Rufus Wainwright

Rufus Wainwright

Rufus Wainwright

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The singer/songwriters working today who point to Tin Pan Alley and Broadway musicals as central inspirations can be counted on an index finger. Rufus Wainwright is quite an anomaly--but, then again, he's the son of Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle. Wainwright has been compared to Randy Newman for his piano-based orchestral sense, but unlike Newman, he rarely turns those poppy conventions against themselves: he's always sentimental and sincere about the fluff he explores. When he drives his melodies and lyrics hardest--as on the Beatlesque "April Fools" and the barroom "Matinee Idol"--his considerable imagination is most convincing and entertaining. Fans of folk simplicity should skip this one, but the more adventurous may find the charm in Wainwright's ambitious debut. --Roy Kasten

Rufus Wainwright,Rufus Wainwright,Dreamworks,Adult Alternative Pop/Rock,Chamber Pop,Pop,Popular Music,Rock,Rock/Pop,Singer/Songwriter
Release the Stars
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Terffic but Not Quite Up To My "Rufus" Scale
  • Not an album review
  • Better and Better
  • Such a drama queen...
  • Still Gowing
 Release the Stars
Rufus Wainwright
Manufacturer: Geffen Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
Chamber PopChamber Pop | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
Singer-SongwritersSinger-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music
Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Adult AlternativeAdult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Sky Blue Sky
  2. The Reminder
  3. Volta
  4. New Moon
  5. Back to Black

ASIN: B000O78LH8
Release Date: 2007-05-15

Tracks:

  1. Do I Disappoint You
  2. Going To A Town
  3. Tiergarten
  4. Nobody's Off The Hook
  5. Between My Legs
  6. Rules And Regulations
  7. Not Ready To Love
  8. Slideshow
  9. Tulsa
  10. Leaving For Paris
  11. Sanssouci
  12. Release The Stars

Amazon.com

Recorded in Berlin and executive produced by the Pet Shop Boys' Neil Tennant, Rufus Wainwright's fifth album offers an ounce of restraint from the man that dressed up as Sir Lancelot's crossed girlfriend Lady Shallott on the cover of his last. Well, not really. Having fallen in love and curbed his self-destructive streak, the New York-born singer-songwriter has certainly sharpened his wit on Release the Stars but the songs remain as ornate and over-the-top as ever, drawing as much inspiration from opera and the musical theater as the desire to purge personal demons. So while Wainwright spends considerable time here pondering the state of the world ("Going to a Town") and his own battles with drug and sexual addiction ("Sanssouci"), every note is punctuated by a choir, orchestral swell, or big burst of brass. It wouldn't be Rufus with anything less. --Aidin Vaziri

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Terffic but Not Quite Up To My "Rufus" Scale.......2007-08-03

Anybody who's heard Wainwright's previous albums, particularly Want I or Poses, would have sky-high expectations for any new album. Such was the case with myself and Release The Stars. My verdict is this album is uniquely catchy and beautiful, but not quite up to my Rufus standards.


My personal favorite track is "Do I Disappoint You?" and I think others will agree. It uses a wide arrangement of instruments and voices through out the song, giving it the most opera like feel. The lyrics have a certain depth to them that is beautiful and relate able , but also unusual.

Another standout track is "Between My Legs" whose heavy use of guitar and humor regarding sexual impulses make this song extremely catchy. The last minute is also quite moving, but I'd prefer it without the spoken word (I believe Rufus is one of those people who should often stand alone)

Other favorites include "Going to A Town" which heavily centered on Rufus's voice and his dislike for America and creates a pleasing but not as memorable song as some of his other work. Leaving For Paris, one of the more sentimental tracks, is mostly Wainwright, who sings in a hushed voice, and his piano. The track is obviously slower but also very beautiful and emotional.

Sansscoui is a debatable track for me. Though I find it catchy and like it a lot, for some reason it fails to stick in my head. I have the same problem with "Release The Stars", a fine track with the obvious Judy Garland influence Rufus has talked about but without lasting appeal.

Overall, I love this album and I enjoy listening to it, but I can't say I'm completely impressed as I have been in the past. Wainwright's voice is lovely and spot on as always and his wide arrangements of different types of instruments, sounds, and genres make this CD worth it.

4 out of 5 stars Not an album review.......2007-07-16

Rufus Wainwright is one of those performers that just blinded me by how brilliant he is in music. I actually came upon him after Poses and before his Want albums were released by recommendation from a musician who played in a blues-rock band. So, of course, being curious about Rufus, I set out on a quest. And became immediately enchanted!
Now, I could give you a synopsis of this album..but it seems everybody else on here already has (and much better than I would have done it). So I decided to save you the trouble and just explain why I feel Rufus is a beacon for the musical artists that are currently out today. Maybe it's because I'm now 33 years old. But I pretty much grew up during the time of the 90's music scene. Nirvana, Pearl Jam, etc. Not to mention, I'm more of a hard rock/metal fan, w/ some flourishes for other forms. But when I first heard Rufus...he was sooooo different from anything I've ever heard. He invokes classicism, jazz, blues, pop....such an extraordinary range of instruments that I was literally dumb-struck by how brilliant he is in musical forms.
Not to mention his voice seems to contrast to his music. Hinting, at times, the banality & cynicism life seems to offer. But, yet, there's still the sense of good things to come. This isn't music for everybody, I will admit. This music runs much deeper, not just in thought...but also in emotion. From theatrical pomp to Glam Rock to Jazz-infused cabaret...to even Classical-ornamentation. It's sooooo much bigger than anything I've ever been exposed to. It didn't surprise me at all that he's getting recognition overseas in Europe and other countries than here in the states. His music is not easily digestible here.
Some would say his music is pretentious, over-wrought...perhaps vain. And, you know what? I'd say you're probably right. But, living in times of where we're more concerned about Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, a never-ending war (which seems to have no viable conclusion or end IMO), Rufus' music seems to shed light on the state of the world. I was shocked to hear one of my friends (who is gay) say he doesn't like Rufus because he thought his music is "scary"?! He'd rather listen to the Pussycat Dolls. Is that all this world has to offer, I wonder?

5 out of 5 stars Better and Better.......2007-07-08

What I like best about this album is that it is emblematic of Rufus' ever-maturing talent, both in subject matter and musical stylings.

A few standouts: "Do I Disappoint You" (love this track - bombastic opening as only Rufus can do. Compare with "Oh What a World" and "Agnus Dei" from the Want One and Want Two CD's), "Going to a Town" (written about New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina - and NOT Anti-American as some have said), "Slideshow" (love the melody, not sure how well the subject matter goes with it though), and "Tulsa" (wasn't sure about this one at first, but now I like it - and it's not really about sleeping with Brandon Flowers, as many seem to think).

All in all, this CD makes good listening. I can't wait to hear what Rufus will come out with next.

2 out of 5 stars Such a drama queen..........2007-07-04

I've wanted to like Rufus. I've tried to like Rufus. I bought this just for "Going to a Town"- an amazing song, and the lyrics are spot-on. But the rest of the disc is so melodramatic and off-the-charts narcissistic that I find it completely unlistenable. Rufus, can't you rein it in just a little bit?

4 out of 5 stars Still Gowing.......2007-06-29

Rufus has created four masterpiece albums before this one, and he is still growing in talent and direction! Too many artists write the same music album after album once they find success, but this is not the case here. Whereas, I cannot say this album is my favorite, it does grow on me more and more each time I listen to it. This album is quite different - give it your patience and you will be rewarded. It contains few catchy melodies that are accessible upon first hearing, but instead is full of sophisticated musicianship.
Poses [Bonus Track]
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Rufus Best pop cd
  • operatic pop folkie
  • In Which Rufus Argues with Himself
  • Splendid
  • The CD That Brought Me To Rufus
 Poses [Bonus Track]
Rufus Wainwright
Manufacturer: Dreamworks
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
Chamber PopChamber Pop | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
Singer-SongwritersSinger-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music
Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Adult AlternativeAdult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
$9.99 and Under$9.99 and Under | Blowout Music | Stores | Music
PopPop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music
RockRock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music
Alternative RockAlternative Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music
All Blowout MusicAll Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music
$9.99 and Under$9.99 and Under | Prices | Blowout Music | Stores | Music
More Titles at Least 25% OffMore Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Rufus Wainwright
  2. Want One
  3. Want Two (CD/DVD combo)
  4. Release the Stars
  5. Martha Wainwright

ASIN: B00005Y7AW
Release Date: 2002-02-05

Tracks:

  1. Cigarettes And Chocolate Milk
  2. Greek Song
  3. Poses
  4. Shadows
  5. California
  6. The Tower Of Learning
  7. Grey Gardens
  8. Rebel Prince
  9. The Consort
  10. One Man Guy
  11. Evil Angel
  12. In A Graveyard
  13. Cigarettes And Chocolate Milk (reprise)
  14. Across The Universe [Bonus Track]

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

The scrutiny of success that came early on--being named Best New Artist by Rolling Stone in 1998, the year of his debut album, for example--would have smothered many another emerging talent. But it failed to stopper the singular, unclassifiable, ranging gift of singer/songwriter Rufus Wainwright. His sophomore album, Poses, advances beyond the earlier, cabaret-inspired effort with a suite of songs marvelously varied in arrangement and texture but linked by Wainwright's characteristic theatrical panache. "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk" catalogs excess with playful self-censure, but Wainwright's whimsical ironies often take a bruising, poignant turn, whether in the pseudo-upbeat "California" or, most movingly, on the title track. The dying fall of Wainwright's lusher melodies--echoes of "Across the Universe" as well as ultrachic Beatles tunes such as "Michelle"--meshes remarkably with the poetic substance here as he explores a landscape of wistful self-knowledge caught between longing and decadence. Yet even through all the layers of picturesque, postmod observation, Wainwright conveys a sense-filtered experience that gives urgency to his hauntingly mumbled opacities. With Poses, the young artist proves his authenticity. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Rufus Best pop cd .......2007-07-04

Wow! What a rich experience. Rufus Wainwright's voice is amazing. He has a classical voice but in this popular medium he makes his vocals very accessible. He clearly benefitted from being raised by his musical McGarrigle mother The McGarrigle Hour and also from his talented singer songwriter Wainwright father Strange Weirdos: Music from and Inspired by the Film Knocked Up.

This is the best cd to start with if you are introducing yourself to Rufus Wainwright's music. Each song has a distinctly different feel to it and uses different musical talents. Although I think of "Poses" as his best cd, the song "Going to a Town" on his new cd "Release the Stars" is one of the best songs of 2007, reflecting on the impressions one gets lately from spending time in America and anywhere else in the world.

5 out of 5 stars operatic pop folkie.......2007-01-05

Rufus is just brilliant. This is when he was still trying to appeal to a straight audience, I imagine, but the songs are beautiful and just different from everyone else who's out there....I recommmend hight to anyone who wants to hear a singer.

4 out of 5 stars In Which Rufus Argues with Himself.......2006-06-30

Rufus's second album really is what the title claims: an album of poses--that is, facades--where the appearance of the wizard and the man behind the curtain are not at all the same.

A prime example is "Greek Song," nominally a plea for the Mediterranean object of desire to forget everything and sink into some kind of bronzed, sportscar-riding fantasy land. "All the pearls of China fade astride a Volta." Why then, with this plea to the Greek god of eros, does the music come from China (by employing a kind of pseudo-Asian pentatonicism, complete with what surely is an erhu-influenced violin solo)? In other words, why does the music illustrate the very thing the Mediterranean object of desire is being asked to forget? The "pose" of the words and the language of the music are working against each other.

Then we have the absolutely intriguing "Grey Gardens." I am not the only reviewer who has been fascinated by the bizarre mixture of references in the lyrics. Just in case, the song opens with a sample of "Little Edie" Bouvier commenting on the difficulty of separating past and present, taken from the 1975 documentary "Grey Gardens;" the name Tadzio, heard throughout the song, seems to refer to the boy with whom the character Aschenbach is infatuated in Thomas Mann's novella "Death in Venice." (See also Visconti's film (1971) & Benjamin Britten's powerful opera (1973), both of the same title.) Whatever these elements might mean to Rufus personally, for the listener the obvious idea linking "Grey Gardens" and "Death in Venice" is that very often a powerful divide exists between what society demands and what one's personal desires urge. Aschenbach and the Bouviers are lost to society, having chosen to follow (or having fallen victim to) their own desire; nevertheless, Rufus's lyrics make a plea to Tadzio to get him through this crisis, presumably to return to society. This is curious. Here again, the lyricist is praying to a Mediterranean god of eros. But how can you ask the object of desire to rid you of your desire for him? You can't, quite simply! And that's the point: it's all a pose in that the lyricist doesn't really want to be rid of the crisis at all. Analytically, I think Rufus has used the classic Schubertian technique of modal mixture (major/minor third scale degree) to embody the conflict between society and desire, but even at the end of the song, where one might expect the music to 'solve' the problem, the mixture is still present: the music doesn't want to shake free of the crisis, despite all the clamor from the lyrics.

A final quick example can be found in "One Man Guy" (Nick Hornby speaks a little about this in his "31 Songs" (1993)), a song by Rufus's father, Loudon. Despite the fact that the lyrics are about a man who is fundamentally a creature of solitude, when the first proper chorus starts, Rufus is joined by a vocal ensemble. How can you sing "One Man Guy" in chorus? It's a pose. Yet again, the music and the lyrics are at odds.

5 out of 5 stars Splendid.......2006-06-13

1. Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk 9/10 - very clever lyrics
2. Greek Song - 7/10 - didn't like this one much
3. Poses 10/10 - one of the most sincere songs I've ever heard
4. Shadows - 8/10 - this one took a while for me to stomach
5. California - 7/10 -I never quite got what all the hype was about
6. The Tower of Learning - 3/10 - should have omitted this one from the album
7. Grey Gardens - 10/10 -found the 'Tadzio' reference both strange and enchanting
8. Rebel Prince - 10/10 - Hit the replay button a million times on this one
9. The Consort - 11/10 - the kind of song that makes adult men cry
10. One Man Guy - 7/10 - obviously just a 'filler' song
11. Evil Angel - 10/10 - this one made me think of the 'dark' ages and gargoyles and vampires, yet it's such a morbidly serene song.
12. In a Graveyard - 10/10 - touching and sad
13. Cigarettes and Choclate Milk - 9.5/10 - nicely done, upbeat version of the original song

I must admit this album took a whole year to grow on me. Beside Poses and Cigarettes and chocolate milk, I didn't listen to the other songs for months because I couldn't stand them...now you can't get me to stop listening to this album. Went to one of his concerts a few months ago and he is entertaining and human. What a great performer!

5 out of 5 stars The CD That Brought Me To Rufus.......2006-03-20

I am a VERY LATE arriving Rufus Wainwright fan. I didn't get into Rufus until last year (2005). I heard of Rufus and saw some of his music videos before. I thought they were alright, but not very exciting. (I also thought he was pretty cute.) Then I borrowed "Poses" from the public library last year and now I'm hooked! My favorite songs are "Greek Song" and the title track. I also love the Francais on "Rebel Prince." I now have three of his albums (I'm missing Want One).
Want One
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Not as good as "Want Two"
  • WANT MORE...
  • rufus wainwright
  • Lush Operatic Pop Sensation
  • Masterpiece
 Want One
Rufus Wainwright
Manufacturer: Dreamworks
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
Chamber PopChamber Pop | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
Singer-SongwritersSinger-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music
Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Adult AlternativeAdult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
$9.99 and Under$9.99 and Under | Blowout Music | Stores | Music
PopPop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music
RockRock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music
Alternative RockAlternative Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music
All Blowout MusicAll Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music
$9.99 and Under$9.99 and Under | Prices | Blowout Music | Stores | Music
More Titles at Least 25% OffMore Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Want Two (CD/DVD combo)
  2. Rufus Wainwright
  3. Poses [Bonus Track]
  4. Release the Stars
  5. Martha Wainwright

ASIN: B0000C7PSW
Release Date: 2003-09-23

Tracks:

  1. Oh What a World
  2. I Don't Know What It Is
  3. Vicious World
  4. Movies of Myself
  5. Pretty Things
  6. Go or Go Ahead
  7. Vibrate
  8. 14th Street
  9. Natasha
  10. Harvester of Hearts
  11. Beautiful Child
  12. Want
  13. 11:11
  14. Dinner at Eight

Album Description

The third album from the precocious singer-songwriter makes an even greater grab for mainstream acceptance. Recorded at Woodstock, it features instrumental touches from former Bob Dylan guitarist and Texas legend Charlie Sexton as well as drums laid down by the Band's Levon Helm. Marious Devries (Bjork, Madonna, Massive Attack) helms the producer's chair on this one, bringing young wainwright a polished sound.

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Not as good as "Want Two".......2007-06-01

Although I love Rufus' voice, I think this CD is not than good.
"Want two" and "Poses" are much better

5 out of 5 stars WANT MORE..........2007-04-19

Rufus Wainright is shamefully ignored by the "mainstream" thats they're loss...POP possibly..but the level of his music goes beyond complex,with extremely clever lyrics.Discovering his music has been one of most enjoyable musical journeys I've had. Yes he's gay get over it and give a listen.You might open your mind and heart a bit.

5 out of 5 stars rufus wainwright.......2007-03-09

I love the music. I first heard it on the TV series "Nip/Tuck". Great

5 out of 5 stars Lush Operatic Pop Sensation.......2007-02-07

This is my all time favorite Rufus CD (to date). It's got the clever lyrics and phrasing I've come to love from Rufus, along with lush production numbers that showcase his stylistic voice and range. "Oh What A World" is the signature track from the album for me, and "Vibrate" is a clever track you'll love if you're a fan of singer songwriter tracks.

It's Rufus at his best, and a MUST for a new or convinced fan.

5 out of 5 stars Masterpiece.......2006-11-11

This CD is a masterpiece. There is no denying it. Want one and Want two are pieces of work that Rufus will have a hard time creating again. You really do have to listen to both back to back - which may take about 3 hours since they are pretty long, but these are definitly works of art. I encourage all to purchase and listen. I've given both as a set as gifts. It takes a while to warm up to because it's very different. But Rufus displays his fragilness in these two works and backs them up with his strong artistic, soul searching, bold self at the same time. Partake!
Rufus Wainwright
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • one of his best albums
  • A true original
  • Why isn't this guy better known..GENIUS
  • Third Time Charmed
  • Interesting debut that gets better with every listening
 Rufus Wainwright
Rufus Wainwright
Manufacturer: Dreamworks
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
Chamber PopChamber Pop | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Folk | Styles | Music
Singer-SongwritersSinger-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music
Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Adult AlternativeAdult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
$7.99 and Under$7.99 and Under | Blowout Music | Stores | Music
PopPop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music
RockRock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music
Alternative RockAlternative Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music
All Blowout MusicAll Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music
$7.99 and Under$7.99 and Under | Prices | Blowout Music | Stores | Music
More Titles at Least 25% OffMore Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Poses [Bonus Track]
  2. Want One
  3. Want Two (CD/DVD combo)
  4. Release the Stars
  5. Martha Wainwright

ASIN: B000007SFM
Release Date: 1998-05-19

Tracks:

  1. Foolish Love
  2. Danny Boy
  3. April Fools
  4. In My Arms
  5. Millbrook
  6. Baby
  7. Beauty Mark
  8. Barcelona
  9. Matinee Idol
  10. Damned Ladies
  11. Sally Ann
  12. Imaginary Love

Amazon.com

The singer/songwriters working today who point to Tin Pan Alley and Broadway musicals as central inspirations can be counted on an index finger. Rufus Wainwright is quite an anomaly--but, then again, he's the son of Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle. Wainwright has been compared to Randy Newman for his piano-based orchestral sense, but unlike Newman, he rarely turns those poppy conventions against themselves: he's always sentimental and sincere about the fluff he explores. When he drives his melodies and lyrics hardest--as on the Beatlesque "April Fools" and the barroom "Matinee Idol"--his considerable imagination is most convincing and entertaining. Fans of folk simplicity should skip this one, but the more adventurous may find the charm in Wainwright's ambitious debut. --Roy Kasten

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars one of his best albums.......2007-05-13

for his most earliest work, it shows a lot of talent

5 out of 5 stars A true original .......2007-04-06

Rufus is one of the best musicians around. I was lucky enough to catch him in concert (at a small Indiana college) a few years back in support of "Poses" and he was just amazing. His eponymous debut CD is vivacious, out there (in more ways than one), catchy, meaningful, and Broadway-esque (I've often thought that a few of the songs could make a great soundtrack for a Broadway musical). I have every CD that Rufus has put out there, but Foolish Love (the first song on his first CD) has always been my very favorite of all his great tunes. By the way, just to put in a word for another under-appreciated artist, his father, the great Loudon Wainwright III, is certainly worth checking out (he has a gazillion CD's) if you have any appreciation for Rufus.

4 out of 5 stars Why isn't this guy better known..GENIUS.......2007-03-19

Ahhh..Rufus awsome crafting of music and lyric & great songs,but no one gets to hear much of you.They're sad loss those of us who have discoverd you will always look for more from you..Stand out tracks ..Danny boy..foolish love..april fools..barcelona..

5 out of 5 stars Third Time Charmed.......2007-03-14

So his whining voice got a little tiresome, I needed money for ... things, and, yes, I can go years without listening, so I sold the bugger and neglected to upload it to the iPod. Hence, it's worth keeping:

"I have something for you to eat in the kitchen darling."

"I'm not hungry mother. Please! I just want to go to my room."

And maybe it's the silly little fag in me that longs for a life of nothingness with some substance, a lot of talent, developing taste, and it's fun to watch fated stardom grow up and couple proper stylization of poor little rich boys with the bourgeois righteousness that is innately prepared for press. The gentle beast. So great. Whittling away at his mind with substances, Rufus pulled it out beautifully in this album.

And one day, mayhaps, in ...

I'm addicted. I'm buying it for time 3. I named my dog Schubert because of "Imaginary Love" in 2000. I will never forget thinking he winked at me during a show with about 2 dozen people before ... well, you know ... (millions did and) before he ever sang about chocolate milk.

3 out of 5 stars Interesting debut that gets better with every listening.......2007-01-08

Being a fan of Loudon Wainwright III's music for many years, I was curious about what kind of songs his son might turn out. The younger crowd was all abuzz , showing lots of love early for the boy, something his dad could have used a bit more of.

I picked up this disc several years ago. I gave it a listen, and then put it away again until I was ripping music to fill my new mp3 player.

I've listened to it over five times today.

Before posting this, I read ALL 177 prior reviews. I cannot believe that the two opposite camps are discussing the same CD. What the `Pro-Rufus' group says is great, the `Con-Rufus' group tears down, and vice versa. Controversy always follows the provocative, especially if it has merit or value. Otherwise, no one would care about it.

Most of the the reviews are either "5 star" or "1 star", there are hardly any twos or threes. Regardless, the one thing out of line are the rating numbers, especially those based on Wainwright's smoldering good looks or his alternative lifestyle. Folks, this is a music CD. Let's keep our comments focused on the musical content.

I agree that his music defies genre. It's not what typically passes as `singer-songwriter' fare. I think this CD might reflect what Rufus' first Broadway-musical might end up sounding like. He has that kind of potential.

Yes, the album is overproduced. Sometimes this is good and adds to the melody and lyric like on `Barcelona' or `Matinee Idol'. Other times it comes off bloated and unnecessary, as in `Baby', `Damned Ladies', or `Millbrook'.

In his 11/30/99 review, the prolific reviewer "music fan" made a perceptive observation: "Wainwright made his debut much in the same way Rickie Lee Jones did"... Yes, I remember the same kind of controversy about Rickie Lee. You either liked her vocal style or not. And a lot of people felt strongly about it either way.

I'm a great fan of Loudon's music, and back in the day it took a few listens to get used to his voice, too. The bright spot with Rufus is that he doesn't need to sing in that whiny nasally way all the time. 'Beauty Mark' and `April Fools' are evidence of that. It all comes down to whether you like his vocal stylings or not.

My other difficulty is that I can't always grasp what it is he's singing about. Another reviewer said "his love songs are so personal that they really portait true emotion". Maybe that's the problem, the love songs ARE too personal. Why do I struggle with it? Is it because I'm a straight, middle-aged dad, is it because I'm just not hip anymore, or are the songs genuinely obtuse? I think I like `Sally Ann' and `Barcelona', but what are they about? Beautiful melodies with cryptic lyrics don't always make friends of their listeners.

There are bright spots in this disc, but you have to listen to it a good many times to hear them, a factor that hampers the music's accessibility. Sister Martha's clear background vocals are a precious contribution. `Beauty Mark', `In My Arms', and `April Fools' are easily my favorite songs.

If you are undecided on whether to purchase `Rufus Wainwright', I suggest you borrow a copy or take one out from the Library before you buy it.

Because in order to give this its due, you truly must give it several listenings. Therefore, I will burn this disc to my mp3 player after all, and give it a few more listens. Some of these songs truly sound better every time I hear them.
Want Two (CD/DVD combo)
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Want Two
  • My Second Favorite Rufus
  • essential
  • And again . . .
  • beautiful
 Want Two (CD/DVD combo)
Rufus Wainwright
Manufacturer: Geffen Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
Chamber PopChamber Pop | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
Singer-SongwritersSinger-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music
Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Adult AlternativeAdult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Want One
  2. Rufus Wainwright
  3. Poses [Bonus Track]
  4. Release the Stars
  5. Martha Wainwright

ASIN: B000654ZDC
Release Date: 2004-11-16

Tracks:

  1. Agnus Dei
  2. The One You Love
  3. Peach Trees
  4. Little Sister
  5. The Art Teacher
  6. Hometown Waltz
  7. This Love AFfair
  8. Gay Messiah
  9. Memphis Skyline
  10. Waiting For A Dream
  11. Crumb By Crumb
  12. Old Whore's Diet

From Amazon.co.uk

A wild-card songwriter with a familial pedigree and an ever-expanding cult retinue, the raffish but assiduous Rufus Wainwright--outré, gay, and sage--is not one to shy away from invigorating his songs with a lurid theatrical honesty. Want Two perhaps reflects Wainwright's revised priorities since stepping back from the recreational medication precipice. Opening number "Agnus Die"--a medieval Catholic liturgy given an eastern flavor and performed with Hungarian instruments--seeks spiritual laundering and clemency, but this virtue is offset by the implied vice and self-loathing of grand finale "Old Whore's Diet," a brilliantly irrational sprawl of skewed genius taking in Latin-American grooves and a doomy operatic Radiohead-esque requiem. Between these polar extremes lies Wainwright's eye for improbable observational finesse. Few others could express the first lovestruck flush of teenage infatuation with such deliberate inarticulacy ("Art Teacher") or envisage the coming of a "Gay Messiah" dripping in testicular fluid. He's evidently an attention-craving naughty boy with a love of Serge Gainsbourg, Elvis Costello and harpsichords, but on Want Two Rufus Wainwright makes sex, drugs, politics--and yes, belated redemption--sound positively velvety. --Kevin Maidment

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Want Two.......2007-07-15

The product was in excellent condition. Rufus Waingwright is a genius, adorable to watch and can't get his music out of my head. There was a DVD with this purchase along with a CD. Both were excellent.
I am crazy about this entertainer!

5 out of 5 stars My Second Favorite Rufus.......2007-07-04

Rufus Wainwright demonstrates his range of skills from bordering on operatic vocals and orchestration on "Agnus Dei" to pop sounds in "The One You love". One of Rufus' greatest talents is creating musical moods appropriate for expressing the story told in his songs. He also draws us in to an assortment of stories and feelings. Amongst the best on this on are Agnus Dei, Peach Trees and The Art Teacher. I appreciate his vocals and orchestrations throughout but the lyrics on about every other song are pretty lurid. But if you love Rufus, you've gotta have it. My favorite Rufus is "Poses [Bonus Track]." But the song "Going to a Town" on his new cd "Release the Stars" is one of the best songs of 2007, reflecting on the impressions one gets lately from spending time in America and anywhere else in the world.

5 out of 5 stars essential.......2007-05-09

Rufo is one of the most important artists of the last years and this work is, in only a word, beautiful!

5 out of 5 stars And again . . ........2006-11-11

This CD is a masterpiece. There is no denying it. Want one and Want two are pieces of work that Rufus will have a hard time creating again. You really do have to listen to both back to back - which may take about 3 hours since they are pretty long, but these are definitly works of art. I encourage all to purchase and listen. I've given both as a set as gifts. It takes a while to warm up to because it's very different. But Rufus displays his fragilness in these two works and backs them up with his strong artistic, soul searching, bold self at the same time. Partake!

4 out of 5 stars beautiful.......2006-08-15

This album has some of the saddest songs - The Art Teacher, This Love Affair, and Waiting for a Dream. The sort of songs that you can put on Repeat for hours.

The Art Teacher is especially poignant for anyone who has had similar experiences.

Waiting for a Dream has spectacular imagery:

"Diving through the rising, through the rising waves of night
Keeping a reflection of you in hindsight
But in turning back the brackish waters will not reflect you
After you have turned the color black of death or something like that..."

also

"There's a fire in the priory
And it's ruining this cocktail party.."

This Love Affair is particularly mournful, but has some odd lines like "I don't know why I'm watching all these white people dancing" (although that means, to me, that watching white people dancing is a pathetic waste of time)

And as always, I love the classical and opera influences.
Meet the Robinsons
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Elfman Does It Again
  • good mix of score and songs
  • Goob's Story
  • 5 Stars for AAR
 Meet the Robinsons

Manufacturer: Disney
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
Elfman, DannyElfman, Danny | ( E ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
Movie ScoresMovie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
Movie SoundtracksMovie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
DisneyDisney | Children's Music | Styles | Music
Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
Adult AlternativeAdult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music
Disney RecordsDisney Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
PopPop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music
Alternative RockAlternative Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music
SoundtracksSoundtracks | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music
ClassicalClassical | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music
All Blowout MusicAll Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music
More Titles at Least 25% OffMore Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Ratatouille
  2. Charlotte's Web, Music from the Motion Picture
  3. The Last Mimzy
  4. Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End
  5. Cars

ASIN: B000N0KVQ0
Release Date: 2007-03-27

Tracks:

  1. Another Believer - Rufus Wainwright
  2. Little Wonders - Rob Thomas
  3. The Future Has Arrived - The All-American Rejects
  4. Where Is Your Heart At? - Jamie Cullum
  5. The Motion Waltz (Emotional Commotion) - Rufus Wainwright
  6. Give Me The Simple Life - Jamie Cullum
  7. The Prologue
  8. To The Future!
  9. The Science Fair
  10. Meeting The Robinsons
  11. Goob's Story
  12. A Family United
  13. Pop Quiz And The Time Machine Montage
  14. The Evil Plan
  15. Doris Has Her Day
  16. Setting Things Right
  17. There's A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow - They Might Be Giants
  18. Kids Of The Future - Jonas Brothers

Amazon.com

Disney's animated adventure may be driven by themes of futuristic time traveling, but its musical score is a delightful, pop-driven hybrid that turns on decidedly back-to-the-future sensibilities. Rob Thomas' hook-rich single "Little Wonders" and the All-American Rejects' collaboration with Danny Elfman "The Future Has Arrived" give the collection an immediate contemporary edge. But just as winning are disparate pop performances from Rufus Wainwright (the Nilsson-esque opening gem "Another Believer" and lilting "Motion Waltz"), while nouveau UK crooner Jamie Cullum turns in a swinging, piano jazz take on Wainwright's "Where Is Your Heart At?" as well as an inviting cover of "The Simple Life" in the same vein. Elfman's orchestral score returns him to the vibrant milieu of his early Tim Burton collaborations, supercharged here by a manic energy that seems equal parts Simpsons, Bernard Herrmann and Carl Stalling. Bringing the collection full circle is a big-band cover of Disney's vintage "There's A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" theme performed with loopy big-band charm by They Might Be Giants and the Jonas Brothers more disposable Kim Wilde update, "Kids of the Future." --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Elfman Does It Again.......2007-05-07

What can anyone say other than Danny Elfman is like gold when it comes to scoring movies (especially light hearted family fair). Anyone who likes classic Elfman (ie: Beetlejuice, Pee Wee's Big Adventure, etc) will love this score. From start to finish, another great effort.

4 out of 5 stars good mix of score and songs.......2007-04-02

I bought this CD because (1) I'm a big Disney fan and (2) I'm a big Danny Elfman fan. And it didn't really disappoint me on either front.

First, the songs. Rufus Wainwright's "Another Believer" is a great, Beatles-esque ditty that I loved the first time I heard it during the movie. The All-American Rejects' "The Future Has Arrived" is also pretty great. Rob Thomas's "Little Wonders" is another solid song, although in my opinion it doesn't quite fit the movie as well. There are several other songs, but mostly they are unremarkable. The one remaining exception is They Might Be Giants' cover of "There's A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" from the Carousel of Progress. That's a very apprpropriate inclusion; it fits the theme of the movie extremely well, and is also a good tip of the hat to Walt himself.

As for Danny Elfman's score, it's one of the better he's put forth in the past few years. It's very much in the vein of "classic" Elfman (that is, late '80s and early '90s Elfman). If you're a fan of his, you will love it.

3 out of 5 stars Goob's Story.......2007-04-01

-I'm guessing that most of the people that will buy this album will do so for the pop songs and those bunch won't be disappointed. I usually don't listen to that kind of stuff but I did find them very enjoyable even though I don't know any of the bands or singers featured on the album

-On the score side of the album it is the same Elfman charm that we're familiar with. The score does get a little too close to "Corpse Bride" for me to fully love it but it does have it's great moments that are a treat to listen to. It does have that zany and offbeat charm from "Flubber" but thankfully doesn't get too chaotic. The weird little thermalin sounds in "To the Future" did confuse me at first, but after seeing the movie *in 3D I might add* I realized why they were used and now love it.

-For me the best parts of the score are the more peaceful moments which makes "Goob's Story" the highlight on the album for me. It's played in the movie for the scene when the young kid Goob is being told by his older self to be angry and bitter following the events of his baseball game. "A Family United" is also a nice little moment that I wish there could have been more of on the album. I used to think this was the only Elfman score without a title sequence but turns out I was very wrong.

-If you already owe "Corpse Bride" and "Flubber" then there's really no need to get this album, but if you're a die hard Elfman nut like me then you will need to get it just to feel complete. Oh and yes, the songs are also awesome

5 out of 5 stars 5 Stars for AAR.......2007-03-06

Ok, so I listened to parts of this cd, and the one song I really really love is The Future Has Arrived, by The All-American Rejects. That song is really cool, and I love listening to it. Tyson Ritter's vocals sound amazing in this (and every other song he sings in )Nick,Mike and Chris also sound great. And I love hearing the backing vocals by Mike and Nick this time, and not just Ty. The purchase is worth it to be able to listen to The Future Has Arrived!
-Jennifer
Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs, and Chanteys
Average customer rating: 3 out of 5 stars
  • Fun--but not great
  • aaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrghhhhhhhhhhhhh!
  • Disappointment would be an understatement
  • Zzz...
  • another set of hopes are smashed
 Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs, and Chanteys
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Anti
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
British FolkBritish Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
Irish FolkIrish Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
Scottish FolkScottish Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Folk | Styles | Music
Traditional FolkTraditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Compilations | Rock | Styles | Music
Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Classic Maritime Music from Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
  2. The Harry Smith Project: The Anthology Of American Folk Music Revisited (2 CD/2 DVD BOX SET)
  3. American Sea Shanties and Songs
  4. Orphans [Fold-out Digipak with 24-page booklet]
  5. Shanties & Songs of the Sea

ASIN: B000GGSMD0
Release Date: 2006-08-22

Tracks:

  1. Cape Cod Girls - Baby Gramps
  2. Mingulay Boat Song - Richard Thompson
  3. My Son John - John C. Reilly
  4. Fire Down Below - Nick Cave
  5. Turkish Revelry - Loudon Wainwright III
  6. Bully In The Alley - The Old Prunes
  7. The Cruel Ship's Captain - Bryan Ferry
  8. Dead Horse - Robin Holcomb
  9. Spansih Ladies - Bill Frisell
  10. High Barbary - Joseph Arthur
  11. Haul Away Joe - Mark Anthony Thompson
  12. Dan Dan - David Thomas
  13. Blood Red Roses - Sting
  14. Sally Brown - Teddy Thompson
  15. Lowlands Away - Rufus Wainwright & Kate McGarrigle
  16. Baltimore Whores - Gavin Friday
  17. Rolling Sea - Eliza McCarthy
  18. Haul On The Bowline - Bob Neuwirth
  19. Dying Sailor to His Shipmates - Bono
  20. Bonnie Portmore - Lucinda Williams
  21. The Mermaid - Martin Carthy & the UK Group
  22. Shenandoah - Richard Greene & Jack Shit
  23. The Cry Of Man - Mary Margaret O'Hara

Tracks:

  1. Boney - Jack Shit
  2. Good Ship Venus - Loudon Wainwright III
  3. Long Time Ago -White Magic
  4. Pinery Boy - Nick Cave
  5. Lowlands Low - Bryan Ferry w/Antony
  6. One Spring Morning - Akron/Family
  7. Hog Eye Man - Martin Carthy & Family
  8. The Fiddler/A Drop Of Nelson's Blood - Ricky Jay & Richard Greene
  9. Caroline and Her Young Sailor Bold - Andrea Corr
  10. Fathom The Bowl - John C. Reilly
  11. Drunken Sailor - Dave Thomas
  12. Farewell Nancy - Ed Harcourt
  13. Hanging Johnny - Stan Ridgway
  14. Old Man of The Sea - Baby Gramps
  15. Greenland Whale Fisheries - Van Dyke Parks
  16. Shallow Brown - Sting
  17. The Grey Funnel Line - Jolie Holland
  18. A Drop of Nelson's Blood - Jarvis Cocker
  19. Leave Her Johnny - Lou Reed
  20. Little Boy Billy - Ralph Steadman

Amazon.com

Johnny Depp and director Gore Verbinski hatched the idea for Rogue's Gallery while filming "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest"--that idea being to cast genteel rock superstars like Bono, Lou Reed, Bryan Ferry, Andre Corr, and Sting to reinterpret gritty seafaring standards for an exhaustive 43-track double-disc set produced by Hal Wilner. Throw in a bunch of credible folk stars (Loudon Wainwright III, Richard Thompson), their offspring (Rufus, Teddy) and a string of other curious characters (Jarvis Cocker, Antony) and what results is one of the strangest compilations in recent memory, if not exactly the most historically authentic or, well, digestible. Nick Cave embraces the role just a little too hard on "Fire Down Below," while Ferry can't help but sound like he's singing for the cast of "The Love Boat," but cut through the chaff and there is some real bootie here: Bono's "Dying Sailor to His Shipmates," Jolie Holland's "The Grey Funnel Line" and "Boney" by a mysterious tramp called Jack Sh**, which must be some kind of anagram for Johnny Depp. --Aidin Vaziri

Album Description

While working on the two "Pirates Of The Carribean" films, Johnny Depp and director Gore Verbinski became fascinated with the lore and fable of the pirates and sailors who ran the high seas. Enter legendary producer Hal Wilner, who brings his knack for matching maverick musicians with extraordinary material. Artists on this double disc set include Bono, Sting, Nick Cave, Bryan Ferry, Lou Reed, Richard Thompson, Lucinda Williams, Jarvis Cocker of Pulp, and many more. "Rogue's Gallery" offers a look at the hardships, the horrors, the lusts and lurid depths, and the crystal beauty that led men to the sea in ships for hundreds of years.

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Fun--but not great.......2007-07-03

What a concept--a pirate song co-produced by Verbinski and Depp inspired by the "Pirates of the Carribean" series. It should be great and in places, it is. The big question I came away with is--who is Jack Sh**? That one definitely has me guessing.

I won't belabor the song content or the production value. I think the most notable reviews have got that down pat, although I'm not marking down as far as they have because I'm giving points for originality being a fan of Spike Jones and some other truly demented people.

One thing to note: this is not a CD you'd buy if you were looking for something to amuse your kids. Some of the content is very bawdy and Mom and Dad would have some serious 'splaining to do to the little pirates. There's both some language and some situations that are more twisted than a Hangman's knot.

3 out of 5 stars aaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrghhhhhhhhhhhhh!.......2007-06-09

Some of the songs are quite good(mellow)others a little odd. Its what I expected, but not what you would expect.

1 out of 5 stars Disappointment would be an understatement.......2007-06-04

It is not unusual to find sea shanties performed by not the greatest musicians or singers in the world. It is not unusual to find shanties sung by people who have difficulty keeping perfect pitch, or tempo. But at least they understand what the music is about, and sing it with heart and enthusiasm and a love for the genre.

Hal Wilner should stick to whatever genre it is that made him know enough to be approached by labels, because he clearly has no understanding, and less enthusiasm for *this* genre.

If you love lively music from the maritime era, you can only be bitterly disappointed by this collection. Out of 43 tracks, I found 15 that were salvageable. Sort of.

I've already tossed this onto the pile to go to the resale shop. It wasn't worthy the cost of shipping.

2 out of 5 stars Zzz..........2007-04-04

I have to admit that I have no idea what kinds of music the pirates sang aboard their ships. I know it probably wasn't "yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me," but I expected something different than this. I think my expectations have been colored by groups like The Pogues, Flogging Molly, The Tossers, and the Real McKenzies. I have an annual Pirate Party and I was hoping to find some good music here to get people in the mood for a treasure hunt or pirate liar's dice, but instead, the music on this CD is something I'd put on if the party went on too long and I wanted to encourage people to leave. Some of it is actually awful and the rest is too slow and plodding to inject much energy into any situation.

I appreciate what was attempted here (contemporary artists paying homage to sea chanteys in the spirit of our romanticized version of the pirate era) but it just doesn't really work. The effect is similar to what would be achieved if the London Philharmonic Orchestra attempted to play rap "music" with Luciano Pavarotti rhymin' while flashing gang signs.

1 out of 5 stars another set of hopes are smashed.......2007-03-29

the selection of titles attracted me. The quality of the arrangements, the voices, and the music---are all quite bad.

It is VERY sad that these same titles, could not have been produced for quality. They sound like a nightmare.
KCRW Sounds Eclectic: The Covers Project
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		KCRW Sounds Eclectic: The Covers Project
    Various Artists , Girls in Hawaii , Sia , Damien Rice , The Magic Numbers , Nikka Costa , Dido , Paul Weller , Rufus Wainwright , and Chris Stills
    Manufacturer: Hear Music
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    Singer-SongwritersSinger-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music
    Similar Items:
    1. KCRW: Sounds Eclectic Too
    2. KCRW: Sounds Eclectic
    3. Rare On Air, Vol. 4 (KCRW)
    4. KCRW: Sounds Eclectic 3
    5. KCRW: Morning Becomes Eclectic

    ASIN: B000OTR5WI

    Product Description

    The collection features covers from the Flaming Lips (doing Radiohead's "Knives Out"), R.E.M. (John Hartford's "Gentle on My Mind"; made famous by Glen Campbell), M. Ward (David Bowie's "Let's Dance"), Rufus Wainwright and Chris Stills (Neil Young's "Harvest"), Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin's "Black Dog"), Paul Weller (Rose Royce's "Wishing on a Star"; made famous by Junior Walker), Damien Rice (Radiohead's "Creep"), Gary Jules (Tears for Fears' "Mad World"), and more, all originally performed live in the KCRW studio for Nic Harcourt's "Morning Becomes Eclectic" program. Well...except for the Lips, who took on Radiohead's "Knives Out" in their tour bus on the way to the studio. kd lang also covers Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah".
    Poses
    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • "Made me a man but who cares what that is?"
    • a brilliant artist
    • Great., listen to it!
    • An excellent musical work
    • CHOPS of Steel
    		 Poses
    Rufus Wainwright
    Manufacturer: Dreamworks
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    GeneralGeneral | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
    Chamber PopChamber Pop | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Folk | Styles | Music
    Singer-SongwritersSinger-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music
    Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
    Adult AlternativeAdult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
    Similar Items:
    1. Want One
    2. Rufus Wainwright
    3. Want Two (CD/DVD combo)
    4. Release the Stars
    5. Want

    ASIN: B00005IBGQ
    Release Date: 2001-06-05

    Tracks:

    1. Cigarettes And Chocolate Milk
    2. Greek Song
    3. Poses
    4. Shadows
    5. California
    6. The Tower Of Learning
    7. Grey Gardens
    8. Rebel Prince
    9. The Consort
    10. One Man Guy
    11. Evil Angel
    12. In A Graveyard
    13. Cigarettes And Chocolate Milk (reprise)

    Amazon.com's Best of 2001

    The scrutiny of success that came early on--being named Best New Artist by Rolling Stone in 1998, the year of his debut album, for example--would have smothered many another emerging talent. But it failed to stopper the singular, unclassifiable, ranging gift of singer/songwriter Rufus Wainwright. His sophomore album, Poses, advances beyond the earlier, cabaret-inspired effort with a suite of songs marvelously varied in arrangement and texture but linked by Wainwright's characteristic theatrical panache. "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk" catalogs excess with playful self-censure, but Wainwright's whimsical ironies often take a bruising, poignant turn, whether in the pseudo-upbeat "California" or, most movingly, on the title track. The dying fall of Wainwright's lusher melodies--echoes of "Across the Universe" as well as ultrachic Beatles tunes such as "Michelle"--meshes remarkably with the poetic substance here as he explores a landscape of wistful self-knowledge caught between longing and decadence. Yet even through all the layers of picturesque, postmod observation, Wainwright conveys a sense-filtered experience that gives urgency to his hauntingly mumbled opacities. With Poses, the young artist proves his authenticity. --Thomas May

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars "Made me a man but who cares what that is?".......2007-04-26

    "Grey Gardens" , "Cigarettes And Chocolate Milk" , "Poses" , "Across The Universe" , "Greek Song" and "California" are my favourite songs on the disc. The title song alone makes this cd a stellar accomplishment. Rufus Wainwright has a brilliant sense of melody on Poses. I'm not sure if his other records are half as good as this particular cd. Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk never grows old and sounds refreshing every listen. There are times I want to sing it but Wainwright's flawless voice makes me not want to even try. It has been 8 months since I've been listening to Poses and although there's nothing uplifting about it, I keep coming back to it. "Grey Gardens" is confusing because I keep forgetting what it is about. A poem, maybe. Nonetheless, a very captivating and differently sung tune. "California" as the name suggests is fun. "Greek Song" is the kind of song one gives to his potential girlfriend or girlfriend if they have one. Greek Song is stunning, crisp and consitent much like the album is. The Beatles' Cover of Across The Universe supersedes Fiona Apple's. I love how brash and unapologetic it is. It's amazing that its been six years since this cd came out. If you want to try something else, something more varied lyrics, imagination and melody - I suggest you give the record, "Wincing The Night Away" by The Shins a try. I doubt Rufus Wainwright has a better record than Poses but do check out the track called "What a world" cause it's brutally mesmerizing.

    5 out of 5 stars a brilliant artist.......2006-11-01

    the first time i heard rufus wainwright was on the " i am sam " movie. i bought the soundtrack just because i absolutely loved his version of "across the universe". i ordered his other cds to see if i liked the rest of his work.

    i completely fell in love him and i've been playing all of his cds. nonstop. if you don't like it the first time, give it another shot. it's an acquired taste. i love his quirky lyrics, breathtaking voice, and beautiful arrangements. i really can't say enough how highly i think of his work and how much i've enjoyed listening to his music. if there's better music out there... i have yet to find it. he's one of the freshest and most brilliant people out there.

    5 out of 5 stars Great., listen to it!.......2006-06-01

    this is very great and satisfying music. If you don't like it at the beginning then wait and try again later. you will like it one day. Listen to this disc from the beginning till the end. al songs are great. each song is special. but be patient i think.
    i liked it very fast but thats me. listen it with a good stereo and some good headphones with some red wine. its a treat.

    success!
    greetings from the netherlands. Erik

    5 out of 5 stars An excellent musical work.......2005-09-13

    Lyrical and tasteful. In the album Poses, Rufus Wainwright maximizes his talent for composing memorable pieces. He achieves a wonderful balance between the baroque and simplistic in songs such as "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk," while going for unabashed self-reflection in the folksy "One Man Guy" (a cover of his father, Loudon Wainwright's, song). Wainwright also typifies the hopeless romantic, exceling in "Greek Song," "Tower of Learning," and "Grey Gardens" with the right touch of unrequitedness. A definite achievement.

    5 out of 5 stars CHOPS of Steel.......2005-07-05

    Rufus has again influenced me and my music immensely with this album. His vocal range is second to none and writing style in a class by itself. I consider Rufus to be the David Lynch of Modern Pop/Rock music........he's truly an unpredictable original.


    Viseth
    Release the Stars-Limited
    Average customer rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    • Again, what bonus?
    		 Release the Stars-Limited

    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    GeneralGeneral | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Folk | Styles | Music
    Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
    Similar Items:
    1. Release the Stars
    2. Poses [Bonus Track]
    3. American Doll Posse
    4. Leonard Cohen I'm Your Man
    5. All I Want

    ASIN: B000PA9O7K
    Release Date: 2007-05-15

    Album Description

    Limited edition two disc (CD + NTSC/Region 0 DVD) UK pressing in hardcover book-style packaging of the 2007 album from 'the crown prince of singer-songwriters', Rufus Wainwright, featuring one bonus audio track ('Do I Disappoint You?') plus a bonus DVD that includes a track by track interview with Rufus as well as four live performances. Release The Stars is a masterclass in songwriting and production. The album is written and produced by Rufus himself, with Neil Tennant as executive producer. Long time collaborator, Marius de Vries, has also sprinkled magic dust over the tracks in the mix. Universal. 2007.

    Customer Reviews:

    2 out of 5 stars Again, what bonus?.......2007-05-23

    Me again, still saying ummm... hello? What bonus? DO I DISAPPOINT YOU? is track one on the regular US CD, at one quarter the price. And the so-called IMPORT DVD included here is in NTSC format, the US format, so where's it imported from? Canada? And what are the four songs on the DVD, and how long does the DVD run? For thirty extra bucks, it should be a whole concert, not 4 short songs. Where was this mini-concert? When? How about a little real info, not just some back-handed insult about fairy dust! Rufus and his fans are real people! We deserve better than this!

    Music Review:

    1. Sixty Six Steps [Content/Copy-Protected CD] [Enhanced]
    2. Son of a Bastard Tracks
    3. Song of the Traveling Daughter
    4. Songbird
    5. Soul Journey
    6. Stolen Moments
    7. Stories Under Nails
    8. The Asch Recordings, Vol. 1-4 [Box set]
    9. The Beauty of the Rain [Enhanced]
    10. The Best of Arlo Guthrie

    Music Review

    music review

    Recommended Music:

    Forest of Minds

    Piano Concerto Op 54 / Piano Concerto 1

    Leo Nucci: Opera Arias

    I'm a Dreamer, Aren't We All

    On the Road: Camden, NJ 11-27-04 [Limited Edition] [Live]

    Reality

    Numbers

    Music from Cranberry Isles

    Once More It's Roy Acuff/King of Country Music

    Loco por Ti

    Monkeypot Merganzer (Reissue)

    O Homen Nao Foi Feito Para Cair: Ao Vivo Em Montreux [Import]

    Old Dog, New Tricks

    Glory of Gospel, Vol. 1: Best of Inspirational Music

    Bankrupt