Strange Weirdos: Music From & Inspired By the Film 'Knocked Up'

Loudon Wainwright III | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 22, 2007)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Concord Records
• ASIN: B000P6R82C
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #64,743 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Rather than an ordinary film soundtrack, this might more accurately be considered an exceptional Loudon Wainwright album. A diehard Wainwright fan, director Judd Apatow explains in his liner notes that he asked the singer-songwriter to score Knocked Up, Apatow's first film since The 40-Year-Old Virgin, only to learn that Wainwright was about to embark on his next recording project with producer Joe Henry. The resulting album features material that Wainwright had written before the film score that the director wanted to use, other cuts that are instrumental snippets in the movie but are songs with lyrics on the album, and still others that take thematic inspiration from the film. While Wainwright so often writes lacerating and hilariously personal material, many of these songs are more like character studies, with a musical range that extends from the ragtime "So Much to Do" (one of two songs written with Henry) and the call-and-response of the chromosome ditty "X or Y" to the Brecht/Weill cabaret tinge of "Final Frontier" to the bluesy "Doin' the Math." Among the musicians providing stellar support are guitarists Richard Thompson and Greg Leisz and keyboardists Patrick Warren and Van Dyke Parks. --Don McLeese

Product Description

Legendary singer/songwriter Loudon Wainwright III's memorable collection of quirky and ironic songs for Judd Apatow's (40-Year- Old-Virgin) comedy feature Knocked Up. Co-written and produced by Joe Henry.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Music you can ignore!(?) June 20, 2007

By Arlington J. Trombley Jr.

Format:Audio CD

To borrow a phrase from John Cusack's character from "High Fidelity" I sometimes want music I can ignore. This pretty much sums up all of Loudon's music for me. I can always have it playing in the background and tune in when I feel like it. It seeps into my head and pretty soon I realize I have been listening to some amazing songs. I discovered Loudon with "Last Man on Earth" and have been hooked since. I keep hoping others will catch on to his music and when I heard about this project I was nervous. Will he try to be too commercial? Will this become another one of those "Ally McBeal" moments? (You know what I mean...the whist full walk into the ending credits while a song plays and the characters take turns looking into the camera so we can all learn the episode's lessons.) But I should not have worried. Turns out he has been making music that could always be played during the ending credits but the difference is that his words will teach you what the actors cannot.
"You Can't Fail Me Now" may be just about the best song I have heard in some time. So honest it hurts. "Daughter" has been one my favorites for sometime. How does a man who write such amazing melodies toil in relative obscurity?
Others have written more poetically about the songs and the CD as a whole. All I can add it this...put on the CD, do some cleaning or have some tea. Maybe clean the garage or sit by a fire and let the music just play. Pretty soon you tune in and realize you were not ignoring this music because Loudon will not be ignored. He will find his way into your soul because he is sharing so much of his. As for this being a soundtrack...I think his music has always been a soundtrack. First for his life...then for ours. Get this CD, get hooked and don't ignore him any longer.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Love it! August 15, 2007

By S. C. Rosato

Format:Audio CD

I found this album after searching for the song at the end of the movie "Knocked Up" ("Daughter", playing during the credits). I bought the album blind, and every song is great (imho). Since then I've heard about Rufus and Martha, and there are several good articles on the web about the album. Kind of folksy, kind of rock. Great lyrics.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Good stuff! July 4, 2007

By Thomas E. Davis TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

That director Judd Apatow selected Loudon Wainwright to score his film, and that the latter happily accepted, reveals a lot about the cockeyed sense of humor that both men possess. This is a warm, albeit skewed, view of love and parenthood that will delight any longtime Wainwright fan and, for the uninitiated, will serve as a good introduction to his songwriting skills. One hopes it will also persuade fans of the film to look into his extensive back catalogue of witty and sometimes mordantly hilarious music. Keep up the good work, Loudon!