Randy Newman – 12 songs (1970)

Actually, his second record (his first bombed badly).  Randy was born into a highly successful musical family, already steeped in writing semi-classical film soundtracks; which Randy would himself do in the late 90’s to great acclaim.  Not the greatest singing voice; Nilsson would record an album of Newman songs a year or so later with his much better voice, and yet the inflections which Randy’s vocals hinted at brought out far more of the irony and hidden humour and pathos of these songs.  Newman must be one of the most recorded of songwriters, many having huge hits with his songs – hits which largely eluded Newman himself.  He seems to have been content to simply be the brilliant songwriter in the background, although he did have a few high-selling albums in the late 70s.  This record is almost deadpan and is sometimes only Randy’s voice and piano, but at others it approaches in an understated wall of sound – rock music – best are ‘Yellow Man’, ’Old Kentucky Home’, and ‘Mama Told Me Not To Come’.