ALBUM REVIEW: Randy Newman - Live

    By 1971, Newman had begun to establish himself as one of America's premiere singer-songwriters - while he had been writing songs for awhile, it was with his 1968 Randy Newman Creates Something New Under the Sun debut album that he began to showcase all of the work himself, and the even better 1970 follow-up that was 12 Songs began a dominant streak of cynical songwriting that would turn Newman into a legend. Unfortunately, these albums didn't make a whole lot of headway in the charts, so Newman began playing small venues with a collection of his wittiest material. The September 1970 performances on this album don't have the lush over-orchestration of his debut, nor does it have the tight band on 12 Songs; Live is just Randy and a piano in an intimate setting. While Live isn't a Newman masterpiece or streak of brilliance, that doesn't stop this set of recordings from perfectly displaying what exactly makes Newman such a singular musician and artist.

    The recordings are stretched across a handful of performances from September 17 to 19 in 1970, and the intimate club setting gives is the album's first huge strength. Compared to the overblown sound of Newman's debut, the stripped-back nature of certain songs really saves some of the more disastrous moments from that record. Moments that were once too big sounding like "Living Without You" or "So Long Dad" are now cleaned up and tuned down in their minimalism, and they frankly sound significantly better than their renditions on his debut - even "Davy the Fat Boy" sounds better, although that doesn't really save the song from being one of my least favorites in Newman's lengthy catalog. Even moments that already sounded great feel far more serene and personal in this setting, like the downtrodden "Cowboy" or "I Think It's Going to Rain Today," which sound just as beautiful as they ever have on this live record.

    Of course, Live showcases more than a few of Newman's strengths - Newman's accented and quirky vocals have a distinct charm to them, and he certainly gets some goofier moments to shine, such as the Sinatra-esque "Lonely at the Top," which would later appear in tinges of New Orleans sound on the excellent Sail Away. Without any other instruments backing him, Newman's skilled ragtime-inspired piano takes charge as a sharp and complex means to deliver his ideas. Moments like "Old Kentucky Home" or the early rendition of "Last Night I Had a Dream" showcase the best of his playing, as does the album opener of "Mama Told Me Not to Come." But, of course, Newman's greatest aspect is his pen and paper - his lyrics have already developed a cynicism and satirical stroke by this point, and if his chuckling during "Lonely at the Top" isn't a tip-off, than Newman's takedown of racist pinheads on "Yellow Man" will certainly do the trick. Other songs like the chastising "Davy the Fat Boy" or "Lover's Prayer" are solid examples of Newman's wit, although they aren't as strong as much of the other work he would later present.

    Live isn't any lost masterpiece or anything, and it came out in between two of Newman's best studio albums with 12 Songs and the tour-de-force of the atmospheric Sail Away that was my first experience with Newman - it was love at first sight, if you're curious. Even with this situation, Live showcases exactly what makes Randy Newman such a singular and fantastic artist. His witty, cynical, sometimes beautiful lyrics meld excellently with his complex and bouncing piano work and a charming singing voice. Live is a great showcase of Newman's skill in the midst of his brightest era.

RATING: ✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯

Listen to Live.