features in: Album Chart of 1974 ● Album Chart of the Decade: 1970s ● 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die  |
Breakthrough album for the 30-year-old, cracking the Billboard Top 40 after several years of trying. His musical beds are undoubtedly classy, often lavished with strings on this occasion, but he's peddling a safebeat and that is rarely good news in the world of a jukebox rebel. His interesting lyrics and his willingness to serve up satirical bites always give him half a chance though, and there's no doubt the material on “Good Old Boys” is interesting. As suggested in the title, the set concerns itself with the American South, coming from the perspective of an imagined native, the intellectually challenged Johnny Cutler (as Newman later revealed in interview). In the album opener, “Rednecks”, Johnny is none-too-pleased that his Klu-Klux clan backed Georgian governor Lester Maddox is being criticized on a TV show: “Last night I saw Lester Maddox on a TV show, With some smart ass New York Jew, And the Jew laughed at Lester Maddox, And the audience laughed at Lester Maddox too, Well he may be a fool but he's our fool, If they think they're better than him they're wrong”. Six million Georgians can't be wrong, eh? The clueless Cutler then goes on a whataboutery offensive, decrying New York and Chicago where they cage their niggers in ghettos. Conclusion: America's full of racists all over the country. Tell us something we don't know Randy. I'm left with no sympathy for the whole sorry shitshow.
The Jukebox Rebel
15–Feb–2016
| Tracklist |
| A1 | [03:07]  Randy Newman - Rednecks (Randy Newman) Country |
| A2 | [02:45]  Randy Newman - Birmingham (Randy Newman) Crooner / Cabaret |
| A3 | [03:07]  Randy Newman - Marie (Randy Newman) Songwriter |
| A4 | [02:45]  Randy Newman - Mr. President (Have Pity On The Working Man) (Randy Newman) Pop |
| A5 | [02:30]  Randy Newman - Guilty (Randy Newman) Rock n Roll Ballad |
| B1 | [02:54]  Randy Newman - Louisiana 1927 (Randy Newman) Pop Ballad |
| B2 | [01:02]  Randy Newman - Every Man A King (Huey P. Long, Castro Carazo) Crooner / Cabaret |
| B3 | [02:42] Randy Newman - Kingfish (Randy Newman) Cerebral Pop |
| B4 | [03:06] Randy Newman - Naked Man (Randy Newman) Pop |
| B5 | [03:07]  Randy Newman - Wedding In Cherokee County (Randy Newman) Pop Ballad |
| B6 | [03:30]  Randy Newman - Back On My Feet Again (Randy Newman) Country |
| B7 | [02:53]  Randy Newman - Rollin’ (Randy Newman) Country |
