Rufus Wainwright

Rufus Wainwright | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 19, 1998)
• Original Release Date: May 19, 1998
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Dreamworks
• ASIN: B000007SFM
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (183 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #77,595 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars God's Gift, November 4, 2003

By 

"rousaswgnr" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rufus Wainwright (Audio CD)

Rufus Wainwright is an unfortunately little-known singer/songwriter with a very strong, very loyal cult following. His debut self-titled debut album is tpyical of what has become Rufus' own genre of sorts. Yes, his own genre, because there is absolutely nothing like Rufus' work. His music is hauntingly original, using varied instruments to acheive a near-perfect range of sound.

This album has no profound information regarding a bad childhood, inner-city living, or even the trials of the working man. It is an eclectic assortment of music that reflects the little things of life like love. Rufus' voice exudes the emotion that the listener begins to feel from listening to the elegant lyrics flowing effortlessly from their speakers. This album has been the most enjoyably diverse that I have purchased in 12 months.

70 of 86 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Promising, if over-rated, debut, July 28, 2004

By 

Tim Brough "author and music buff" (Springfield, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Rufus Wainwright (Audio CD)

Okay, so what if Randy Newman had been a young gay man steeped in Tin Pan Alley and showtunes instead of Southern California sarcasm and movie soundtracks? Then you may have gotten a debut similar to Rufus Wainright's. When this album came out in 1998, it received an unbelievable amount of hype, with Rolling Stone going as far as calling it one of the best albums of the year. Naturally curious, I picked it up.

I was left to scratch my head and wonder what all the fuss was about. Yes, Rufus was eccentric and somewhat original, he had the family pedigree to back it all up genetically, but this debut CD was nowhere near the great white hope it was being written up as. In fact, with the exception of three songs, I still find it to be precocious and grating. But it was those three songs....

"Foolish Love" certainly courted the Newman comparisons. The piano arrangement brought a lyrical flair forward that made the disc start off with promise. "April Fool" certainly borrowed liberally from Elton John, The Beatles and the Beach Boys and made for a pretty decent video (and was one of the things that moved me to buy this disc). And "Barcelona" captured a simple acoustic beauty that would burst forth in full bloom several years later when "Poses" was released. In fact, I was so underwhelmed by this debut that I didn't even get "Poses" when it was first released; it was Rufus' version of "Across The Universe" that made me ask "is that the same guy?" and go pick it up.

So while I still listen to this from time to time, if you're curious as to why Rufus Wainwright gets the cultish devotion he actually does deserve, his debut is NOT the place to start. I'd suggest picking up "Poses" if you're a fan of singer songwriters first, or if you're more into lush arrangements and Pop-Opera, go with "Want One." They are both much more mature and focused records. "Rufus Wainwright" is the sound of a young man given too much rope, but getting his musical wild oats out of his system.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The rise and fall of Rufus Wainwright, April 5, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Rufus Wainwright (Audio CD)

Romantic, tragic, lush, beautiful. All words that come to mind every time I pop the self-titled debut, masterfully recorded by Rufus Wainwright (1998), into my CD player. He is a new face on the music scene, but his lazily poetic voice brings to life songs which tell the tale of a man who has definitly payed his dues in love and life. In songs such as, Beauty mark, April Fools and Mill Brook, Rufus lifts you up with playful beats and an up tempo. However, with songs such as In My Arms, Barcelona and Baby, he pulls you down to the depths of the tragic opera of chance, change and heartache. This is a brilliant collaboration of music. It is far enough from the main stream, gen-X, cookie cutter music that has been produced in this decade. but, not so far that it doesn't lack the connection to the same pit falls and triumph that this generation knows all too well. If remarkable talent is what causes a star to rise..Rufus Wainwright is the next big thing! And if you dig this CD, go see him in concert...these tunes sound even better live!