Rufus Wainwright - Classic or Dud?

Agreed, absolutely gorgeous.

I saw the documentary tonight, and I really liked his whole self deprecating sense of humour.

And why are there so many (well two) attractive gay musicians?

And his sister. Rwor.

I'm prepared to give him another chance, as that's the only track I've heard (and instinctively recoiled from) thus far.

"Vibrate" is so many leagues above anything Thom Yorke has put his name to! Even apart from that I don't see that they share any similarities at all, either lyrically or sonically.

What will happen instead
Someone will demand my head
And then I will kneel down
And give it to them

And I like his voice LOADS more than Thom Yorke, who I honestly have no time for. While I can understand someone saying they have similar timbre and texture, Rufus thankfully never sounds like a lamb bleating out of tune

I kind of dread the next album: I think by now it's clear that Rufus thrives on attention, and this gives him more confidence to really indulge himself, so now his PR people are doing such stellar work fuck only knows what ideas he'll carry through next.

Melody: start on the 5th and descend predictably/diatonically..
E DD CC BB A.

Switch Chord to (predictable) Dm.

Melody : F EE DD AA B

Lyrics (from beat 1 of A minor chord) :

"All the times I tried to hide from,
everything I was denied..."

Remember to hold your breath, plug your nose
for the nasal whine and sing out of the corner
of your mouth.

Repulsively pathetic, boring, depressing, monotonous,
unoriginal and disgusting is Rufus.

-- Musicfan101 (mz...), March 1st, 2006.

the nasal bleating thing is annoying, someone so gaga over opera should pay attention to vocal technique

spot on. it's all one long, mumbled note. I have no idea why his vocals are so admired.

he makes me want to forcibly expunge his sinus bees.

anyway it's spring and that means poses sounds great again

RUFUS WAINWRIGHT ANNOUNCES RUFUS DOES JUDY AT CAPITOL STUDIOS

VIRTUAL CONCERT MARKS FIRST PERFORMANCE OF LEGENDARY TRIBUTE
TO JUDY GARLAND IN 5 YEARS

2X GRAMMY® AWARD-NOMINATED ARTIST TO BE JOINED BY
TONY AND EMMY AWARD-WINNER KRISTIN CHENOWETH
AND SPECIAL MICRO-AUDIENCE MEMBER, 2X ACADEMY AWARD-WINNER RENÉE ZELLWEGER

EVENT TO BE COMMEMORATED WITH LIMITED EDITION T-SHIRT
DESIGNED BY MICHAEL KORS BENEFITTING OUTRIGHT ACTION INTERNATIONAL

RUFUS DOES JUDY AT CAPITOL STUDIOS PREMIERES THURSDAY, JUNE 10 on Judy Garland’s 99th Birthday

TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW EXCLUSIVELY VIA VEEPS HEREhttps://rufuswainwright.veeps.com/
The first complete performance of the Rufus Does Judy tribute in five years, Rufus Does Judy at Capitol Studios will be commemorated with a limited edition t-shirt created for the occasion in partnership with Wainwright’s longtime friend, legendary designer Michael Kors. The t-shirts will be available via Rufus’ Merch Store and in Michael Kors Collection stores nationwide, with all proceeds benefiting LGBT human rights organization OutRight Action International through June – Pride Month 2021 – or while supplies last. The t-shirt marks the latest collaboration between Kors and Wainwright, whom earlier this month performed music for the blockbuster launch of Kors’ 40th-anniversary collection for Fall/Winter 2021.

Rufus Does Judy at Capitol Studios – which marks a rare complete performance of Wainwright’s now-legendary homage to 1961’s Judy Garland At Carnegie Hall – showcases more than twenty-five American standards spanning swing, jazz, and pop, including three songs by George & Ira Gershwin, two Rodgers & Hart classics, two from Howard Dietz & Arthur Schwartz, plus favorites by Harold Arlen, Yip Harburg, Irving Berlin, Noël Coward, and more. Among the highlights are such Garland signature songs as “The Man That Got Away,” “Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart,” “Swanee,” and of course, “Over The Rainbow,” along with a special bonus rendition of “Get Happy,” which was not performed by Garland at the original 1961 concert.

Wainwright’s sixth full-length release and first live album, Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall was recorded and produced by Phil Ramone over two sold-out nights at Carnegie Hall, backed by a full 36-piece orchestra and special guest appearances from his sister Martha Wainwright, his mother Kate McGarrigle, and Garland’s daughter, Lorna Luft. The album proved an immediate cultural landmark, feted by worldwide media attention and critical acclaim while earning Wainwright his first-ever GRAMMY® Award nomination (for “Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album”).

Due to popular demand, Wainwright recreated his momentous tribute to Garland with sold-out, star-studded performances at such renowned venues as Paris’ L’Olympia, Los Angeles’ Hollywood Bowl, and the London Palladium, the latter of which was filmed and released on DVD as Rufus! Rufus! Rufus! Does Judy! Judy! Judy!: Live from the London Palladium.

Wainwright’s ninth studio LP and first new pop album since 2012, Unfollow The Rules finds the multi-faceted artist at the peak of his powers, entering artistic maturity with passion, honesty, and a newfound fearlessness while remaining as creative, bold, and mischievous as ever. Produced by Mitchell Froom (Crowded House, Paul McCartney, Randy Newman) at a variety of legendary Los Angeles studios, the album proved among last year’s most honored releases, earning a prestigious GRAMMY® Award nomination for “Best Traditional Pop Album” as well as a Juno Award nod for “Adult Alternative Album of the Year.”

Unfollow The Rules was further met by ecstatic critical acclaim from high-profile publications around the globe, with Uncut declaring it “a spectacular return to the tower of song and the game (Wainwright) plays best…brimming with memorable melodies, swooning arrangements and smart lyrics dreamily sung.” Unfollow The Rules is “a stately pop throwback full of (Wainwright’s) signature vocal grandeur,” enthused Rolling Stone, while Pitchfork praised the album as “an opulently crafted highlight reel, a career-spanning sampler of Wainwright’s styles and guises… his songwriting is as sharp and cheeky as ever.” “A timely reminder of everything that’s wonderful about Wainwright,” wrote CLASH’s Mat Smith in a 9/10 rave, noting the artist’s “effortlessly towering voice, taking on a spinetingling profundity and emotiveness reminiscent of The Righteous Brothers (both of them; together; at once!).” PopMatters praised Unfollow The Rules as “a lush and detailed sounding album,” adding, “It’s good to welcome the return of the new, improved, old-school Rufus.” “Unfollow the Rules marks a welcome return to the opulent orchestration of Wainwright’s early albums,” wrote The Guardian in its 4/5-starred review. “Wainwright’s ninth studio album is a lush, engaging study in domestic bliss…It’s good to have him back.” “(Wainwright) sings with contentment, not complacency, as he saunters through the corridors of his life,” applauded The Independent in its own 4/5-starred review, noting simply, “This is one of Wainwright’s finest albums.”

Last year saw Wainwright offering fans solace with his trailblazing #Quarantunes series of #RobeRecitals, presented daily via Instagram Live. The intimate performances – which saw the singer-songwriter supreme performing new songs from Unfollow The Rules alongside classic catalog favorites, surprising rarities, and beloved cover versions – were followed in June by Unfollow The Rules: The Paramour Session, a complete acoustic performance of the new album filmed live at the ballroom of Hollywood’s famed silent movie mansion, The Paramour Estate.

The first leg of A Rufus-Retro-Wainwright-Spective! kicked off in September, presented live from Wainwright’s living room in Laurel Canyon, joined by a weekly micro-audience that included Jamie Lee Curtis & Christopher Guest, Darren Criss, Joel McHale, among other icons and famous friends. The virtual tour of his wide-ranging catalogue earned applause from such media outlets as mxdwn.com, which hailed the concert series as a “deliciously casual offering to dedicated fans; an exclusive club for Wainwright enthusiasts to gather and exchange memories about their shared passion for his music. The live audience chat was a haven for nostalgia, sprinkled with the disparate musical experiences of followers around the world.”

An ingenious, compellingly charismatic live artist, Wainwright hopes to see his fans in person later this year on his long-awaited Unfollow The Rules Tour. For scheduled dates and other information, please visit rufuswainwright.com/tour.

Dunno the context, but this is really good:

Good god Rufus stop hurting em https://t.co/CnqW03z07Z

— Jason Isbell (@JasonIsbell) June 8, 2021

I always feel a bit guilty that his version of "One Man Guy" is maybe the recording of his I return to most regularly (even though LWIII's own stuff leaves me totally cold from what I've heard)

― k*r*n koltrane (Simon H.), Wednesday, July 15, 2020 3:22 PM

same

That was amazing, Josh, thanks for posting it. I spent the whole song curiously thinking he sounded a bit like Sting (even though no one sounds like Sting, really) and then only realised at the end that that was Sting next to him and that that was a Sting song.

Alfred I appreciate u

that performance is really nice

Man, that was indeed good, thanks. Is that Christian McBride playing upright?

Probably. Didn’t know they had a thing together.

My say last week: https://www.stereogum.com/2148922/rufus-wainwright-poses-turns-20/reviews/the-anniversary/

Which is what made me think of Rufus for the first time in eons, tbh, so when I saw the Isbell link it caught my eye.

FWIW, I only saw him live once, c. the first album, in a tiny club with iirc Tegan and Sara opening. They all were massively entertaining and killed it, at least as I remember it.

I’ve seen him live… I think five times? Large and small venues over the last 15+ years. Never been disappointed.

Yall got me flashing back to YouTubed concert footage: he's disconcerted by guest shot ov raw, killin'-it teen Martha, but, "My Mother would kill me if I didn't let her do this." Mom knew best.

Invasion of the Martha thread, sry

I saw him touring Poses, opening for Roxy Music in 2001. He did fine but an arena was probably not the best venue for low-key charm.

There was an annoying music writer in the local alt-weekly who made a point, every time that Martha was mentioned, of tossing in an aside about how Rufus must be dying of jealousy, shaking with fear, why doesn't Rufus just pack it in, etc. etc. etc.

Heh I'm sure he can handle it. (Looking fwd to her new alb btw)

Oh, I didn't feel bad for Rufus, it was just such a corny attitude (and assumption that they were in competition, or she needed boosting).

I was lucky to see him in a very small setting - basically someone's fancy back yard. His young daughter was in the front row and was basically heckling him the whole time. It was hilarious / adorable.

Seen him twice: once at a free show at a bar in London, Ontario in advance of the debut's release (before the show, I asked him if it was OK if I took pictures, and he asked that I only do so during the guitar songs), and then again on that Poses tour with Tegan and Sara, at the Toronto bar where Queer as Folk was filmed.

welp

WORLD PREMIERE RECORDING OF RUFUS WAINWRIGHT’S DREAM REQUIEM TO BE RELEASED JANUARY 17TH 2025 WITH MERYL STREEP AS NARRATOR

Anna Prohaska, soprano

Choeur et Maîtrise de Radio France

Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France Mikko Franck, conductor

International Release date: January 17 2025

CD digipack: 5021732500601

LP (2 LP black viny 180g): 5021732500618

SHRM: 5021732501264 - Dolby Atmos: 5021732507648

“My whole life suddenly changed while listening to Verdi’s Requiem Mass for the first time at the tender age of 13…The experience both represented the death of my childhood innocence AND the birth and awakening of my artistic self, thus beginning my personal lifelong spiritual quest to seek out beauty no matter what the cost.”

Rufus Wainwright

...His latest work, Dream Requiem, is an epic work for orchestra, chorus, soprano and narrator. It received its world premiere in June this year in Paris with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and the chorus and children’s choir of Radio France conducted by Mikko Franck with Meryl Streep as the narrator and soprano Anna Prohaska. On January 17th 2025, Warner Classics will release the live recording from the premiere.

A co-commission from major cultural institutions in the US, UK and Europe, Dream Requiem was written during the pandemic and in Wainwright’s own words it’s a requiem "for the people we have lost in this crisis, for the past from which we are cut off and for the future to which we do not yet know how to connect, a Requiem for human contact, solidarity and the human voice that have all become dangerous and contagious."

Dream Requiem is also a reflection on environmental collapse with its text combining words from the Latin Mass for the Dead – as used by Verdi, Britten, Mozart and many others – with Lord Byron's apocalyptic poem Darkness, an imagined dream about total planetary ecological collapse written after the eruption of Mount Tambora in 1915 that darkened the skies worldwide and led to the “year without a summer.”

Both texts are interwoven in the composition but treated in a distinctly different manner musically. Byron’s text is mostly narrated by an actor and is underscored by dark orchestral arrangements demonstrating the brutality and sheer force of the apocalyptic images that the poem conjures. The Latin Requiem text is sung by a large mixed choir, children’s choir and soprano. Massive choral moments are interrupted by quieter soprano solo passages to underline the fragility of life and nature. Wainwright’s Dream Requiem ultimately overcomes this desolation and tragedy, giving rise to hope and beauty through the music

...Dream Requiem Tour

Dream Requiem will be performed at major international venues across 2025 to 2027. Forthcoming dates in 2025 include:

January 25, Barcelona/Palau de la Musica

May 4, LA Master Chorale Walt Disney Concert Hall, with Jane Fonda

June 20, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, with Carice van Houten

Other dates to be announced in 2025 including major venues in Finland, Germany, Greece and Ireland.

Jim Merlis at BigHassledotcom



the eruption of Mount Tambora in 1915

Wonder how the Kurt Weill record is