Appreciation …

… Adrift in Cosmic Quarantine: Randy Newman Turns 77 - Los Angeles Review of Books. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

As he turns 77 on November 28, Newman’s career continues to toggle between over a dozen keenly wrought rock albums — from his eponymous 1968 debut up to 2017’s Dark Matter — and smooth Hollywood scores: Toy Story (1995), Marriage Story (2019). That he projects authority and comfort in such disparate musical zones speaks to both his range and his disquiet. He’s a musical intellectual who has managed to get by without the typical celebrity headaches. There didn’t seem to be much new to learn about Newman, starting with his early breakout numbers (“I Think It’s Going to Rain Today,” from 1966), to the tribute album Nilsson Sings Newman (1970) that turned him into a brand, to the standout number from the soundtrack for the 1970 film Performance, “Gone Dead Train,” that rang out completely unintimidated next to Mick Jagger.