Music is getting more personal for Randy Newman

Randy Newman has been concentrating on movie soundtracks for years — winning an Oscar in the process — but finally has a new album of his own, "Harps & Angels," his first in nine years, that's full of brilliantly funny and moving songs.

He's on tour featuring songs from it, as well as from his whole 40-year career. His show comes to the Moore on Wednesday.

Songs from Newman's 1974 album "Good Old Boys" are also being featured right now in Intiman Theatre's staging of "All the King's Men." The songwriter has had a special relationship with the arts community here dating back to 2002, when ACT Theatre helped develop the biographical stage musical "The Education of Randy Newman."

We caught up with him at his home in L.A., the city he loves.

Q: Rolling Stone just did a big piece on you, the first in years. But your quote about Dylan having only an "early period" is getting all the notice.

A: Oh [expletive]! I shouldn't do that. It's hard enough in this business with critics taking shots at you. And taking a shot at the guy who's the best we've ever had, in terms of lyrics, as a rock 'n' roll pop songwriter, is something I shouldn't do. It's just that sometimes I can't resist a joke. It just seems to me that there was a remarkable five albums or so, and then there wasn't. But he's said nice things about me. My God, I regret it every time I do something like that.

Q: This album sounds like you had so much fun with the orchestra, the studio, the jokey, biting political songs. It's a return to your early period.

A: Everything all kind of worked out. I was very happy with this record. Writing for an orchestra always scares me, but when it works, I love it.

Q: You talk as well as sing on this record.

A: That way you don't have to worry about being out of tune. It was instinctive. I didn't realize how much of it there was until I was done.

Q: Could you add a verse about Sarah Palin to "A Few Words in Defense of Our Country" [an anti-Bush song on the CD]?

A: Ordinarily I'd say "no," but you could because there's so much of the historical problems of the country — the anti-intellectualism, the frontier spirit. What an insult to the Republican Party to suggest that she's the second-best person in the party to be president. The more I see of McCain, the less faith I have that he will break from what this administration has done.

Q: According to Rolling Stone, you watch a lot of TV. Does that inform your songwriting?

A: Except for sports, some PBS and some comedy, it's a waste of time. The audience has gotten a little more sophisticated in terms of humor. That kind of irony in "The Simpsons," "South Park," "Family Guy," people like it. So it kind of does affect my writing.

Q: The narrator in this album's songs is closer to you, instead of you playing a character.

A: I think you're exactly right. I just noticed that the other day. It's the closest I've ever gotten. It's first-person — me to you. That's just where I found the material. It wasn't conscious. It was just the way it was going, so I took it.

Patrick MacDonald: 206-464-2312 or pmacdonald@seattletimes.com