Randy Newman was featured in the Observer last weekend, in which his song "Losing You" was described as "a reminder of what a poignant musician Newman can be." Now, as part of the Guardian and Observer's How I Wrote video series, he performs the song at the piano and shares the beautiful and touching true-life story behind the song. Watch the video here. The A.V. Club offers the uninitiated an introduction to Newman's work, calling him "one of the finest songwriters of his time."
Randy Newman was the subject of a feature article in the Observer last weekend, in which writer Tim Lewis describes Newman's song "Losing You"—which first appeared on his 2008 Nonesuch album Harps and Angels and is now featured on his new album, Songbook Vol. 2, in a new, solo piano take—as "a reminder of what a poignant musician Newman can be." Now, as part of the Guardian and Observer's How I Wrote ... online video series at guardian.co.uk, Newman performs "Losing You" at the Steinway and Sons showroom and shares the beautiful and touching true-life story behind the song, which you can watch below.
Newman also performed the song on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon earlier this week; you can watch that performance in the Nonesuch Journal re-cap.
Watch Newman in the Guardian and Observer video here:
In Songbook Vol. 2, Newman a fresh look at both classic and more recent work in new solo takes on 16 of his celebrated songs, surveying 40 years of recordings. To pick up a copy of Songbook Vol. 2 or any of the albums in Newman's Nonesuch catalog, head to the Nonesuch Store, where orders include high-quality, 320 kbps MP3s of the album at checkout.
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The Onion's A.V. Club offers the uninitiated an introduction to Newman's music as the latest "obsession" in its Gateways To Geekery series. While many may know Newman these days for his Oscar-winnig scores for Pixar films or hits like "I Love L.A.," these may not be the best source to "reveal Newman as one of the finest songwriters of his time," unlike certain others, "in which he from the perspectives of specific, often unsavory characters," says the A.V. Club's Keith Phipps. "The elusiveness and ambiguity can make Newman’s songs daunting, but they’re also one of the most rewarding aspects of Newman’s craft."
Phipps suggests possible gateway albums into this side of Newman, among them Newman's first Songbook album, and concludes that even now, more than 40 years into his career, "Newman’s humane, unsparing wit remains undimmed."
You'll find the piece at avclub.com.
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Newman has just added three new US tour dates to his schedule, including two performances in Phoenix over Memorial Day weekend, and a spot at the Vancouver Island Music Fest in July. For more information, visit nonesuch.com/on-tour.
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