Good Old Boys (Deluxe)

Ranked among Randy Newman’s finest releases, Good Old Boys serves as a loose concept album regarding the beauty and the underside of the American South. Though “Rednecks” is a scathing opener, it doesn’t let up on the Northern hypocrisy either. This deluxe edition features the original album in all its glory, with remastered sound, a demo version of “Marie,” and Newman’s original sketch for the album, known as Johnny Cutler’s Birthday. This draft of the album is essential to hardcore Newman fans, since it includes eight songs that didn't make the final album but further expand the characterization of the original Good Old Boys. The presentation is stripped down to just Newman and his piano, with Randy narrating between songs (to remind himself where he was going). Couple such rarities as “If We Didn’t Have Jesus,” “My Daddy Knew Dixie Howell," and “Albanian Anthem” with classics such as “Birmingham,” “Guilty,” and “A Wedding in Cherokee County,” and you have a closer look into the working mind of a songwriting genius.