Thomas Conner
  • thomasconner
    • Bio
    • Professional: Resumé
    • Academic: CV
    • Teaching
    • Blog

Rufus Wainwright, 'Rufus Wainwright'

6/5/1998

 
By Thomas Conner
© Tulsa World

Rufus Wainwright
"Rufus Wainwright"
(DreamWorks)

It's been a season of rock 'n' roll legacies in the
music biz. We've seen albums from Chris Stills, son of
Stephen; Emma Townshend, daughter of Pete; and Sean Lennon,
son of John — and none of them have been very striking.

Enter Rufus Wainwright, son of folkies Kate McGarrigle
and the also cumbersomely named Loudon Wainwright III. He
looks hip enough — leather jackets, bushy hair, knife-blade
sideburns — but he's crafted a debut that won't seem hip
right away. Wainwright, you see, is so freakin' talented,
he will have to slip into his destiny as the Gen-X Cole
Porter or Kurt Weill slowly.

Those comparisons are not tossed in here merely as
reference points for the reader. Wainwright is writing
standards on that level of charm and genius. His songs have
been described as retro (or, my favorite, “popera''), but
that's simply because the young generation responding to
Wainwright's timeless laments and musical sighs only know
of standards from the perspective of their parents. But
these days it's the mainstream to buck tradition, so
Wainwright's return to the traditional conventions of 20th
century classic songwriting may turn out to be the hippest
thing around.

Like his father, the younger Wainwright writes form very
personal experiences, but unlike Loudon, Rufus phrases his
lovelorn laments and cheery ruminations in an omniscient
voice. It's just as easy to place yourself in the center of
the moseying “Foolish Love'' as it is his own reminiscing
on boarding school days in the jaunty “Millbrook.'' His
“Danny Boy'' is a rolling original, though like many of
the songs it restrains Wainwright's delicious, reedy tenor
into one constraining octave. String arrangements
throughout are courtesy of Van Dyke Parks — a definite
kindred spirit — while Jim Keltner provides drums and Jon
Brion produces.

This debut is an intelligent cabaret — with all the sly
wit of Porter and the high-though-furrowed brow of Weill.
Several notches above the cleverness of Ben Folds,
Wainwright could be the closest thing my generation has
come to an original, classic entertainer.

 


Comments are closed.

    Thomas Conner

    These online "clips" reproduce a self-selection of my journalism (music etc) during the last 20+ years. It's a lotta stuff, but it only scratches the surface. I do not currently possess the time or resources to digitize the whole body of work. These posts are simply a bunch of pretty great days at the office.

    (Caveat: I didn't write the headlines, and formatting varies wildly.)

    For more, see my home page, resumé, CV, blog, or just contact me.

    Archives

    May 2014
    June 2013
    May 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    March 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    October 2009
    September 2009
    March 2009
    November 2008
    October 2008
    August 2008
    July 2008
    June 2008
    May 2008
    April 2008
    March 2008
    September 2007
    August 2007
    June 2007
    May 2007
    February 2007
    November 2006
    October 2006
    September 2006
    June 2006
    March 2006
    January 2006
    December 2005
    November 2005
    October 2005
    August 2005
    July 2005
    June 2005
    May 2005
    April 2005
    June 2004
    April 2004
    August 2003
    June 2003
    February 2003
    December 2002
    November 2002
    September 2002
    August 2002
    July 2002
    March 2002
    February 2002
    September 2001
    August 2001
    July 2001
    July 2000
    June 2000
    May 2000
    April 2000
    March 2000
    February 2000
    December 1999
    November 1999
    October 1999
    August 1999
    July 1999
    June 1999
    April 1999
    March 1999
    January 1999
    November 1998
    October 1998
    September 1998
    August 1998
    July 1998
    June 1998
    May 1998
    March 1998
    January 1998
    December 1997
    November 1997
    October 1997
    August 1997
    June 1997
    May 1997
    April 1997
    March 1997
    January 1997
    November 1996
    September 1996
    August 1996
    July 1996
    June 1996
    March 1996
    January 1996
    December 1995
    September 1995
    August 1995
    June 1995
    April 1995
    August 1993

    Categories

    All
    9/11
    Album Review
    Arizona Republic
    Art Review
    Blues
    Books
    Chicago Sun Times
    Chicago Sun-Times
    Classical
    Column
    Concert Review
    Country
    Dwight Twilley
    Fanboy
    Feature
    Film
    Folk
    Gospel
    Great Conversations
    Guthries
    Hanson
    Hip Hop
    Hip-hop
    History
    Interviews
    Jazz
    JFJO
    Leon Russell
    Lollapalooza
    Music & Society
    Obit Magazine
    Pitchfork
    Pop
    Punk
    R&B
    Reggae
    Rock
    SXSW
    Tea
    Travel
    Tulsa World
    TV
    Virtuality
    Wainwrights
    Washington Post
    Woodyfest

    RSS Feed

Home

Bio

Professional

Academic

Blog

mine, all mine © 2000-2022
  • thomasconner
    • Bio
    • Professional: Resumé
    • Academic: CV
    • Teaching
    • Blog