Randy Newman

In its latest attempt to halt Randy Newman's kamikaze flight into oblivion, Reprise has mailed
out this collector's item, a live recording of Randy's appearance at the Bitter End last fall, to
people in the trade without releasing it to the public, nor with any plans to do so anytime in
the future. As befits a composer of songs about anti-heroes, Randy has stubbornly
remained an anti-pop-star; he has performed in public exactly three times and hi... More >

Six of these fourteen wonderful songs are on Newman's first album and four on his second, all set off by the arrangements that are the other half of his gift, none crippled by one-take vocals. Of the four new ones, "Lonely at the Top"--originally written for Frank Sinatra, who refused to have anything to do with it--is the only killer. (Grade: B)