Randy Newman, 73, at top of his game on album, ‘Dark Matter’
Randy Newman’s new album has a song on American carnage, “It’s a Jungle Out There,” which he doesn’t really believe.
Quite the opposite, in fact. Nearly 50 years into Newman’s recording career, he’s still beloved by the rock ‘n’ roll generation, though he never sang rock. To judge from concert crowds, his appeal stretches far beyond his own demographic.
“There are more young people coming out the last couple of years,” he says. “I think they range from maybe the late 20s to 105, people my age.”
Newman is actually 73 and still at the top of his game on his first studio album of all-new material in nine years. “Dark Matter” is a mix of topical tunes, quirky characters, history lessons and wry asides. The funny stuff is counterbalanced by a couple of love ballads.
Co-producer Mitchell Froom says, “He wanted it to be an audacious body of work.”
The album opens with “The Great Debate,” a wild eight-minute examination of the science-religion divide, and Newman performs all three voices.
“Three different voices is maybe not the best use of the form,” he says from his home in Los Angeles. “But I couldn’t see a way out of it, and I’m satisfied I did the best I could.”
Froom says ambitious songs were possible because of today’s tepid music marketplace.”You’re not going to be facing a record company that is going to be disappointed or worried they don’t have a hit. There was no pressure to conform.”
Newman doesn’t keep up with music trends anyway. He says he can’t remember the last pop concert he attended.
He follows current events, though, and one result is the single “Putin,” which delights in the Russian leader’s screen-idol ambitions. It has plenty of laugh lines, the Putin Girls and a sly dig at Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul.
“He doesn’t come off that bad,” Newman says. “It’s like I’m part of the Trump administration.”
He began work on the song two years ago.”And now here we are, with him playing a big part in running our country maybe.”
The song he wrote inspired by Donald Trump’s comments about the size of his hands has the singer bragging he’s more generously endowed than Trump. Now Newman wishes he’d never disclosed its existence. “I meant it to be obviously amusing. But I regret ever mentioning it. … there’s no sense adding to the general vulgarity of the world.”
Newman says he hasn’t made any other attempts to write about Trump. He tries to avoid writing songs that will lose their currency, as the political climate can affect the back catalog.
That happened with his satiric 1972 gem, “Political Science,” which proposes nuclear attack as good foreign policy.
“The last time I played ‘Political Science’ in Europe, they didn’t laugh,” Newman says.
Before another album, Newman will hit the road for a series of solo dates at the piano. “To earn your living this way is amazing to me,” he says.
In this July 27, 2017 photo, singer-songwriter Randy Newman poses for a portrait at his home in Pacific Palisades, Calif., to promote his album, “Dark Matter.” (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
In this July 27, 2017 photo, singer-songwriter Randy Newman poses for a portrait at his home in Pacific Palisades, Calif., to promote his album, “Dark Matter.” (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
In this July 27, 2017 photo, singer-songwriter Randy Newman poses for a portrait at his home in Pacific Palisades, Calif., to promote his album, “Dark Matter.” (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
In this July 27, 2017 photo, singer-songwriter Randy Newman poses for a portrait at his home in Pacific Palisades, Calif., to promote his album, “Dark Matter.” (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
In this July 27, 2017 photo, singer-songwriter Randy Newman poses for a portrait at his home in Pacific Palisades, Calif., to promote his album, “Dark Matter.” (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
In this July 27, 2017 photo, singer-songwriter Randy Newman poses for a portrait at his home in Pacific Palisades, Calif., to promote his album, “Dark Matter.” (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)