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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Bad Love = Great Album, May 29, 2000
One of the most universally admired and critically acclaimed song-writers, this old-timer still has one hell of a lot to say. Randy Newman is one of those guys who writes songs straight from his cynical, sardonic, soleful heart with more than a hint of black-comedy. Laden with pathos and humour in equal measure, this album sounds like it was written by a 60 year-old with more than a life-time's worth of broken hearts and hate-mail, but lucky for us, he likes to sing about it. Picking highlights from this excellent album is hard - the hillarious "Shame" and "I'm Dead But I Don't Know It"(about an ageing, out of date, singer-song writer who just won't shut up...) or the beautiful "Every Time It Rains" (possibly the sweetest lost-love song ever recorded -written and sung as only Newman knows how... ) and "I Miss You" (a candid account of a love affair that never happened... "It's a little bit late, twenty years or so" )... When you're taking time out from listening to whatever the hell you normally listen to, listen to a superbly crafted, subtle, album, with real songs, written with a life-time's real experience.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Listen Up!, February 10, 2000
By A Customer
I asked for this CD for Christmas after one hearing of the song "Shame". I figured that song alone was worth the price of admission. I was far from disappointed with the rest, and find myself consistantly choosing this CD when I really have the time to sit back and listen. "Bad Love" exemplifies master songwriting - coupling wry, funny and poignant lyrics with often beautiful, often quirky, but always original Newman music. His songs are like Sweet Tarts for the ears and mind, ranging from the Gilbert and Sullivanesque "Great Nations of Europe" to C & W ("Big Hat") to Hard Rock ("I'm Dead") to gut-wrenching love ("I Miss You" and "Every Time It Rains"). As a 52 year old musician and music lover, I find Randy is one of the few artists who is still "Talkin' Bout My Generation" but still has alot to say to the young men "runnin' free and runnin' wild". In the words of another American Treasure of my generation, Neil Young - Randy, "Long May You Run".
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10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
great to have him back doing a regular record., November 20, 1999
By A Customer
it's been ten years, at least, since Randy's concentrated on doing something like a regular record. Faust was a different kind of project, and the other film music has been work for hire that does not always include his very specific sensibility. Bad Love is a treasure that improves with each hearing. Though Newman likes to say he creates characters, and they sing the songs, not him (i.e: Rednecks, Davy the Fat Boy, etc.) the autobiographical songs on Land of Dreams show that sometimes he does write about himself. Don't miss the splendid "Every Time it Rains" (he always does well with rain imagery in music) or the heartwrenching "I Miss You". (glad I'm not his second wife--listening to this song about his first--ouch!)All in all, stunning. People may argue about the production, but the work is magnificent.
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