Randy Newman - Randy Newman (1968)

Alongside many other musicians such as Tom Waits, performing at The Troubadour night club in West Hollywood helped along Randy Newman's career. Listeners probably know him better now as a film composer, but he got his start in the recording industry. He began by writing songs professionally in 1960, but it wasn't until 1968 that he pulled off his first album Randy Newman.

You can tell after the first song ("Love Story (You and Me)") that Mr. Newman would eventually transition to movies. In fact, a majority of the songs on the album are heavily orchestrated with the help of about 75 session musicians. These songs are not often moved on by traditional pop/rock chords. Rather, they reflect the emotions and environment (sometimes "Mickey Moused") of the verse being sung with the underlying themes and melodies as a foundation. The other minority of the songs are the traditional pop songs. Stripped of the orchestra, Mr. Newman sticks to a simplified lineup of percussion, bass, piano, and guitar to perform blues-influenced tunes and a quick pop jaunt ("Beehive State").

Here is the discography surrounding Randy Newman's debut album:

Golden Gridiron Boy (1961 single)
Randy Newman



Remember to throw a few recommendations my way if you see a few good ones. I'm always looking for new artists to delve into that I normally wouldn't.