After his moderate success with Short People and Little Criminals, Randy evidently decided that the best thing to do was to have a radical change of direction. This resulted in one of his least popular albums. Never mind. I also enjoyed it a great deal. If you listen to it in historical context, it is indeed a huge change in terms of song writing style, arrangement and pretty much everything. There is a heavy dose of synth and pop styling that is completely different from his orchestrally based previous albums, but all artists have to experiment with their style and this make for a more uneven than usual album, but enjoyable none the less.
It's the Money That I Love is harshly sarcastic song which is pretty much summed up by its title. Look how rich I am, that's all that matters, everyone else can get lost (or words to that effect). If taken as a typical Randy Newman song then I would assume that he's lashing out at arrogant rich people, but I think that it was taken to be Randy just showing off his new found success. A bit unfortunate, but I can understand this reaction, again, given the historical context. The satire is indeed a great deal less subtle than usual, when there is some. Quite a few of the songs just seem to be Randy having a bit of a laugh and generally lampooning whatever springs to mind. The Story of A Rock and Roll Band is either an affectionate tribute to the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) or is a cruel spoof of their style. It's an excellent pastiche of their style which I just like for entertainment value. It is one of the Newman songs that his fans tend to dismiss as being a minor work, but I like it when Randy just has fun like this. (It's the same with impressionists, I love good impressionists lampooning politicians with satire, but I'd often crave them to just put famous people into a ordinary situations, like Tony Blair doing the shopping or something. That would be minor in terms of comedy, but probably a great deal funnier).
Pretty Boy is a very moody monologue type song which has a low instrumental line that builds as it goes, until a short guitar riff appears just before the end. Randy describes it as being about "fake tough guys" - men who like to look rough, but are all mouth. A compelling idea that works quite well, even if it doesn't exactly make for a memorable song. Mr Sheep is a song that depresses me whenever I listen to it on the way to work. Yes, Mr Sheep is the old song writer stand by, lampoon the poor boring people who have tedious lives doing tedious jobs, same every day. Following everyone else like sheep. Sadly I agree with Randy on this one, being an office work is a pretty soulless existance a lot of the time, I'd much rather be a moderately unfamous, but passionately loved by a core of a fans song writer. One day (I hope...)
Ghosts is a very typical low key Randy Newman ballad, excellent lyrics, some gorgeous piano harmony. Simple but extremely effective. It makes for a reminiscence which seems to present what could be an unexciting life to other people but evidently one that was deeply felt by the character represented by the song. They Just Got Married is another strange song that doesn't seem to have any point, but tells the story of a couple who live a very strange life. Has a quite amusing line near the end that is put in as such a throwaway that it takes one rather by surprise. Spies tells us how to spot spies. That's about it. There are some fun sci-fi effects in it and quite an amusing use of the classic Newman female close harmony backing. However in the end it goes on a bit long and lacks any kind of meaning and so becomes rather forgotton. The Girls in My Life could be Newman himself speaking, but I don't think it actually is. An amusing story telling song, but like Spies a little on the throwaway side.
Half a Man is a none to subtle satire on gay people, even if it does have an extremely funny final line. While the meaning is obvious, the way that Randy characterises the gay person of the story (its told from the point of view of a truck driver - I think - about to murder an "old queen standing on the corner") as a stereotype, thus inadvertently highlighting the stereotyping that is so prevelent. As the song goes on, Newman also introduces the notion that homosexuality is something that can be transferred from person to person. A good use of peoples' fears to highlight the stupidity of such suggestions. The musicla style of the song mixes the old Newman orchestra with the synths quite successfully into a light rock song. William Brown is a song with no emotion. At least that was the intention. I suppose it is really; tells a very unexciting story about William Brown in a very emotionless way. Don't get it really. Pants, will you take off my pants? The president can't stop me. A ludicrous song with less meaning than the least meaningful song ever written, but some fascinating use of synths and sampling at the beginning.
Enjoyable becuase it's enjoyable, not necessarily becuase it's particularly good. By your average Newman standards it's not terribly great apart from a few typically good efforts. Not one that would be high on the list to buy, but not nearly as awful as some have made out. The short running time and fewer than usual songs don't help much, but if you like Randy Newman then it's an interesting alternative with Randy at his most cynical.
Rating ~ 
Total Time ~ 35:18