Little Criminals

Little Criminals is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Randy Newman. Like most of Newman's work, the album eschews traditional pop-music themes ("I'll Be Home" is the only love song on the album) in favor of musical story-telling, often featuring quirky characters and cynical views. The first song on the album – "Short People" – became a hit single in its own right. The album itself peaked at #9 on the US Billboard 200 chart, Newman's highest-charting album to date.

Some of the instrumental work and backing vocals on the album are performed by members of the Eagles. In particular, Glenn Frey played guitar on two tracks, Joe Walsh played guitar on three tracks, and Don Henley and Tim Schmit sang background vocals on one track each. Frey and J. D. Souther, who had earlier been the duo Longbranch Pennywhistle, sang background vocals on three tracks.

Newman wrote, conducted and played keyboards on all tracks. Synthesizers were programmed by Michael Boddicker.

In September 1977 the British music magazine NME published the following interview with Newman talking sardonically about his then new release: "There's one song about a child murderer," Newman deadpans. "That's fairly optimistic. Maybe. There's one called 'Jolly Coppers on Parade' which isn't an absolutely anti-police song. Maybe it's even a fascist song. I didn't notice at the time. There's also one about me as a cowboy called 'Rider in the Rain'. I think it's ridiculous. The Eagles are on there. That's what's good about it. There's also this song 'Short People'. It's purely a joke. I like other ones on the album better but the audiences go for that one."

"Baltimore" was covered by Nina Simone, Nils Lofgren, the Tamlins, David Gray, Billy Mackenzie, Lianne La Havas, Jazmine Sullivan, and Mink Stole. "In Germany Before the War" was covered by British band Diesel Park West on their covers album "God Only Knows" in 1992, and by Marianne Faithfull on her album Easy Come, Easy Go, in 2009. The song "I'll Be Home", meanwhile, had been written by Newman years previously, and was originally recorded in 1970 by Harry Nilsson on his album Nilsson Sings Newman and by Tim Hardin on his 1972 album Painted Head.

The album's cover artwork is a photographic portrait of Randy Newman by Bob Seidemann. It shows Newman standing on the West 7th Street overpass above the I-110 freeway in the Financial District of Los Angeles.

Critical reception
The New York Times opined that Little Criminals "is the first Newman album with a full complement of musical witticisms to match the verbal ones." Record World said that the single "Baltimore" "is as serious as 'Short People' was funny, and its haunting melody and dramatic lyric linger well." The album placed 8th in the 1977 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll, and in 2000 it was voted number 468 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums.

Personnel

 * Randy Newman - vocals, keyboards and synthesizer
 * Michael Boddicker - additional synthesizer and synthesizer programming


 * 1) "Short People" – 2:54
 * 2) * Glenn Frey, J.D. Souther, Tim Schmit - backing vocals
 * 3) * Klaus Voormann - bass
 * 4) * Milt Holland - congas
 * 5) * Jim Keltner - drums
 * 6) * Waddy Wachtel - guitar
 * 7) "You Can't Fool The Fatman" – 2:44
 * 8) * Willie Weeks - bass
 * 9) * Milt Holland - congas
 * 10) * Andy Newmark - drums
 * 11) "Little Criminals" – 3:04
 * 12) * Willie Weeks - bass
 * 13) * Andy Newmark, Rick Marotta - drums
 * 14) * Glenn Frey - guitar
 * 15) * Joe Walsh - guitar, slide guitar
 * 16) * Milt Holland - percussion
 * 17) "Texas Girl at the Funeral of Her Father" – 2:40
 * 18) * Ralph Grierson - piano
 * 19) "Jolly Coppers on Parade" – 3:46
 * 20) * Klaus Voormann - bass
 * 21) * Milt Holland - congas
 * 22) * Jim Keltner - drums, temple blocks
 * 23) * Waddy Wachtel - guitar
 * 24) "In Germany Before the War" – 3:39
 * 25) * No contributions are specified
 * 26) "Sigmund Freud's Impersonation of Albert Einstein in America" – 3:02
 * 27) * Willie Weeks - bass
 * 28) * Jim Keltner - drums
 * 29) "Baltimore" – 4:02
 * 30) * Glenn Frey, J.D. Souther - backing vocals
 * 31) * Willie Weeks - bass
 * 32) * Andy Newmark, Rick Marotta - drums
 * 33) * Glenn Frey - guitar
 * 34) * Milt Holland - percussion
 * 35) "I'll Be Home" – 2:47
 * 36) * Klaus Voormann - bass
 * 37) * Jim Keltner - drums
 * 38) * Waddy Wachtel - guitar
 * 39) "Rider in the Rain" – 3:54
 * 40) * Don Henley, Glenn Frey, J.D. Souther - backing vocals
 * 41) * Willie Weeks - bass
 * 42) * Rick Marotta - drums
 * 43) * Waddy Wachtel - guitar
 * 44) "Kathleen (Catholicism Made Easier)" – 3:35
 * 45) * Willie Weeks - bass
 * 46) * Rick Marotta - drums
 * 47) * Joe Walsh - guitar
 * 48) * Ry Cooder - mandolin
 * 49) "Old Man on the Farm" – 2:14
 * 50) * Randy Newman - piano
 * Technical
 * Lee Herschberg, Loyd Clifft - engineer
 * Mike Salisbury - cover design
 * Bob Seidemann - cover photography at 1013 7th Street, Los Angeles, California