Who is the original artist of the song, Mama Told Me not to Come - why do you think he is an important artist?

Question

Hint: his importance dosen't have anything to do with "Mama Told me not to come" - impress me follks!

Answer 1

Randy Newman. A brilliant songwriter, pure and simple.

More importantly than being the guy who did 'I Love L.A.', or all those many, many film scores (they were fun!), I think he'll be remembered as a songwriter with a rare gift for sarcasm and human observation. More oblique than Springsteen, and less wordy than Dylan, maybe.

'Yes, he's free to be put in a cage
In Harlem in New York City
And he's free to be put in a cage
on the South Side of Chicago...'

'Good Old Boys', and another powerful one is 'Sail Away'.

'Political Science' always makes me laugh:

'Let's drop the big one, see what happens...
We give them money, but are they grateful?
No their spiteful and they're hateful,
They don't respect us, so let's suprise them,
We'll drop the big one, pulverize them.
Asia's crowded, Europe's too old,
Africa is far to hot, and Canada's too cold,
And South America stole our name,
Let's drop the big one, they'll be no one left to blame...'

Brilliant.

The rock critic Greil Marcus wrote this about RN:

'He uses the familiarity of the music to set us in the moods and situations the music automatically calls up; we respond in predictable ways to the music, and as we do, Newman's words and his singing pull us in other directions, or shift the story just enough to make it new.'

Well, there's a reason he's in the Songwriter's Hall Of Fame.

Answer 2

Today is next month. September has disappeared without me taking much in hand. I should establish some goals for this month, so that I will not lose the sense of urgency and brevity of my sojourn. Yesterday (30 Sep) "much" happened. I was sick, visited Peace Corpses and received mail. For the first time I felt nauseous at the sight or thought of eating Malian (or any) food. Yesterday morning I could still taste Thursday's couscous in my burps and wanted to vomit. I fasted all day, and was able to eat some cucumbers at suppertime. This morning I ate frufru (mini millet pancakes) and drank moni (millet breakfast cream). Tô for lunch sounds OK

Answer 3

Three Dog Night. What was impressive about the band was the horn section in a pop/rock band of the 70's.

Answer 4

Three Dog Night.

Answer 5

Hoyt Axton wrote that song, As well as 'Never been to Spain" something like that anyway. both Three Dog Night songs.

Answer 6

Randy Newman

I have never heard of him before, sorry. lol ;-)