I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
Album: # 322
Album Title: Sail Away
Artist: Randy Newman
Genre: Orchestral Pop, Satire
Recorded: Three studios in Los Angeles, California, USA
Released: May, 1972
My age at release: 6
How familiar was I with it before this week: 1 song
Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, at #268 (up 54 places)
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Political Science
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In the final paragraph of that 2020, post, I talked about the "uncomfortable, but titillating thrill" that comes from really well-crafted and provocative satire. I cited the films Monty Python's Life Of Brian and Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles as two examples of media that lampooned taboo subjects in order to shine a critical light on more important societal injustices and hypocrisies. 
Randy Newman albums are masterpieces in satirical commentary. My first exposure to the legendary songwriter, pianist and singer was in the winter of 1977 when his song Short People hit the charts. I was 12 and, initially, was shocked by the lyrics. As were many people, but we had completely missed the point.
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| Short People Lyric and Album Cover |
To my credit, likely because I was already a fan of Monty Python, MAD magazine and had heard a National Lampoon record, I deduced this was a spoof and Newman had his tongue planted firmly in his cheek. Short People was, if you paid attention to the lyrics in the bridge section, an indictment on the ridiculousness of racist beliefs.
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| Short People (Lyrics from the bridge) Alternate Album Cover |
Sail Away is full of marvelously witty, facetious lyrics performed over catchy, melodic piano scores. Newman is accompanied by a who’s who of session players, including Ry Cooder, Jim Keltner, and clarinetist and saxophonist Abe Most, best known for his work with the swing bands of the 1930sm – not the least being Benny Goodman's Orchestra.
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| Abe Most |
At first pass, the title track on Sail Away seems like a jingoistic characterization of “immigrants” bound for America. However, on closer examination, the lyrics reveal the perspective of an 18th Century slave trader addressing his human cargo as it arrives in Charleston Bay, South Carolina.
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| Album Cover for Sail Away / Political Science Single Release |
The tracks He Gives Us All His Love and God's Song (That's Why I Love Mankind) could easily be misinterpreted as celebrations of faith. However, Newman, who was raised as a non-observant Jew, has often said that organized religion never made any sense to him.
In an interview, he recounted a time when, as a teen, he was invited by a classmate to a cotillion (dance) at her country club. He accepted, but received a call from the girl's father to disinvite him. The father said his daughter "never should have invited him because Jews are not allowed at the club". The incident was, understandably, scarring and led Newman toward the atheism that manifests in his lyrics.
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| Newman performing - mid 70s. |
All three of Newman's records on The 500 list are gems -- musical delights with deliciously rich, funny and entertaining lyrics. Of the three, I think I like Sail Away the best. Prior to this week, the only track I knew from this record was, You Can Leave Your Hat On, although I was unaware Newman had penned it. There is a version by singer Joe Cocker that was made famous in the erotic drama 9 1/2 Weeks) and a Tom Jones take (used delightfully in the comedy The Full Monty).
With The Full Monty in production to be released as an eight-episode television series with the original cast, I expect another iteration recorded by a contemporary pop star will soon be in the contemporary zeitgeist.
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