Little Criminals
Studio album by
Randy Newman
ReleasedSeptember 23, 1977[1]
RecordedJuly–September 1977
StudioWarner Bros. Recording Studios, North Hollywood, and The Burbank Studios
GenreRock
Length38:21
LabelWarner Bros., Reprise
ProducerLenny Waronker, Russ Titelman
Randy Newman chronology
Good Old Boys
(1974)		 Little Criminals
(1977)		 Born Again
(1979)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Rolling Stone[3]
The Village VoiceB+[4]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[5]

Little Criminals is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Randy Newman. Like most of Newman's work, the album eschews traditional pop-music themes ("I'll Be Home" is the only love song on the album) in favor of musical story-telling, often featuring quirky characters and cynical views. The first song on the album – "Short People" – became a hit single in its own right. The album itself peaked at #9 on the US Billboard 200 chart, Newman's highest-charting album to date.

Some of the instrumental work and backing vocals on the album are performed by members of the Eagles. In particular, Glenn Frey played guitar on two tracks, Joe Walsh played guitar on three tracks, and Don Henley and Tim Schmit sang background vocals on one track each. Frey and J. D. Souther, who had earlier been the duo Longbranch Pennywhistle, sang background vocals on three tracks.

Newman wrote, conducted and played keyboards on all tracks. Synthesizers were programmed by Michael Boddicker.

In September 1977 the British music magazine NME published the following interview with Newman talking sardonically about his then new release: "There's one song about a child murderer," Newman deadpans. "That's fairly optimistic. Maybe. There's one called 'Jolly Coppers on Parade' which isn't an absolutely anti-police song. Maybe it's even a fascist song. I didn't notice at the time. There's also one about me as a cowboy called 'Rider in the Rain'. I think it's ridiculous. The Eagles are on there. That's what's good about it. There's also this song 'Short People'. It's purely a joke. I like other ones on the album better but the audiences go for that one."[6]

It placed 8th in the 1977 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll,[7] and in 2000 it was voted number 468 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums.[8]

Record World said that the single "Baltimore" "is as serious as 'Short People' was funny, and its haunting melody and dramatic lyric linger well."[9]

"Baltimore" was covered by Nina Simone, Nils Lofgren, The Tamlins, David Gray, Billy Mackenzie, Lianne La Havas, Jazmine Sullivan, Mink Stole, Portuguese band Coldfinger and Nedric Nedo. "In Germany Before the War" was covered by British band Diesel Park West on their covers album "God Only Knows" in 1992, and by Marianne Faithfull on her album Easy Come, Easy Go in 2009. The song "I'll Be Home", meanwhile, had been written by Newman years previously, and was originally recorded in 1970 by Harry Nilsson on his album Nilsson Sings Newman and by Tim Hardin on his 1972 album Painted Head.

The album's cover artwork is a photographic portrait of Randy Newman by celebrity photographer and graphic artist Bob Seidemann. It features Newman standing on the West 7th Street overpass above the I-110 freeway in the Financial District of Los Angeles.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Randy Newman

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Short People"2:54
2."You Can't Fool the Fat Man"2:44
3."Little Criminals"3:04
4."Texas Girl at the Funeral of Her Father"2:40
5."Jolly Coppers on Parade"3:46
6."In Germany Before the War"3:39
Side two
No.TitleLength
7."Sigmund Freud's Impersonation of Albert Einstein in America"3:02
8."Baltimore"4:02
9."I'll Be Home"2:47
10."Rider in the Rain"3:54
11."Kathleen (Catholicism Made Easier)"3:35
12."Old Man on the Farm"2:14

Personnel

  • Randy Newman - vocals, keyboards and synthesizer
  • Michael Boddicker - additional synthesizer and synthesizer programming
  1. "Short People" – 2:54
  2. "You Can't Fool The Fatman" – 2:44
  3. "Little Criminals" – 3:04
    • Willie Weeks - bass
    • Andy Newmark, Rick Marotta - drums
    • Glenn Frey - guitar
    • Joe Walsh - guitar, slide guitar
    • Milt Holland - percussion
  4. "Texas Girl at the Funeral of Her Father" – 2:40
    • Ralph Grierson - piano
  5. "Jolly Coppers on Parade" – 3:46
    • Klaus Voormann - bass
    • Milt Holland - congas
    • Jim Keltner - drums, temple blocks
    • Waddy Wachtel - guitar
  6. "In Germany Before the War" – 3:39
    • No contributions are specified
  7. "Sigmund Freud's Impersonation of Albert Einstein in America" – 3:02
    • Willie Weeks - bass
    • Jim Keltner - drums
  8. "Baltimore" – 4:02
    • Glenn Frey, J.D. Souther - backing vocals
    • Willie Weeks - bass
    • Andy Newmark, Rick Marotta - drums
    • Glenn Frey - guitar
    • Milt Holland - percussion
  9. "I'll Be Home" – 2:47
    • Klaus Voormann - bass
    • Jim Keltner - drums
    • Waddy Wachtel - guitar
  10. "Rider in the Rain" – 3:54
    • Don Henley, Glenn Frey, J.D. Souther - backing vocals
    • Willie Weeks - bass
    • Rick Marotta - drums
    • Waddy Wachtel - guitar
  11. "Kathleen (Catholicism Made Easier)" – 3:35
    • Willie Weeks - bass
    • Rick Marotta - drums
    • Joe Walsh - guitar
    • Ry Cooder - mandolin
  12. "Old Man on the Farm" – 2:14
    • Randy Newman - piano
Technical
  • Lee Herschberg, Loyd Clifft - engineer
  • Mike Salisbury - cover design
  • Bob Seidemann - cover photography at 1013 7th Street, Los Angeles, California[10]

Charts

Sales and certifications

Certifications for Little Criminals
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[17] Gold 50,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[18] Gold 50,000^
United States (RIAA)[19] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ↑ Liner notes, Guilty: 30 Years of Randy Newman, 1998
  2. ↑ AllMusic review
  3. ↑ Rolling Stone review
  4. ↑ Christgau, Robert (October 31, 1977). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved April 29, 2013.
  5. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2007). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195313734.
  6. ↑ Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 304. CN 5585.
  7. ↑ Christgau, Robert (January 23, 1978). "The 1977 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  8. ↑ Colin Larkin (2000). All Time Top 1000 Albums (3rd ed.). Virgin Books. p. 167. ISBN 0-7535-0493-6.
  9. ↑ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. March 25, 1978. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
  10. ↑ "Musical Maps".
  11. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 216. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  12. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Randy Newman – Little Criminals" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
  13. ↑ "Charts.nz – Randy Newman – Little Criminals". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
  14. ↑ "Randy Newman Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
  15. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1977". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
  16. ↑ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1978". Billboard. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
  17. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Randy Newman – Little Criminals". Music Canada. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  18. ↑ "Dutch album certifications – Randy Newman – Little Criminals" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved July 16, 2022. Enter Little Criminals in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1978 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
  19. ↑ "American album certifications – Randy Newman – Little Criminals". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
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