Randy Newman
Faust
Reprise Records

Could Randy Newman be the one? The one we have waited so long for, our savior from the stranglehold that grips American musical theater - the thing with three names - Andrew Lloyd Webber? Let me shout to the heavens, praise be! Someone has written a musical with intelligent and, dare I say it, funny lyrics. Randy Newman has also culled the depths of American musical genres to create a really good new musical based on Goethe's Faust.

As you may or (heaven forbid, pun intended) may not know, Faust is about the battle between God and the Devil for the soul of mankind. Only in this version, God is a kindly but out of touch sort of guy who's had his way the whole time and has gotten kind of soft up in heaven. The Devil knows he's smarter than God and can't figure out why he keeps losing to him. They fight over Henry Faust who in Randy Newman's version is a self absorbed slacker attending Notre Dame University.

The musical, for which Mr. Newman also wrote the book, was given a full production at La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego. I wish I could have seen it. I'd like to compare the album to it because there are song differences between them. I must say though, it's hard to imagine better casting than this album boasts. James Taylor plays God, Randy Newman, the Devil, Don Henley plays Faust, Linda Ronstadt plays the virginal Margaret, Faust's girlfriend and Bonnie Raitt plays Martha, the girl from the other side of the tracks who runs with the Devil. Throw in Elton John's odd song and you've got it. Randy Newman chose accomplished singers whose own images in the music scene add another layer of irony to an already ironic musical.

This Faust starts with a lyrically innocuous tune that reflects the innocuosness of modern religious dogma. Glory Train, sung by God, is white, happy and unchallenging. Everything seems heavenly until the devil breaks in with his reply. "In all my life I don't believe I've ever heard such bullshit. Even from you, a master of bullshit. You know it's a lie ,it'll always be a lie. The invention of an animal that knows he's going to die." The next hilarious song is called How Great Our Lord. It starts out with God singing: "Sorry ladies, to make you wait. There's a couple of Buddhists at the Pearly Gate. They asked permission to come on board." Angels then sing: "What'd you do lord?" "I had to have them put out with the trash." Listen to another comical selection from this song.

Not all the songs are quite this light though. Relax Enjoy Yourself starts out as a light, taunting stroll where God tells the Devil to relax and enjoy the ride because he will never win. Then an Angel Child speaks to the Devil in that patronizing, precocious way a Psych 101 student tells you why you're the way you are. But things turn dark when the Devil breaks in asking the Angel Child how long she's been dead and if she misses her friends. He tells her she was a good girl cut down in her prime. Then the song which has been very dramatic musically changes to a corny country sound. The cornyness of the music works to soften the brutality of the lyrics when the Devil then tells the Angel Child that the man who "shot her in the head in that Burger King in Tucson" will never be punished but become "The richest man in Inyo County. While that may not be much it's enough." He will be whisked directly to heaven. Why? James Taylor as the Lord jumps in with the reply; contrition, sincere contrition. This is exactly the kind of religious question theologians have pondered for centuries. Why can a murderer go to heaven if he repents while a pure hearted non-believer supposedly goes to...the other place?

The other kind of song here is the beautiful ballad for female voice. Listen to the purity of melody and voice on My Hero sung by Linda Ronstadt. Bonnie Raitt, who sings every song like she wrote it, sings another called Feels Like Home There are many other great songs on this disc including Don Henley on The Man. If only these songs could replace the likes of Memories from Cats and whatever the heinous ballad is called that Norma Desmond sings in Webber's Sunset Boulevard.

I found I really started enjoying this record when I sat down with the lyrics and followed the stories; got an idea how Randy Newman perceived these characters musically. Much of the irony here is in the musical styles and how they either comment on the lyrics or comment on the way that particular genre is usually used. A compulsory listen just won't do on this one. I suggest spending the time listening to it if you want to hear a refreshing new American musical. This is not a "rock" record. It's a musical and let me say if it comes to New York I'm going to be front row center!