The Griffin family, having relocated to the countryside, are alerted by a local to Newman's presence and are warned of his endless "singing about what he sees".
Sure enough, there sits Newman 'neath the shade of an apple tree, providing an inane running commentary on the minutiae of country life.
To those whose exposure to Newman's work is limited to the treacly late-career slush he has turned out as an award-winning film composer, dominated by his work for Disney and Pixar (Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Cars, Monsters Inc.), the lampooning of his matter-of-fact style probably raised a knowing chuckle.
Others who have followed Newman's growth from songwriter-to-the-stars (Dusty Springfield, Gene Pitney, Jackie DeShannon and The O'Jays) to recording artist in his own right might have felt a pang of sympathy. But probably not. It was pretty funny.
Newman has attracted his share of heat, most notably for the ambiguity with which he deals with topics such as racism, classism and sexism. But any serious analysis of his repertoire will reveal his better songs as sharp-edged insights into human nature. He is happy to occupy the skull of any character for the sake of revealing truth.
For a taste of Newman's best, you can't go past 1970 sophomore album 12 Songs. Backed by guitarists Ry Cooder and Clarence White, with drums and percussion by Jim Gordon and Milt Holland, he saunters through a focused set of perfectly formed vignettes, sometimes taking less than two minutes to hit his target.
From New Orleans boogie to slow rockers, woozy blues ballads and nonchalant pop numbers, the music is lean and unembellished, bringing Newman's tales of lonely gas-station attendants, arsonists, bigots and stalkers into sharp relief. Just remember that what is observed isn't necessarily through Newman's own eyes.
