Customer Reviews

Career Moves

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After reading the previous reviews I wanted to add my comments. I feel this album is the best place to start listening to Loudon Wainwright III. First because it is LIVE and he is a great "live" performer. Second because it contains a good sampling of "something old, something new". If you don't like LW III on this album you are likely to not like any of his other stuff. Some of his earlier studio work was over produced, while others thought that his "live" and solo work was too "empty" with just a guitar backing. He even put out a 1/2 studio, 1/2 live album to try to please both factions of his fans.

He is a VERY funny writer and at the same time insightful. He can poke fun at the most unexpected targets; his favorite seems to be himself. Some songs are hilarious and others "straight from the heart". ALL are well written. His words are well chosen and most of his melodies are pleasant and memorable, some are wonderful.

I disagree with Geoffrey Hines. I think Loudon's voice is just fine and his guitar playing is distinctive (I can listen to 4 bars of playing and know it is LW III) and proficient.

All I can say is, if you want voice buy Pavoratti, if you want guitar buy Knopfler, if you want a really good album that you'll listen to again and again, buy this CD.

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.

If you can't get to a Loudon Wainwright concert, you should buy this CD. It is almost as good as being part of the audience at The Bottom Line in New York. The quality of the recording makes this live compilation as good as any produced in a studio. Loudon walks with you through his musical history with the older tunes mixed in with his more recent works. When he is joined on stage by some of his regular backing musicians, they perform together like a well oiled machine to give new and lively renditions of some of his classic songs.

This is a must for any serious Loudon Wainwright fan to have in their collection.

There is so much on this single CD that there is some danger that anyone who buys it might not be listening by the time it gets to my favorite here, "Tip that Waitress." Anyone who would be offended by the humor of the idea, "her brother's a Quaker, her dad was a nun" might not like my enthusiasm for this work, but the logic is great. What I haven't liked about the packaging is that the list of songs on the back of the case does not include the track numbers. If I could remember to open the case, I could read the numbers inside, but I have a habit of pushing the skip button without that kind of planning. I am bound to forget that the waitress who knows all the words to the 23rd Psalm is in selection 23 of this CD. If you are only interested in music, and humor might spoil that experience for you, you won't like this demonstration of stagecraft as much as I do. You might not even like "The Man Who Couldn't Cry" or "Id Rather Be Lonely." I used to listen to this so much when I was married that getting a divorce started to make sense. Some people might not like that, but a lot of lives are like that now. The listing of songs on the outside of the album doesn't include some great introductions, like "A Fine Celtic Name" which might be useful for people who have to know how to spell his name to order this. With web links, I think you can order this without having to worry about how to spell. Good luck.

Loudon is a singer-songwriter-PERFORMER, with a much heavier emphasis on the PERFORMANCE aspect than is commercially profitable in this day and age. When Loudon's on-stage, he's there, he communicates, his audience feels the connection (except, I suppose, on a "day off", as his song "Home Stretch" describes).

This CD almost manages to capture that feel, with its inclusion of between song banter, short dialogues involving audience requests, and his deft maneuvering from comic to serious and back again. The musicianship is definitely there, showing what a man with a guitar (and occasionally with a couple of his friends) can do.

It's not quite "being there", though, and the album suffers a bit for it. More of a condemnation of this album--which is a solid overview of a 25 year career, along with some otherwise unavailable comic gems like "Happy Birthday, Elvis" and "Tip That Waitress"--though, this should be taken as a recommendation to go see "the ol' Loudo" when he comes to your town.

By the way, the lyric in "Tip That Waitress" is "her brother's a quaker, her dad was in 'nam."

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.

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

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).

A nice sampling of LW's songs. Most all of them are personal (self reflective) and some are hilarious. Don't by this is you're a prude. Loudon is even more sincere live than in a studio, and the man is nothing if not forthright. It all hangs out.

BTW, this is unaccompanied contemporary/comedic folk w/ vocals and acoustic quitar. "History" might appeal more to some first time LWIII album buyers. It's a little less tongue in cheek I think.