This was my favourite album of 2017 — I adored it instantly; it was just so great to have a new non-soundtrack Randy Newman album.
I rushed straight out and bought it on vinyl — and though the opening, title track is a bit funny on that medium, more a stage play than his usual short story in song — I did play it a bunch:
And I’m not saying I regret getting rid of it — that was the big sale, where I was moving on a bunch of stuff, for both money in return and the space that it bought — but I was thrilled to get hold of this again earlier this year. I’ve bought up a bunch of Newman albums on CD — at one point I owned everything he’s ever done, and it’ll probably get close to that again, for to me he’s a a true genius. But I think the best of Dark Matter is up there with the best of his incredible 70s albums.
The way he poked fun at the political situation, found depth in sweet love songs, and made some of the greatest dumb jokes ever — sometimes all within the same tune — was pretty much as good as he ever got.
Timing wise, we must be due another now — even if it is the one final studio album from this genius in his lifetime.
While I wait for that, I’m sure glad to have this.
It also occurs to me that I discovered Randy Newman on CD too — not on vinyl as you might think. I did have a heap of the LPs, but only after buying up Little Criminals and Sail Away and Good Old Boys on CD first. And then that great four-CD boxed set to cover the hits, the rarities and a selection of the film scores.
To me, always, with Randy, it’s never about how withering, sardonic, savage, cutting, and hilarious he can be — it’s when the heart trickles down slowly but surely to be displayed on sleeve:
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