard to swallow. I don’t know how he quite achieves that. And I can’t think of anything else quite like it. Certainly a favorite album of mine. I hope anyone who hadn’t heard this album before and who had gotten into the easy routine of jamming through these 1001 albums each day had a head turning moment with this one! It’s definitely one that benefits from some time spent with it. Malcolm Gladwell did a great Revisionist History podcast on it a few years ago, I recommend checking it out. 5/5.

Hearing Randy Newman say the N word is just way too weird. I truly only know him from Disney work, so it's interesting to hear how that's really HIS sound that Disney 100% just latched on to for toy story and monsters inc hahah. His voice, The piano, the brass, carnival-y instruments at times, all of it! It's catchy folk stuff. I like it!

An inventory of the dirtiest undies in the American laundry basket, arrayed with trenchant humour and rousing arrangements. It's satire that can be called neither scurrilous or mean, simply because it's true. The poor, the rich, the dumb, the educated, the celebrated, and the elected from both sides of the mason-dixon line are implicated in confecting a uniquely American brand of racial and social inequity and iniquity.

It’s possible to make a concept album about the American South without repeatedly using a word white people should not, under any circumstances, be saying. Really.

Are you fucking kidding me with this shit? Randy Newman? It's fine, but why is it on this list? What is special or innovative or interesting about this album? Every single one of his songs sounds the same, and there are soooo many songs on this album. I just don't understand what it is about this album that I'm supposed to give a shit about. 1/5. Fuck you, Randy Newman

It’s not that I don’t like the music, it’s that he’s way too comfortable dropping slurs like that.

I'm pretty sure it's a generational thing but every Randy Newman song sounds like a movie soundtrack to me. Thanks, Pixar. That said, there's definitely some ground covered here that's not going to find its way into a Disney flick. As someone from the south, I think Newman does a masterful job of skewering the worst of what passes for "southern culture" while showing compassion and understanding for the rest. It feels very authentic to my experience growing up in the south and it's made all the more palatable wrapped in Newman's specific brand of upbeat style and expert delivery.

i went into this knowing that it was singer/songwriter focused on satire, politics, history, etc etc. so i made sure to read the lyrics as i listened so that they wouldn't just pass me by like they usually do. sonically this is pretty, but not like, amazing or anything. lyrically, i can see what this is trying to do, and appreciate it (especially on songs like redneck or louisiana 1927 where it's more focused), but overall i think it's a little shallow? quite a few of these songs either don't really have anything to do with the theme at all, or are just sorta silly. maybe i dont have the context required to appreciate naked man and a wedding in cherokee county? if i was rating this on a purely sonic level it'd be, like, a high 7 or a looow 8, but the lyrics alternate between demanding too much attention and not meaning much at all, so to me they just bring the album down! still good, but not great. 7/10

I'm not sure I like spicy Toy Story...

I do not like Randy Newman.

Je tenais dans ce review à réagir à la dernière note attribuée par mon camarade d'écoute l'insipide robespierre. En effet, ce dernier a defrayé la chronique en attribuant la simple note de 2/5 au dernier album de Bob Dylan, Highway 61 Revisited. Même si cette note est evidemment choquante, il y a des explications à aller chercher dans l'enfance de rob. Mais laissez moi vous raconter son histoire. Je connais rob depuis maintenant de nombreuses années, comme déjà expliqué dans plusieurs de mes reviews que vous suivez assidûment. Il faut savoir que rob a pendant longtemps tenté de devenir un chanteur du générateur, venant ennuyer tout le monde avec sa guitare de merde. Or, à cette époque, rob ne se contentait que de jouer des reprises de Bob Dylan. La qualité étant vous vous en doutez plus que douteuse, rob n'a jamais percé, et garde depuis cette époque une rancune tenace à l'égard de Bob Dylan, le tenant pour responsable de son échec. Un jour, il m'a même déclaré "Si j'avais choisi de faire des reprises de Hugh Masekala, je serai au moins deux fois plus connu aujourd'hui". J'acquiesai pour ne pas le vexer, en lui demandant de lâcher mon bras par la même occasion. Cette note n'est donc pas représentative de la qualité de l'album de Dylan, elle est seulement teintée de subjectivité et de haine.

Even as satire using the n word in a song hasn’t aged well

These are, without a doubt, some of music's songs. Truly one of the albums, even!

oh man, I really dont know what to think about this. I think firstly I dont appreciate the implication of southern = dumb, so this feels a little like punching down to me. Similar to short people honestly. I suppose the music sounds very Newman if you're into his vibe.

keeping the nigels down. you can't go singing about keeping the nigels down in these woke times even if you are doing a sacha baren cohen switcheroo thing. nigels lives matter. this is americas pale imitation of chas and dave.

very cool, toy story man

stirring, thoughtful, somehow so of its time and yet progressive and southern and just cool man i dig this

Scathing!

Again, gut-punching lyrics hidden in affable music. And sometimes affable lyrics with gut-punching effect. It's pretty amazing.

So many complicated feelings. I feel like I've been kicked in the teeth while listening to some pretty piano playing. Oh, Randy Newman, nobody does satire like you.

Daring, witty and biting. Breezy and accessible, but smartly and elegantly arranged. Randy Newman has a true gift for crafting songs that feel lived in and authentic, but are pointed in their satire. It's not something we expect to hear much in pop music and Newman has really carved out a niche in the genre that no one else really occupies. Newman wants you to understand why Johnny Cutler is the way he is, without letting him (or Southerners) off the hook for any of it. And while he's at it, Newman makes clear that politicians and white Northerners' hands aren't clean either. This a surprisingly clear eyed view on this subject, decades before the idea of systemic racism was commonly discussed. It's nuanced in the way satire often is, in a way that would be immediately misunderstood were the album to come out today. I almost went for a 4, but this is such a singular work, such a testament to Newman's talents and what you can accomplish with music. And, even with the subject matter, these songs are great fun to hear. Fave Songs (All songs, from most to least favorite): Guilty, Marie, Louisiana 1927, A Wedding in Cherokee County, Back on My Feet Again, Rednecks, Kingfish, Birmingham, Naked Man, Rollin', Mr. President (Have Pity on the Working Man), Every Man a King

edgy classic american songwriting

Listening to 'Good Old Boys' by Randy Newman was a truly unique experience for me. I remember the first time I heard this album as someone who wasn't familiar with Newman's work beyond his contributions to the Toy Story soundtracks. It completely blew me away, from that point forward I thought so so so much higher of Randy as a songwriter (not that I didn't already regard him as a good one!) Tracks like 'Rednecks' and 'Mr. President (Have Pity On the Working Man)' stood out to me with their stirring social commentary and great piano playing. The album's centerpiece (in my mind) is 'Marie'. Yes, I know 'Rednecks' establishes the whole concept of this album and really turns heads with it lyrics. 'Marie' is just a beautifully sad piano ballad that will always stick with me. That realization the narrator has at the end about how he failed his lover is just so heartbreaking. 'Naked Man' and 'Rollin'' were also memorable tracks that told great stories stories. The former a recounting of the wild and crazy Naked Man who reminds me of a typical "bad" homeless encounter. The latter being, in my mind, a great closer to the album showing that the narrator is content with just sitting on his easy chair drinking some whisky. 'Good Old Boys' is a fantastic album. Randy's storytelling and piano-playing is just on point. He isn't afraid to touch on social problems that are deep-rooted while also adding a little bit of tongue-in-cheek fun to the mix. He's not making fun OF these topics, he's making fun WITH these topics. That's not easy. The music itself is also outstanding, with great brass backing and other musical elements that really elevate each track. This one's a high 4 rounded up to a 5 for me.

El tema back on my feet again, dije esteee temaaa me suena a otro de una peli animada muy famosa.. y claramente lo es.. Es el que hizo el tema de un gran amigo fiel de toy story. El disco me está gustando mucho. Me sorprendió.

Disney music feat. several drops of the N-word. A match made in heaven. It's catchy. It's probably the same song repeated 12 times. It works.

Vocals sound like Ray Charles at times. Some piano ragtime influences. Commentary on the deep south. N word used repeat6in first song Redneck

Holy shit!

Pretty cool album, I like the concept, the satire, his voice, and songwriting. Good album

Interesting jump from guy who wrote the Toy Story Music to Rednecks, but still retains the same sound in both sounds. Rednecks is a too long of a convo for this review, but its definitely a song worth listening to, thinking and having a convo about

The winsome rubberiness of Newman's voice called me back, so dispelling the suspicion of kitsch and corn I held over the songs. Deceptively easy, they have splinters and the odd refrain I found myself singing back.

I liked this a lot more than the previous Newman on here. Easy to dismiss as "Toy Story but racist", but the empathy seems genuine and the song quality is high, good tunes. A pleasant surprise

This is the original version of the Toy Story soundtrack based on the first draft of the script where Woody is a horrific racist and a raging alcoholic

Me thinking about Rednecks: y'know, this is pretty good satire for 1974. Making fun of northerners stereotyping southerners as racist despite engaging in de facto segregation is a cool thing to do in your opening song. Me listening to Rednecks: wow Randy Newman says the n-word a LOT and also says it in a way that seems like he's kinda savoring it.

did the toy story guy just say the n-word with a hard r????????????????

A nice vibe, and I like the anti-racist, America-critical lyrics. But it gets very samey, and it is downright jarring to hear Mr. Pixar Songs singing the N-word.

Randy Newman est un drôle de personnage, si vous voulez que je vous donne le fond de ma pensée. Comme vous le savez depuis bien longtemps, eltrapeze n'est autre que mon compagnon d'écoute sur ce générateur. Le moins que l'on puisse dire est que je ne l'ai jamais tenu en haute estime. L'anecdote que je m'apprête à vous raconter, je ne pensais jamais la dévoiler. Le simple fait de la rendre publique tournerait l'intéressé en ridicule pour le restant de ses jours. Mais, au vu des attaques qu'il m'a adressées dans sa dernière critique, je suis dans l'obligation de lui répondre. L'histoire remonte à 2015. eltrapeze et moi devons en juin de cette même année passer notre examen final afin d'obtenir le précieux sésame qu'est le diplôme de connaisseur de musique. Hasard ou non, pour la première épreuve, je suis convoqué à 13h15, et eltrapeze à 13h. Lorsque j'arrive ce jour-là devant la salle d'examen, un professeur ouvre la porte et s'exclame : « eltrapeze ?! ». Notre ami tout chétif s'avance et passe la porte avant que le professeur ne la claque. Pour vous donner plus de contexte, l'épreuve en question est divisée en deux : quinze minutes de préparation et quinze minutes de passage devant un jury de quinze professionnels. Le sujet sur lequel nous allons être interrogé fait partie des cinq suivants: De qui Mike Ladd est-il le fils ? Entre Isaac Hayes et Marvin Gaye, lequel des deux est le plus sexuel ? Reproduisez la position signature d'Iggy Pop. Qui est le chef de file du genre homosexual pop ? Mimez sa gestuelle. Le Sujet Mystère. Je me retrouve donc à attendre une quinzaine de minutes avant que la porte ne s'ouvre de nouveau. Une élève que je connais de vue pour l'avoir cotoyée en 3ème baroque-pop sort alors de la salle en larmes. « Robbachelière ?! » s'écrie le professeur, passant sa tête à travers la porte. J'entre alors dans la fameuse salle et m'avance vers le jury qui me tend cinq bouts de papier. J'en pioche un au hasard et le retourne. Il s'agit du Sujet Mystère. Ce sujet est un peu particulier dans le sens où son dévoilement n'est prévu qu'au moment de passer devant le jury. Je m'en vais alors prendre place sur une table du fond de la salle, sors un stylo et commence tout de même à brouillonner quelques notes. « C'est à vous, eltrapeze. » lance alors l'un des examinateurs. Notre ami sursaute et, après quelques secondes de concentration, se lève de sa chaise puis s'avance vers son auditoire. « À mon top, vous aurez quinze minutes pour nous reproduire la position signature d'Iggy Pop. Top ! » eltrapeze parait à ce moment précis complètement déboussolé. Il hésite, se gratte la tête, se ronge quelques ongles ; on souffre pour lui. Il se décide soudain à lever un pied et à tendre lentement ses bras vers le ciel. Une fois stable, il maintient sa position. Les membres du jury échangent alors des regards dubitatifs. « C'est Iggy Pop, ça ?! » lance l'un d'eux. eltrapeze semble totalement anéanti mais ne se démonte pas. Il repose le pied au sol, baisse les bras puis tente une toute nouvelle position. Il écarte les jambes, penche son corps vers l'avant et pose ses doigts sur le bout de ses chaussures. « On parle bien du Iggy Pop des Stooges, hein ?.. Hein eltrapeze ?! » lui crie-t-on. Ce dernier se redresse et laisse apparaître un visage baigné de transpiration. Son corps entier se met soudain à trembler devant l'indifférence la plus totale des membres du jury. Il s'écroule alors sur le sol et se retrouve bientôt baigné dans une flaque d'urine de sa propre provenance. Deux infirmiers entrent alors et débarrassent la salle de son corps inconscient. « Bien, Robbachelière, c'est à vous. À mon top, vous prendrez connaissance du sujet mystère et aurez quinze minutes pour y répondre. Top : Quel chanteur s'est fait connaître en hurlant à la mort après s'être coincé sa coupe mulet dans les cordes de sa guitare électrique en plein enregistrement de son album Nebraska ? » J'esquisse un sourire et réponds avec sérénité : « C'est Bruce Springsteen, bien sûr. » Le jury se lève alors comme un seul homme et applaudit ma réponse pendant les quatorze minutes restantes de mon passage.

This is a difficult one to review. At first I thought it was overtly racist, but I do believe it's a critique of racism, after reading the lyrics. Still a white person saying the n word makes me uncomfortable, even if he's actually pointing out how racist both northern's and southerners were. I saw someone describe this as dinner party music that will never be played at a dinner party because it will offend the dinner party. It's pretty accurate. I'm not typically seeking out that vibe. I like the vocals, I like the instrumentation ok. Has a new orlean's meets disney vibe lol. But I don't think satire works well in music. It doesn't come across as easy as in other mediums.

Lasted half way. Not sure I was really hoping to hear Woody from toy story mug off the southern states before I die but fair enough. Happily will erase this from my memory now.

Interesting trolling

Like listening to the soundtrack of some messed up Disney Pixar movie.

Like toy story but hellish

If I could give it 0 stars I would.

First song has several repetitions of a white guy saying the N word. I stopped listening once I noticed, I'd rather not send any royalties Randy's way. I get that this album is the 70s, but I'm not.

Randy's lyrics are basic and have the nuance of the blaring rays of the summertime Sun.

I know its satirical but I can't get over some of the lyrics.

This is not an album I needed to hear before I died.

Nah

Highly literate, wholly convincing mixture of biting and tender songs.

This is one of the most brilliant albums that I've heard and the first best album that has been recommended that I hadn't already heard

I loved it. It sounds like all my childhood favorite movie soundtracks but slightly different. interesting opening song. not sure what to think

Wow the only record of his I own. Being from the south, there isn’t much music outside of country that turns its focus down here. I can’t think of a better album to represent the old south Rating: 4.9

A warts and all exploration of the south told by a master storyteller. Great stuff that will get under your skin.

Great blues album, about hardships of being black in the deep south. Great message and great sound

Can almost give this a 5 for “Rednecks” alone. Ballsy, patriotic, and heart-crushingly tender, this album is a true salute to the Deep South. I would have loved to hear it performed in Georgia, with Newman conducting the Atlanta Orchestra.

I totally was into this album. Sarcasm! an indictment of the current system ( at the time) in politics. And very unapologetic about dealing with racism in the moment. I will listen to this album again because it is great music and very entertaining. Loved it way more than I thought I would.

So pleasant and easy to throw on and let ride

god DAMN! I love you Randy ❤️ 10/10

racy themes great songwriting

That first song caught me off guard. Once I learned it was satire it was better.

He is one of the best ever

Oh hey, it's the toy story guy.

Easy 5!

what a racist

"ahhh cool an album by the Toy Story guy, this ought to be fun and innocent" ---Opening Song--- "Uhm, this must have been about Woody's sordid past, lets go watch Monster's Inc. instead"

Delicious lyrics and quirky orchestration!

Surprise rage from Randy

Well, I wasn’t expecting this so soon after Sail Away, early Christmas present I guess. It’s albums like this that make me appreciate how far we still have to go. It’s easy to forget sometimes, but the Civil Rights movement in the USA was only 60 years ago. I kinda don’t want to get into anything too heavy on Christmas morning, so I’m just gonna say that Rednecks is one of the greatest works of political satire ever written, both the chorus and the second verse just hit like sledgehammers every time. And every other song is just great. Newman is able to be both acidic and sympathetic towards his characters, which is the best thing a writer can attempt to be

I had a cassette tape of the Blues Brothers growing up and one song done by John Belushi was Guilty. I always thought it was the perfect song for him but had no clue where it came from until now. This was phenomenal. I almost did a spit take at Rednecks. This is powerful song writing. I had no clue Randy Newman had done this.

I am a sucker for albums that explore history and regional identity which is one of the reasons Sufjan Stevens is one of my favorite artists. This album by Randy Newman combines that historical regionalism with a biting satire which animates the institutional racism in the south and the hypocrisy of the north. There are some beautifully earnest songs on the album as well which seems to suggest that Newman is sympathetic to the humanity of his subjects while acknowledging the societal issues they take part in and reinforce. The result is a stunning album that portrays the American South as a complex backdrop. Musically, Newman is unique. During the 70s, he was not afraid to feature dancehall and musical theatre influences in his music which works to great effect here. His film/tv composition background is on full display and he utilizes it to ground his lyrics in very American forms of music.

Excellent follow up to “Sail Away”.

I enjoyed this one very much.

I keep underestimating Randy Newman. All the charm of the Toy Story soundtrack with some very pointed, biting lyrics that really pull no punches. After nearly 50(!) years these lyrics are often shocking, juxtaposing wildly with those Toy Story expectations I get from the music. But I ended up really impressed. Another great album from Randy Newman.

This album was fantastic! Before today, I had only known Randy's work with Toy Story and Monsters Inc. This album strayed from that quite a bit with the first song!! Redneck is the first song on the album, and is sung from the perspective of a racist from the southern US. The N-word comes out a few times, which shocked the shit out of me, given all I knew of Randy. Redneck was an amazing song that was a sadly true glimpse at the state of things in the southern US in the 70's. Randy is such a fantastic storyteller. He had such a way to paint vibrant pictures with his lyrics. Through his lyrics he spins storys complete with humour, love, and political issues. I thoroughly enjoyed this album today, and will definately listen again! Favourite songs: Back On My Feet Again, Redneck, Louisiana 1927, Birmingham, Kingfish, A Wedding in a Cherokee County, Naked Man Least favourite song: Every Man A King 5/5

Loved it. Great lyrics, music. Loved Marie

Love itttt

meh

Randy Newman is an amazing songwriter. I was really looking forward to the album. Then that first song came on. And I was like "wait, did he just say what I _HEARD_ him say?" I had to go look up the song and understand the context. I mean "Rednecks," right? Obviously, a song like this would have been different now. Heck, I remember when "Cop Killer" came out by Body Count (remember that pleasant little ditty?). It was not supposed to be singing about killing police, but playing a role. Same kind of thing here for that first track. It's not Newman is singing about being a redneck, but roleplaying. Still it's hard to wrap my head around. And I know it would not have been received so well in today's society. The other songs are classic Randy Newman. It's just that first song will make you pause without context, you know? Still going to give it 5 starts, but yikes.

randy newman says the n word lol

This one really surprised me. Newman is so affable.

Classic US - Entertainer sound

Never heard him outside Disney movies. I enjoyed that! Some pretty insightful lyrics.

Mixed feelings.. Lyrics are disturbing. Reviews elsewhere reveal this. But the sound and feel audio wise, is very appealing. I don't know what to think. Maybe 4 stars, it's got something, and I want to hear the album unpacked by wiser minds than me, from a music viewpoint and from a racism viewpoint. That the album exists, is that white privilege? From today? Or the time of the album's release? What do colored folks feel about the album if it is a wry deconstruction of racism? What it it's straight out racist? But the sound is really engaging to me. I'm.perplexd. and for that, it's a good album.

p333. 1974. 4 stars. American satire at it's finest, with lyrics as sharp as a stiletto, and some great tunes. Guaranteed to cause offence. Strange that you can tune into any radio and hear rappers talk about n****s, but you'll never hear "Rednecks" played.

Probably need to listen to it a few more times to truly get it.

This plays an awful lot like a metropolitan Tom Waits. For how much I love Waits, I don’t know how I feel about this. Newman spins a nice yarn I suppose, but it lack the grittiness. However, he didn’t pull punches on the red necks, which I appreciate. I think online this after all. Maybe we just need more storytellers.

Holy shit it's the guy who did 'You've Got a Friend in Me". I friggin love this guy! Going off of Spotify streams, it seems most of Randy Newman's most popular songs are Pixar scores - but before all that, there was this album: 'Good Old Boys'. Some moments here remind me a lot of Tom Waits' early works but less bar-fly and more pop. It's a cheery-sounding album a lot of the time but the lyrics on many of these songs tell a different story - like on the songs 'Mr. President (...)' and especially the opener 'Rednecks' which is one of the most striking criticisms of southern (and northern) racism I've heard from this time. There are also a few songs here dedicated to his hometown of Louisiana like the aptly titled 'Louisiana 1927' and 'Kingfish'. Lyrically speaking, it's as American as can get - albeit in an undeniably sarcastic and tongue-in-cheek way. It's a great album lyrically with quite a lot to chew on and the production and instrumentation here are lush and diverse all throughout its generous runtime. It's easy listening. But ultimately, it's Newman's singing flow and vocal style that gripped me the most here. It's such a loveable voice that works marvels in every context here, be it the slower songs, or the more upbeat ones. Such a great album and a tremendously enjoyable listen.

An interesting overall concept album (or at least strongly themed as one in its original release) that both presents a picture and makes commentary on it.

That first track is wild.

This is an album I struggle to rate. Is a concept album, based on the American south. It hits on some important topics. It has some historical facts. It’s clever. I suppose I need to give it credit for all that. That said, It is pretty dull to listen to. I’m would give it four stars because of all the historical commentary but it’s probably a 2.5 as a listener. This one really is all about the lyrics.

Yeah i liked this a lot :) converted

Some truly excellent socio political commentary and excellent satire that, sadly, is still relevant 50 years later. Didn't expect to like this but it defied my expectations.

Few white men can get away with using the sort language and words, that Newman carefully weaves into his sharp and satirical storytelling. It’s a thin line, but he balances perfectly.

14/9/24 Surprisingly enjoyed this album. Easy listen

i can't believe this works

Hadn't heard the album before, but I had heard a song or two. Really good songwriting. I like his willingness to take on some pretty difficult topics. I also like the nuance of his cultural commentary...Rednecks is critical of both the racist southerners and the self-righteous northerners. He adopts the perspectives of Southerners in generally empathetic terms. I also like the Ragtime-tinged Americana of the music.

Funny, and not a bad album!