Harps and Angels
Studio album by
Randy Newman
ReleasedAugust 5, 2008
RecordedFall 2006–08
GenreJazz, soul
Length34:52
LabelNonesuch
ProducerMitchell Froom, Lenny Waronker
Randy Newman chronology
The Randy Newman Songbook Vol. 1
(2003) 		Harps and Angels
(2008) 		The Randy Newman Songbook Vol. 2
(2011)

Harps and Angels is the twelfth studio album by Randy Newman. It was released on August 5, 2008,[1] and was produced by Mitchell Froom and Lenny Waronker. It contains two updated versions of previously released compositions. “Feels Like Home” originally appeared on his musical album Randy Newman's Faust, and a demo of "Laugh and be Happy" was included in the box set Guilty: 30 Years of Randy Newman.[2][3]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic AllMusic
The Austin Chronicle The Austin Chronicle
Billboard(not rated) Billboard
Blender Blender.com
Bloomberg L.P.Bloomberg.com
No Ripcord Noripcord.com
The Guardian The Guardian
Paste Magazine(79/100) Paste Magazine
Robert Christgau(A) Robertchristgau.com
Rolling Stone Rolling Stone

Harps and Angels debuted on the UK Albums Chart at #46.[4] It placed 12th in the 2008 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll,[5] and it made #48 in Q's 50 Best Albums of the Year 2008.[6] The song "A Few Words in Defense of Our Country" was named the sixth best song of the 2000s decade by music critic Robert Christgau.[7]

Track listing

All songs written and arranged by Randy Newman

  1. "Harps and Angels" - 5:07
  2. "Losing You" - 2:41
  3. "Laugh and Be Happy" - 2:17
  4. "A Few Words in Defense of Our Country" - 4:14
  5. "A Piece of the Pie" - 2:41
  6. "Easy Street" - 3:14
  7. "Korean Parents" - 3:26
  8. "Only a Girl" - 2:45
  9. "Potholes" - 3:39
  10. "Feels Like Home" - 4:37

Musicians

Album credits

References

  1. ^ Billboard.com - Randy Newman Returns With First Album in Nine Years (May 2, 2008)
  2. ^ "JsOnline.com - Newman defies convention (March 14, 2008)". Archived from the original on May 30, 2008. Retrieved March 15, 2008.
  3. ^ Billboard.com - Randy Newman Readies Solo Tour, New Album (September 21, 2006)
  4. ^ "The Official UK Albums Chart for the week ending 16 August 2008". ChartsPlus. Milton Keynes: IQ Ware Ltd (364): 5–8.
  5. ^ "The 2008 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  6. ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2008". Q. January 2009: 81. ((cite journal)): Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  7. ^ Christgau, Robert (December 24, 2009). "Rolling Stone Ballot: The 00's Best Songs & Albums". Robert Christgau. Archived from the original on January 2, 2010. Retrieved February 17, 2013.
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