Rufus Wainwright

[Nico]

I can't believe I found this thread! It's weird that it's in the "Rumours" section, but anyway I just wanted to say I LOVE, love, love Rufus. My favorites are the self-titled and Want One. I love his voice and I like the fact that he's somewhat pretentious, but in a good way. His music is beautiful, his arrangements are amazing, and I dig his voice.

That's all I wanted to say...and also I knew of him initially because of Sean Lennon, who I also love, but then I really got into Rufus separately and it's just great. I recommend him, but I'm thinking he's not for everyone.

[catinthedark]

Originally Posted by Moony

I didn't really know of Rufus Wainwright til my younger brother was playing his Shrek 1 soundtrack and "Hallelujah" came on. I was blown away by the voice. (And the little bastard lost the CD so now I'm going to have to go buy that stupid soundtrack for that one song! )

Can't believe I'm gonna do this to my hometown boy, Rufus, but if you want THE essential version of Hallelujah, you need Jeff Buckley's. It's on his album "Grace." He way outdid Leonard Cohen on his composition.

PS I do love Rufus, too! And his mom and aunt (The McGarrigles), and his sister (Martha Wainwright). Frighteningly brilliant songwriters, all of them.

[Moony]

Originally Posted by catinthedark

Can't believe I'm gonna do this to my hometown boy, Rufus, but if you want THE essential version of Hallelujah, you need Jeff Buckley's. It's on his album "Grace." He way outdid Leonard Cohen on his composition.

PS I do love Rufus, too! And his mom and aunt (The McGarrigles), and his sister (Martha Wainwright). Frighteningly brilliant songwriters, all of them.

I own Grace, it's one of my favorite CD's.

[deribish]

OK -- if you like Rufus -- then you gottan check out his sister Martha. I can't desciber her voice good enough -- but it's high, thin and super powerful. It's a true force! when she sings (especially back up for Rufus) images of a very young Stevie always come to mind. He back up parts always go all over the place -- and she sings them so that they last loner than the lead vocal.

[Nixxxed]

Originally Posted by catinthedark

Can't believe I'm gonna do this to my hometown boy, Rufus, but if you want THE essential version of Hallelujah, you need Jeff Buckley's. It's on his album "Grace." He way outdid Leonard Cohen on his composition.

PS I do love Rufus, too! And his mom and aunt (The McGarrigles), and his sister (Martha Wainwright). Frighteningly brilliant songwriters, all of them.

Rufus loved Jeff too. The song "Memphis Skyline" on Rufus' latest CD (Want two) was written about Jeff and his death...

http://rufuswainwright.com/about/fea...C+Australia%29

One of the album's more personal tracks, 'Memphis Skyline', mourns the death of another groundbreaking tunesmith, Jeff Buckley.

"I had a real opera-style relationship to him," Wainwright explains. "Firstly, I only met him once and I had hated him for years before then because I was jealous of his success. And his hair.

"Meeting him was a pivotal moment in my life in terms of releasing that jealousy and envy and harbouring bad feelings toward another artist - which is all pretty futile.

"And then he died a month later. A lot of people compared us when my first album came out and certain hardcore Buckley fans hated my guts, thinking I was trying to usurp his throne."

[catinthedark]

Originally Posted by Nixxxed

Rufus loved Jeff too. The song "Memphis Skyline" on Rufus' latest CD (Want two) was written about Jeff and his death...

http://rufuswainwright.com/about/fea...C+Australia%29

Thanks! I didn't know that! I will check it out.

[DWIG]

Originally Posted by catinthedark

Thanks! I didn't know that! I will check it out.

Great to see my original thread is taking flight!!

Rufus is amazing - have been to see him Live twice since I started this thread, and he has never disappointed (apart from the wearing of sequined thong and high heels for An old whore's diet!! - didn't really understand that, but it brought the house down nevertheless!!)

I'm going to see him again in a couple of weeks in York UK and I can't wait (to hear him sing things like Peach Trees and Dinner at Eight is an honour!)

His music reminds me of when I first started to like FleetwoodMac & Stevie in 1976. I have never tired of hearing Stevie sing her classic songs and the same bears true for Rufus!

I also agree with the comment about Martha, I love her bv's on Rufus' music and recently bought her CD (She is playing a small pub in Newcastle soon, so I'll probably go see her too!)

Dave

[The Tower]

I worship Rufus. I worship Jeff B. Jeff B. does have the definitive Leonard Cohen "Hallelujah" (k.d. lang just covered it on her Hymns of the 49th Parallel and it was dead as Bob Dole below the waist).

"April Fools" is one of the most infectious, joyous, catchy songs I have ever heard. I'm so envious of his songwriting style.

His voice is a unique instrument and quite the acquired taste, but if you can get into it, it's heartache at its finest-

"I drink from the bottle, weeping...
Why don't you last???
Why... can't.... you last...????"

[Nixxxed]

Originally Posted by DWIG

Rufus is amazing - have been to see him Live twice since I started this thread, and he has never disappointed (apart from the wearing of sequined thong and high heels for An old whore's diet!! - didn't really understand that, but it brought the house down nevertheless!!)

Way to rub it in, dude.

He hasn't even toured the States yet for Want(two). And being the dumbass I am, I missed him on his last TWO stops in Houston.

A sequined thong and high heels you say??? *FAINT*

My fave part of the Fillmore DVD included with my copy of Want(two) was "Oh What A World", where everyone onstage wore witch's hats and capes. And given "Old Whore's Diet"'s subject matter, I'm surprised he didn't just go onstage nude. (You've heard the story of him writing "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk", right???)

[Nico]

I'm so jealous because I have never seen him live. Saw the DVD that came with Want Two and I think my fave peformances are 14th Street and I Don't Know What It Is.

I'm actually not that crazy about his Hallelujah. I'm in full agreement: Jeff's is the definitive. After hearing his, I'm even embarrassed by the original (and Leonard is one of my favorite artists ever).

[Nixxxed]

Originally Posted by Nico

I'm so jealous because I have never seen him live. Saw the DVD that came with Want Two and I think my fave peformances are 14th Street and I Don't Know What It Is.

I'm actually not that crazy about his Hallelujah. I'm in full agreement: Jeff's is the definitive. After hearing his, I'm even embarrassed by the original (and Leonard is one of my favorite artists ever).

I hate that they cut out the between-songs stage banter on the DVD. Especially when a few songs start with the audience laughing, and you just know you've missed something good.

[Gazza]

In his late teens, Wainwright fell in love with a drug addict. Which leads us, in a roundabout way, to Fleetwood Mac. "I was into opera at the time and I totally missed that Kurt Cobain boat," says Wainwright, whose drug-drenched boyfriend liked Nirvana as well as Sonic Youth and the Butthole Surfers. After hanging out with him and hearing all that stuff, I had to go home and listen to Fleetwood Mac's Rumors because I just felt so tainted by it all. Luckily we could meet halfway at Wagner."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/homee...210829,00.html

[trackaghost]

Thank you for that!
I just knew Rufus was a Fleetwood Mac fan!