Randy Newman : Faust 1995 A ROCK OPERA

Studio album by Randy Newman

Released : September 19, 1995

March 29 , 2005 (expanded edition reissue)

Genre : Musical, Rock opera

Label :    Reprise/Warner Bros. Records 45672

Rhino/Atlantic Records (expanded edition reissue) 73785

Producer : Peter Asher

Randall Stuart "Randy" Newman (born November 28, 1943) is an Americansinger-songwriter,
arranger, composer, and pianist who is known for his distinctive voice, mordant (and often satirical) pop songs and for film scores.

In 1961, Randy issued a one-off 45, "Golden gridiron boy" which was produced by singer Pat Boon . After it's flop, he became a staff-writer for "Liberty Records", writing hits for Vic Dana, Gene Mc Daniels, Cilla Black, Gene Pitney,ect in the mid-60's .

Alan Price (The Animals) started borrowing his songs, and he scored a hit with "Simon Smith and His Amazing Dancing Bear". That year Newman became staff arranger/producer for "Warners",
working with the likes of Van Dyke Parks, The Beau Brummels and Harper's Bizarre .

In 1968 , he finaly issued his eponymous debut for Warners subsidiary "Reprise" . In April 1970, Newman issued his second album "12 Songs", which included "Mama told me not to come", a record that went on to become a US chart topper for "Three Dog Night" . 1972's, "Sail Away" was anotherearly classic . "Born Again" (1979) brought further criticism that Newman was crossing the line between satire and self-satisfied condascension, his collaboration with members of "The Eagles"marking a move towards a more typical L.A sound .

During the mid-80's, he concetrated on film work with a score for "The Natural"(1984) and contributions for "The Three Amigos" (1987) . For the first half of the 90's, Newman worked feverishly on his very own Rock Opera project "FAUST" .

Randy Newman's Faust is a 1993 musical-Rock Opera by American musician and songwriter Randy Newman, who based the work on the classic story of Faust, borrowing elements from the version by Goethe, as well as Milton's Paradise Lost, but updating the story to the modern day, and infusing it with humorous cynicism.

Adapting Goethe's classic morality play for the '90s, Newman has his God and Devil vying for the soul of a Harvard college student. However, neither wins because they can't keep abreast of modern times -- the Devil tempts the student with a recording contract, but the student wants his own video game company since that's where the money is.

Newman's humor is forced and not all that funny, while his eye for detail isn't as sharp as it is on his classic albums

Cast

    Devil : Randy Newman

    Lord  : James Taylor

    Henry Faust : Don Henley (Eagles)

    Angel Rick : Elton John

    Margaret : Linda Ronstadt

    Martha : Bonnie Raitt

MP 3  :  Size  :  138 MB

                    Flac Part 1  :  Size  :  160 MB                

    Flac Part 2  :  Size  :  168 MB

FAUST  STORY 

Faust is the protagonist of a classic German legend : A highly successful scholar but one dissatisfied with his

life who therefore makes a pact with the Devil, exchanging his soul for unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures.

Faust becomes a dissatisfied intellectual that yearns for "more than earthly meat and drink" in his life.

Faust is bored and disappointed. He decides to call on the Devil for further knowledge and magic powers with which to indulge all the pleasure and knowledge of the world. In response, the Devil's representative, Mephistopheles, appears.

He makes a bargain with Faust: Mephistopheles will serve Faust with his magic powers for a set number of years, but at the end of the term, the Devil will claim Faust's soul and Faust will be eternally damned. The term usually stipulated in the early tales is 24 years—one year for each of the hours in a day.

However, in the early tales, Faust is irrevocably corrupted and believes his sins cannot be forgiven; when the term ends, the Devil carries him off to Hell.

TRACKS

   

01. Glory Train : Randy Newman, James Taylor     4:44

02. Can't Keep a Good Man Down : Randy Newman     2:45

03. How Great Our Lord : James Taylor     2:42

04. Best Little Girl : Randy Newman     2:28

05. Northern Boy : James Taylor, Randy Newman     2:55

06. Bless The Children of the World : Don Henley     3:50

07. Gainesville : Linda Ronstadt     3:30

08. Relax, Enjoy Yourself : James Taylor, Randy Newman, Kristyn Liang-chan     5:41

09. Life Has Been Good To Me : Bonnie Raitt     3:28

10. Little Island : Elton John     3:20

11. The Man : Don Henley, Randy Newman     3:14

12. My Hero : Linda Ronstadt     2:35

13. I Gotta Be Your Man : Randy Newman     2:31

14. Feels Like Home : Bonnie Raitt     4:26

15. Bleeding All Over the Place : Randy Newman, Bonnie Raitt     4:15

16. Sandman's Coming : Linda Ronstadt     2:41

17. Happy Ending : Randy Newman     3:21