Posts Tagged Randy Newman
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September 24, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
Taking Novelty Songs Seriously
Wikipedia tells me that a novelty song is “a comical or nonsensical song, performed principally for its comical effect”. I guess that’s pretty much what I would have said if someone asked me to define a novelty song – but let’s at least take Wiki’s word for it. A few years ago I bought a […]Archive
May 24, 2020 by Simon Sweetman
V/A: I Still Play
Various Artists: I Still Play Nonesuch Records I Still Play is a compilation of brand new solo piano compositions by composers across jazz, classical, pop and experimental (modern) music that have recorded for the Nonesuch Records label. The majority of the works are performed by classical pianist and composer Timo Andres (who also contributes a […]Archive
February 11, 2020 by Simon Sweetman
Stubs: # 244 – NOT Randy Newman, Wellington, 2020
In a perfect world I was to be up now writing a review – no doubt a frothing, rave review – of Randy Newman. I’d bought a ticket – I’d bought two (one for my dad as a birthday present) and we were going to go and see Randy Newman; his first time ever visiting […]Archive
January 29, 2020 by Simon Sweetman
Sweetman Podcast # 205: Steve Gunn
Welcome to episode 205 of Sweetman Podcast with support from our sponsors – T Leaf T, Yeastie Boys and La Petite Chocolat. Now – as you probably know, as well as the usual platforms (this site, soundcloud, iTunes/Apple) you can now get to Sweetman Podcast on Spotify – follow it there and have it saved […]Archive
January 10, 2020 by Simon Sweetman
Five Songs For Friday: 34 – 2020 – 1st Edition
It’s a new year – welcome, belatedly to 2020. You’ve arrived already of course, but here now is the first edition of the staggeringly inconsistent Five Songs For Friday for the new year. No theme. Just songs that are on my mind at the start of this year. Or on my turntable. Or in my […]Archive
January 6, 2020 by Simon Sweetman
The Vinyl Countdown # 191
Randy Newman, Born Again (1979) It’s a little over a month to go before Randy Newman’s first ever NZ shows – so all my Randy Newman albums (soundtracks, collabs, even records by other that feature Newman compositions – a heap!) are there by the stereo. I’ve worked through them all recently because I did a […]Archive
January 4, 2020 by Simon Sweetman
Marriage Story: Film
Marriage Story Director: Noah Baumbach Heyday Films / Netflix Marriage Story is, to date, Noah Baumbach’s masterpiece. It’s a fairly immaculate filmography so far, but where sometimes the privilege of the characters has maybe alienated members of the audience, (whether The Squid and The Whale’s intellectual superiority or the world of wealth in The Meyerowitz […]Archive
December 4, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
RNZ Feature: The Music of Randy Newman
I’m usually on RNZ once a month to have a chat about some new albums. But now and then I present features on the show too. Last year I had nearly an hour to explore the music of George Harrison. I followed that up with a chat about Ringo Starr and played some of his best Beatles drum bits […]Archive
November 27, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Randy Newman: Marriage Story [OST]
Randy Newman Marriage Story [Original Music From The Netflix Film] Lakeshore Records We think of Randy Newman: Film Composer as The Pixar Guy these days, but in the 1980s and, particularly, the early 1990s, he made his wage by creating the music to a diverse array of films – from big-name blockbusters starring Steve Martin […]Archive
October 4, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Poem: Randall Stuart
How did he write all those songs? I mean, on some level I guess I know… and he even says in one of them, that he went to the park with some paper and that’s when it happened but you listen to them. And marvel. So many recurring musical motifs, so many stories in the […]Archive
September 30, 2019 by Simon Sweetman