Rufus Wainwright

Grievous Angel

Grievous Angel

Beast of Burden
Just a quickie -- just HOW fucking good is Rufus Wainright's "Want" double album?

The wife went to see him on a random guestlist and was blown away and got this and it's FABULOUS. Absolutely mentally perfect chord progressions.
 
Grievous Angel

Grievous Angel

Beast of Burden
Nah! Magnificent tuuuuunes and a lovely voice. Nice bloke too according to friends who were looking after him, not that egotistical at all.
 
jenks

jenks

thread death
been waiting for rufus to get mentioned here.

was late to him and only started listening to him about a year ago, spent two months listening to almost nothing else, spent the whole flight from sydney to tokyo with him on ipod - have managed to ration myself to keep things in perspective.

think want one slightly outshines want two - put vibrate on about six separate compilations. it really is swooning stuff isn't?

i think what i really like is the sheer ambition and scope and also a sense he is wedded to a personal vision, something outside of fashion. The man certainly makes a song unlike anyone else.

one slight criticism - i sometimes wish he'd open his mouth a little more.

finally i was also really impressed with the martha wainwright album from last year as well
 
Grievous Angel

Grievous Angel

Beast of Burden
Waaaay, big up Jenks!

Yeah, we've been on a diet of Rufus during the day for best part of a week. Yes I think 1 outshines 2, the intimate solo stuff is less impactful. Swooning is the word!

Yes I like the personal vision thing (borne out in his live show apparently) but it's the big, fat, chunky CHOOOOOOONS I like best, all these wonderful, ballsy, sensitive, clever melodies.

But yes, he probably could do with opening his mouth a bit...
 
S

simon silverdollar

Guest
will have to get want one + two. i've only got 'poses', which, when it's good, is totally amazing, altho there is a bit of filler on there.

i saw him at glastonbury and it was one of the best lvie performances i've seen in ages- he did a version of 'hallelujah' (spelling?) which was beautiful. and he was wearing a VERY sharp suit.

i'm a big fan of martha wainwright as well- her song 'factory' is great. that first lyric of 'these are not my people, i should never have come here'. who can't relate to that?
 
jenks

jenks

thread death
[QUOTE

i'm a big fan of martha wainwright as well- her song 'factory' is great. that first lyric of 'these are not my people, i should never have come here'. who can't relate to that?[/QUOTE]

why wasn't that a huge hit?

...back to rufus - that ability to wed operatic melodrama/ show tune/ singer song writer craft with a pet shop boys level of wit = CHOONS as noted earlier - oh dear i feel a major relapse on the way (picked up some lovely live stuff on itunes - a couple of things off the last album that sound so much more powerful live)

did any of you see the excellent Channel 4 documentary on him - an enchanting child indeed
 
S

soundslike1981

Well-known member
Liked the self-titled album a good deal, found 'Poses' lukewarm (and Alanis-level awful when he tries to go "rock"). I dug the 'Bolero' quote in the opening track of 'Want One,' but haven't felt it was worth following him since. You're saying I should, then? To me he seemed to be mucking up his voice--literally and figuratively--by mumbling (literal and figurative).
 
jenks

jenks

thread death
mos dan said:
aha - i can best you all, for i confessed to liking him already! - http://dissensus.com/showthread.php?p=89138 ;)

not that, y'know, it should be a confession of course.
Click to expand...

That was in June this year - the original thread was started in June 06!!!

Anyway, I would have thought he would have been more loved here.

I reckon the new album is very good - i would even suggest he has started to oen his mouth whne he sings!!! It's a pretty good intro to his style before throwing yourself headlong into the two Want albums.

The DVD 'All I Want' is very good too (could live without the inanities of The Scissor Sisters) and has some very impressive concert footage, showing him to be a stellar live act.

Looking forward to sitting down tonight to watch the video of the Garland show.
 
benjybars

benjybars

village elder.
no no no!!! .... Martha is 100 times better, both as a songwriter and singer. Loudon is better than both of them however! I can't stand rufus to be honest.. too whiney and self-centred. Not sure his voice is all that great either. Martha on the other hand.. i went to an acoustic gig of hers last summer and it was one of the most impressive singing performances I've ever seen.
As far as i can see, Rufus' only real achievement is being the subject of Loudon's excellent 'Rufus is a tit-man'. ;)
 
G

gumdrops

Well-known member
his best song is his remake of the beatles across the universe (and the song on the moulin rouge soundtrack, which i have just remembered - its wonderful). i loved parts of poses (and yes, when he tries to go rock, on record or live, its just awful and dry) mainly for his voice, but i find his songwriting a bit lacking. he hasnt really written the type of memorable melodies i wish he had by now.
 
boombox

boombox

...
Look on YouTube and you will find a vast array of mawkish, faux-profound live gigs characterised by slurred delivery, poor intonation and a painfully narrow range. But my, doesn't he perform
 
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nomadologist

Guest
he's a nice enough guy, from what i can tell. he's good friends with my college friends.

i've heard his voice sound great or not-as depending on the night--even the best vocalists have bad nights.
 
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