Sail Away (Randy Newman album)
| Untitled | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |  [1] |
| Robert Christgau | A− [2] |
| Rolling Stone | (favorable) [3] |
Sail Away is an album by Randy Newman, released in May 1972. It was produced by Lenny Waronker and Russ Titelman and issued on Reprise Records. While all of its songs were written and composed by Newman, several had already been recorded by other artists.
In 2003, it was ranked number 321 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
Music and lyrics
As with all of Newman's early albums, several of its songs had been previously recorded by other artists. In this case, "Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear" had been a UK hit for Alan Price in 1967, and "Dayton, Ohio - 1903" had been recorded by Billy J Kramer as a single in 1969 and by Harry Nilsson on his 1970 album Nilsson Sings Newman. Newman himself had also previously recorded "Last Night I Had A Dream" as a single, issued in September 1968. The version heard on Sail Away is a re-recording with a notably different arrangement.
The song "Lonely at the Top" was written specifically with Frank Sinatra in mind, although he never recorded it.[4]
Release history
The album was reissued by Rhino Records on May 5, 2002, with several previously unreleased bonus tracks.[5]
Legacy
Brian Wilson has said that this album profoundly affected him at the time of its release, briefly keeping him from sliding further into depression and mental illness.[6]
"Burn On" is heard over the opening credits of the 1989 movie Major League.
Track listing
All tracks are written by Randy Newman
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sail Away" | 2:56 |
| 2. | "Lonely at the Top" | 2:32 |
| 3. | "He Gives Us All His Love" | 1:53 |
| 4. | "Last Night I Had a Dream" | 3:01 |
| 5. | "Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear" | 2:00 |
| 6. | "Old Man" | 2:42 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 7. | "Political Science" | 2:00 |
| 8. | "Burn On" | 2:33 |
| 9. | "Memo to My Son" | 1:56 |
| 10. | "Dayton, Ohio - 1903" | 1:47 |
| 11. | "You Can Leave Your Hat On" | 3:18 |
| 12. | "God's Song (That's Why I Love Mankind)" | 3:36 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Let It Shine" | 1:40 |
| 14. | "Maybe I'm Doing It Wrong" (studio version) | 1:21 |
| 15. | "Dayton, Ohio - 1903" (early version) | 1:53 |
| 16. | "You Can Leave Your Hat On" (demo version) | 2:45 |
| 17. | "Sail Away" (early version) | 3:18 |
Personnel
- Randy Newman - arranger, composer, piano, vocals
- Ry Cooder - slide guitar on "Last Night I Had a Dream" and "You Can Leave Your Hat On"
- Russ Titelman - guitars
- Jim Keltner - drums
- Gene Parsons - drums
- Earl Palmer - drums
- Chris Ethridge - bass
- Wilton Felder - bass
- Jimmy Bond - bass
- Milt Holland - percussion
- Abe Most - alto saxophone on "Lonely at the Top"
- String Section - Warner Bros' Burbank recording facility: Amigo Studios.
References
- ^ Deming, Mark. Sail Away Review at AllMusic. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
- ^ Christgau, Robert. "Randy Newman". robertchristgau.com. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
- ^ Holden, Stephen (6 July 1972). "Randy Newman: Sail Away". RS 112. Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 21 April 2008.
{{cite web}}:|archive-date=/|archive-url=timestamp mismatch; 18 June 2008 suggested (help) - ^ "Desert Island Discs: Randy Newman". bbc.co.uk. 2013. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
- ^ Discogs, retrieved 2015-05-08
- ^ Carlin, Peter Ames; Catch a Wave: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson at Google Books.