ITV Documentary: RANDY NEWMAN'S AMERICA (The Music & myths of Newman) from 1994. Directed by Leslie Woodhead. With Dutch subtitles. There are a few edits: The video clip I Love LA was left out, because of copyright reasons.
"Looks like another perfect day." I've never had a perfect day in my life. Maybe I should move to LA. Actually, I lived in LA for 10 years. I never had a perfect day there either. But I still love that song.
Ah, the Troubadour, been there a couple of times myself. Randy, from one LA dude to another, thank you! And I just turned an unwilling 65. (hack, cough, why do I have to pee every 15 minutes?)
This man's work needs to be kept alive and past around for future generations of Americans. If America survives the coming trials and tribulations, that is.
In some circles in the Netherlands, Randy Newman is still regarded as a hero. Just listen to his Putin-song and you know instantly that he is indeed a 'genius'. Can it stop Putin, and his war in Ukraine? Who knows, but it is sad that this kind of songs aren't popular and don't get broadcasted anymore. To make things even worse, the coming concert on April 9th, 2022, in Eindhoven, is unfortunately cancelled due Newman's poor health conditions. 'I miss you.'
He’s a legendary one of one. Modern America doesn’t have the intellectual bandwidth for an artist to create something like “Rednecks” or “Political Science” anymore. People are just too stupid and moralistic to want their ideas challenged. Newman will always be an anomaly, always special.
Randy Newman's music has always stood apart from the work of his singer-songwriter cohort. After hearing "Rednecks" for the first time, you might opt next for "Carolina in my Mind" - it won't make your head hurt. His convoluted songs mostly lack the accessible emotional gratification that John Denver's can be counted on for. Consider the song featured towards the end of this film, though - the one with the protagonist saying how proud he still is to be an American, even though it's clear now that our best days are bygone. Is the writer making fun of that figure, the way he sets up the singer of "Short People" for ridicule? "Follow the Flag" is a heart-breaker once you realize that the song was generated from the writer's sympathy for someone taking that stance. You often don't know right away what's going on in one of these songs, so that's a reason to listen to it again - and again. Once you get intrigued by this work, you'll keep coming back to it, knowing that more rewarding moments of discovery are in store for you. These songs may sound casual, even shambling, but there's more going on in there than meets the ear. This is music you won't outgrow. That density and sophistication is why Randy Newman's songwriting has registered in the pop charts only by mistake. He's worked all his life within the confines of America's musical/industrial complex, but he's given us fine art - and that's why his fan base will keep growing steadily for generations to come.
It's a great shame that America has recently stepped backwards into a more intolerant age. It seems these days. people are refusing to understand complexity & nuance, and are no longer prepared to contemplate living together with a little understanding and patience. Seems like these days Randy Newman's work would never be allowed to see the light of day. That's how it seems to me.
Looks like he edited the original comment and i cant see the history. I agree my comment seems completely irrelevant in context of that comment. Dont know what i was getting at, but i doubt i was replying to this comment. Lol. Maybe i acidentally replied to the wrong comment?
No one has a clearer view of America than a Jew raised in the deep south. I remember when I was seven my dad told me about racism and hate. He explained why his mother fled Europe around the turn of the last century by saying 'A good guest always knows when its time to leave.'
