Not a greatest hits compilation, rather this is Randy Newman reinterpreting songs from his long career in a “striped down” format of just singer and his piano. You might want to play these back-to-back with their original versions. All but just a few of the songs can be found on Newman’s 4-CD box, “Guilty: 30 Years.”

Songbook Vol. 1 (from 2003) had some better-known songs, such as “God’s Song,” “I Think It’s Going to Rain Today,” “You Can Leave Your Hat On,” “Sail Away,” and “Political Science.”

No FCC issues.

1. ** A mom & son cross America on a train. As Jews they try to fit in the deep South – the promised land. Newman at his very best: exceptional singing and playing. (3:21)
2. Newman once called this song “a pinhead’s view of China.” (2:05)
3. Narrator has a creepy, stalker obsession about a girl named Suzanne. (2:48)
4. * Humorous short reminiscences about half the girls in his life. Spoken lyric. (1:49)
5. * A redneck’s homage to Huey Long, Louisiana Governor & populist demagogue. (2:17)
6. Melancholy song about foolishly losing everything, especially love. (2:46)
7. Lullaby to a little girl (presumably his daughter). Not his best singing. (2:19)
8. ** Randy’s life as a big-time celebrity, told with scathing irony. Spoken lyric. (3:27)
9. * Blue-collar paradise is a 3-room house in Birmingham, AL. Old time piano. (2:22)
10. The dream he had last night is pretty insulting to someone important in his life. (1:58)
11. ** Beautiful, poignant song tells a terrible story about a girl on the street. (2:46)
12. * Insightful look at the seedy side of an old American city. Trying to get out. (3:05)
13. Caustic look at immigrants and the American dream. (2:20)
14. Very strange song about a dead girl on the beach. (1:37)
15. Imaginings of a pleasant, simple life a century ago. (1:54)
16. Steel and concrete filling up the great open country. Cowboy’s got no place to go. (2:24)