(Clicka qua per la versione Italiana)
Loudon Wainwright, misanthropic hobo and farcical comedian,
debuted in New York with two acoustic albums, Album I (Atlantic, 1970),
containing Central Square Song and I Don't Care,
and Album II (1971), with Motel Blues and
Be Careful There's A Baby In The House,
but found his true voice on the electric
Album III (Columbia, 1972), that contains his corrosive ballad
Dead Skunk and Red Guitar.
The folk-rock style remained on Attempted Mustache (1973), with
Swimming Song and Down Drinking At The Bar,
and on
Unrequited (1975), with Kick In The Head and
Whatever Happened To Us;
and then expanded to include elements of rock'n'roll
and country on the more politicized T Shirt (Arista, 1976), with
Rufus Is A Tit Man, and on Final Exam (1978).
After A Live 0ne (Rounder, 1980) and Fame and Wealth (1983),
with Westchester County and
April Fools Day Party, Wainwright moved to England.
His mixture of anglo-saxon wit and social commentary had always been more akin
to, say, Kinks than to Bob Dylan, and in England
his affectionate vignettes of the middle class could count on a broader
audience. Richard Thompson helped him out on
I'm Alright (Rounder, 1985), with
Cardboard Boxes,
and More Love Songs (1986), his most accomplished work, with
Hard Day On The Planet and Unhappy Anniversary.
Hilarious for the sake of being hilarious, Wainwright has rarely managed to
write a song that can be heard more than once with the same intensity, but
has continued over the years with sensible consistency:
Therapy (Silvertone, 1989), with TSDHAV,
History (Charisma, 1992),
Grown Man (1995),
Little Ship (1998)
Social Studies (Hannibal, 1999) collects unreleased songs.
The Last Man on Earth (Red House, 2001).
His political rants were not particularly original on
Here Come The Choppers (Sovereign Artists, 2005).
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