Jubilee Offer: Patriotic Classics for £2.50 |
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
Listen to Samples and Buy MP3s
Songs from this album are available to purchase as MP3s. Click on "Buy MP3" or
view the MP3 Album.
|
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
36 of 37 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Although this is Rufus's first, it was the last of the 4 CD's I purchased. I confess I did so out of loyalty and completeness, not expecting it to compare with the wayward brilliance of the Wants.
What I heard exceeded my expectations by a mile, particularly once the sophisticated tunes have been given a chance to lodge in the brain.
The sound-world here is more straightforward than subsequent releases, very much piano-based with various band and orchestral backing. Comparisons with Billy Joel and Elton John are inevitable, and it's difficult to see how any fan of piano-based rock and pop could not enjoy this.
The first four tracks are simply perfect. Foolish Love, with its lush, segmented melodies, Danny Boy with its lagubrious rolling rhythm (in 6/8 time?), while April Fools is the Beatles song they never wrote.
The fourth song, In My Arms, is almost a duet with his sister Martha. Maybe I'm biased, but having Martha on backing vocals is like sprinkling magic dust on a song. Can't help thinking back to Emmylou Harris doing the same for Gram Parsons and Bob Dylan.
Other highlights are the graceful Barcelona, fully justifying its 7 minute length, and Sally Ann, a wistful show tune. There's not a song out of the 12 here that doesn't deserve its place on this impressive debut. Say what you want about his voice, Rufus's talent as a songwriter is undeniable.
Best time to enjoy: late afternoon/early evening.
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Listening to Rufus Wainwright's debut album is not only a pleasant esthetic experience, it's probably a very healthy thing to do to your brains and senses, like eating fresh salmon or avocado or viewing an Olafur Eliasson installation. His breathless vocals and guitar and piano arrangements fuse in cabaret-like compositions that ooze in through your ears and keep you from doing anyting else but listen.
His lyrics are frequently sad yet never dire, counting some very personal songs like Danny Boy, a love ballad, and Beauty Mark, a tribute to Rufus's own mother, folk legend Kate McGarrigle. Rufus's quite uncloseted sexuality is one of many themes his lyrics touch upon, but not to the point of tediousness; today he's arguably the most significant gay icon alive, at least for the younger generations.
The album's opening track, Foolish Love, epitomizes Wainwright's style by building up slowly and gradually, in different phases, until it reaches a theatrical and danceable pace. It's mellow, but definitely with a silver-lining, a confessional with wit and pop-sensibility, setting the tone for a fantastic debut album which a lot of people are discovering now, 8 years after its release.
His lyrics are frequently sad yet never dire, counting some very personal songs like Danny Boy, a love ballad, and Beauty Mark, a tribute to Rufus's own mother, folk legend Kate McGarrigle. Rufus's quite uncloseted sexuality is one of many themes his lyrics touch upon, but not to the point of tediousness; today he's arguably the most significant gay icon alive, at least for the younger generations.
The album's opening track, Foolish Love, epitomizes Wainwright's style by building up slowly and gradually, in different phases, until it reaches a theatrical and danceable pace. It's mellow, but definitely with a silver-lining, a confessional with wit and pop-sensibility, setting the tone for a fantastic debut album which a lot of people are discovering now, 8 years after its release.
34 of 38 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
From 'Foolish Love' to 'Imaginary Love' there is with Rufus an honesty and integrity AND musical genius unmatched except by the very best (I'm thinking prime Neil Young here). 'In My Arms' and 'Baby' are two of the most beautiful tracks I possess. Buy the album. Don't expect to love it immediately, it is unique songwriting - you have to learn to 'wring the changes' and then WOW. You can trust Les. Les loves music. Les loves this album. (Don't ever trust a guy that says "Trust me" but), trust me.
Love,
Les.
Love,
Les.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Cool
This is the first Rufus Wainwright I have ever heard and was immediately impressed by the content and quality of the songs and brilliant orchestration, each one appropriate to the... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Phil
The un-surpassed album
I started listening to Rufus just as Want one was being released. I first saw him performing on the Frank Skinner show. I bought this and the Want one album at the same time. Read more
Published on 16 April 2010 by Mr. Michael R. Lugg
a joy to have
Rufus Wainwright.. its all been said already, so i wont go on, this man has a stunning voice and this cd is full of just great songs' you should just sit down a listen to a master... Read more
Published on 6 Feb 2010 by T. Bowles
It takes a while to get into, but this album will haunt you.
I'd never listened to any Rufus before. I bought this album based on reviews, cost and the huge amount of exposure he's had on TV and radio of late due to his opera coming... Read more
Published on 22 Aug 2009 by P. Streatfield
In love with it.
This isn't going to be a in-depth review but i'll tell you the basics... Before this, I just had Want One, which I'd heard nothing like before, and almost instantly became drawn to... Read more
Published on 18 July 2009 by KESK
A Great Debut.... but hard work!
Rufus Wainwright is a musical and lyrical GENUIS, but.... I heard his albums in reverse order. This obviously being the last I had heard. Read more
Published on 15 Oct 2006 by Mr. R. E. O'NEILL
Wonderful album, but buy "Want one" first...
This is an absolutely fantastic album which offers a wide selection of well-crafted songs and I highly recommend it. Read more
Published on 29 July 2005 by Alexander C. Hale
Abandon all preconceptions ...
A singer/songwriter for whom the word 'popera' was coined, Rufus Wainwright's debut album is probably unlike anything you've heard before or will hear again. Read more
Published on 19 Nov 2004
Over Cooked
Having listened to Rufus' album many times now, it has grown on me, but not to the extent as I expected. Read more
Published on 31 May 2001
Excellent, a masterpiece !!!
Produced by Van Dyke Parks, Rufus Wainwright comes along with 12 perfect songs. He reminds me of Randy Newman by the melodies he sings. Read more
Published on 7 Dec 1999
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
