“Putin” One gets the feeling that Neman wrote this song to be as ridiculous as possible, claiming, “He can power a nuclear reactor with the left-side of his brain.” When the song begins, you think it is going to be anchored in ridicule when in truth, Newman lays out several arguments and perspectives, while also taking his own beliefs to task. Not everything is merely black and white in that regard. Perhaps the most important segment of the song is where he points out that there are religious people who also believe in global warming and evolution. “The Great Debate” There’s an awful lot to take in here. Randy Newman knows what he is doing with each and every calculated move. This album is 40 minutes long and yet it leaves a lot to decipher, packed with wisdom and history. Newman effortlessly alternates venom and charm, fearlessly spinning a dynamic lyrical web. It is the kind of record that only Newman could make but at the same time it puts all his assets firmly on the table. “Dark Matter” is the work of a master craftsman. Newman re-records his theme for the USA show, “Monk,” “It’s a Jungle Out There,” giving it a fuller reading and he discusses a loss of innocence (in various ways) on “On the Beach.” The same could be said for “Lost Without You.” On “Wandering Boy” he sings from the point of view of a father estranged from his son with tear-jerking results. “She Chose Me,” is a gorgeous piece, ripe for covering. When Newman gets sentimental, this album hits a nice stride. Perhaps Newman is playing with the timeline a little and adjusting elements to adjust his narrative, but he understands the importance of remembering the past.
On “Sonny Boy,” he tells the real-life story of Sonny Boy Williamson, a famous blues-man who met a premature death, shortly after discovering that another man was having more success stealing his name and material. On “Brothers,” he imagines a conversation between John and Bobby Kennedy that morphs into a worship of Celia Cruz, while on “Putin,” he gives the controversial Russian leader a cartoonish and snide send-up, perhaps giving a veiled shout-out to women of Pussy Riot in the process. The way this all unfolds is frankly brilliant. He even chooses to break the fourth-wall, talking to himself as a critic of his own work. “The Great Debate,” the eight-minute piece that opens up the record sounds like it is something straight out of a musical and yet it offers up a dense narrative, taking on such topics as religion, evolution and global warming.
#Semisonic closing time reference to birth movie#
When he’s not in movie score mode, it is as if a floodgate is opened. “Dark Matter” is Newman’s first proper album since 2008. A side-order of sarcasm is also always on the menu. There are few satirists who can approach controversial topics with such understanding and wit. (213) 462-3000.Randy Newman just gets better and more visceral as the years pass. I think our touring is helping us in that respect, ‘cause people can hear the songs.” “The industry is so geared toward hits now that people think the album’s gonna suck. I got this e-mail from someone saying how much they loved ‘Closing Time,’ bought the album thinking she would just like the one song, and discovered there were 11 more songs she liked. “People are being trained to expect mediocrity. “Rock is in a funny place right now,” he says. Having experienced a near-miss with his previous band, Trip Shakespeare (which also featured Munson), Wilson is looking to go the distance with Semisonic by avoiding the stigma that comes with having a sole breakout hit. “Closing Time” has put Semisonic on the pop-culture radar, and Wilson is hoping it’s not a temporary blip. “Last time, ideas would come at you every second, but with this album, the toughness is offset by quieter moments where nothing much happens.” “In fact, what we’ve actually done with this record is strip things down,” Wilson says. So what gives? Did Wilson, bassist John Munson and drummer Jacob Slichter consciously decide to make a more accessible album in order to cast a wider net? And they find their second album, “Feeling Strangely Fine” (on MCA Records), approaching the 700,000 mark in sales. So last year the band members went back into the studio with their amps juiced up and more radio-friendly hooks at the ready. Three years ago, Semisonic released “The Great Divide,” a debut album of quiet, meticulously crafted pop that made many critics’ year-end Top 10 lists. Press Wilson long enough, however, and he’ll concede that the trade-off has been well worth it.