Randy Newman, one of my absolute musical deities, is coming to Knoxville on October 14th for his Randy Newman Songbook Tour.
YES!
YES!
YES!
Randy Newman......ON TOUR!
My girlfriend and I have our tickets and we're ready to catch Uncle Randy tomorrow night in Knoxville. I seriously haven't been this excited for a show since I saw Dylan touring to promote Love & Theft or witnessed John Prine work his magic at the Alabama Theater.
I've been listening to Good Old Boys/Johnny Cutler's Birthday a lot lately and I think I might have spoken too soon on Blue's Best Album of All Time thread. Such a brilliant, brilliant piece of work with Sail Away, 12 Songs and Bad Love not too far behind.
What's more, we may get to see Gillian Welch & David Rawlings on friday at the SAME theater in Knoxville. Very, very cool.
I've been listening to Good Old Boys/Johnny Cutler's Birthday a lot lately and I think I might have spoken too soon on Blue's Best Album of All Time thread. Such a brilliant, brilliant piece of work with Sail Away, 12 Songs and Bad Love not too far behind.
What's more, we may get to see Gillian Welch & David Rawlings on friday at the SAME theater in Knoxville. Very, very cool.
Have fun, EV!
I'm sad to say that, even though I've been a Randy Newman since I was 14, and I live in the same city as he, I've only seen him live once (and that was free -- he was sharing the bill with Emmy Lou Harris though and they were both pretty great!)
I'm sad to say that, even though I've been a Randy Newman since I was 14, and I live in the same city as he, I've only seen him live once (and that was free -- he was sharing the bill with Emmy Lou Harris though and they were both pretty great!)
http://www.forwardtoyesterday.com -- Where "hopelessly dated" is a compliment!
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laughingcrow
- Posts: 2476
- Joined: Tue Jul 29, 2003 8:35 am
Oh wow...I only recently got into Randy...some lyricist!
My parents were telling me how much Short People offended people, I guess you could get offended by that cool song if you didn't listen to the words properly. Other brilliant ones...Simon Smith and his dancing bear and Mama told me not to come.
My parents were telling me how much Short People offended people, I guess you could get offended by that cool song if you didn't listen to the words properly. Other brilliant ones...Simon Smith and his dancing bear and Mama told me not to come.
At 5'5, people keep telling me I'm short.
Yet "Little Criminals" was my first Randy Newman and still one of my favorites. I was a stupid 14 year old and I understood the joke. Unfortunately, Billy Barty was considerably less hip (and, yes, considerably shorter).
Yet "Little Criminals" was my first Randy Newman and still one of my favorites. I was a stupid 14 year old and I understood the joke. Unfortunately, Billy Barty was considerably less hip (and, yes, considerably shorter).
http://www.forwardtoyesterday.com -- Where "hopelessly dated" is a compliment!
Randy Newman was absolutely perfect!
I was afraid that we were going to be late because I didn't get off work till 7:00 and the show itself was set to start at 8. It's at least a thirty minute drive to Knoxville from Maryville and my girlfriend witnessed what passes for aggressive driving on my part as we managed to get there with ten minutes to go. The Bijou Theater itself is a classy venue and was ideal for seeing an American master alone at the piano, armed only with a great setlist and his own wry charsima.
He played two sets, generously sampling from every album of his career (including Born Again!) and told some very funny stories in between songs. The audience was primarily middle-aged college professors (aside from a few tykes, we were the youngest ones in attendance) so Randy only played one of his Pixar songs and felt free to hit us with several of his darkest character sketches. He seemed to have the most energy reserved for songs off his recent Bad Love as well as lesser known gems like Bad News From Home (one of my faves and a great performance) and I Thing It's Going To Rain Today (ditto). His banter with the audience was warm and loose. It's amazing that someone who has been in the business for forty years still comes off as genuinely shy and self-effacing in front of an adoring crowd. One story that was particularly hilarious was when he explained how his Hollywood composer uncles were even more profane in person than he is and that his uncle Lionel is the only individual to ever utter a curse word while on stage at the Academy Awards.
Other highlights included the vicious and sadly prescient Political Science as well as Sail Away, Feels Like Home, I Miss You (absolutely devastating), Dixie Flyer and an audience singalong to I Just Want You To Hurt Like I Do.
It was a treat to see this man whom I have admired for nearly ten years perform solo (he joked that he was too cheap to pay a band) and put on such a terrific show. If he should come within driving distance of anyone here on the board, it really is worth it to see him. Especially since he rarely does any nationwide tours anymore. Cheers Randy and thanks for a great show!
I was afraid that we were going to be late because I didn't get off work till 7:00 and the show itself was set to start at 8. It's at least a thirty minute drive to Knoxville from Maryville and my girlfriend witnessed what passes for aggressive driving on my part as we managed to get there with ten minutes to go. The Bijou Theater itself is a classy venue and was ideal for seeing an American master alone at the piano, armed only with a great setlist and his own wry charsima.
He played two sets, generously sampling from every album of his career (including Born Again!) and told some very funny stories in between songs. The audience was primarily middle-aged college professors (aside from a few tykes, we were the youngest ones in attendance) so Randy only played one of his Pixar songs and felt free to hit us with several of his darkest character sketches. He seemed to have the most energy reserved for songs off his recent Bad Love as well as lesser known gems like Bad News From Home (one of my faves and a great performance) and I Thing It's Going To Rain Today (ditto). His banter with the audience was warm and loose. It's amazing that someone who has been in the business for forty years still comes off as genuinely shy and self-effacing in front of an adoring crowd. One story that was particularly hilarious was when he explained how his Hollywood composer uncles were even more profane in person than he is and that his uncle Lionel is the only individual to ever utter a curse word while on stage at the Academy Awards.
Other highlights included the vicious and sadly prescient Political Science as well as Sail Away, Feels Like Home, I Miss You (absolutely devastating), Dixie Flyer and an audience singalong to I Just Want You To Hurt Like I Do.
It was a treat to see this man whom I have admired for nearly ten years perform solo (he joked that he was too cheap to pay a band) and put on such a terrific show. If he should come within driving distance of anyone here on the board, it really is worth it to see him. Especially since he rarely does any nationwide tours anymore. Cheers Randy and thanks for a great show!
Randy is a real hero to me. And a heck of a rackonteur (sp?).
http://www.forwardtoyesterday.com -- Where "hopelessly dated" is a compliment!
Yeah, he needs to come to Toronto.
"Feels Like Home." That's the one Bonnie Raitt sang on Faust, right? When I was in high school, I played acoustic guitar in a backing band for this girl who sang that in a school concert at a decent-sized theatre. It was cool being one of four people on stage during that, and it really is a pretty song.
"Feels Like Home." That's the one Bonnie Raitt sang on Faust, right? When I was in high school, I played acoustic guitar in a backing band for this girl who sang that in a school concert at a decent-sized theatre. It was cool being one of four people on stage during that, and it really is a pretty song.
This morning you've got time for a hot, home-cooked breakfast! Delicious and piping hot in only 3 microwave minutes.
That is right, Blue Chair...yup. "Faust" is one of the most criminally underrated of his records. Pretty much pure genius all the way through. Damn shame the show didn't work. I keep hoping someone will find a way to revive it.
(The song "Happy Ending" also does for Las Vegas what he did for L.A. in "I Love L.A." How can you not love an song that talks about "Wild women from Borneo, playing the piano in your bungalow"?)
(The song "Happy Ending" also does for Las Vegas what he did for L.A. in "I Love L.A." How can you not love an song that talks about "Wild women from Borneo, playing the piano in your bungalow"?)
http://www.forwardtoyesterday.com -- Where "hopelessly dated" is a compliment!
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martinfoyle
- Posts: 2502
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Whilst I am no particular fan of Mr. Henley, I quite enjoy the tracks he's on.
And they are a pretty important part of the story as he's playing Faust. I think this is a case of what you might call "good casting" as Newman's vision of Faust is basically of a pretentious, mean-spirited, deeply shallow frat boy and Henley's pretentous pipes kind of fit. (In the movie I've made inside my own head, I see Adam Sandler in the title role -- and I'm not a giant fan of his, either, but in the right role, as in Punch Drunk Love, he can be pretty great. He can also sing just well enough.). Beside I think "The Man" and "Children of the World" are just a couple of the best songs.
Actually, I feel almost the same way about James Taylor. Never much cared for him either, but that may be more based on the quality of his songwriting, rather than his voice -- but casting him as God was brilliant.
Actually, the song I would consider dropping is Elton John's song, "Little Island". Though, of course, in the movie EC would get to play the part of the English Angel...and, just in case you were wondering, I was thinking for John Travolta as his middle-aged, singing dancing Satan and either Kevin Kline or, in more radical casting, Jason Alexander with a bad toupee as his "high school student body president" vision of God.
And they are a pretty important part of the story as he's playing Faust. I think this is a case of what you might call "good casting" as Newman's vision of Faust is basically of a pretentious, mean-spirited, deeply shallow frat boy and Henley's pretentous pipes kind of fit. (In the movie I've made inside my own head, I see Adam Sandler in the title role -- and I'm not a giant fan of his, either, but in the right role, as in Punch Drunk Love, he can be pretty great. He can also sing just well enough.). Beside I think "The Man" and "Children of the World" are just a couple of the best songs.
Actually, I feel almost the same way about James Taylor. Never much cared for him either, but that may be more based on the quality of his songwriting, rather than his voice -- but casting him as God was brilliant.
Actually, the song I would consider dropping is Elton John's song, "Little Island". Though, of course, in the movie EC would get to play the part of the English Angel...and, just in case you were wondering, I was thinking for John Travolta as his middle-aged, singing dancing Satan and either Kevin Kline or, in more radical casting, Jason Alexander with a bad toupee as his "high school student body president" vision of God.
http://www.forwardtoyesterday.com -- Where "hopelessly dated" is a compliment!