Waikato Herald
  • Waikato Herald home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Locations

  • Hamilton
  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Matamata & Piako
  • Cambridge
  • Te Awamutu
  • Tokoroa & South Waikato
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Weather

  • Thames
  • Hamilton
  • Tokoroa
  • Taumarunui
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Waikato News / Lifestyle

Music Review: Dark Matter, Randy Newman

By Tony Nielsen
NZME. regionals·
13 Aug, 2017 04:00 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Randy Newman's new album Dark Matter

Randy Newman's new album Dark Matter

Randy Newman may be best known for the songs and lyrics he created for mega movies like Toy Story, A Bug's Life and Monster's Inc, as well as no doubt having a very beneficial impact on his bank accounts.

Ahead of that aspect of his creative life, Newman had forged a successful career as a songwriter's songwriter. His lyrical approach has always been laconic, wry, quirky and often acerbic.

It's hard to fathom why, at 73, Newman has dusted off his writing pen after a nine-year hiatus, and produced an album that's brutally ironic.

It can only be that the political hurricane that's accompanied Donald Trump's arrival in the White House, was perhaps the motivation he needed.

It's no coincidence then that a song about Trump's penis didn't make the cut for Dark Matter.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

However, Donald's nemesis Vladimir Putin does have a tune devoted to him, as do the Kennedy brothers, science, religion, bluesman Sonny Boy Williamson.

The melodies are sumptuous and Newman's delivery captures just the right amount of sarcasm. He is one clever man as his numerous Grammy Awards demonstrate.

His last album Harps and Angels reflected on the legacy of George W Bush, so Dark Matter is a perfect bookend to a new political era. And only handled as deftly as Randy could.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Listen to one of the songs, The Great Debate here:

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Lifestyle

Lifestyle

Play inspired by Agatha Christie's life to be staged in Hamilton

22 Jun 10:53 PM
Waikato Herald

Hate skiing? Try these snow-free winter adventures in NZ instead

19 Jun 06:00 AM
Waikato Herald

Devilskin, Matariki events and theatre – here's what's on in Waikato

18 Jun 11:00 PM

Kaibosh gets a clean-energy boost in the fight against food waste

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Lifestyle

Play inspired by Agatha Christie's life to be staged in Hamilton

Play inspired by Agatha Christie's life to be staged in Hamilton

22 Jun 10:53 PM

The Mysterious Disappearance will have its opening night on June 28.

Hate skiing? Try these snow-free winter adventures in NZ instead
Waikato Herald

Hate skiing? Try these snow-free winter adventures in NZ instead

19 Jun 06:00 AM
Devilskin, Matariki events and theatre – here's what's on in Waikato
Waikato Herald

Devilskin, Matariki events and theatre – here's what's on in Waikato

18 Jun 11:00 PM
What the inaugural Jetstar flight from Hamilton to Sydney was really like

What the inaugural Jetstar flight from Hamilton to Sydney was really like

16 Jun 08:16 PM
Engage and explore one of the most remote places on Earth in comfort and style
sponsored

Engage and explore one of the most remote places on Earth in comfort and style

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Waikato Herald e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Waikato Herald
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP