Career Moves [Live]

Career Moves [Live]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Folk music is supposed to be the sound of people describing their own lives and communities, but how many of the countless folk singers from the suburbs sing about private schools and country club dances? Loudon Wainwright III does. Country clubs are too easy a target for anger, so on this live album, Wainwright pokes fun at the absurd customs of "Westchester County" where he grew up. He's a very funny guy, and the album's 19 songs (not to mention the between-song patter) wring new laughs out of such well worn subjects as Christmas, swimming pools, Elvis Presley, and sex. Wainwright isn't much of a singer, and he's less of a guitarist, but he's a clever wordsmith with a real knack for pushing the inherent absurdity of common situations out into the open. Career Moves is divided between unaccompanied songs and those performed with fiddler/mandolinist David Mansfield and banjoist Chaim Tannenbaum. Six of the songs have never been released on an album; the other 13 are drawn from all phases of a 25-year career. All in all, the album makes a good introduction to Wainwright for newcomers and a fine summary for old fans. --Geoffrey Himes

Tracks:

Road Ode
I'm Alright
Five Years Old
Your Mother
Westchester County
He Said, She Said
Christmas Rap
Suddenly It's Christmas
Thanksgiving
A Fine Celtic Name
T.S.M.N.W.A.
Some Balding Guys
The Swimming Song
Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder
Happy Birthday Elvis
Fabulous Songs
Unhappy Anniversary
I'd Rather Be Lonely
Just Say No
April Fool's Day Morn
The Man Who Couldn't Cry
The Acid Song
Tip That Waitress
Career Moves

Amazon.com

Folk music is supposed to be the sound of people describing their own lives and communities, but how many of the countless folk singers from the suburbs sing about private schools and country club dances? Loudon Wainwright III does. Country clubs are too easy a target for anger, so on this live album, Wainwright pokes fun at the absurd customs of "Westchester County" where he grew up. He's a very funny guy, and the album's 19 songs (not to mention the between-song patter) wring new laughs out of such well worn subjects as Christmas, swimming pools, Elvis Presley, and sex. Wainwright isn't much of a singer, and he's less of a guitarist, but he's a clever wordsmith with a real knack for pushing the inherent absurdity of common situations out into the open. Career Moves is divided between unaccompanied songs and those performed with fiddler/mandolinist David Mansfield and banjoist Chaim Tannenbaum. Six of the songs have never been released on an album; the other 13 are drawn from all phases of a 25-year career. All in all, the album makes a good introduction to Wainwright for newcomers and a fine summary for old fans. --Geoffrey Himes

Customer Reviews:

Career Moves CD live recording.......2007-01-29

Excellent live recording of some of my favorites including "Tip that Waitress" and "I'd Rather be Lonely". Includes a good sampling of what makes Loudon an entertaining and funny folk-singer.

Outstanding Selection Of Live Loudon Songs.......2006-08-09

You haven't appreciated Loudon Wainwright's body of work until you actually have seen him perform live. One way or the other, you get your money's worth, whether he performs all your favorites, new songs from his repertoire, or while giving you a little patter while repairing a broken string.

If you are not on his concert circuit, "Career Moves" is a great opportunity to capture that spark that he puts into live performance. It's good also because you get his performance of some of these tunes as a "mature" man.

`Out on the Road' , a topic which LW3 can speak of with authority, and a great leadoff song for this disc. He demonstrates his great lyric wit in this song, and that he is one of the few contemporary artists who incorporates Woody-Guthrie's `talking blues' style effectively into his music.

`I'm All Right' is a great example of LWIII in concert. Funny, spontaneous, self-deprecating.

`Five Years Old', `Your Mother and I' give you a glimpse of his tender, sentimental side in two songs that say to his daughter "I'm sorry I can't be there for you".

`Westchester County' expresses his troubles growing up a rich kid. Who says country club kids can't have the blues, too?

`He Said, She Said' a great example of Loudon's exquisite use of multi-entendres.

Suddenly It's Christmas' a satiric homage to the commerciality of America's Fourth Calendar Quarter. You may have heard his topical songs on the National Public Radio. (He even has a disc out there with a collection of those songs.) Favorite line: "It's not over `til it's over and you throw away the tree."

`TSMNWA' About the pain Loudon feels when record stores, promoters, and the press fail to spell his name correctly. Prefaced by hilarious Loudon banter.

`Swimming Song' Possibly the best song LWIII's ever written. Catchy tune, clever lyrics, about carefree boyhood pursuits. It certainly seems to be the one that has been most recorded---by him or others. Well-performed here with country fiddle accompaniment from Chaim Tannenbaum.

`Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder' A plaintive, regretful lost love song. I prefer the original version from the `Unrequited' album as a duet with ex-spouse Kate McGarrigle, but this version seems even more heartfelt by Loudon done solo.

`Happy Birthday Elvis' Not all his songs are great.

`Unhappy Anniversary'/'I'd Rather Be Lonely' : A satiric medley from his *Angry I'm Divorced* phase. Two songs for the lonely guys out there.
The Man who Couldn't Cry' A different kind of song from LWIII. Sad, but with redemption. Covered by Johnny Cash on his fine `American Recordings' disk.

`The Acid Song' A Loudon adventure in lyric and images about middle-aged people going out into the world with a bit of chemical enhancement.

"Career Moves" by Loudon Wainwright III = brilliant.......2005-08-04

this live album gives you a first hand glance at the singer/songwriter/comedian known as loudon wainwright iii the tracks between songs let you see how funny he is. if you are a loudon fan difinately worth it

Wonderfully Sarcastic, tongue in cheek humor.......2003-09-22

Louden is an excellent songwriter. Most of the songs on this album are a dry, sarcastic humor ("I'd Rather be Lonely") or witty "Suddenly it's Christmas". "Westchester County", which has a sound byte above, is a good example of his singing voice.

A good example of his wit is "Suddenly It's Christmas" ... seven weeks before the day. When they say season's greetings, they mean just what they say ..." Or "A Fine Celtic Name" where he sings about the various ways his name has been misspelled. "The Acid Song" is hilarious even if you have never taken acid (or especially if, I guess).

Loudon knows how to do it.......2002-09-25

First of all, I don't think Mr. Himes is a big musical expert, if he's saying Loud is a bad guitarist and singer. He is a brilliant singer and guitarist, perfectly in tune with his songwriting skills. Second: I don't see how everybody sees him as a merely *funny* guy. I think he's not *funny* (in the classic sorta way) at all; he's more on the sarcastic side, which *is* funny, but at the same time hardweighty painful. Take One Man Guy as an example; you can't say it is a funny song, do ya? It's bitterly sarcastic, I'd say. Anyway, this CD is great. I strongly recommend it.

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