Good Old Boys by Randy Newman (1974)

Initially envisioned as a concept album about a character named Johnny Cutler, Good Old Boys evolved into a more general take on viewpoints from the inhabitants of the Deep South.

As he had already become known for, Newman addressed generally taboo topics such as slavery and racism, most obviously on "Rednecks", a satire of both institutional racism in the Deep South and the hypocrisy of the northern states in response.

Newman also incorporates historical events such as on "Louisiana 1927", or on "Kingfish," where he recounts achievements and slogans of Louisiana politician Huey "The Kingfish" Long.

Even more than being a thought provoking and earnestly performed concept album, this is an extremely high quality one — whip smart lyrics and timeless arrangements.

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