Good Old Boys

It's a brave white man who leads off an album in 1974 with a song that drops the N-word at least half a dozen times as the refrain of the chorus. It's a satire - and a good one - but if you don't listen to the lyrics very carefully, that's easy to miss. Beyond that, this sounds like all the other Randy Newman albums I've heard, in that every song sounds exactly the same musically but the lyrics are clever enough to deserve more interesting music.

An unmistakable voice to say the least. I only knew of him for his movie songs before today. It was a fun time listening through and has some really good songs. It also has a lot of songs that just kind of went by without making an impression on me at all. As a whole the album is good but not something I will come back to except for one song I added to some playlists.

Randy Newman, a name which is always present but I never listened a full album. The voice of Newman gives every song something special, making songs somewhat timeless. The album could use a bit more diversity between the tracks.

YOU GOT A FRIEND IN ME

Pretty much sounds like the two songs I know from Rany Newman, the Friend song and the Cleveland song. So he's consistent in his sound at least. At least except for Every Man a King. Naked Man is a little cheesy as well. Overall OK, probably wouldn't listen to it again though. 3/5

I like Randy Newman and the rest of the songs on this album are good, it's just you know that

Randy Newman…. Zijn stemgeluid brengt je meteen terug in de nostalgie van You got a Friend in me. Muzikaal vind ik zijn muziek altijd prima in elkaar zitten, het vertelt een verhaal. Het probleem zit hem voor mij in het stemgeluid van Newman. Het klinkt altijd een beetje of het wordt gezongen door iemand die een doofstom is? Alsof er iemand met een beperking zingt. Ik wordt altijd een beetje naar van zijn stemgeluid… brrrrrrr

Randy newman het lukt mij niet om hem serieus te nemen. De liedjes zijn een beetje simpel, veel herhaling in de teksten en ik hou gewoon niet van zijn stemgeluid.

Ik denk heel erg ondergewaardeerd. Een van de betere songwriters en goede verhalenverteller. Het doet mij soms een beetje denken aan Daniel Lohues alleen dan iets scherper. Beschouwend, tragikomisch, soms wat ironisch of weemoedig. Thema’s als rasisme, seksisme en erg kritisch naar maatschappelijke kwesties. De personages met soms wat discutabele denkbeelden of acties zonder ze te karikaturiseren maakt de satire pijnlijker en effectiever dan wanneer hij ze gewoon had veroordeeld of een groot anti establishment geluid had gehad. Heb tijdens het luisteren soort mini trip naar het zuiden van America alsof je er een keer bent bent geweest. Fijne plaat, de zuidelijke piano heeft wel een leuk gek dingetje, de bigband mag iets minder maar dat is misschien een mode/smaak dingetje. 4.4

Ik ben vaker getipt om naar Randy Newman te luisteren, ik heb het eerder geprobeerd maar ’t is niet echt blijven hangen. Aan zijn muzikaliteit ligt het niet, Newman heeft een enorme achtergrond als filmcomponist en arrangeur. We kennen natuurlijk dat liedje van Toy Story, maar hij heeft ook muziek gemaakt voor A Bug's Life, Monsters, Inc., The Princess and the Frog en nog veel meer. Eigenlijk hoor je dat filmische ook goed terug in dit album, waar verschillende scènes uit Zuiderlijk Amerika filmisch worden gearrangeerd. Zo’n heel orkest ben ik over het algemeen niet zo fan van, misschien moet het iets meer aan me groeien, of moet ik me er iets meer voor openstellen. Ik merk dat ik het moeilijk vind te beoordelen, aangezien het wel erg goed in elkaar steekt. 3.5

All of his songs sound like they’re satire because of his voice. I can tell the sentimental ones are meant to be sincere but they sound silly. He’s a good songwriter and the music was excellent, but that voice is goofy.

Упитанный загородный техасский люкс. Размеренный и к чему стремящийся или считающий себя не тем кем он является деревенский богач, по совместительству обожающий музыку, именно поэтому каждый вечер в своем же кабаке заполняет пространство одним и тем же, но столь эмоционально, что начинает казаться, что ты на реальном концерте. Оценка 5/10

Loved Sail Away but found this boring. Maybe it needed a few more listens, but it didn't seen to have as much of the wit and the songs all sounded the same

Not for me

Not too bad but not too great. Kind of jarring to hear the guy that wrote the soundtrack for Toy Story sing the N word with a hard R…

Randy Newman is an acquired taste. He writes thought provoking lyrics and his music is interesting. However, for me it’s in small doses. Overall I enjoyed this album, but is not a go-to album and is all dependent on my mood.

yikes. wouldn’t haven’t been too bad if it weren’t for all the slurs…. I understand it was supposed to be a piece speaking of the time in the south but damn

toy story satiric racist ahh songs 3,5/5

1. 4.5 2. 4 3. 3.5 4. 4 5. 4.5 1. 5 2. 3.5 3. 4 4. 3 5. 4.5 6. 4 7. 5

Not quite sure why this album is so well received. I respect the concept of an album that is mainly from the perspective of southerners, explicitly anti-racist, and only created a decade or so after horrific state violence against minorities was common in the mentioned locations (notably Birmingham), but nothing besides that concept is appealing at all. Vocals - mid Instrumental/composition - generic Lyrics - the selling point, but often satirical and dissonant which can feel insincere. My issue with many satirical songs manifests most plainly through "Rednecks." Who is this song for? The message is wholly anti-racist, but the continuously repeated refrain, intended to be the catchiest line, has a slur in it. If the YouTube comments are fair sample of the fans of this song, the fans are mainly people who like the slur spam (and the brainlet "the north is actually the same" section), and then the anti-racist message is mainly used to shield the song from any criticism. The rest of the album isn't any better. The Johnny Cutler through line is too insincere and silly to be taken seriously. The best songs are probably "Marie", "Louisiana 1927", "A Wedding in Cherokee County," and "Back on My Feet Again," but I don't really want to listen to any of them again. This opinion could change in the future I guess. 1/5

There are ways to talk about social justice issues and hypocrisies of establishment without using the slurs associated with the people being oppressed. Unbelievable this is the Toy Story guy lmao. Otherwise album was mediocre, significantly dragged down by opener and the fact that in one of the other good songs on the album he just throws it out again.

Glad to find some Randy Newman on the list.

Unlike sail away which is a genuinely great album this is only ok. Too many tropes used previously and there is a feel of a pub singalong which isn't really suited to newmans voice. There are delights but they are a bit rarer than previously

ganz schön viele N Wörter im ersten song, sonst mag ichs eigentlich sehr. Der letzte Song ist echt schön (Liebeslied an Marie ((haha Marie wegen Belgien)) ). 3.61 Sterne

​Good Old Boys is not an easy or comforting listen, and its sharp-edged satire has occasionally been misinterpreted. Yet, decades after its release, it remains a landmark achievement in American songwriting—fearless, intellectually rigorous, deeply compassionate, and darkly funny.

White guy thinks he's figured out this one clever trick that let's him say it. But oh no! He still can't! Even if he *continually* rips it in the first song under the guise of social commentary. 1. I don't think it's that clever. 2. I don't think that sense of irony was ready to be baked into pop-adjacent listeners ears. What's more, I don't think I'll remember much from this album. Some fine story telling here and there, Newman plays a few characters that seem interesting enough. But I can't get past the first song. A song that came on shuffle after this album got done, "For A Dancer" by Jackson Browne, kinda cleared this whole record. Soft 2/5

Wut

45

Just easy listening middle of the road American music.

6.5/10

Some of you people are too young and dumb to engage with art that makes you uncomfortable. To listen to Randy Newman, you need to meet him at his level. But you will never be at his level. Instead, you salivate at the very thought of writing a knee-jerk, unoriginal one-liner about Toy Story or Family Guy — you simply can't post that shit fast enough — which tells me everything I need to know about your understanding of nuance, satire, politics, poetry and humor.

Um disco bastante agradável: piano, vocais e melodias simples.

Enjoyed this, but not sure when I’d want to listen to it again. Like his voice and some fun beats. Like LA and Kingfish.

I just don't really like him as a singer. The songs are okay.

This was awful. I couldn’t finish it.

It's the Bob Dylan effect, in that Randy Newman is an excellent songwriter, but I just can't tolerate his voice. I find this album hilarious, though, in the song's narrators being supposedly from the Deep South, by way of a guy from LA. Newman is a comically gifted lyricist, but I'd much rather listen to other singers present his lyrics.

Weird kinda to find out this way

Was going to give it a 4, but fuck y'all, it's a 5 now. Also fuck that one reviewer in particular who said Toy Story 2 was bad and misspelled "arc". So many people can't tell the difference between racist words and racism. The sort of people who would read Of Mice and Men and think John Steinbeck was racist. Lazy people who listen with their ears, but not their brain. I bet you all love Tarantino though, right?

This is #day725 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… here's to some mid '70s roots and country rock or whatever this is? I'm not entirely sure, to be honest. Like, the piano is nice and the guy does have his presence, but otherwise... Oh, you mean, there's another record of his that I'd need to hear eventually... I mean, okay? Let it be a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day726.

This is the second Randy Newman album I've been served by this list and I am flabbergasted that this man has any albums at all on here. As if that wasn't enough to throw me off my rhythm, here comes good ol' Randy throwing around the N word with a hard R. I can never watch Toy Story the same way again after this.

Not really a fan of this album

I friggin love Randy and this record is so good. The big issue here is Rednecks. I 100% understand the point of the song, and i actually think it’s an incredible piece of satire and a very well made song. That still doesn’t take away the sting of hearing one of our greatest American songwriters sing the n-word intermittently for 3 minutes. I know he stopped doing it live because it was getting a little TOO much of the wrong kind of love in the crowd and good on him for that.

this one is hard, satire doesn't really translate for me when it's musical- the lyrics are jarring when you listen to them combined with RN's voice and arrangements

Randy Newman is amazing and it is a well produced album with wonderful songs, but it is not a style or genre that I would typically choose to listen to.

Not my type of music but I appreciate the emphasis on the piano. Sounded like I was listening to an unofficial Toy Story album release

Haha oh man. My friend’s parents had this record and we used to play it alongside Warren Zevon and Tom Lehrer when we were kids. 'Rednecks' is certainly a powerful opening statement, the old-timey Huey Long songs are catchy, and 'Naked Man' is really funny, probably my favorite here. Anyways you probably shouldn't let your kids listen to this! They won't yet appreciate the slower character study songs.

Randy Newman is an icon, and this is a clever album. Kinda hard to give it anything higher than a 3, but yay Randy Newman!

Starting your album off with "Rednecks" is fucking ballsy. Even writing a song like that is ballsy. But its a banger, much like the rest of this album. I've grown a lot more appreciation for songwriters in recent years and finally fully came around on this album. It's all so good

I'll admit I'm 50 years removed from the proper context for a lot of the satire, and I'll admit that parts of this are effective on their face, but it ultimately just doesn't work for me. I wish he'd committed to the full concept album focusing on a specific character and actually done something with it, or excised that portion altogether. The character songs feel out of place with the broader satirical stuff, let alone stuff like Naked Man. If it's generally built around political commentary re: Southern racism, what are Naked Man, Back on My Feet Again, and A Wedding in Cherokee County adding to that? They're not great songs on their own I don't know if I want him to be more or less specific but the end result comes off as lyrically smug, and musically a little too plain and pleasant. The commentary is blunt but I'm still willing to concede that maybe that was what was needed at the time. Ultimately this 1000% belongs on the list for historical significance but it's not exactly essential listening in the modern era. I'm giving it a conflicted/reluctant 3.

I can’t stand Randy Newman’s voice or general vibe, he strikes me as a smug little vaudevillian shit not even getting into whether this is an effective satire of racism (it’s not Newman is way too clumsy working with material this volatile)

dragged on. and i hate america. marie was so cute though

Obviously a bit of whiplash from the vocab here but it's clearly satirical. Some songs aren't great but I liked the start. The voice is silly

I really enjoyed this album. I remember asking my friend if he knew the 30th president of the US, not knowing he asked his father. We traded turns guessing until we landed on Coolidge. His father then cited this song. Not knowing the artist I thought oh that’s a nice tune and moved on. I later found myself here and loving the irony. Nonetheless, I feel like this is a time capsule to southern America. The vibe, sound and diction are all reminiscent of that classic Louisiana feeling you hear about in movies and stuff. Overall, very good.

In 2022, I made it a goal to listen to a lot of new artists and styles of music, in hopes to broaden my musical horizons. Randy Newman was a curveball in that year, because I really only knew his music from Pixar movies. I stumbled upon his album "Sail Away" and really enjoyed the hell out of it. It was bluesy and clever and it got me interested in listening to the rest of his music. This album was among the list and its nice to revisit it. I genuinely think he is underrated and that more of his discography should be listened to, if you enjoyed this album.

Yeah, I don't know how I feel about this coming from the singer from Toy Story. What is he trying to say in the album?

Nothing really stood out to me here. I can't say I enjoyed the lyrics or the stories too much, and none of the songs made a lasting impression on me. Adding an extra star because at least none of the songs made me want to hit skip. 2/5

The first song caught me by surprise but apart from that is a good album!

Well reviewed, a great artist if but not my favorite.

4/10

I don't usually check reviews before rating albums, but I ran to the comments after that first hard-R was dropped. What a weird song to start an album with! Glenn Howerton shared a playlist a few years ago, and the song "pretty Boy" was on it. I really like the song and since hearing it, I've always said "Randy Newman is a weird guy!" That opinion has not changed after listening to "Good Old Boys" in its entirety.

Ok kids, let's realize that Randy Newman did more than "You've Got A Friend In Me". He's more than the "Toy Story" guy. Now that we've gotten that out of the way... This is an interesting project, songs that we need to hear that we would never have heard otherwise. We're hearing and seeing the same problems with racism and intolerance and prejudice today, 52 years after this album was released. This man is dropping shock bombs on y'all, and sounding like Billy Joel in the process. The music is extremely well done, the lyrics provocative and thoughtful and satirical. Not my thing, but the artistry is undeniable. My rating: 4/5

Maybe he could have written his biting commentary about rednecks being racist without using no-no words. The songs all kinda sound the same, and aren't really my thing. Mid 3.

ok i was yiked tf out by the first song (even if it goes hard as fuck) but i fuckkkkk w the album actually. i lied lol. 4/5

Mix of Americana pub scenes?

randy newman on the whole is still kinda rly not for me, his tonal ambiguities wreck havoc on my autism in a way i do not generally find enjoyable or rewarding to reckon with. but if anything justifies them it probably Is this record. newman is an LA kid rather than a deep south one which makes even some of his deserved jabs land kind of weird for me, but theres some truly heartwrenching lyrics scattered thruout here that just constantly make u re-evaluate and re-re-evaluate the southern everyman protagonists...barbs of unconscious bigotry and very conscious self-hatred delivered in the famous newman style of intentionally sappy arrangements, economic melodies, and indiscriminately warm singing. i dont love it, but there's something strong in here about the sometimes unbearable emotional paradoxes of attempting to understand the world with any compassion, probably the record newman was born to make.

Some shocking, jarring language that I find surprising even for the time. He definitely has a format that he's following. Bit of an era/culture shock but otherwise mildly entertaining.

I'd forgotten how good Randy is. Really calls out the US for the shitshow it is. Make America Great For The First Time!

I just can't, I'm sure the songwriting is great and he's got something to say, but it's just not for me.

Приятно

I appreciate the concept of dinner party music that cant be played at dinner parties but I am not a fan of dinner party music

Gary Newman is one of those artists where it feels like if you've heard one Gary Newman song you've heard...maybe not ALL of them, but like 90% of them. And I was never a huge fan of his music. I don't think it's bad per se, it just never really did much for me. And this album only reinforced my prior feelings. The tracks rolled off of me like water off a duck, and I couldn't tell you anything that stood out. It all just sounded like more Gary Newman.

No

I understand that Randy Newman isn't to everyone's taste (i.e. they hate his voice), but if you like him, this is a pretty great record.

Coincidentally, been listening to this more often in association with daughter’s bedtime playlist. What a wordsmith and voice.

Not half bad

Was waiting for You've Got a Friend in Me that never came

Didn’t like it at first but I grew to appreciate his specific brand of bluesy folksy Toy Story music

Randy Newman's name always comes up in the best songwriters lists and i've listened to some of his records, but they haven't quite stuck with me. This sounds like a solid album with some really good songwriting, so maybe i'm warming up to this stuff. Maybe not quite 4/5, but 3/5 feels too low...

#436 / 1089 Heard before? ❌ Revisit? ❌ Again, yet another album full of lyrics with a dash of music. Effin awful. I'll give a point for whomever made the effort with the arrangements. weak 2/5

No fav song

This was cool. 3.5 but i want to give it a second try

Wow. So that album cover made me recoil. It’s perfect! The slightly out of focus, red saturated, ambiguous time of day mostly empty bar scene. And then the music. That opening song actually stopped me in my tracks. The combination of inappropriate lyrics with smooth piano and crooning delivery… again- perfect. Don’t have kids. Don’t care about Randy’s future career with the evil Disney empire. (Free yourselves!!! Only you can make yourself free from the evil empire!) 4 Boolean: true

I am a sucker for sappy and acerbic songs so it is no wonder that Randy Newman is one of my favorites. This is an excellent album and I will listen again, but it is not quite as good as "Sail Away." 4.25/5

"The word I'm searching for... I can't say, because there's preschool toys present."

Randy is a bizarre case. Capable of writing beautiful songs, or massive hits. He is also capable of delivering the same songs in a way to make you think he is pulling your leg. I don't care about political satire, lyrics or even hard R. This is Randy Newman singing Randy Newman, and that will always sound like a dude recording a sketch. And I'm writing this as Randy croons "My papa was a midget, my mama was a whore."

Was a little suspect after the first song until I read exactly what it was about. He has a great voice. Album as whole has meaning which is cool. Music is pretty good to, but it's really his voice and the lyrics that make the album.

I would probably buy in to the satirical, unreliable narrator vibe if this guy didn't ooze so much corporate fatcat sellout...

What a bold opening track. It seems that it was written specifically to offend as many people as possible. He's casually dropping the n-word constantly throughout the song, which you'd expect would be frowned on by anyone who isn't racist, but the song is also clearly mocking racists and bigots. Who exactly is this song for? The whole album is very well written and Randy Newman is a phenomenal storyteller. Unfortunately, I just don't really care for his music. I don't dislike it, it just doesn't really do much for me and I don't think I'll ever return to this album.

Pretty boring. Definitely not as good as his Pixar songs. Wasn't expecting all the racial lyrics 1.5/5

Not sure I really get it. I think it's sort of a concept album but some of the narrative is very weird. At it's best, it has some delightful, jaunty numbers but it's hard not to visualise them all playing along to the adventures of Buzz and Woody. Except the Naked Man. That one is definitely not for a children's movie.

Pues con un disco ya vale, y Sail away es mejor que este.

Every track made me think of Toy Story. I particularly enjoyed the image of Woody and Buzz in Birmingham at the Bull ring! Or when Woody met the president, or was a redneck or even when he got back on his feet again!! You get the picture! The fact I could picture stories in my head to the tracks must be a good thing though right? Best track- ‘back on my feet again’ Worst track- ‘every man a king’ Solid 8/10

Randy Newman - Good Old Boys Smell of old, overly polished parquet wood flooring, leaking catheters and boiled veg. Best Track - Kingfish Worst Track - Guilty (cos Amazon have forgotten the 'l' on the listing and it really bugged me) 3/10

Well, this was terrible. I understand this was meant to be satirical, but hearing a white person continuously saying the n word was highly uncomfortable…which was the point, I guess. Nevertheless, this sucked.

Imagine a state fair in South Arkansas or North Louisiana, all the deep-fried cheese, the rubbery corndogs, the maybe not-so-safe pop-up carnival rides, the drunk and high carneys tired of handing out damp stuffed bears to screaming kids and lustful teens. Now imagine it's 107F and 90% humidity and you can smell the grass wilting, the mud boiling, and the blood in the thousands of mosquitos congealing. That's what this album sounds like. It's a commentary on the most uncomfortable parts of the American Deep South and the undertones of racism, contradiction, and festering corrupt politics that ignore the constituents they represent. The music is cheerful and hopeful but the message in the lyrics is clear: This sucks and no one is coming to help, the only way things are getting better is if you start the movement yourself. The album opens with "Redneck" a pretty shock & awe display of in-your-face slurs and political commentary about the state of affairs in post-Civil Rights movement America. Politicians promising one thing but doing another, the deep south white population still deeply racist and hateful despite their political and moral defeat with segregation and Jim Crowe laws being abolished. "Mr. President (Have Pity on the Working Man)" is a pretty relevant song today as it was in 1974. Apparently, sentiments haven't changed much and people who make it to DC forget that there's 50 states they should be helping make better. "Kingfish" is an ode to the Governor Huey "Kingfish" Long who was an incredibly influential and before-his-time populist politician known for aggressive prosecution against massive oil corporations and representing poor and often powerless defendants in court against rich & corporate bullies. Aside from the music, the world needs more politicians like Huey Long. It's clear that although Newman's methods are bizarre, the message is clear: He is of the people, for the people, and against those who abuse the people. I was hesitant when this album opened up so strong with "Redneck" but listening to the lyrics and the references throughout made the album stand out. This is a very politically potent album, and I understand why it deserves its spot on this list. I'm interested if there's going to be music counter to this further in. I will gladly give this album a 7/10.

Superada la "impresión" del uso de la N-palabra, es un disco country-folky entretenido con canciones bonitas como la de Marie.

Not to be confused with Gary Numan, or more distantly, Paul Newman. Randy Newman's sound does feel a little quaint here, but there's enough depth that he eventually overcomes this. His deep voiced, crooner thing feels like more of a punchline than anything in 2026, but he *really* does sell it. I will say, there's some pretty remarkable social commentary here as well. Rednecks has some smart observations, based in some solid satire, and even if Randy Newman says some words he shouldn't along the way, he has some really worthwhile insights that live beyond the character piece. After this, it's pretty much surprisingly enjoyable songs, with surprisingly sharp writing the whole way. And even if this was never going to be a favorite, due to aesthetics, this is definitely still a very worthwhile listen, solidly showing that Randy Newman has more depth than you'd think.

Better than the last one, still a rough hangover.

70s pop with some good songs picks: Louisiana, marie, rednecks, birmingham

Nah, it’s gotta sound good to make me listen to it. It just went on a bit with nothing to offer me.

I should like Randy Newman more than I actually do it all just reminds me of Toy Story and is very samey

I'm surprised by how much I liked this. When I saw Newman I immediately defaulted to "Toy Story" which is gimmicky and trite, I know, but it was my only real exposure to his stuff. I did *NOT* expect the quality of the songwriting or political messaging I got on this. The song "Rednecks" dropping more n-bombs than the Snoop album we reviewed about a week ago, or the Socialist anthem in "Every Man A King" was all intriguing stuff. Being a self-hating southerner, this slapped me across my face but in the right way. It felt like a wake up call for a group of people who have always had their populist energy directed in the wrong ways. It's startling how relevant this all is, even NOW. This was released in 1974, four years before I was born and it could be released today (2026) where I bet it would ignite a firestorm. Could you imagine "Mr. President.." being brought before our current 'naked emperor'?? Oof. (4/5) Well done Randy. I flew in blind and didn't leave disappointed.

Like most, I was familiar with Randy Newman due to Toy Story, but that had never compelled me to dive further into his work. Which is a shame, because much to my surprise and chagrin, I genuinely enjoyed this album. With one of the most recognizable voices in the music industry, Randy tosses the double bird at anyone who might want him to keep politics out or their music, mixing humor, poignancy, and biting social commentary into an enjoyable journey across the American landscape that might not be so enjoyable if you find yourself on the receiving end of his critiques. At times a tad monotonous, it does a good job of not overstaying its welcome, and settles in at a solid 4/5 for me that does make me want to dig a bit further. Looking forward to his other album on this list.

125. Good Old Boys - Randy Newman (1974) 6.27.26 Variety: 3 Adequacy: 5 Listenability: 5 Uniqueness: 5 Emotionality: 4 = 4.4 rounded down to a 4 Cards on the table, Randy Newman is favorite of mine. When it comes to sustained quality throughout the breadth of a career, there are few that have been able to keep up with him. There are rare artists that can use popular music as a scalpel to dig into the American psyche, pull out all the innards, separate the tumors from the rest, and call them likes they sees them. And there are even fewer artists who can do this while presenting the whole thing in a pleasing manner, (mostly) free of condescension or pure lazy meanness. Newman is up there with Bob Dylan in that rarified air for me. And I think he's a lot funnier too, if maybe possessing less broad appeal and versatility as Dylan. This album in my memory is no exception, and while it doesn't sit as high in my esteem as Sail Away, it comes pretty danged close. It's been a few years since I listened to this, but I expect to it to remain so. "I'm all right now/ I never thought I'd make it, but I always do somehow" THE TRACKS Side one "Rednecks" - Man. Even back in '74 this was a risky swing I bet. Today this would be an nonstarter, and despite the arguable rise iin the cultural IQ, there would be outcry from those who deeply misinterpret it, those rightfully offended by his language, and of course those who would pretend to be offended to score political points, despite probably sympathizing with the pov character. I can't and won't defend Mr. Newman's language choices here, but I will say it's still damn effective. The instrumentation on so much of his stuff I know people see as too much of the same, and that's a fair cop, but it's all in the delivery, baby. And there is a little bit more going on in the details with ( I think?) a pedal steel guitar and some other touches which add that southern flavor. As much of a sly takedown as the song is, there's still plenty of room for all the hypocrites smug enough to actually be looking down on the South, when the racism is just as rampant, if more hidden away up North. The otherwise pretty loathsome Johnny Cutler character will continue to accidentally shed some light on this hypocrisy while still remaining the villain of the piece. There are layers here, I'll try not to lean too hard on this refrain, but I think I will be continually amazed and saddened at how of relevant all this material remains. "Birmingham" - One of my favorite things that Newman does is on display here - the pleasant, homespun Americana facade of the sound hides a deep, dark, yet still amusing takedown. Johnny does all the heavy lifting himself with the description of this idyllic city that was one of the hotspots of the Civil Rights movement and home to any number of racist atrocities. Our narrator either couldn't be bothered to give it any thought or remains oblivious to the irony. On the surface the beautiful little number jibes with this pov and you can imagine the pleasant, relaxing atmosphere washing over you. The juxtaposition in this one is fully implied, and if you're not paying attention ( like our narrator) you might well get pulled along into the serene picturesque descriptions. Another thing this serves to do is present Johnny Cutler as a well rounded character, with some depth and who is not just a strawman punching bag of racist tropes. "Marie" - A pretty love song, delivered in the straightforward manner that Newman works hard to maintain on his best material. There's no winking in the performance itself, but we get a drunken confession from Johnny here, where he seems to be fully aware of some of his flaws, even he can maybe only admit them when three sheets to the wind. And In my eyes, he's not even doing that. This feels much more like an interior monologue, or a practice speech he'll never actually make to his wife. There's a sadness and a strain of real empathy Newman elicits here that lays even more groundwork to build this guy up as a complicated and contradictory character. The discomfort the listener might feel later on from feeling sorry for this guy is on purpose, and I love the nuance. "Mr. President (Have Pity on the Working Man)" - One of the more memorably catchy tunes on this one, and up there with any of his big hits in my opinion, we get a more or less politically universal and timeless number that props up our endless cycle of hopeful belief in government and promptly knocks it down using the misguided trust, and ultimate betrayal people on both sides of the fence feel. Ad nauseum. Rinse repeat. Who can't identify with this? I know Newman did this song on The Tonight Show mid-pandemic and it was just as hard hitting and meaningful then as it probably would be at anytime in our country's history. Funny, this clip seems impossible to find at the moment. In the era where public voices are being silenced and media corporations bend the knee to fascist wannabe tyrants, I guess I'm not too surprised. But also, maybe who cares about the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon anyways enough to have archived this? That said I can find any number of dumb videos with musicians playing their popular songs on kids toy instruments, so... "Guilty" - Slow and plodding in a way that exemplifies the narrator's drunken, drug addled speechifying, this one is yet another nail in the house Newman is building up around this guy. Flawed, and pitiable, and maybe he's regretful. But who is he talking to? Is this Marie, or someone he's got on the side? It's unclear to me, but not sure how intentional that is. Side two "Louisiana 1927" - We take a brief detour into the past and few states away to the great flood of 1927, and get what starts as a pretty universal lament about the damage done, and which morphs into the very specific view of the "embattled white man" who believes the progressives are coming for his way of life. This is all of course table setting for the next couple of tracks which will dive right into the career of a certain populist who ook advantage of this situation to stoke class warfare in order to build a fanatical base and further enrich through corruption, cronyism and hoodwinkery. You know the one. That can only describe one dude, right? "Every Man a King" - A straight up cover of Huey Long's actual campaign song. This was just over a minute long, but plays well into the narrative, and describes a slightly different lie than the modern one, of a wonderland where everyone can have all they dream of. "Kingfish" - More than any other song on hear I think this plays much more like it could be a tune in a Broadway show about Long. It's his Harold Hill Music Man moment. We're fully in his pov here, as he's selling himself to the common working man. But only a certain kind of man. It's a little but more than the standard dog whistle, but the audience he's courting is pretty obvious. "Naked Man" - We get some Caribbean flavor in the instrumentation on this one as Newman veers completely off the topic for a weird little comedy story about a naked purse snatcher who targets old ladies. Doesn't seem to relate to anything else thus far, but is entertaining enough. "A Wedding in Cherokee County" - I'm still not sure if we're back in any kind of narrative about this redneck character or not, but I suppose it could be a flashback of sorts. A sadly funny ditty about a couple who might just hate each other, and the humor is largely dependent on the narrator's sexual inadequacies. While this was also fine enough, I'm wondering if Newman has gotten lost here, or was there not really that much of a grand design at all? "Back on My Feet Again" - Another pleasant sounding song seemingly about mental health and racial confusion? Not sure what exactly is going on here, but it's weirdly charming and had a hummable chorus. "Rollin'" - I think we're finally back with our redneck and we end things on a bit of self reflection and more than a little self delusion, and he both describes and denies his foibles, sometimes in the same line. There's almost an old timey gospel feel to the refrain here, and we close without much resolution, but with a lot more character building instead. HIGHLIGHTS - All the rest MIDLIGHTS - "Naked Man" - "Back on My Feet Again" LOWLIGHTS - FINAL THOUGHTS Good Old Boys is a pretty burning takedown of a certain mindset and culture that is unfortunately still prevalent today, while at the same time being a great purely pleasurable listening experience. The piano driven sort of New Orleans jazz take is something that Newman always does extremely well, and though I didn't comment on it too much, it's very much in my musical wheelhouse, and is as delightful here as on my of his stuff. As much as I love it though, I can see how it might lose people looking for more variety in tone and atmosphere. I'm not usually a lyrics guy, but that's definitely a lot of the appeal with Newman for me. The performance aspect is nice though, and makes the medicine go down easy. Newman has been described as a musical Will Rogers, both folksy American satirists who use irony and unreliable narrators to highlight cultural hypocrisy. I couldn't agree more, and I love it. The content here is applicable today more so than it ever has been, and the cynic in me believes it probably always will be. If there's any big criticisms, it might be that Newman seems to take all of this very unseriously. I'd argue that that's kind of the point though. Satire by it's very nature is questioning and iconoclastic, and requires that sort of unbothered omniscient take so that the work itself can stand fully committed to the bit. There's also an argument that he doesn't have the follow through here as the second side seems to wander off target for some while. Taken as just a collection of songs and not any true kind of concept or story album, this is more than fine enough for me though. All of the social and political commentary here is filled in and realized by the listener and not hand fed either, which is welcome when so many artists wear their views on their sleeves and don't bother with any sort of subtlety. As much as I might align politically with a Brice Springsteen or a Bono, their in your face obviousness can come across as obnoxious and boring. Few do this sort of thing with as much charm and integrity as Newman. As much as I do like this album, it's not quite the classic Sail Away is, and suffers a bit from the promise of the setup not quite landing anywhere in particular. We'll get to it when we get to it, but that other album takes the pitch black humor that's here and steps on the gas a bit harder, in addition to having way more memorable melodies throughout. This has me primed for it, so wonder how long we'll have to wait. PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - Nah FURTHER LISTENING - Song Cycle by Van Dyke Parks - Leon Russell by Leon Russell - John Prine by John Prine - Nilsson Sings Newman by Harry Nilsson - Album III by Loudon Wainwright III - The Heart of Saturday Night by Tom Waits - Warren Zevon by Warren Zevon - I'm With Stupid by Aimee Mann

I am so glad I got to listen to this album. It felt like I had heard everyone of these songs before and this is the first time I'm every listening to it. That piano playing and conversational delivery just seem like they've always been around. Maybe its the movies, you know, that could be it. Randy Newman may be an artist burdened by being known for one song to a great many people, or not burden depending on how well Disney/Pixer compensated him. From the outside looking in however, that seems like small potatoes to Mr. Newman. The storytelling in the songwriting on this one was in a league of its own. Newman invites his listener to nod his head, tap his toes, and then spit take with a "Did he just say that?" Then I fell into the old "Howard Stern" listening model, I wanted to know what he was going to say next. Turns out he had plenty to say. This surprised me with how politically charged it was. 1974 was quite a politically charged year, so to have this album come out that same year was something. A tip of the hat to Mr. Newman. 4/5

Well, for what it's trying to achieve, this record is expertly put together. With a fleet of hotshot studio players and various rock stars out on loan, Newman simulates genuine down-home Southern authenticity to a T. However, the reliance on familiar-sounding music puts the focus squarely on Newman's lyrics which are a mix of satire and gentle affection for the area south of the Mason-Dixon line. How much you dig this album might well be dependent on how much you care about that specific part of the USA - for this particular Californian, the answer is "not much".

Itsnfine

Kedeligt folk. Til gengæld recommendede spotify Bill Callahan bagefter, og det var god chill!

I'll probably never listen to this again. I get that there's supposed to be a humor element but I just didn't enjoy it. 2/5.

I get that this was from 1974, and things like this were more "accepted" (for lack of better words) back then. But I'm going to hard pass on this album after the first track. I know Newman well enough to know that he never created any music worth putting on this list, and I don't want to subject myself to the racist shit for a mediocre performer. There's nothing worth celebrating here... and this should be removed from this list so it's no longer perpetuated.

3.5

I think I preferred Sail Away to this one. Partly because this is the album that has racial slurs on it and I don't really care that it's all, "But I'm doing parody and it's not what I think or say. I'm clever!" Rednecks is not a bad song but it does feel like Randy Newman feels himself to be so liberal and enlightened that he can use racial slurs. Regardless, this album is much like Sail Away, except I did not enjoy the semi-concept of this one as much. It's intended to be a concept album, except not really. There are a lot of Louisiana and Deep South references, so I guess that's the context. I could have probably used just one Randy Newman album in the book. Favorite songs: Rednecks Birmingham Mr. President (Have Pity on the Working Man) Louisiana 1927 Kingfish Back on My Feet Again

The music wasn't quite as good. The lyrics were okay.

This was REALLY good. A lot of fun and I love this style in music. He was a little too comfortable saying some slurs, but I know that it was a part of the story and a very anti-racism album. Every Song sounds a little similar, but not bad. Actual Rating...3.5 Liked Songs: "Rednecks" , "Birmingham" , "Marie" , "Mr. President (Have Pity on the Working Man)" , "Guilty" , "Every Man a King" , "Kingfish" , "Naked Man" , "A Wedding in Cherokee County" , "Back on My Feet Again"

Jesus Randy my kids listen to this show... I don't know how to rate this given the dated language but its otherwise pleasant?

The hell did i just listen to?

What a useless piece of music... I'm still glad things like this are on here so I know how special actual art is. To quote another critic further down" Fuck you, Randy Newman!"

Fun album for a Sunday morning. Favourite track: Marie

Seriously. All the music in the entire world and there are TWO Randy Newman albums on this list? I get the attraction to some extent... I mean everyone loves Toy Story... but thinking this is an album anyone has to listen to before they die is a stretch. 2.

6/10 Mais respect pcq c’est lui qui a fait tôt story

I liked it, wasn’t as impressed as with Sail Away. He’s a much smarter songwriter than his sound suggests.

Singer-songwriter pop and satirical Americana built from piano-led arrangements, orchestral touches, subtle grooves, and character-driven vocals feels like flipping through a series of sharply observed postcards from a country that has decided to dress its sentimentality in irony—sometimes clever, sometimes just sappy, and for me more emotionally distant than affecting. The album constantly walks a line between warmth and commentary, but too often the emotional tone tips into something overly cushioned rather than incisive.

Great record

Good Old Boys is a grimly impressive record: compact, funny, ugly, beautifully made, and deeply uncomfortable. It begins with provocation, but it does not stay there. “Rednecks” initially appears to be a grotesque character piece, a Southern bigot given enough rope to hang himself in public. But the song’s real force comes from the way it widens the target. Newman is not simply saying that racism exists in the South. He is also attacking the outsourcing of disgust: the comforting idea that prejudice lives over there, in those people, in that accent, while cleaner and more respectable forms of cruelty can continue elsewhere with a better vocabulary. That is the first sign of the album’s complexity. It refuses to let the listener occupy a safe moral balcony. From there, the record keeps broadening. “Birmingham” gives the opening voice a civic setting. The man is no longer just a poisonous mouth. He has a town, a job, a sense of pride, a local identity. That does not redeem him, but it makes him more plausible. Newman understands that ugly politics rarely exist as pure ugliness. They live inside homes, cities, marriages, memories, jokes, songs and self-descriptions. That is what makes the album feel so contemporary. Its subject is not only the American South in the 1970s. Its deeper subject is the process by which grievance finds a culprit. The grievances on the album are not all imaginary. There is poverty here, bad work, neglect, political abandonment, domestic failure and wounded pride. Men feel ignored. Places feel forgotten. Institutions feel remote. But the horror lies in the conversion process: real wounds are handed the wrong explanation. A person who has been failed is invited to blame someone weaker, stranger, darker, poorer, newer, easier. That is where Good Old Boys becomes more than satire. It is not content to laugh at prejudice. It studies the conditions in which prejudice becomes useful. “Mr. President” is crucial because it gives the working man a grievance that is not merely cultural. The plea is simple: have pity on the working man. The song is not noble in any straightforward sense, but it is materially grounded. Newman knows that economic pressure and moral corruption can coexist. Suffering does not automatically ennoble people. Nor does bigotry cancel the reality of suffering. The album keeps both facts in view, which is why it remains so difficult to sit with. The Huey Long material then sharpens the political argument. “Every Man a King” and “Kingfish” show populism as an emotional transaction before it is an ideological one. The offer is not just “I will improve your life.” It is “I will give you a voice.” That is an immensely powerful promise to people who feel unheard. It can become dignity. It can also become permission. This is one of the album’s strongest insights. The strongman does not first appear to his supporters as a monster. He appears as relief. He speaks plainly. He gets things done. He frightens the right people. He turns resentment into theatre and calls it representation. Musically, the album is almost indecently well made. That is part of the discomfort. Newman gives bitter material a candy shell: warm piano, old songbook shapes, comic turns, parlour songs, little civic numbers, fragments that can sound cosy until the content registers properly. The arrangements do not always announce the horror. Sometimes they make the horror more plausible by refusing to underline it. The writing is wildly economical. Whole towns, marriages, political systems and moral failures are implied in a few plain lines. Newman does not over-explain. He trusts the listener to hear the courthouse, the kitchen, the bar, the floodwater, the campaign truck and the locked room behind the song. The domestic songs are just as grim as the political ones. “Marie” is touching and awful at the same time: a love song in which tenderness does not erase failure. “Guilty” is self-recognition without redemption. “Rollin’” turns denial into routine, showing a man using small rules and a glass in his hand to convince himself that everything is under control. The album repeatedly returns to the same moral fact: feeling something sincerely does not make the conduct good. That may be the core of the record. It refuses all the easy equations. Tenderness is not goodness. Grievance is not justice. Suffering is not innocence. Comedy is not harmlessness. Charm is not moral health. As an album, Good Old Boys is not lovable in any easy sense. It is too sour, too compromised, too aware of how people excuse themselves. But it is brilliantly constructed. Its songs are small, but the world behind them is enormous. It is a record about damaged places and damaged people, and about the stories that allow damage to defend itself. Four stars feels right: not because it is a pleasure to live with, but because it is so precisely made. A four-star record, but not a cosy four stars.

Outside of the theme for Monk and Toy Story, I knew nothing of Randy Newman. Love this album. And I want to listen to more of his catalog

I get what he’s going for, I do. Doesn’t mean that I like hearing him spout the slurs though but it does add to the authenticity. Music isn’t 100% my thing but the production is quite nice (Marie in particular) Solid 6/10

Hade tänkt skriva ungefär som Fredrik Tvåan är stark

Randy Newman är bättre som kompositör än artist. Hans CV med filmmusik är en meter långt. Som sångare och framförare är han däremot rätt ointressant och slätstruken. Med en annan artist hade de här låtarna kanske kunnat väckas till liv. Stråkarna hade då också gärna fått tonas ner.

Randy är en synnerligen god berättare. Louisiana 1927. Som kronan på verket (Howard Tates version inspelad efter Kathrina måste naturligtvis rekommenderas i sammanhanget). Musikaliskt är det väl både högt och lågt. Emellertid övervägande positivt.

Howard Tate golvade mig med sin version av Louisiana. Tate hade texten bytt ut president Coolidge mot president Bush. Tyvärr behövde inga andra delar texten bytas ut för fortfarande vara relevant. Det är en stark samling låtar som Newman fått ihop. Nästan varenda textrad är värd att citera. Ibland för det mins tankar till Tom T Hall, ibland till Tom Waits (Marie, Guilty). Han levererar dessutom sång som matchar texterna. Som helhet är det riktigt bra. De ända plumparna i protokollet är revynumret Every man a king samt calypsoflörten i Naked man.

I got enough of Randy Newman watching the new Toy Story 5 this weekend. Didn't need to listen to his voice any more.

Damnit… more Randy Newman. It’s not a bad thing… but small doses of Randy are so much more enjoyable. Birmingham is a bop for sure… but sticking with 3.0

Didn’t have Randy Newman singing the n-word on my bingo card. I didn’t give this as close a listen as Sail Away, and my feelings about it suffer as a result. Musically, it doesn’t particularly draw me, but what I did catch of the lyrics continues to show biting satire. 7/10 Pretty Good

The music: The schmaltziest, cheesiest, most boring (folk-pop? Country-pop? Easy listening? I don’t know what to call this genre) stuff ever. This is like if the annoying guy with the accordion at your local Italian restaurant had an orchestra behind him. The lyrics: sometimes cheesy, saccharin mindless pop, sometimes attempted satire so over the top it feels like caricature, straight down to the liberal use of the N-Word. This music is a novelty at best, and anyone who can sit through it more than once has seriously questionable taste. Does not belong on any “Essential” list.

I do not think I like Randy Newman.

Musique de films, tu sens que c'est l'amérique, assez poétique et entrainant. Très pop et rythmé, avec orchestre et assez jazzy (cuivres et piano). La voix de Randy Newman ne va pas avec l'image que l'on se fait de lui, assez soul et afro-américaine. Très New Orleans R&B alors que c'est un parolier avec des musiques acides et dénonciatrices. Les chansons portent sur divers travers passés du Sud des États-Unis tels que l'esclavage, le racisme et la pauvreté, mais avec un ton ironique

Unique voice, great piano playing and songwriting that avoid the trap of going for all ballads. Varied instrumentation and tone. Thoughtful lyrics.

Man this guy stinks.

Rednecks Guilty Birmingham Louisiana 1927

There are so many levels on which I don't enjoy this album. First and foremost I really don't like his voice. There's something just weirdly annoying about it, in a way even a bit cartoonish, which I guess why his Pixar soundtracks and generally good. And of course I can't go without mentioning the elephant in the room, the ungodly number of slurs he says. I get that this was made in a different time when this shit was pretty much completely socially acceptable. All around just an annoying guy with his voice, music, and writng, but somehow made absolutely killer soundtracks for some childhood classics.

I have mixed thoughts on this one. They probably apply to all of Randy Newman's albums. I like the guy in theory. I like his satire and criticisms of social issues. I just like it in small doses. I dont love a whole album of it. The piano is good, as always, and Newman is an institution, but man, I just find most of this album boring. It's a dated album, many people will miss the whole point, but it exists and it's a 2/5 for me.

It's a bit dated, but you're telling me the guy who scored toy story made a satirical concept album about ignorant southern white men in the 1970s!?!

Just garbage

solidna folk (pučka?) glazba. dosta mi se svidjela "marie". ostatak mi je bio slabiji, ali nipošto zanemariv. ipak ne mogu reći da ću baš ponovo htjeti slušati. stoga jedna prava visoka trojčetina za randolfa novačića!

I could very much have lived without hearing this

Classical and funny. Mr. Newman is a genius who knows how to push boundaries. Phenomenal songwriter.

Huumori musiikkia? Kantaaottavaa musiikkia. Räikeää kieltä nykyaikaa?

Eh, not bad but really nothing special

- This dude's piano compositions are so different than what I've heard. Definitely gonna need to incorporate this style in my playing somehow

Great album by a great songwriter. Surprised this is rated so low; I’m guessing by the reviews it’s based on some of the language in the first song. Seems like at least some of them don’t understand satire, and using an exaggerated version of something negative to highlight how awful and/or stupid it is. In any case, enjoyed the album.

This is a tremendous collection of tunes that showcases what a killer songsmith Newman is 20 years before Toy Story expanded his fame. Rednecks is great even if (or perhaps because) it hits home as a native of the southeastern U.S.

Lovely

This is pretty biting and deliberately challenging political satire. It's brave, in your face and unapologetic. However, for anyone that grew up in the age of Toy Story it's really hard to decouple that soundtrack and his doing writing as they all sound so similar. Hats off to the political bravery,I wish we had more of it today when it's desperately needed, but we are fed homogeneous fluff to keep the masses sedated.

had the scariest experience of my life when i was listening to the song titled "birmingham" and a lady with the last name birmingham came up to my desk at work i listened to my first 1st gen kpop album just the other day and i think ive about had enough of people saying the n word when they have no place to. i'll just stick with the toy story song here thanks fave track: kingfish

I always want to like Randy Newman but it’s just too grown up for me. Maybe one day I’ll be a grown-up amazing lyrics. That first song is a little jarring, but obviously it’s hard is in the right place.

Meh. Surprisingly racist.

Listened to it while having a roast dinner, it was nice but can't really remember it

zzz

Riktigt ointressant på alla sätt.

Trevligt.

Gad vide om det her album gjorde at Pixar var betænkelige ved at hyre ham til toy story

Det var en Anden Tid™. Den her plade er for vild, lyder fremragende

His voice isn't as insufferable on this record than some of his others. This was a decent record!

Love it!

Ummm... Errr.... Uhhhhh.... . . . . No

I like his voice and this was fine. Should maybe have checked the lyrics before I put it on in the office right enough.

Maybe it’s just the millennial in me but Randy Newman’s voice is very soothing. I could listen to him reading the phone book.

Sounds like Toy Story era Newman, only using the N word with the hard R.

Listens: 2 Standout Tracks: Rednecks So uh... I think this is the first time I've heard a white person, in music, drop an N-bomb. I guess maybe except for Eminem... Does Eminem count though?? Randy Newman did it not just one time, but several times. And he tacked on a few Jew comments in there too. Why not use Jew slurs while he's at it? Listening to the opening song actually drove me to go immediately look at the comments of the album, here, to see what the general consensus about this was. I really try to avoid doing this, as I can see the album rating and this tends to influence my opinions, but I had to know. The general consensus seems to be that the song is a critique of racism in both the north and south. I gathered that much as it got towards the end of the song, but in my opinion, the critique, and the point being made, could have been just as easily established by saying the N word a single time, rather half a dozen. And why put it as the first track on the album. Talk about a mood-setter. The rest of the album sort of went in one ear and out the other. I don't much care for Country music, and this seems country-adjacent. It's just wild to know this album exists, and he also did song(s) on Toy Story.

I was not expecting to hear so many slurs from the "You've Got A Friend In Me" guy. I did try to put that aside considering the satire here and how none of it felt mean spirited, but that was hard because of how frequent it is. Randy sure has gravitas and panache, but him saying the n word for the nth time torpedoes it. Leaving the fact that this album hasn't aged well aside, it's fine. I think saying the name of southern states with a solemn voice would hit harder if I was from the US so it did little for me. Glad I listened to it, but I am unlikely to go back to it or check out the rest of Randy's back catalogue

jag förstår inte syftet (sänkte till 1/5 efter jag faktiskt lyssnade på texterna)

Good, but I never need to hear it again.

Did we really need another Randy Newman?

Of every album ever recorded, did we really need 2 Randy Newman albums in the top 1001? Should have subbed one out for Gary at least.

I think this is a 5 star album. I had never heard Randy Newman before, and so I read about him. What a career but this album is a masterclass. Totally listenable, shocking, surprising, and wonderful.

I find Randy Newman's music soothing. Toy Story and The Princess and the Frog were well loved in my home, so with those soundtracks as an introduction, how could his voice not be a source of comfort? I also love a sprawling, storytelling album with lots of characters, and if it deals with complex subjects that make for some tough conversations, all the better. This album gave me the opportunity to examine the purpose of discomfort in art. I was uncomfortable with the slurs used the same way I was uncomfortable when Leo said them in Django Unchained, the same as when I read Mark Twain's stories about Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, the same as when I saw my friend's nephew dressed as a Nazi for their high school play about Anne Frank. The discomfort is the point. I read the Wikipedia page on the opening track, Rednecks, and learned some historical context I may otherwise not have known. The song is about the hypocrisy of northern liberals claiming to have set free the very people they were forcing into unofficially but still very markedly segregated urban areas - Harlem, the South Side of Chicago, Roxbury in Boston. We never have and still don't live in the land of equal opportunity for all. There's an abundance of art made with the intent to evoke specific emotions and bring attention to this fact. It's a smack in the face in a way statistics and journalistic reporting simply can't be. It can be the bridge to a disconnect from emotion, and that looks different for every person. This isn't an album for passive listening, but I still enjoyed it. I learned something new and got to wrestle with some difficult questions. Won't be relistening any time soon if ever.

4.5

Wow. Rednecks. Strange song.

Every theatrical composition could be the score to its own movie. He really does have a niche. A whole album of basically show tunes way too much. I couldn’t get through it.

I know it's supposed to be satirical, but when I hear "nigger" being sung repeatedly by a white man, it kind of throws me off wanting to listen to the rest of the album.

Not great. Not even good. Like someone failing at blues.

Good album but some crazy themes on early songs. I like the commentary. 8.3/10

Noteworthy satire that belongs on this list but his repeated use if the “n” word made me incredibly uncomfortable from the outset. Surprised that this was a commercial success given its tone.

Great stuff can’t believe I’d never heard good start to the challenge. Like the cosy peaceful atmosphere

I have not heard this before. I am not a fan of Randy Newman. Maybe I would if I had grown up with Toy Story rather than seeing it in the theater in high school on a not good acid trip but that is beside the point. We got a mix here of piano cabaret crooning and late victorian parlor music that is overall dull and forgettable. His voice and the songs in general makes me feel like I’m at a replica of a turn of the century ice cream shop at a run down history museum where they don’t have any ice cream and you can buy hard candy made 40 years ago with flavors like marjoram with iodine.

This didn’t really make an impact on me. I just kept thinking about Toy Story. Good for what it is, but not really for me.

3 stars

A sharp criticism about racism in America, even if it is a bit coarse by firing off slurs like a minigun.

Gotta appreciate the dig at racism in all parts of america with Rednecks and the accompanying follow-ups. It would be easy listening, save for that some of the slurs made me a bit apprehensive that anyone would ask what I was listening to. Apparently he was always nervous bringing these songs, same as the listeners. Takes guts, but not for everyday.

Wow, that was unexpected! I settled in to listen to the 'Toy story' song dude. That's on me!! I enjoyed this, almost like a piece of theater. The characters (?) singing the songs add an authenticity to the album, although the slurs make it difficult to listen to without headphones!

I'm not sure this satire has aged well - though its interesting to listen to this style and think about how it progressed into some of the most iconic music from animated films. It's not that I think there shouldn't be music around difficult topics, or satire, parody and humour. This just doesn't land for me, and maybe its a time and place thing, or maybe I'm just not that interested in this style of music, or connect with the humour through stereotypes used. I do find the lyrics along with the style of music confronting and offputting at minimum, no need to listen to this more than once.

kinda repetitive, not bad though

Ok, but it does not move me beyond ★★★.

#945. I mean, it's fine I guess, but I can't imagine a situation where I would ever want to listen to it again. 3/5: acceptable

This was crazy fast and interesting. Lot of incoherent thoughts about this album I will need time to put together. I like what he has to say on this album and it feels incredibly relevant today as it did when it came out.

Ain’t nothing changed

Well the first song has a substantial amount of n-words (despite what is explicitly an anti-racist overall message). Kind of jarring, but he connects it to antisemitism as well as to the overall theme of the album. The rest of the album is really interesting and builds on some specific themes that are meaningful. I liked it but didn't love it.

First track threw me a bit - had to stop and think, surely, this must be satire. Even so, quite painful to listen to. Louisiana 1927 is a great example of his songwriting skill. Knew the song, had no idea it was his. I think his talent overcomes the parts that don’t hold up so well from 1973 or thereabouts.

It's OK (Fallout-ish sounding album)

You're a flower, you're a river, you're a raaainbow Idk not for me. Some good lyrics and enjoyable piano tunes. Whiplash on that first song, but the sentiment brought me back.

Dang, Randy really occupies a very specific sweet spot, doesn’t he?

Very good Randy Newman, not my favorite but some quality stuff here.

Woof. I like Randy Newman and I know he writes songs with satire and from the perspective of people he doesn’t necessarily agree with. I’m not sure how to feel about this. I certainly wouldn’t try to question someone for being offended. I don’t know if I am, but I’m also not someone who is typically victimized by the usage of some of the words in here. Pretty complex stuff. Wait a minute. Did art just make me think and feel?

Sorry Randy. Don't like his voice very much, sounds like a whiny, whiteboy version of Ray Charles on a bad day. Not my musical style at all, so it was very hard to appreciate. How did this album make the list!? 2 for effort

Another Louisiana special. First Dr. John & now Randy Newman. He has such a unique voice and style. So different from what anyone else was doing in 1974. Great rootsy heartsy, storytelling. I can appreciate the artistry, but not something I’d come back to.

This satire reminds me of America now, 50 years later. The same people struggling to survive, assuming bad intent, being sold lies. Smae-same.

"it takes a whole lot of medicine for me to pretend I'm somebody else*. As seriously funny as it is serious. He dispenses all the news that's for to print - good bad and otherwise - but leaves you feeling ok about it. Randy is gonna Newman and we're all a little better for it.

Unremarkable, weird lyrics throughout

What the fuck is this

4/10

Karakter fuld stemmer. Jeg gik ventede bare på disney sangene. Som dog udeblev fra det her album

Jeg kan virkelig godt lide Randy Newmans vokal. Den musik han laver kan jeg lide lidt mindre.

у меня нет сил слушать американские мемы. голос красивый

Lot of Pearl clutching in the reviews here about the Toy Story singer singing a song like Rednecks, with its use of racial slurs. Shocked and outraged, I tell you! Good. You're meant to be. If you weren't there'd be something wrong with you. Satire of the darkest hew, hanging America's grubbiest linen out for all the world to see. Racism, grubby politics and so many damaged men. From a man who used to worry about his gambling, bit now he just drinks and forgets, to a guy who has to get drunk to tell Marie he'll always love her, to a man who needs a whole lot of medicine so he can pretend to be someone else, to the Southern Gothic of Cherokee county, to whatever the hell is going on in Back On My Feet Again. Even the Naked Man snatching purses from old ladies is only doing it because the Navy found out about his sister and no-one will help him stop because he can't control himself. (Now there's a pitch for Pixar!) Even Kingfish is probably the greatest speech Trump, the most damaged man of all, never gave ("I look after shit kickers like you!") It's full of "he didn't go there, did he?" moments. Not for the faint of heart.

Wonderful piano and Randy Newman's distinct voice, great combo. The upbeat songs are better than the slower ones, but there's nothing really bad in here. Rednecks is hilarious. Birmingham is really nice. Mr. President is nice and chill. Naked Man is really funny. Rollin' was a nice sad song to end off with. Had a blast with this one, great album! Best song: Rednecks

3/5

Honestly not much to say about this one. It pretty much went in one ear and out the other, nothing I hated but nothing I overly enjoyed.

went in dumb, come out dumb too

Holy Smokes, the Toy Story guy dropping a loooooot of N Bombs on that first track 😳 Bailed about 1/2 way through the album because it made me sleepy

It's okay I guess....not my cup of tea - wouldn't seek out spinning it again.

The kind of good music I will never listen to again.

Review - Randy Newman deserves more credit than he gets. This is a great album and I learnt some interesting history about Kingfisher and southern US politics in the early 20th century. The first song is good but good lord he drops a lot of slurs. Other than that, fantastic album. Score - 8/10 Need to listen? YES

1.92

Just a tremendous album. It sounds like a concept album and, looking it up, turns out that was the original plan. I like Randy Newman, but Amazon's algorithms are weird and when I went looking for more of his stuff a few years ago I only found the 'Randy Newman Songbook', which is re-recordings, just him (older) and a piano. Those are okay, but this original is fabulous. 5.

- Well, this didn't age well with the slurs - I'm embarrassed listening to it. I understand it's satire, but I still can't. - I also don't like his cadence and total lack of enunciation, and I hate his vocal affectation that's somehow honking and elongated and pinched at the same time - it feels like one long diphthong. - Other than the problematic lyrics, it all feels jokey to me. If the focus is supposed to be the lyrics, then I would definitely like to be able to hear them, but I can't since he seems to be allergic to consonants (except for when he says that slur). I also can't help but tune out his voice because it's annoying. - Hate the Americana feel of it all. - The piano work is nice, but the instrumentation mostly feels like a waste of a symphony. His voice just doesn't match it and stands out too much, and the songs aren't interesting enough for the soaring strings to make up for that. That said, the symphony saves it from a 1 rating, but without it, it definitely would have been. - Also, thankful it's short. This site has given me a new appreciation for albums being short and sweet.

Color me surprised. It was a lot of fun and silly. Good stuff. Not many bops but entertaining nonetheless

Ignore his work for film, which is echoic and incredible in it's onw right, and what remains is one of the great American songwriters that's emerged from the 60's. Randy Newman's songwriting style is sadly out of style in a concurrent mainstream understanding. His songs are stories, always told from the perspective of an unnamed narrator. This level of detachment seems alien to an audience that expects a songwriter to be writing and singing from their immediate perspective. I guess it's not obvious at first listen to the uninitiated. Randy Newman has more in common with Raymond Carver than he does most songwriters. The other thing people seem to miss is his irony, his acidic vitriol. His soft froggy voice and string arrangements bely the anger at injustice and ignorance which stands front and center in songs like "Rednecks". He's also funny as hell. "A Wedding in Cherokee County", one of my favorite songs of his, always makes me laugh when the narrator starts talking about his bride's family. While there's irony everywhere, there's also sincerity. He has a soft spot for the disaffected, can find charm in the freaks of the world, cuz we're all human. He hates examples of humanity turning against itself--racism and prejudice, capitalists and politicians fucking over regular people, the weaponization of religion against people's best interests. In addition, he crafts great songs with simple lyrics, simple rhythms, but powerfully memorable melodies sung with such a distinct froggy voice.

Really enjoyed it musically, appreciate that it’s a cohesive concept to the album.

friend in me

Funny, moving, insightful, catchy. Almost half these songs ended up on my 1001 albums playlist. Maybe Newman’s best.

Quite a shock to hear the Toy Story guy use the N word a bunch of times but Rednecks is actually a clever satire, I appreciated it. Actually the writing is good on the whole album, his character is a nice idea and it's pretty wry. Not 5* because the music didn't excite me as much

Can't say I enjoyed this as it faded well into the background. RYM: N Saved a song: N

Woof, ummm lots o slurs on this one, yikes

I first heard Randy Newman when the song Short People was a hit. As a short person, I was both irritated by the song but also respected its satire. However many others didn't and sang it to me to tease me. And that's the thing about Randy Newman. He's very darkly satirical and many people just don't get it. I had never listened to this album before, but I knew of it. I'd heard Sail Away and knew that he could not just be satirical, but also very blunt and direct. None of that prepared me for Rednecks, and amazing song that I won't save to a playlist or recommend to others. I loved the theme of the album, and some songs fit better than others. I also laughed out loud a few times. Highlights were Rednecks (see disclaimer above), Marie, Mr. President (amazing that this was from 1974 and not today), and Back on My Feet Again.

every song sounds similar and theres a ton of racial slurs

467/1089 - Never cared for him. Kingfish had an interesting dissonant intro but then it just went to cliche city like the rest of the album.

Randy Newman is such a good song writer. So much of what he does feels like it should be in a movie scene. It also feels like it’s stuck in a Time Machine. I thought this album was released in 1975 not 2025… that said, these are well written songs and the lyrical content not only gives them a modern spin but also a lot of punch. Not all good ole boys are bad but where there smoke there’s fire so somebody’s gotta say it. Well done Randy.

It's not bad by any means, but I just don't vibe with that storytelling / circus-y kind of music.

When people said Randy’s vocals are slurred, that’s not what I expected

Cool voice boring songs

He did say the n-word multiple times in the first song... 3/5

That first one was kinda crazy

Overall Rating - 3.10/5 (6.20/10). Bit of a weird feel to this album, Randy Newman writing and singing songs about people and places in the old South. A Wedding in Cherokee County and Back on My Feet Again had me cackling with laughter.

3/5 ⭐️ 117/1089

1. red - 0 2. birmingham - 1 3. marie - 1 4. prezident - 1 5. guilty - 1 6. louiziana - 1 7. man - 0 8. king - 0 9. naked - 0 10. uuedding - 1 11. feet - 1 12. rolling - 1

intersting stuff. just a little too monotonous.

I find myself a little conflicted, because a lot of these songs are pretty great. Randy is a fun songwriter and singer with some really solid production (I especially like the uneasy woodwinds in the song Guilty). His voice has an appeal and his wit is biting and acerbic. But that also leads to songs like Rednecks, which aged like milk in a summer junkyard. The intentions were pure, and the message is pretty clear, but that one's still rough to listen to.

Interest album, and yes - listen to the Malcolm Gladwell Revisionist History podcast about it.

first, I didn't know he made music outside of Pixar SECOND, HOLY FIRST SONG

Good to know Randy Newman said the n-word on television about 34 years before the South Park guys did. He certainly nailed the shock value of it as well. It's like the point that The Drive-By Truckers were trying to get across on Southern Rock Opera, just WAY more direct and with 100% less Lynyrd Skynyrd references. The problem is that the guy tries to go for the exact same thing four or five times throughout the album, just without the flagrant use of the n-word. He does slip it in one more time right at the end of the album, but after saying it at least 20 times in the opener, it's hard to do anything but shrug.

Toy Story 2 was ok

Got off to a good start, I did like Rednecks, but unfortunately it couldn't keep it up. It was ok, but nothing to write home about. That's about it really. Glad I listened to it, won't do it again. 2

Horrible stuff

There I was getting ready for 'One Day I'll Fly Away' and what did I get for getting my Randy's muddled up? A horrible version of a Groundhog Day/Toy Story mash up - every song sounding like THAT song. I still am having problems with my woody after this. Thanks for forcing me to listen to this, I'm no longer feeling randy Randy.

# Album Name: Good Old Boys # Artist: Randy Newman # Rating: 4/5 # Comments: Good listen. Decent vibes. # Top Tunes: # Would I listen to it again? Yes

voice and style are very typical

Meh. Pretty bland stuff here. "Rednecks" was mildly entertaining.

Normalito no me fascinó pero tampoco me pareció malo, mid tier. 6/10

As white people the least we can do is not say it... but putting that aside the music is mid anyway lol. 3

hey?

Feel like this didn't age super great.

uhhhhhhhhh. So this is labelled as "satire" and "concept album". It may be, but it sure does sound like he really wants to use the n-word. Often. It's either a great concept or it's not a concept at all. I honestly can't tell. The music itself is dated and a little boring. Maybe a 3 with better lyrics. Even if this is satire, the lyrics are too simplistic - and mean. I guess it gets a 2 because the music isn't terrible.

Something warm and cuddly about Mr. Toy Story's music.

Me parece muy extraño escuchar los discos "normales" de Randy Newman, siendo alguien que lo conoció como uno de los principales compositores de canciones para películas de pixar. Y lo raro es que la música suena igual, la voz suena igual, pero en sus canciones regulares habla de lo mucho que le gusta el whisky, de la cocaína que le ofrecen sus amigos y de que su madre era una ramera. Pero todo con la tonadita alegre de "You´ve got a friend in me". Rarísimo y no, no me gusta.

I am aware of Randy Newman. I first remember him from the "Short People" song - and have that one liked on Spotify - since I thought it was kinda funny - and I've always been on the shorter side of normal so it stuck out for me - haha. I also have one other song liked by him but it's not on this album. I'm also aware that he did the music for a whole bunch of animated movies - but don't have any of those songs liked - since they seem sort of "kid-ish". After listening 3 times... Nothing really grabbed me as something I would want to hear again. Musically, lyrically, vocally - none of it made me think I need to hear this again. The sort of old timey piano based music with talk-singing vocals could be ok if the lyrics were more insightful or interesting. But - I kinda just don't care to listen to songs that mythologize Louisiana and Alabama. I'm not offended by the lyrics in the "Rednecks" song - because I realize it's satire - and that it is making fun of both the South AND the North's treatment of black people. Several songs about a complicated historical figure like Huey Long just doesn't interest me enough to need this in my life. And I can't even remember what the other songs are about. Liked songs on Spotify: 0/12 Rating: 1/5 (should be zero)

Fucking Randy Newman. Satirical piano rock is most definitely not my thing, but I'm more angry about having Rednecks stuck on my head and feeling bad every time my mind cycles through it.

You either get Randy Newman or you don't and if you don't, you are wrong.

beter dan verwacht... opgewekte muziek met donkere teksten...zo heb ik het graag.. soort van Tom Waits maar zonder de doorrookte stem...

Mr. Toy Story what are you doing saying that?

Nothing wrong but wouldn't listen again

When Toy Story came out, I hated it. The Randy Newman songs increased that dislike. I was convinced this album was going to be a one star, but I decided to go into it with an open mind. There are some beautiful songs on here!! I am pleasantly surprised.

Racist southerners and black people should just agree to shake hands and beat the crap out of Randy Newman.

His piano driven country rock sound is so distinctive and easy to listen to, but I'm not sure if I really like it. It seems like the album is about life in the south, with plenty of criticism and plenty of sincerity. It was fun for a one time listen but probably not something I'll return to.

5/10

3 - decent

Good Old Boys is old. It's for the boys down from the South, but most importantly... it's good. It's a chronicle of life and history of the south, told from a perspective of a southern everyman, but it's also a collection of love songs from a perspective of a not so regular Joe who asks his lover for help when he's drunk and high on coke, and who marries a freak like himself and doesn't mind whatever comes with it. Those are the songs I come back to the most. Political and historical context misses me the most, but love always hits like it should.

Nice

DNF

I've never understood what people like about Randy Newman. A few of the songs he's done for soundtracks, I can stomach. Everything I've ever heard from his regular albums, he just comes off as a dickhead. After a few tracks of this one, I hated the album with a passion usually reserved for Eminem and/or Madonna.

Eh ... is it politically correct these days? Mr President (Have Pity on the Working Man) is timely for sure. Never really been a fan, most of his songs just sound the same ... he is much better later in life doing soundtracks.

I must say, Good Old Boys was a pretty nice listen. It's honestly been quite a while since i last heard Sail Away so i don't exactly know how this one compares to that one but due to recency bias, i think i prefer this one. The songs here still have that very Disney/Pixar jazz sounding tone to them and that is something i enjoy to see this style in an earlier fashion. I also think that some of the lyrical themes are pretty interesting with some of them being about various historical events and as someone who enjoys history, i really do get a kick out of this. It isn't perfect as most of the songs can get pretty samey but i still enjoyed my time with this one. Best Song: Louisiana 1927 Worst Song: Naked Man

A little dated but also, a unique talent.

Wait….these songs weren’t in Toy Story….

Toy Story singer singing the N word MULTIPLE times? I don't care if it was "satire" and the 70s were "a different time"

1001 albums to hear before you say the n word publicly and get killed by a gang 61# Boring if you're not paying attention to the lyrics, but when you're paying attention to the lyrics, it's kind of the same.. boring. Oh no he said the n word, cancel him. Oh but it is a satire, let him be. Oh but he is too comfortable saying it, cancel him. Oh but he has done toy story and monsters inc., let him be. Well it's an average satirical album from the 70s that I'd prefer not take the time to hear but not all albums will be worth of note

This is the second Randy Newman the generator has thrown up in consecutive days and I fear it doesn’t do it any favours, i enjoyed the more political content matter, but despite having a nice voice, his phrasing makes everything blur onto one. It’s pleasant but I suspect Randy is an artist who is perfectly served by a compilation album (probably procured from a discount bin)

Well that was unexpected, but clever. The general point about Randy Newman does remain, but I liked this less. Country generally isn’t my bag. Nor are songs about the Mason-Dixon Line.

Well. You wait for one for ages and then two come along at once. By which I mean a Randy Newman album where the opening track contains slurs but for seemingly benevolent reasons (or as least as benevolent as it's possible to be while throwing out the n-word multiple times - once again, Mr Newman is very much anti-slave trade). Yesterday's Generator album was Sail Away by Randy Newman, today it's Good Old Boys by Randy Newman. I really liked the way the music on Guilty seemed as slurred as the drunken and high narrator must have been - it was a fun way to add to the story. I like Randy Newman's (technically poor) voice as much as I did yesterday. I like the piano as much as I did yesterday. And the orchestral bits. But today's album features fewer songs I already knew (and loved) so it didn't hit as much for me. I appreciate the concept of loosely telling the stories of a certain place and a certain time, but I'd rather listen to Simon Smith and His Amazing Dancing Bear. More a 3.5 for me, but I'm plumping for a 3. 3/5 P.S. I nearly got through two Randy Newman albums without mentioning Toy Story, but I cannot imagine the shock some parents must have listening to this after You Got A Friend In Me...

I don't really see the point in having 2 Randy Newman albums on the list when they're both so one-note. I preferred the other one without the racial slurs

This album has a point to make, but it really doesn't do it well. It is just incredibly boring. Every song sounds the same, to the point where they all started blending together. This is easily the most bored I've been during this challenge, thusfar. The only times when I was forced to pay attention to what was going on, were when Newman randomly decided to... say slurs? You can make an anti-racist song without using racial slurs, you know?

man can slur man can twang. naar wat goede country geluisterd en het kost randy newman nog een punt

The king of "totally different song if you actually listen to the lyrics" has done it again! Love Randy.

i dunno man it's aight Will I listen to again: 5%

I know it’s satire but why is he out here dropping hard r’s?

On paper, I should love Randy Newman (leads with humor, weird voice, old timey, songwriter's songwriter) but I just do not have what it takes. The demo version of 'Marie" I liked, so maybe its the arrangements and the persona he puts on his voice, I have a problem with. Whatever it is is a deal-killer.

All I previously knew of Randy Newman was that kitschy song “I Love LA” from the MTV video and that he scored some films (I did not realize just how many). And honestly, with its dramatic orchestration, this album sounds like it was made for a film about working-class Southerners. He’s clearly good at this sort of thing, and he’s a talented songwriter and lyricist — I recognized the song “Guilty” from Bonnie Raitt’s superior cover version, which really brings out the pathos. But few of these songs really stir me. The big, lushly produced style seems at odds with the more intimate (or harshly critical) subject matter, his voice is meh and I’m highly unlikely to revisit this.

After Stephen Merritt, Randy Newman may be the finest living American songwriter (RIP Sondheim and Nilssen). If you only know him from his sappy film soundtrack work, "Rednecks" will certainly startle you. The dumb 70s hit "Short People" excepted, Newman manages to pull off satire and you always get the joke. You have to really know what you're doing to use the n word in a chorus and have the listener see it as an indictment of racism and not a celebration of it.

LOVED IT!! Something about Randy Newmans voice and style is so comforting and fun to listen to. Will definitely be putting this on repeat

Hearing the Toy Story guy sing the n-word 7 times on the opener immediately put me in a bad mood. Then I realized it’s an outcry against the imprisonment of black people. I think it actually probably is good but on my listen I only caught some of the other lyrics and none of them really stuck with me (except the opener). The songs are undoubtedly well-written but idk it sounds a little over-produced.

I need to listen to more Randy Newman