Customer Reviews

Want One

5 star:		(122)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

Rufus Wainwright's opening song "Oh What a World" has simple lyrics which, as they repeat, build layer after layer into fugue-like bombast. It stresses from the start that this album is abouts sonics. It will have a dense complex sound and a cleanly produced real orchestra throwing harps and horns into the mix.

"I Don't Know What It Is" starts slow and builds to a crescendo as well. By its finale, it sounds like Phil Spector movie music. Wainwright and his producer Marius Devries parlay this excess into camp charm.

"Vicious World" is a romantic lament backed by a vibraphone from a Mirwais producers album or a chill-out disc.

"Pretty Things" is just Rufus and his piano proclaiming his Wildean aestheticism.

"Go or Go Ahead" starts with a lovely Wainwright vocal over acoustic guitar and builds to a blistering rock 'n' roll climax--at least by tuneful Rufus standards. Shades of 70s bands like Queen or Boston: power chords and creamy harmonies. A masterpiece of production, it's one of the album's best songs.

"Vibrate" is a bit throwaway but it's clever fun.

"14 Street" ushers in the album's finest moment where Tin Pan Alley melody, saloon piano, and witty poetic lyrics come together in a tasty mix.

"Natasha" is pleasant but unexceptional.

"Harvester of Hearts" may be the best vocal on the album. Rufus' voice, in its higher register, sounds delicate and expressive. The song is lovely too, though it repeats the word "people" too many times.

"Beautiful Child" is a nu-gospel stand-out that reads like a Blake poem. Again, dense busy production makes for a layered treat that may requires headphones to fully appreciate.

"Want" and "11:11" are slower songs with the occasional lyrical highlight, but they're not among my favorites here.

The album concludes with "Dinner at Eight," another contender for the album's finest moment. A beautiful melody wed to lyrics of David-and-Goliath combat, it's both a father-son love letter and piece of oedipal hate mail. The orchestra is used to great effect here, especially the harp whose ripples mimic "the drifting white snow" of the lyrics.

Rufus Wainwright, along with Ryan Adams, Beck, an underrated Joseph Arthur, and a revived Tori Amos, are the singer/songwriters to watch in the new millenium. Rufus has kicked it up a notch with "Want One." I wait eagerly for his promised sequel "Want Two."

Not many singer/songwriters these days, would choose to follow the career path of Rufus Wainwright. Having come from the 'Wainwright' family, of whom his mother, father (& now Sister), are all accomplished performers, musicians. Rufus specialises in a theatrical form of expressive Chamber Pop/ Singer-songwriter music that takes in: Cabaret, Theatrical Pop, Adult orientated Pop/Rock, Adult Alternative & even opera & literate pop. Shamelessly overblown and Passionate, some would argue that this form of sophisticated, literate music, died a century ago, along with the music it references, but you see, Rufus isn't your average Pop star.

"Oh What a World" rams home the point admirably, with a huge lush orchestrated sound, largely operatic in approach over which Rufus muses "Why am I always on a plane or a fast train, Oh what a world my parents gave me, Always Travelin' but not in love....", and chimes wonderfully with his cabaret-infused theatre pop, and the addition of plucked strings, only serve to highlight that Rufus is aiming for the highest echelons of Adult-orientated pop.

"I Don't Know What It Is", follows with a gradual, slow building melody, that solidifies critics various mentions that Rufus is something of a Renaissance man musically, with an ear for emotional complexity. With a song that places an emphasis on melody and production, over which Rufus sings: "Take a lookin around At friendly faces, All declaring a war on far off places, Is there anyone else who is through with complaining about what's Done unto us" shows his sentiments, in no wavering fashion, but the richly textured and layered songs, belie the incisive wordplay.

"Vicious World" opens with gloriously shimmering strings and backing vocal harmonies, and gentle slow piano chords, with Rufus' delicate vocal intone of: "Thought that maybe we'd fall in love over the phone, Thought that maybe I'd really love being alone, Everybody but Heaven knows how I was wrong!!", in the softest and sweetest of vocal deliveries, it's feels like a extremely low-key ballad of the subtlest kind, and is as poignant as it is restrained, and neatly highlights some of the very broad musical scopes with which Rufus pitches his lyrical tent on which to draw upon, his multitude of musical influences. This may be a little too subtle for some, but the albums refusal to follow conventional musical methods is extremely impressive.

"Pretty Things" is far more sombre in tone & mood, with the barest sketches of instrumentation (Piano, organ), making the perfect musical backdrop for Rufus to sing over, (think, midnight mood Torch-bearing chamber-pop), with the lyrical theme largely about not feeling guilty for liking pretty or superficial things, as Rufus boldly declares: "Pretty things, so what if I like pretty things??, Pretty lies, so what if I like pretty lies??", without a dash of irony, and cleverly twisting the listeners disbelief at his superficiality, by saying: "This time will pass and with it will me, And all these pretty things......Don't say you don't notice them??"

And so there you have it.....gloriously pretentious, shamelessly overblown, impossibly romantic, and probably a little too literate & cerebral for widespread mainstream acceptance, it's pitches its tent firmly in the Adult-orientated market, and asks listeners to meet it, on Rufus' terms. And frankly....some listeners may not want to, as the album has layers that are gradually peeled away, to reveal hidden depths of lyrical intricacies that will be missed the first time, knowing little references that will begin to make sense on repeated listens, and phrases lifted or modified from literature. And few would argue that what Rufus, has created here, isn't uniquely his own!!, and so seemingly out of step with what music is currently being made, that you have to wonder, how many audacious & left field albums, can he make such as this, before his record label pulls the plug?? But then again, anything this bold, brave, artistic, painstakingly detailed or not easily catergorisiable, deserves all the (limited) recognition it can get. Finally!!!....an artist not afraid to take chances, and have to simplify his music, in an effort to bend to the almighty dollar, or have to make a bland commercially viable album....and you know what???, his music is all the better for it. Buy Now!!!

This album is simply one of my all-time favorites. While "Poses" and Rufus's early albums had wonderful moments (and definitely a less orchestrated feel), this one takes him in a new direction, taking his unique voice and compelling lyrics and adding beautiful and complex arrangements of horns, orchestra, and vocal harmonies interwoven with a rich musical heritage that really sets Rufus apart as an artist and musician - you'll hear references to everything from Bolero to Queen, bossa nova to blues .

Some other reviewers are not comfortable with this move; others needed time to really get into it. For me one listen was all it took. These songs are still about Rufus trying to understand a complicated world - as we all are. Everything about this album is reminiscent of a phoenix rising from the ashes and soaring into new heights of musicality. Given Rufus's personal struggles and recent emergence from rehab, it's not surprising.

A newly clean and sober Rufus Wainwright meets Manhattan and comes out swinging. That he keeps getting better and better is amazing to me. It is beautiful and captivating to see how much Rufus has matured between this album and his previous. There is nothing on "Want One" to match the introspective grace of the previous album's title track, but the first two songs here ("Oh What A World" and "I Don't Know What It Takes") had me all but swooning in joy. This is majestic popular music made by a human being, taking the time to both grow artistically and grow up.

Like Elton or Brian Wilson, Rufus also enjoys the grandiose overstatement. This album is far more direct musically than "Poses" (caveat inserted, I really thought his first record was too undisciplined to rate more than the coming of a promising artist). Nowhere is that more in evidence than "Want One's" centerpiece "Go Or Go Ahead." Electric and poetic, it builds and crescendos into six and a half minutes of pop opera that would do Brian Wilson proud, and yet makes me wonder if Rufus had been allowed to go for the double album he wanted, if this would have been his "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road." The variety is certainly in evidence, be it the lush pop of "Harvester Of Hearts" or to attempt a serious lyric like "11:11" and its juxtaposition of 9/11 and the fragility of love.

Rufus is also a troubadour in the great and rare tradition of Harry Nillson or possibly John Prine. If I had the space I'd list all the comparisons, but both the songs about Rufus' relationships with his family and parents ("Want" and "Dinner at Eight") come straight from the same ink/gene pool that would compose a song like "Hello In There." The David and Goliath conflict that opens the imagery of the father/son conflict for "Dinner at Eight" set among the wonderful orchestration closes "Want One" on such a gorgeous note that I eagerly await the coming "Want Two."

Until now, we were only lukewarm towards Rufus Wainwright. We bought his first critically acclaimed cd, enjoyed one or two melodious cuts, but found the rest pretentious and boring enough for us to simply pass on his next album. After hearing only one instantly captivating song from 'Want One' on the radio, however, we purchased it with fingers crossed, skeptical yet hopeful of finding more music of worth. Jackpot. If this is not the best pop album of the year, it is likely the most gorgeous and certainly the most epic. The first thing that grabs you is its grandeur. With 'Sgt. Pepper' and 'Pet Sounds' as the prototypes (pretty good prototypes to have, we'd say), nearly every track is thickly layered with complex, majestic orchestrations and luxurious choral arrangements. While there are subtle touches to be found amidst the opulence, one must listen carefully (headphones will help) to catch the wisp of a softly uttered "doo-doo" or the twang of a banjo. But that's like focusing on one mere jewel in the royal crown. Needless to say, one would be as remiss not to mention producer Marius de Vries (whose mere name exudes nobility) as if one were to not credit George Martin for the sound of 'Sgt. Pepper'. But it is Wainwright himself who is responsible for the visceral impact of this work. His nasal vocals are, nonetheless, powerful and moving, enhanced, not overwhelmed, by the production. His lyrics are personal, heartfelt, poetic, witty (with a line like "I tried to dance Britney Spears, I guess I'm getting on in years), and touching. This record is a long, long way from rock & roll as originally conceived by the genre's founders, but a wonderful listening experience nonetheless.

When Stravinsky premiered a new piece of music in 1913, critics and the general public were all over themselves with disgust at the perceived bombast. That was the original performance of
Le Sacre du Printemps (the Right Of Spring), now considered to be one of the greatest pieces of music ever written.

A friend asked why I love Rufus Wainwright's "Want (One)" so much and I couldn't give an answer. They asked what kind of music it is, and I still had no answer. I said "It's all kinds of music at the same time". I guess that should be expected when the producer is the legendary Marius DeVries (Bjork, Massive Attack, Annie Lennox, Madonna).

You will not believe the things that are done with sounds on this cd. Some folks gawk at it being "too overproduced", but there is so many good songs with absolutely stunning arrangements you may not believe your ears. I heard some of the widest dynamic ranges on record.
Rufus's voice is it's own glorius instrument, which he uses to it's fullest potential here on every song. It may be an acquired taste, but it's definitely worth acquiring. His talented piano playing is, as always, wise beyond his years. Even the lyrics, which for so many seem hard to audibly decipher, are as stirring and courageous as ever. I see them as more self revealing than self indulgent. I hope you will too.
No matter how strong, Rufus takes me down with one little song.

To the folks who think this is a musical "quagmire" or "Miss Wainwright's" "Fairy Floss", I say Yeah, sure!
And Mozart's Symphonies have too many notes!

This is the first time I'm writing a review and I'm doing it for good reason. Want One has to be one of the most gorgeous albums I have ever heard! And is the best album of 2003. Rufus has so much inner musical beauty, that whatever music he produces just gets better and better. Obviously, Rufus is a perfectionist and that is a good thing. You can hear the perfect pitches in his vocals which is quite unique for any artist now days. The album starts off with Oh What A World and from then on, the listener is almost hypnotized with beauty which I believe music was intended to do in the first place. Whatever Rufus is feeling with a song, we feel it too. Rufus has so much music inside of him and he lets it out in such a gracious way. I find myself so caught up with several songs on this album . His songs are going through my head for hours after a listen. I want to share this album with people who don't know of him yet. It is too good to miss for anyone who appreciates good music. If you don't know of Rufus Wainwright, get to know him. You'll be so glad you did.

first off let me just say: rufus is a complete genius.

so it's no surprise to me that this record is fantastic.

i won't go into a long description because every other review does that, but i'll just say that this record is a combination of the eclectic, whimsical sound of the debut with the polish of poses.

in response to several comments in recent reviews about rufus' lyrics being too simple and not poetic, keep in mind that this album, like most good albums, takes several listens for the songs to grow on you and come together completely. I promise you that these songs get more and more complex with each listen, and there are layers and layers to delve into and linger in. ESPECIALLY the lyrics. i must admit at first that i thought they sounded quite simple, but with repeated listens it all comes together and the complexity of it hits you. i advise you to read several recent articles (ie new york times, paste) to understand just what inspired this record before you dismiss the lyrics. Part of rufus' genius is his ability to deliver his message with such a smooth and carefree feel, but don't let this apparent simplicity fool you. The record captures a hell of a lot that has been going on in rufus' life as of late. There is passion and inspiration in every line.

buy the record now. then buy the debut and poses and get lost in the way of life that is rufus wainwright. i'm not even exaggerating...he gives you a new outlook and an appreciation for beauty in everything. "i like the make the mundane fabulous whenever i can". my life is about 10x better because i have rufus. he is that amazing.

I have been waiting for the new Rufus CD for quite a long time. And all the fears about its quality were erased at once as soon as the first hummings from "Oh what a world" kicked in. Everything in Want one is exquisitely covered with symphony and that Rufus trademark, that magical resemblance to a music forgotten in the past and gladly rediscovered. The hightlights are the aforementioned opening track, "Beautiful child", "Dinner at eight", "Vicious world", and of course "Go or go ahead". Although, if you want to get the complete experience, you shouldn't slice the album down to pieces, take it as a slow caress of wind filling up your lungs and involving you with beauty. I think we can all survive with Want one until part two comes out. Hopefully very soon.

Rufus has done us quite a favor: the guy who doesn't seem to fit in any catagory (is it rock? alt? folk? jazz? what is this?) has added a spash of broadway to an already ecclectic mix. A chorus of banjos, tubas bum-bumming, trumpets blaring, sit back enjoy the unicity of Rufus Wainwright.
Some of these songs are beautiful, reflective and relaxing. Some make me want to run out in the yard with my shoes off (like a beautiful child). You'll find someting for every mood here.
Wanting Want 2.