Released in September 2017 as a cover-mount compilation with Uncut Magazine, Art Of Gold is a meticulously curated sampler celebrating the absolute best, critically acclaimed musical releases of the month. True to Uncut's signature taste, this collection bridges the gap between legendary heritage artists and the vanguard of contemporary independent music. Listeners are treated to Randy Newman's biting satirical pop on Putin, Iron & Wine's lushly melodic indie-folk anthem Call It Dreaming, and Richard Thompson's masterclass in folk-rock songwriting with Gethsemane. The sonic journey veers effortlessly into raw punk territory via the Downtown Boys, smoky pub rock from Nick Lowe, and the blistering garage-psych energy of Oh Sees. Pristinely archived in high-fidelity quality, this sampler serves as a brilliant, time-capsule survey of a vibrant and diverse modern rock landscape.

“Land Of Dreams” is a 1988 studio album by Randy Newman, released on Warner Bros. Records, marking a reflective and narrative-driven phase in his career. Known for his distinctive songwriting style that blends satire, storytelling, and emotional depth, Newman delivers an album that explores themes of memory, identity, American culture, and personal reflection. The production combines soft rock and pop rock elements with warm, understated arrangements that allow the lyrical content to remain central. Across the album, Newman’s piano-driven compositions are supported by subtle instrumentation, creating an intimate and cinematic atmosphere. His lyrics often shift between irony and sincerity, painting vivid character studies and social observations. Tracks like “It’s Money That Matters” and “Dixie Flyer” highlight his ability to merge storytelling with accessible melodic structures. “Land Of Dreams” stands as a thoughtful and mature work, reinforcing Randy Newman’s reputation as one of the most unique songwriters in modern popular music.

Named one of the 100 Greatest Albums of the 1980s by Rolling Stone. Featuring the anthem “I Love L.A.," that helped define his legacy as a voice in American music. This edition will also feature Un Samedi En Décembre, a promotional live album originally released exclusively in France and included with early French copies of the album and the previous unissued demos. With Warner Bros. hitmakers Russ Titelman and Lenny Waronker producing, and star-studded cast of guest vocalists including Paul Simon, Linda Ronstadt, and Bob Seger, the 1983 collection display the craftsmanship that would make the singer-songwriter one of the most sought-after composers for film and TV.

Randy Newman was the nephew of film composers Alfred, Emil, and Lionel Newman, which would suggest at least some familiarity with the field, even though he had only scored one minor movie (Cold Turkey). And in his songs, heard on his series of solo albums, he displayed far more knowledge of popular music styles of the early 20th century than any of his singer/songwriter peers. Listening to his records, you could always tell that he knew his way around Scott Joplin's rags. Who better, therefore, than Newman to make his debut as a big-budget film composer by scoring an adaptation of E.L. Doctorow's novel Ragtime? So must movie producer Dino DeLaurentiis have reasoned in giving Newman the assignment. And the result worked out quite well. Newman naturally re-created much of the cakewalking Tin Pan Alley style of the turn-of-the-century era depicted in the film, but he actually had a more challenging assignment than might have appeared, since the story moves from one social stratum to another and ranges in tone from the comic to the melodramatic to the tragic.

For their expanded 2002 reissue of Randy Newman's classic Sail Away album, Rhino/Reprise unearthed five previously unissued gems. Of these, arguably the most notable is the studio version of "Maybe I'm Doing It Wrong," originally released on the stop-gap Randy Newman Live album; it was left off the album because Newman and his producers felt that he didn't capture the song but, decades later, this sounds every bit as good, if not better, than the issued live version. Of the remaining four bonus tracks, only "Let It Shine" isn't an alternate version or demo, and while it's not quite up to the high standards of the other songs on Sail Away, it's still quite strong. If the early version of "Dayton, Ohio – 1903" isn't radically different, the early version of "Sail Away" is – bouncy and bluesy, its humor more apparent. Finally, the demo of "You Can Leave Your Hat On" is a little rawer than the album version and wholly welcome. Though these five bonus tracks are the main attraction for Randy Newman fans, the remastered sound, the liner notes by David Wild, introduction by Randy, and rare photos make this another wonderful reissue in Rhino's line of Newman expanded editions.

On his debut album, Randy Newman sounded as if he was still getting used to the notion of performing his own songs in the studio (despite years of cutting songwriting demos), but apparently he was a pretty quick study, and his second long-player, 12 Songs, was a striking step forward for Newman as a recording artist. While much of Randy Newman was heavily orchestrated, 12 Songs was cut with a small combo (Ry Cooder and Clarence White take turns on guitar), leaving a lot more room for Newman's Fats Domino-gone-cynical piano and the bluesier side of his vocal style, and Randy sounds far more confident and comfortable in this context. And Newman's second batch of songs were even stronger than his first (no small accomplishment), rocking more and grooving harder but losing none of their intelligence and careful craft in the process…

In Randy Newman’s musical version of Faust, not even God is safe from the poison baton. Newman has rounded up a bunch of his friends to sing the parts — James Taylor, Don Henley, Elton John, Bonnie Raitt and Linda Ronstadt. And that’s pretty close to the roster of the band playing in my idea of hell. Yet Faust turns out to be the best work in years for all involved. The musical poses a question Newman first raised in “God’s Song (That’s Why I Love Mankind),” from 1972’s Sail Away, one that Christianity can’t adequately answer.

Early in his career, Randy Newman used to regularly puzzle over his lack of commercial success, seemingly unaware that his trademark combination of New Orleans piano and wildly unreliable narrators was hardly a sure path to the Hit Parade. Decades later, Newman has found a side door to fame and wealth as a composer of film scores and likeable theme tunes for Pixar features. As a consequence, the man who created dark masterpieces like 12 Songs, Sail Away, and Good Old Boys is too busy to make the same sort of albums he released when he was a mere cult figure. 2017's Dark Matter comes nine years after 2008's Harps and Angels (which in turn arrived nine years after 1999's Bad Love), but for fans of Newman's work, the consolation prize for his non-prolific nature is that his albums have been free of filler, and Dark Matter ranks with his best work of the '70s and '80s…

This five disc, U.K.-only box set includes a remarkably solid quintet of full albums from Randy Newman, including his eponymous 1968 debut, 1970's 12 Songs, 1972's Sail Away, 1973's Good Old Boys, and 1977's Little Criminals, the latter of which featured the novelty hit "Short People."
An anomaly among early-'70s singer/songwriters, Randy Newman may have been slightly influenced by Bob Dylan, but his music owed more to New Orleans R&B and traditional pop than folk. Newman developed an idiosyncratic style that alternated between sweeping, cinematic pop and rolling R&B, which were tied together by his nasty sense of humor. Where his peers concentrated on confessional songwriting, Newman drew characters, creating a world filled with misfits, outcasts, charlatans, and con men…

While the Disney name is more commonly known for its animation, theme parks and countless other attributes, it has produced more than its fair share of popular culture anthems for the past century via its movies, animated shorts and TV specials. And though the marriage of music with the other projects is symbiotic, Disney's soundtracks have always been able to stand alone and remain instantly recognizable to anyone who has grown up with exposure to the Disney brand, a testament to the musicians, songwriters and arrangers that quietly stood in the background for decades while making timeless music. So with nearly a half century behind it, Disney's first theme park, Disneyland, was due for an anthology capturing the essence of visiting the park without actually being there. Collected over six discs, there are field recordings, rare radio excerpts, and soundtracks to the major attractions.