Bad Love (album)

Bad Love
Studio album by Randy Newman
Released June 1, 1999
Recorded Sunset Sound & Sound Factory
Capitol Studios
Genre Rock
Length 44:45
Label Dreamworks
Producer Mitchell Froom, Tchad Blake
Randy Newman chronology
Guilty: 30 Years of Randy Newman
(1998)Guilty: 30 Years of Randy Newman1998		 Bad Love
(1999)		 The Randy Newman Songbook Vol. 1
(2003)The Randy Newman Songbook Vol. 12003

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.

Newman later said, "Before I started Bad Love, I wasn't exactly sure I could do a rock 'n' roll record at 65, or however old I was. But I was satisfied that it was a good record. Maybe my best record."[3]

This album was Newman's only release for DreamWorks Records.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
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

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Sullivan, Denise. "Bad Love". AllMusic.
  2. ↑ "Bad Love". Randynewman.com. Archived from the original on 1999-10-09.
  3. ↑ Keith Phipps (8 October 2003). "Randy Newman". A.V. Club.
  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
  11. ↑ Bad Love (album) at Discogs
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.