Randy Newman's Faust

by

Randy Newman

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There I was, spelunking through Jimmy Taylor credits looking for anything I might have missed and up pops Randy Newman's FAUST??? Now I love Newman, and the rest of the "cast", and Taylor is Top Dog in my musical emporium, second only to The Beatles, but why hadn't I heard of this one? Was it really a stage production? James Taylor as GOD??? Randy, the Devil, oh well, what's so strange about that? So not knowing diddly about this "happening" outting, I read EVERY review here. I clicked them all as helpful, weighed all the opinions and one thing finally won out, if you Love James Taylor, and Randy Newman, and don't mind Randy's irreverent sense of humor, stomp all over this one! I warn you, this CD is not for the weak of heart. The devil is foul-mouthed, so is Faust (Don Henley), but then if one studies the origins of the story, or is familiar with the original German classic, there is nothing, I repeat nothing, here to offend you. The devil insists he is a player in a game, that they are "just a figment" of our imaginations, and the Lord is as fickle as an agnostic's reading of the Old Testament. But before you let the "bad" press of other reviews sway you, understand where this particular piece comes from, and be open-minded. Randy put together a marvel here, that truely ought to be produced at least on video, if not on Broadway. And I would have no other "god" but JT. One more thing: if you ever happened to be a fan of "Third Rock" (yes the television show) and enjoyed "Harry's Dream", a stepping out musical Randy Newmanish joy, called "Life's Been Good To Me", and wondered where the devil that one came from? Well, bruthers and sistah's, here it is! Performed by the wonderful voice of Bonnie Raitt. It's a hidden gem in all this treasure. Blew my top! Now will someone direct me to a "Third Rock" original soundtrack? All I can say, if you are still waffling about this purchase is: 1. Newman 2. Taylor 3. Humor 4. Don, Bonnie, Linda, and Elton. 5. "Relax, enjoy yourself"

As someone who does not know the "Faust" story but likes Randy Newman, I find the FAUST album hard to follow on its own terms but definitely like several songs.

In defense of the work, I guess the booklet explains the tale. But why did they have to print it in reverse type (white text on black)? It makes it difficult to read.

If you like Randy Newman, he does it again on FAUST with several memorable tunes, including "Feels Like Home," "You Can't Keep A Good Man Down," "The Man" and "Bleeding All Over The Place." Newman sings a few and guest vocalists handle the rest, Bonnie Raitt and Don Henley standing out.

I like FAUST just enough, not so much for the concept but rather for its better songs.