Album I

Loudon Wainwright III | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 4, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Collector's Choice
• ASIN: B000E112NE
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #109,663 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Loudon’s 1971 debut prompted "new Dylan" hosannas from critics, but it quickly became apparent Loudon was not the new anything, but rather his own man entirely.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Loudon's best CD in my opinion!, September 7, 2006

By 

Jimmy Dodson (Beaufort, South Carolina) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Album I (Audio CD)

I was turned on to this album in 1970 by a friend, Jay Pink, days after it came out and am glad to see it finally released on CD. This is my favorite Loudon CD by far, closely followed by Album II. The reason is that it is just Loudon and guitar and the songs are so unique. No band here to mess things up. If you have ever caught Loudon live, you will know he is at his best with just guitar and vocals. The songs are first rate with "School Days", "Black Uncle Remus", and "Uptown" being among my favorite songs. If you are accustomed to only his novelty songs, you may not like this CD, however, you might. I think it is one of the best and most underrated CD's of the 1970's.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a debut., October 3, 2008

By 

T. Gadd "lupercal" (Tasmania, Australia) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Album I (Audio CD)

Loudon Wainwright was a wanabee actor turned songwriter, who debuted with this album, in 1970. And what a stack of songs!

Wainwright's first two LPs were acoustic guitar/vocals, and starker than his mid 70's output, which was propelled by 'Dead Skunk.)

Still going stronger than ever, now in his early 60's, and still singing about getting old, I can't help but note that the first line of the first song of his first LP is "In Delaware when I was younger" (he must have been all of 23.)

Wainwright has mixed up comedy, irony and tragedy, tenderness and brutal honesty throughout his career, and if his late material tends more toward the tender and honest, go back to 1970 and check out songs like the brutally sad 'Hospital Lady', or the pull-no-punches 'Four is a Magic Number' or 'Glad to See You've Got Religion' ("Everytime I sit you down to tell you what is true / For safety's sake remember please, I would shutup if I knew.")

'Black Uncle Remus' would probably not even be released today ("You start calling for Jesus or your mama maybe / When your life's gummed up in the old tar baby")

This is not Loudon's best album, but with such an avalanche of classics to choose from, that means little ('History', 'More Love Songs', 'Last Man on Earth') - but it is the best of his early works.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally - Loudon's 1st is on CD, February 3, 2008

By 

V. Decarlo "Rack Boy" (Morristown, NJ United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Album I (Audio CD)

There's nothing like this album (now CD!). It's an honest observation as a teenager - hope you were lucky enough to listen to it as a teenager. "School Days" is for anyone who liked the movie "Bridge To Terabithia". "Glad To See You Got Religion" would make a good flip side 45, it reverses the players. "Uptown" IS NYC. "Four Is A Magic Number" falls back to pre-Terabithia days. Now the best, nothing like it ever, "Central Square Song". There's no studio trickery here. I saw Loudon do it live and his tongue action is what you are hearing - WOW!!!
Love ya's - Vic