Good Old Boys

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

I like the potato head the best

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

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.

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.

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!

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

What do we have here, then? More awful, reductive takes about one of history’s greatest songwriters, is it? Well, colour me shocked! No matter, my 5 mighty stars will go 0.01% of the way to redressing the balance. Where Sail Away was a more disparate collection of songs showcasing Newman’s stylistic breadth, Good Old Boys is a much more cohesive album, musically and thematically. But it still shows him at his most bitingly satirical (Rednecks), his most beautifully poignant (Louisiana 1927, Marie), and his most idiosyncratically, irreverently humourous (A Wedding in Cherokee County).

I do not like Randy Newman.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Put this on in work and now HR want to talk to me

Okay stop please

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

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

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

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.

I’m not the type of person who throws the word “racist” at every turn or opportunity, but this one is pretty simple—I didn’t like this album because of its continuous use of the “N” word. While I understand that Good Old Boys is meant to be a satirical critique of racism, particularly in the American South, I don’t believe in recreating the language and imagery of racism under the guise of critique. It feels classless, and to me, it’s a low form of energy and entertainment.

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.

very cool, toy story man

The Good: Just some good old boys… The Bad: Got it confused with The Dukes of Hazzard! The Ugly: The above mentioned tv series getting the same kind of crap as the album we are about to rate… Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. Today, we live in a society where too many idiots scream out of outrage about the usage of a word, or the imagery of a symbol… scream scream scream. The opening track, the first time I remember hearing it, I almost choked on my drink when I got to the end of the song… I doubt many people get that far today, because they hear a word that only certain people are allowed to use. To those idiots, I say, get off your high horse, sit down, listen to the song again, and use your f-ing brain—that is if you have one. I do have to be honest here and admit the fact that, frequently, I can’t be bothered to pay attention to the lyrics on many of the albums that I’ve had the displeasure to listen to. So, I too should get off my high horse… But not before rating this album with a 5*, not because it is that special, but because, out of oh so much shit I’ve had to listen to these past couple of weeks, it shows that sometimes something that seems mediocre is actually worth it’s weight in gold.

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.

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.

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.

I am not listening to an album where a white guy says the n word

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

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

Why did he open it with that

I don't know, man. Pretty negative POV, first track over-uses the n-word - I get it, I get it, we're pointing out the racism and hypocrisy both north and south - at this point I need solutions, not more complaining. That said, Randy Newman IS a great songwriter, and I'm thinking (after hearing this album) this is what Tom Waits is trying to be. BUT: extremely self-righteous and holier-than-thou, so for me, off-putting. Don't come in here with your class-struggle bullshit.

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.

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.

Inventing a racist character so you can say slurs is such a crazy bit

When I joked about Randy Newman slurring I meant his words not... that 3/10

Good Old Boys is a great example of Poe's Law; "that, without a clear indicator of the author's intent, any parodic or sarcastic expression of extreme views can be mistaken by some readers for a sincere expression of those views." Which can make the title track pretty uncomfortable listening. Malcolm Gladwell did a good job of unpacking the complex history of the track on his Revisionist History podcast (https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/revisionist-history/good-old-boys). I do note that lots of white people seem to love an excuse to use the n-word, so I worry about anyone who seems to enjoy this song too much. Not racist, but number one with racists. Plenty of people have also observed that Randy Newman songs all sound the same, but I don't mind the gently rolling New Orleans feel of his oeuvre. There are plenty of musicians who have built whole careers off of a body of work that is all basic variations on the one song. So I don't hold that against Randy, except to say that I don't feel the need to own more than one Randy Newman record. I quite like the sentiment of Guilty -- been there, done that. And that dissonant string arrangement is genius. But otherwise, this a concept album about a really unlikable character. 2.5 stars, rounding down because you can't listen to this without a contextual lecture first.

Pretty wild opener on this album

um

Toy Story ass shit

fuck ass beats

I just can't with his voice.

Interesting trolling

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

I've never been a Randy Newman fan. I find his music incredibly boring and mundane, even when he's trying to be shocking by dropping slurs in his lyrics. I don't care if this is supposed to be satire, it's still tacky. You can get your point across without being disrespectful. I hate hearing the n word on rap albums, but it's so much worse hearing it here. This isn't a good album and I'm mighty confused as to why it is included on this list.

You know it's going to be a fun listen when the summary is basically like yeah this album existed. Sure, I get it it's satire, but part of effective satire is about criticizing those in power. So no, this is not acceptable. Other than that, I don't know what I'm supposed to be finding in this album. The vocals are nothing spectacular (they're arguably not good in most songs), most songs have a similar rhythm and instrument mix and nothing of great interest. Louisiana 1927 had more interesting instrumentals than the others and seemed to fit his vocal range okay. Will gladly never listen again.

Satire requires clarity of intent.

Like toy story but hellish

Wild. I listened to this album a few times. Rednecks is a song you only need to listen to once. I remember hearing Short People on the radio as a kid. I thought it was pretty funny. This is one of the quirkier albums I've gotten from the generator.

Scathing!

edgy classic american songwriting

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.

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

Here I am, in the last week of the project, and I finally get my first Randy Newman album. I assume that most people my age probably only know Randy Newman from his work on the Toy Story movies, or possibly from a gag in the early days of Family Guy. I know his voice very well, but other than that, I’m not quite sure what to expect from this album. I guess it’s time to pull up a chair with Randy Newman and the good old boys. I thought Good Old Boys was a really good album. Randy Newman’s strength as a composer and arranger were on full display here; this album was full of beautiful music that matched the themes and tones of this concept album really well. The music here conveyed a wide array of emotions, from silly satire to the stirring emotional trauma of a catastrophic flood. The piano playing really stood out to me on this album, but I also really liked when the pedal steel guitar was used. As much as I enjoyed the music on this album, I thought the lyrics were where Good Old Boys really excelled. As with many albums on this list, the social and political themes are still incredibly relevant today, especially as the ideological divide between the north and south continues to exist, if not expand. Despite the repeated use of racial slurs, I thought “Rednecks” was brilliant. I enjoyed the send-up of the typical bigoted southerner, but the southerners rebuke of northern racism was just as accurate. As for the use of the racial slurs, while it’s jarring, I found it to be an appropriate representation of the views held by some people in the south. I came of age in Texas in the 90’s, and even well into the 00’s, I had to listen to racial slurs and bigoted viewpoints espoused by my parents in our house. My parents were decent enough racists not to talk like that in public, but it’s a sad but also accurate portrayal that people still talk like that to this day. I thought “Mr. President” was really poignant too. I loved how the narrator bemoaned his financial strain to ears that would never hear his complaints, and again, this sort of thing is all too relevant today, as people who whine about government handouts often find themselves on the chopping block of their wealthy bosses who turn them loose to increase their bottom lines. But on the flip side of those criticisms, I liked the humanity that was cast upon the narrator too. “Louisiana 1927” was the best example of this, and in another bout of historical foreshadowing, I was reminded of how our government/the Bush administration completely abandoned the needs of the people of New Orleans during and after Hurricane Katrina. “Kingfish” was great too, and I loved how Randy Newman painted Huey Long as the could-have-been savior of the downtrodden, but how he was also still a politician who could have been bought and been sucked into the political machine. My only critique of this album was that it wore on me a little bit towards the end, and I thought that the last few songs lacked the punch that the rest of the album had. Other than that though, I really enjoyed this album, and I’m excited to review Randy Newman’s other album in the next few days.

Favorite Track: Rednecks

I've never understood the weird love-him-or-hate-him vibe I've often experienced from other people about Randy Newman. I've always enjoyed his music, whether it was his songs that permeated my brain from pop culture, his soundtracks, or his beloved film scores. This record reminded me so much of his score for MAJOR LEAGUE (1989) that I honestly thought he plagiarized some of his own work directly from "Good Old Boys." I enjoyed this album, his witty and sometimes scathing lyrics about the south and racism, and I've always adored his piano playing. This was a rare treat for me, but it's still quite strange to think that in about 2 decades he'd be writing Academy Award nominated song-after-song-after-song for Disney/Pixar throughout the 1990s and 2000s.

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!

If it weren't for the episode of Malcolm Gladwell's Revisionist History I probably wouldn't enjoy this album. As it is I'm gonna love it. Jesus that was blistering political commentary. That was tough to get through. It was powerful enough that it gets four stars, but I will not be listening again.

“Rednecks” is just stunning. I think I had heard this first from one of the Malcolm Gladwell podcasts about songwriters, and that's what hooked me. Such a tightrope walk he walks. That's the heart of all these Randy Newman records: dissonance. So feel-good, and yet so repulsive, but so warm, but so comically wrong, delivered straight and earnest. And he never breaks character. It's really only something I think he can do. Him and few others. Find the pathos and sympathy in unlikeable, racist anti-heroes, and then turn around and skewer them at the same time. How does he do it? We don't know. And “Marie” gets me every time. Reminds me of “Coney Island Baby,” Tom Waits. Bittersweet. I love my anti-hero songwriters more and more with every passing day. A lot of bittersweet this week! The string arrangements really give it that extra nudge for me. Randy Newman's range might be a little limited, but he nails the hell out of whatever it is he's doing. 4/5

A good album, and I got the sense from listening to it that there's a lot to unpack and uncover. I have to admit it's hard to hear a white guy say the n word so many times in a song. Of course 50 years changes us, so benefit of the doubt. I first heard about "Rednecks" on Malcolm Gladwell's podcast, he does a good job explaining and analyzing the song (the episode of Revisionist History is called "Good Old Boys"). Besides getting a little hung up on that, I think there are some great songs here and an interesting concept for an album, the Johnny Cutler everyman southerner idea.

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

I’m stuck on a 3, though I really do think it's worth listening to. I appreciate the attempts at satire on this album; loosely, Randy Newman’s messaging & political stances come through well, even if the actual messaging used can range from batshit methodology (never let the Toy Story guy drop the N word with a hard R ever again, please) to decently earnest pleading. I think Randy Newman tackles the subject matter on these tracks with a decent amount of tact for the time, when white southern audiences were still legitimately speaking like this, for better or for worse. However, satire is only effective to a certain point when you’re speaking to a primarily white audience – I think this album disregards the black perspective just a bit too much, with Randy ironically falling into the trap he satirized really well in the 3rd & 4th verse of “Rednecks”. I have to imagine some of that disregard is intentional to sell the southern ignorance that’s meant to be portrayed on these tracks. I just think there’s too much of it; take a track like “Louisiana 1927”, where the disregard & the ignorance is a driving factor. There’s no pushback on the character’s isolated perspective at all, leading to a disjointed focus that hides the messaging of the track a bit too deeply, especially since a lot of it earnestly focuses on the suffering of that flood. Randy Newman’s writing is sharp, yes, but it lacks the same direct wit as someone like John Prine, who often made himself unmistakably clear. Past that, I just don’t think a lot of the tracks here are super musically compelling. “Sail Away” was able to get away with some softer, out of the way instrumentals, but this album’s orchestration lends itself to a sort of homogeneity, where every track ends up feeling the same despite a decently robust attempt to add some variety in styles. Since the lyricism doesn’t have the full bite to make up for it, and since Randy’s dryer vocals don’t feel as potent because of it, then the entire album suffers & feels longer as a result. This is only 33 minutes, but it doesn’t really fly by like that. Hence, a 3. Not a bad one, and one I could fully understand going as high as a 5 for if the lyricism has that bite for someone else that it didn’t quite have for me, or if the instrumentals just click more nicely. However, it's also one where I fully understand why it has the rating it does. Randy Newman doesn’t get a pass for using the N-word like that, even with some decently guided intentions, but even if he had censored himself, I just think the rest of the politically-driven tracks on this album are comprised of observations that other people would satirize better & make much more potent & lasting tracks out of in the future. Sorry, Randy. It’s just a 3 for me. I do recommend it though.

Good Old Boys I’ve listened to this a lot today, and I’m still not totally sure where it lands. A couple of listens passed me by and then a couple of times I found it really engaging Conceptually and thematically it’s great and there are some excellent songs, but I think what’;s confusing me is that there can be a bit of saminess to his song writing, and sometimes it feels like the focus of the album becomes a bit diffuse and it meanders into too much wryness and whimsy. When it’s good it’s pretty great I think, Rednecks taking aim at both Southerners and Northerners smugness and attitudes to race, Birmingham rolls along nicely and Marie is a super, downbeat ballad. Mr President is great too and sounds like an early version of I Love LA, but I think a lot of his songs sound like I Love LA, and in these 4 songs you kind of have the 4 Randy Newman song archetypes. I really like the string motif on Louisiana 1927 and it’s another good song, kind of downcast and bluesy before unfurling with a nice orchestral arrangement. I like the use of Every Man a King followed by Kingfish, about the person who wrote the former, it works really well with the album’s themes. Naked Man owes a bit of a debt to Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da and A Wedding in Cherokee County is pretty good, I really like the Moog and Arp noises and overall feel of the track Back on My Feet Again and Rollin’ are good songs, but I think by the end I got the feeling that his songs seem to work better in smaller doses of 2 or 3 songs at a time, there’s something about 12 tracks sequentially that dragged a bit. I think maybe this is one of those albums where the idea of the album is better than the whole album itself, and maybe listening to 5 or 6 of the songs gets the idea across better than the entirety of it. I’d definitely listen again, but it probably won’t go into rotation, making it a solid 3. 🧣🧣🧣 Playlist submission: Rednecks

Twangy. Repetitive.

I wasn't able to unhear the Toy Story song in the end. But overall the album is really decent. Lyrics that could be seen as problematic is nothing new to Disney so i think he found perfect place for himself doing songs for Pixar.

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

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 hard album to review. On one hand, it sounds like a Randy Newman album. If you like his musical stylings, this album is in your wheelhouse. On the other hand, it's a concept album about racist southerners told from the perspective of the racist southerner. There's not a lot of replay value to an album that begins by so casually dropping hard N words right out of the gate. Even getting what he's going for in this album, it still feels ichy. Steve Earle attempted a similar feat by recording Ghosts of West Virginia about people he didn't agree with politically. He succeeded in making an album that you don't feel the need to wash off afterwards.

This has aged... poorly

No, just no

In my opinion, Randy Newman is a musical one trick pony. Musically, it is a delightful, pleasant, and sometimes silly pony. Not a pony, you saddle up and take to engage in protests about social injustice and racism. It is hard to distinguish this album from the Toy Story soundtrack, and sadly, it made me want to go watch Toy Story again rather than think seriously about issues.

Umm!!?! As a 90s kid who grew up on a diet of Toy Story and Bugs Life, this is... jarring. I understand this is satire but there is no reason for a white person to say those words and there is especially no reason to hear it from Woody 😭 A swing and a miss from Randy here....

Even if the lyrical content on this album has a bit more edge than the New Yorker typically would, I still maintain that Randy Newman’s music/satire is the audio equivalent of a New Yorker Cartoon - the spirit is still mostly the same. So, in honor of the occasion of having to listen to another one of his albums, I’ve come up with my own little New Yorker cartoon: ________________ Image: Two dogs on a New York City street. One is sniffing the other’s rear. The dog that is doing the sniffing says to the other… Caption: “You know, ever since Mayor Adams instituted the garbage can law, the city sure does smell a lot better.” ________________

This just sucks

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.

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?

Feels dated, even for an album from the 70s. Couldn't make it all the way through.

Noope.

If I could give it 0 stars I would.

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

Nah

great

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

Love it!

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.

went in dumb, come out dumb too