(2023) Rufus Wainwright - Rufus Wainwright (25th Anniversary Edition)
Review:
What separates Rufus Wainwright and the other second-generation singers who sprang up at the same time (Sean Lennon, Emma Townshend, and Chris Stills the most notable among them) is that Wainwright deserves to be heard regardless of his family tree; in fact, the issue of his parentage is ultimately as immaterial as that of his sexuality -- this self-titled debut cares little for the rock clichés of an earlier generation, instead heralding the arrival of a unique and compelling voice steeped most solidly in the traditions of cabaret. Like his folks, Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle, he's a superb songwriter, with a knack for elegantly rolling piano melodies and poignantly romantic lyrics; while the appearance of Van Dyke Parks and his trademark orchestral arrangements hints at an affinity for the pop classicism of Brian Wilson or Randy Newman, the vocals come straight out of opera, and although Wainwright is unlikely to be starring in La Boheme anytime soon, he conveys the kind of honest emotion sorely lacking in the ironic posing of many of his contemporaries. Maybe the kids are alright after all. —
allmusic
Track List:
01 - Foolish Love
02 - Danny Boy
03 - April Fools
04 - In My Arms
05 - Millbrook
06 - Baby
07 - Beauty Mark
08 - Barcelona
09 - Matinee Idol
10 - Damned Ladies
11 - Sally Ann
12 - Imaginary Love
13 - Hankering
14 - St. James Infirmary
15 - More Wine (Session Outtake)
16 - Fame Into Love Into Death
17 - One More Chance
18 - A Bit of You
19 - Dreams and Daydreams
20 - Miss Otis Regrets
21 - So Fine (Session Outtake)
22 - Come (Session Outtake)
Media Report:
Genre: chamber pop
Country: Canada / USA
Format: FLAC
Format/Info: Free Lossless Audio Codec
Bit rate mode: Variable
Channel(s): 2 channels
Sampling rate: 44.1 KHz
Bit depth: 16 bits
Compression mode: Lossless
Writing library: libFLAC 1.2.1 (UTC 2007-09-17)
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