Bad Love (album)

Bad Love
Studio album by Randy Newman
Released June 1, 1999
Recorded Recorded at Sunset Sound Factory & Capitol Studios, Hollywood, California
Genre Rock
Length 44:45
Label Dreamworks
Producer Mitchell Froom, Tchad Blake
Randy Newman chronology
Guilty: 30 Years of Randy Newman
(1998)		 Bad Love
(1999)		 The Randy Newman Songbook Vol. 1
(2003)

Bad Love is the tenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Randy Newman, released in 1999. It was Newman's first solo album since 1988's Land of Dreams and followed an 11-year hiatus during which Newman had focused on film soundtracks, receiving several Academy Award nominations.

Background

The album finds Newman bitter and satirical - as "biting as ever, yet unafraid to tackle personal and heartfelt concerns".[1] Newman tackles issues such as the state of American culture in "My Country", which chronicles suburbia's growing dependence on television, and "The World Isn’t Fair", which takes a look at the world through the eyes of Karl Marx. Another subject is aging - "Shame" takes a negative look at an "older man courting a younger woman" via the barbed lyrics and an exchange between the lead vocalist and the backing singer. "I’m Dead (But I Don't Know It)" is more self-referential in dealing with aging rock stars and commenting: "Everything I write sounds the same / Each record that I’m making / Is like a record that I’ve made / Just not as good".

"Every Time It Rains" was composed for Michael Jackson but he declined to record it,[2] while "I Miss You" was composed for Newman's ex-wife.

This album was Newman's only release for DreamWorks.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
The Austin Chronicle[4]
Chicago Sun-Times[5]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[6]
Hot Press10/12[7]
Rolling Stone[8]
The Village VoiceA[9]

It received generally positive reviews from critics. Scott Manzler stated "Bad Love ultimately falls short of Newman's early '70s masterworks,"[10] while Allmusic stated the songs on Bad Love "should rest comfortably alongside his other four-star offerings."[1]

Track listing

All songs written by Randy Newman.

  1. "My Country" - 5.40
  2. "Shame" - 4.54
  3. "I'm Dead (But I Don't Know It)" - 3.25
  4. "Every Time It Rains" - 3.33
  5. "The Great Nations of Europe" - 3.26
  6. "The One You Love" - 3.39
  7. "The World Isn't Fair" - 2.44
  8. "Big Hat, No Cattle" - 4.24
  9. "Better Off Dead" - 4.03
  10. "I Miss You" - 3.55
  11. "Going Home" - 2.06
  12. "I Want Everyone to Like Me" - 2.59

Personnel

Randy Newman - vocals, piano

Notes

  1. 1 2 Review by Denise Sullivan at Allmusic
  2. ↑ Randy Newman Home Page
  3. ↑ Allmusic review
  4. ↑ McCord, Jeff (1999). "Randy Newman: Bad Love". The Austin Chronicle (September 10). Retrieved September 9, 2014.
  5. ↑ DeRogatis, Jim (1999). "Best of recent releases". Chicago Sun-Times (June 27). Retrieved September 9, 2014.
  6. ↑ Willman, Chris (1999). "Bad Love Review". Entertainment Weekly (New York) (June 4). Retrieved September 9, 2014.
  7. ↑ O'Hare, Colm (1999). "Bad Love". Hot Press (July 21). Retrieved September 9, 2014.
  8. ↑ Rolling Stone review
  9. ↑ Christgau, Robert (1999). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice (June 22) (New York). Retrieved September 9, 2014.
  10. ↑ Review by Scott Manzler at nudeasthenews.com
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