Dark Matter is the fifteenth studio album of original material and first of such in nine years by American musician Randy Newman, released on August 4, 2017, by Nonesuch Records. NPR.org released an advance stream of the album on July 27, 2017. Music critic Robert Christgau ranked it as the sixth-best album of the 2010s.
The album's fifth track, "Sonny Boy," is notable for being a song delivered from the perspective of American bluesman Sonny Boy Williamson (birth name John Lee Curtis Williamson). "Sonny Boy" is about the original Sonny Boy Williamson learning of bluesman Rice Miller having assumed his name and depicts Williamson confronting Miller about it (in fact, the two bluesmen never met). The song imagines the original Sonny Boy Williamson in heaven resenting Miller for having achieved more fame and fortune after having stolen his name.
Track listing
Accolades Publication Accolade Rank Flood Magazine Top 25 Albums of 2017 Mojo Top 50 Albums of 2017 Rolling Stone Top 50 Albums of 2017 Spin Top 50 Albums of 2017
Personnel Randy Newman – piano, vocals Matt Chamberlain – drums David Piltch – bass Blake Mills – guitar Mitchell Froom – additional keyboards
Background vocals
"The Great Debate" and "Putin": Sandie Hall Teresa James Kala Balch Clydene Jackson (solo on "The Great Debate") Alva Copeland Donna Medine Randy Crenshaw John West Michael Geiger Alvin Chea "Brothers": Randy Crenshaw John West Alvin Chea
Production Mitchell Froom – producer Lenny Waronker – producer David Boucher – producer, recording, mixing Robert C. Ludwig – mastering Robert Hurwitz – executive producer
Visual Michael Carney – art direction & design Pamela Springsteen – photograph
Charts
Weekly charts Chart (2017) Peak position New Zealand Heatseekers Albums (RMNZ) 3
Year-end charts Chart (2017) Position Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) 190
References