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71 of 76 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A few minor quibbles aside...., September 24, 2001
Album artists like Randy Newman, who didn't have many hit singles, are tough to anthologize. Their albums are of a piece, and most of Newman's Warner albums are worth owning. Rhino does its best to give you a sample of his work. While Newman fans will already own the 4CD box set, this is geared more towards the newcomer. All but one of his Warner albums is covered (1971's "Live"). But 2 songs from his 1999 Dreamworks release, "Bad Love", and "You've Got A Friend In Me (solo)" from Toy Story are included. As with any artist of Newman's stature, one could complain: only 1 song from 1970's 12 Songs (how about Have You Seen My Baby?), 4 songs from 1983's "Trouble In Paradise", but only 1 from 1988's "Land of Dreams" (where's It's Money That Matters, or I Want You To Hurt Like I Do). Outside of that this serves its purpose. The only liner notes provided are track-by-track notes by Newman, but nothing else. If you like what you hear then go get the albums. Start with Good Old Boys, 12 Songs, Sail Away, Land of Dreams and Bad Love. The other albums in his catalog (including his numerous Movie Soundtracks won't disappoint, but those are the best for beginners.
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31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
His songs are delightful; his voice is better than it sounds, January 7, 2003
I have been a Randy Newman fan since I heard him sing "Political Science" on The Tonight Show in 1973. I promptly went out and bought all his released albums and his new ones as soon as they were released.I saw Randy live at the Paramount Theater in Seattle in 1975 or 1976. If memory serves, Jethro Burns was playing mandolin! Randy, if you're reading this, I was the guy from the balcony loges who shouted out "Simon Smith" when you paused and tried to decide what to play next. You said, "OK" and played it. That made my decade. There are only two kinds of Randy Newman songs: the good ones and the masterpieces. The only quibble I have with this collection is that "Bad News from Home" from Land of Dreams is excluded. This song is without question the most beautiful and evocative pop song of the last 40 years (rivaled only by Van Morrison's "Tupelo Honey"). Don't take just my word for it, though. No less a luminary than Mark Knopfler says so, too (Knopfler played guitar on that track). This is an excellent but deadly introduction to the wonderful music of Randy Newman. Deadly because once you've heard one of Randy's discs you will want to buy more and more. Part of the wonder of Randy's music is the "oddities", the quirky but delightfully uncommercial little songs on each album. One of my favorites is "Sigmund Freud's Impersonation of Albert Einstein in America" from Little Criminals. That's not on this disc either, but I hope now you will want to hear it. To sum up: this disc gets 5 stars. For the newcomer, this is a good place to start, then go to "Sail Away" and "Good Old Boys". Proceed directly to "Land of Dreams" then to "12 Songs". After that, you will know what to do, I promise.
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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Just a Taste..., December 8, 2004
Let's face it: it's next to impossible to summarize an artist's 35-year career on one CD. If you really want a comprehensive overview, get Randy Newman's box set, "Guilty: 30 Years of Randy Newman". But if you want a good one-disc synopsis, this fits the bill. Most long-time Newman fans will note puzzling omissions (for me, "Baltimore" and "Dear Mr. President"). But there are so many great songs written this guy, that it's hard to complain. From "Mama Told Me Not to Come", to the much-misunderstood "Short People", to more recent favorites like Toy Story's "You've Got a Friend in Me", the CD showcases his often sardonic, but always heartfelt and human, take on the world. Newman is a versatile composer, having tried his hand on Broadway with "Faust", and following his family's tradition by scoring a number of motion pictures. (He recently won an Oscar, after many years of nominations, for a song from "Monsters, Inc.".) But whatever he endeavors, his work is infused with a deep love of Americana. This disc is a fine introduction to this great singer-songwriter, but it's just a taste of an impressive body of work
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is one of Randy Newman's 
