Wig in a Box

Wig in a Box (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 28, 2003)
• Original Release Date: 2003
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Off Records
• ASIN: B0000C3I9J
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,409 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #23 in Music > Alternative Rock > Indie & Lo-Fi > Jangle Pop

Track Listings

1. Origin of Love

2. Angry Inch

3. The Long Grift

4. Sugar Daddy

5. City of Women

6. Freaks

7. Wicked Little Town [Hedwig Version]

8. Nailed [Loudbomb Mix]

9. Wig in a Box

10. Milford Lake

11. Ladies & Gentlemen

12. Tear Me Down

13. Hedwig's Lament/Exquisite Corpse

14. Wicked Little Town [Tommy Gnosis Version]

15. Midnight Radio

16. The Origin of Love (Reprise)

Editorial Reviews

Subtitled - Songs From & Inspired By Hedwig & The Angry Inch. 2003 charity compilation featuring tracks from Frank Black, The Breeders, Rufus Wainwright, Sleater-Kinney, They Might Be Giants, & many more. Off Records.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

68 of 72 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The artists are inaccurate, July 4, 2004

By 

Shira Pilarski (Silver Spring, MD) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wig in a Box (Audio CD)

The track list for this album is actually:

1. The Origin of Love by Rufus Wainwright
2. Angry Inch by Sleater-Kinney & Fred Schneider
3. The Long Grift by They Might Be Giants
4. Sugar Daddy by Frank Black
5. City of Women by Robyn Hitchcock
6. Freaks by Imperial Teen
7. Wicked Little Town (Hedwig's version) by The Breeders
8. Nailed by Bob Mould
9. Wig in a Box by Polyphonic Spree
10. Milford Lake by John Cameron Mitchell (acted in Hedwig and wrote the script) and Stephen Trask (acted in Hedwig and wrote the music)
11. Ladies & Gentlemen by Stephen Colbert
12. Tear Me Down by Spoon
13. Hedwig's Lament/Exquisite Corpse by Yoko Ono & Yo La Tengo
14. Wicked Little Town (Tommy Gnosis' version) by The Bens (Ben Kweller, Ben Folds, & Ben Lee)
15. Midnight Radio by Cyndi Lauper & The Minus 5
16. Origin of Love reprise by Jonathan Richman

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful CD, January 1, 2006

By 

T. Curtin - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wig in a Box (Audio CD)

I am actually surprised at how great this album is. I am a Hedwig fan and thought that this would be a huge flop, but I bought it anyway. Every song differs from the movie and off-Broadway version, yet retains the emotions of each song. I think that the majority of the reviewers here forgot about the importance of the emotions of songs, not just the way the song sounds.

There is only one flop on this album and that is the techno version of "Nailed." It's the only song that is completely out of place and it shouldn't have been in the album. Also, the reprise of "The Origin of Love," though innovative, is not on par with the rest of the album.

Yet, these are only two out sixteen songs. The Breeders' "Wicked Little Town" is eloquent and well executed, as is the 3 Bens' version of the reprise. Cyndi Lauper's "Midnight Radio" is fantastic and the Polyphonic Spree's "Wig in a Box" improves a song that I already thought was perfect. The biggest surprise for me was actually JCM's "Milford Lake," which is very catchy and very deep. These songs make up for the rest of the album and this worth getting just for these songs.

Overall, this album is fantastic and should be purchased.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Compliment to the Original, My Compliments to the Chef(s), January 14, 2004

By 

N. Satterfield "dj-eep" (MY-AMI, Florida, usa, EARTH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wig in a Box (Audio CD)

Less a tribute and more of a benefit album, Wig In A Box capitalizes on the Hedwig phenomenon and adds one more compelling facet to it. Weather you like the artists who have contributed their talents or not, if you have experienced Hedwig there is most certainly something on this album for you. John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask have brought magic to stage and screen with Hedwig and the Angry Inch, now they have focused that same magic for one particular cause, the Hetrick  Martin Institute home of the Harvey Milk School. This is reason enough to purchase this album regardless of who is on it and how they are coupled with the songs that they cover.

In most cases the pairings and performances are stellar. The familiar whine of John and John of They Might Be Giants perfectly suits the condemning The Long Grift, as does Frank Blacks knee-slapping version of Sugar Daddy. The moments where the songs suffer as a result of castration from their visual compliment are forgivable due to strong performances from The Breeders, Imperial Teen, and Spoon. Rufus Wainwright infuses his usual delicate melancholy to The Origin of Love, while The Polyphonic Spree bring some rather interesting instrumentation to Wig In A Box. Pop stalwart Cyndi Lauper belts out a gripping version of Midnight Radio backed by an all-star line up of musicians including Peter Buck (REM) and Scott McCoughey (Young Fresh Fellows), but the real surprise is Milford Lake flawlessly performed by Hedwig creators Mitchell and Trask. It is so good you will wish you had seen it on stage!

Overall Wig In A Box is a wonderful compliment to Hedwig and adds a new twist to an already engaging musical story. For hedheads that arent too married to the originals this is a must have, but for those unfamiliar with the material it might be a tad tough to piece together. The album would be perfect had the artists been given the freedom to elaborate upon those songs that were either too short or too weak to stand alone without their original scenes. Although considering who benefits from it, that is purely superficial and isnt that the point, to see beyond the wig and makeup to the bigger picture?