Maybe I’m Doing It Wrong: The Life & Music Of Randy Newman

David & Caroline Stafford OMNIBUS PRESS. £19.95

Comprehensive bio of a brilliant and noncontroversial artist.

Right up front, co-authors David and Caroline Stafford set out the key problem in writing a bio of Randy Newman: there’s nothing scintillatingly controversial about him. Yes, there was the singersongwriter’s sole Top 10 hit, the snide Short People, which succeeded in alienating many who fit the description, but the artist himself has offered the tabloids nothing to grab onto. What to do then? Concentrate on the artistry, which the authors do exceedingly well in their deeply researched, finely detailed account. From the early covers of his compositions to his own output – including his extensive soundtrack work – Newman’s catalogue is scrutinised fairly and thoughtfully, usually praised, sometimes brutalised. Firsthand and secondary quotes from Newman and colleagues are incorporated liberally, but more than anything Maybe I’m Doing It Wrong is about the art as much as the artist.