Elvis Costello and Randy Newman

The Quote: “I was born, coincidentally, when rock & roll started. But my imagination about music doesn’t start in 1954. I’m not exclusively thinking about rock & roll. When I made My Aim Is True, my favorite record was Randy Newman’s first album. Punk was supposed to be the Year Zero. I didn’t buy it: “We’re sweeping it all away.” When the Clash ran out of the motor of those first two albums, what was the next thing they did? London Calling. You have New Orleans music and ska. The Joe Strummer record collection came into view.”

The Source: Interview by David Fricke in Rolling Stone magazine (2004)

New to Randy Newman? Start Here: Where to start? Where to start? Cue up Land of Dreams and you land right in the middle of Newman’s sweet spot on the semi-autobiographical Dixie Flyer. That one song will introduce you to all things Newman: piano melody from heaven, snarky humor and touching storytelling. Mark Knopfler lends one of the catchiest guitar hooks on It’s Money That Matters and the collection ends on the winking I Want You To Hurt Like I Do. In short, start with this album, but don’t do not stop there. Newman’s collection is as deep as it is consistently great.

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