Want One

Thom Yorke once said that he wishes his voice wasn't so pretty. I'm sure Rufus Wainwright, who has an eerily similar voice, has never once thought that, it's his bread and butter. A nice, chill, mostly tasteful record.

Theatrical. British. Over the top. Dramatic. Flamboyant. Boring. Fine.

There's something very Fleet Foxes-Everything Everything coded about this band that really itches a specific itch for me. Not really sure if I can take too much of it, but his voice and song composition really does a lot of carrying. highlights: oh what a world vibrate dinner at eight

Ambiance medieval, beaucoup de chant - voix douce . C'est ok. Je suis pas très fan pour être honnête.

Pas du tout mon style ce baroque Pop +1 pour l'originalité

OK, Rufus.

Ja ne. Das erste Lied war noch interessant, danach fällt es stark ab.

pleasant, mellow singer-songwriter tunes

3.5

Did not listen but first song starts by : men reading fashion magazine, straight man, what's happened to the world Ewww

Reminiscent of Harry Nilsson at times, though I greatly preferred Nilsson.

Quite possibly the most boring album I've ever heard

Rufus’s voice isn’t as much my cup of tea as the music. He’s a very croony singer, but it works for his songs. I like the carousel sound of “Oh What a World.” “Beautiful Child” and “Movies of Myself” are the stand outs for me. “Want” is charming. Never thought that Jane Curtain” and “John Lithgow” would show up in a song of longing for love.

Great Value Thom Yorke here again

This was ok. Some songs were catchy which put it above one star.

There is nothing wrong with this album. A fun listen when I'm in the mood. But What A Wonderful World is still the only song I will return to probably

I really liked this.

Fine, but his voice gets a bit grating after a while.

This reminds me of a SNL sketch called New York Underground. It’s Fred Armisen sitting at a piano playing music that could’ve been ripped directly from this album and it’s poking fun at the “underground” music scene that’s full of depth and artistry that simple folks couldn’t understand. Musically, it’s a lovely album, it’s all so nicely composed. But Wainright’s voice is too one note throughout. It’s perfectly fine to listen to, but in no way is it life changing.

shrug

DNF

590/1089 - Trying to persuade me with that Ravel quote on the first track huh? It was okay, he holds on vowels which makes sense given his distinct voice, but it kinda wears me down a bit.

It’s too much for me.

I won’t revisit, but it wasn’t bad

Pretty much what I expect from Rufus. He kind of falls into the same category as Beck for me, but I like RW's music better.

Not sure what this is, never heard of him. I’ll check it out. Singer songwriter style soft rock is what this might be? His vocal style reminds me of Radiohead’s lead singer Thom Yorke. But musically it is not like that at all. It’s very soft rock. It’s not my favorite. But not terrible. It’s just kinda boring after a while. And his voice is tiring on the ears a little. But there are some good songs here. It’s actually really nice at times. At times I didn’t like it but sometimes I was like wow this is quite good. It’s a little boring and then it’s fine. Big negative is the album is an hour long for no reason. Cut this down to 40 minutes and cut some of the bloat and it’s probably an easy 3 from me. Debating a 2 because of the length and the parts I didn’t particularly like. I’ll go 2.

Favorite Track: Want

It's a cool album. Didn't know much about Rufus Wainwright but I enjoyed. 6.6/10

8/10 = was actually very happy to get this one, watched xavier dolan film last week and a rufus wainwright song was the closing credit song and i liked it so much i watched all the credits and have listened to it every day after, this album bit more like theatre ish lol but i like the rhythm of his voice and i find him fun to listen to, i dont know why everyone who sings hallelujah is always curseddddd with it afterwards and its all theyre known for (jeff buckley leonard cohen him) but his other stuff is so much better than that i hate all the hallelujah songs sorry off topic, again more upbeat than my fav song of him but im not opposed to it

Vem fan lyssnar på detta

The more rock/folk songs on this were great. The more jazz, ballad ones got grating.

nice enough

Like if Radiohead were REALLY inspired by Electric Light Orchestra. Doesn't help that Rufus sounds like Thom Yorke most of the time. But, hey, I'm a sucker for this kind of overly theatrical nonsense, so this album was DIRECTLY up my alley. Not bad at all for the guy I know best for replacing John Cale on the 'Shrek' soundtrack album. Honestly, the worst thing I can say is that I think it's just a bit silly to include both 'Want One' AND 'Want Two' on this list, y'know? I know they were originally intended to be released as a single two-disc, but still, goodness.

While this might be only the first half of this double album, these are some damn good singer-songwriter pieces. Reminds me of other albums on the list, mainly Seldom Seen Kid and especially Paris 1919. Solid 5 Stars.

I’m above a 5. Honestly, it could be a 10 someday. It’s taken me a couple minutes to write anything about this, because I really am just stunned by it. The 2.93 on the site feels like a crime to me, as this album feels like such a carnal & visceral plea for one man’s desires to be fulfilled, done behind some of the most lovely & brilliantly overproduced soundscapes I’ve heard so far on the list. We’re 966 albums deep and outside of Scott Walker, Jacques Brel & Radiohead, there’s not many artists that approach such a bold level of bombast & self-indulgent opulence in their music, let alone ones that can sustain it without seeming like they’re in over their heads. This is an album that should crumble under its weight; one too thematically rich for its own good, one written too flowery for mass comprehension, and one that’s so personalized towards a man’s struggle that it gives off a main character syndrome that many, many other albums would fail to overcome. By some miracle, it not only stands against all of those tests, but shines through it. The obvious throughline for this album is “Want”; it’s the title of the album, and it anchors all of Rufus Wainwright’s songwriting. “Oh What a World” is him wanting to be seen as beautiful without the stigma of a world too quick to dismiss gay people. “I Don’t Know What It Is” is him wanting to get out of his comfort zone in any way possible. “Vicious World” is him wanting a relationship back after he fumbled it. “Movies of Myself” is him wanting love that’s more fruitful than just a cheap memory. “Pretty Things” is him wanting another person to see the same beauty in a potential relationship that he does. “Go or Go Ahead” is him wanting to be freed of the lingering desire & pain a relationship has left upon him. (This is my favorite one, by the way. Fantastic track.) “Vibrate” is him wanting to find a non-existent depth in a relationship that’s just not working. “14th Street” is him wanting to keep a part of his damaged self after getting treatment for an addiction of some kind. “Natasha” is him wanting his friend to be OK in spite of her carefree attitude about her struggles. “Harvester of Hearts” is him wanting to understand why he can’t get a solid relationship even if everyone else seems to feel heartbreak all the time. “Beautiful Child” is him wanting to feel old, seeing the future as an opportunity to be free of the burdens of his life & to see everything with a childlike wonder again. “Want” is him wanting a simpler life despite the burdens of expectations thrown on him. “11:11” is him wanting life itself, appreciating it even while he loses it at both smaller & larger scales. “Dinner at Eight” is him wanting an admission that his dad truly cares about him, even if it takes breaking the mythos of his father to do so. It’s all centered around those wants, and what makes or breaks the album is one’s ability to empathize with them. If you can, the fantastic instrumentation that underlines it will feel like passion pouring out, & that ‘main character syndrome’ could feel like a reflective mirror to you or someone you know who’s gone through some or all of these struggles. If you can’t, it will simply feel whiny & overindulgent, working as an hour-long session where this guy bitches & moans about struggles you couldn’t care less about with the same vocal tone throughout. I’ve landed on the side of empathy, as the entire album spoke to a lot of deeper insecurities that I try to bury under smiles more often than not. However, both of these takes are totally valid. That said, the extreme range of them will lead to disbelief one way or the other. If you hate it, you’ll be amazed that anyone could like it. If you love it, you’ll be amazed that anyone could hate it. I happened to love it, and while I’m not quite as amazed at the 34% of people giving this a 1 or a 2, I’m just surprised there’s not as many people going with a 4 or higher. As it stands, I’m somewhere above a 5; I thought this was stellar from top to bottom (although “Oh What a World” shouldn’t have opened over “I Don’t Know What It Is”), a treat for the ears to listen to & the mind to comprehend, and just a great album. I think this could easily get up to a 10 someday. I really hope “Want Two” is just as good as this.

A great voice, however, I didn't like the material so much.

Not for me. Just average music and singing.

Better than I anticipated. Very good voice.

Didn’t hate it, but didn’t really give me much to come back for. A bit theatrical for my taste, but he’s got a good sound. Rating: 5/10 Favorite Song: Want

John Mayer på teater

I can’t really stand the theatre kid vibe of this album. Not objectively terrible but really not my vibe

Listening agony

Accidentally listened to this last stole instead of Want Two so I’m sorry I’m not doing it again. 2 stars for tricking me

reminded me of radiohead at points...it was perfectly nice and chill ... not really one ill ever revisit

I didnt mind it apart from his voice, sometimes a voice just goes straight through you. I couldnt even have it as background music his voice was annoying me so much.

Not a fan. 3

rym 3.53 Chamber Pop/Singer-Songwriter 居然因为那种事被大陆封禁吗，也算一种晚节不保。我一直很喜欢室内流行这个风格，但这张专辑没能让我完全满足。或许是因为太偏流行，我无法共鸣到他想传递的情感。客观来说，旋律行进还是很美妙的，编曲上也有很多小巧思。后半张专辑听感显著好于前半程。 pick: 14th Street, Beautiful Child

It's fine and lovely, but somehow it clicked with me less than Want Two that I got several months ago.

To me it sounds like this album is a nostalgia service to people older than me. This is probably true for a lot of albums on here. Still, I don’t see anything particular or special about this album. I also don’t get the lamenting tone in every song.

This sounds like if Thom Yorke became a singer songwriter. Overall a very solid album, but a little one note. Low 4.

The Dynastic Wainwright family. Rufus is a bit like the Canadian Sufjan Stevens. He has so music production value, with some catchy songs. I enjoyed it.

8/17/26. First time learning about Rufus Wainwright, loved his vocal performance! Rarely do I listen to this kind of pop music, but the production value was over the top in a great way.

The Good: We get some SOUL music!!! The Bad: Somebody decided to use a Soul name for souless music… The Ugly: The answer to the non-question of the album title being NO! Fuck me, what the hell was that? Someone with a deep love for musicals deciding to bring it into the 2010’s? I listened to it… I can die… 1*

It's a bit much, although I appreciate the rich orchestration even if it didn't really work for me on the whole. Dude looks emo AF on this cover. 3.1

Talent. Integrity. A deluge of overwrought, soppy nonsense. Not for me, thanks.

I’m surprised by how much I liked this album. I liked the vocals and some songs were quite memorable to me. There were some skips in my opinion, but also a good variety of songs I would listen to again.

I really enjoyed this ..

The most boring album I’ve encountered so far and I’ve listened to three Elvis Costello albums and two Flaming Lips albums

Not my type of music, slow boring delivery.

Number: 222 Familiarity: None (1) Rating: 2 Before: ======= The album cover looks familiar so I think maybe I've listened to at least one song from this album but tbh, have no idea what to expect. During: ======= Reminds me a little of Radiohead but the vocals are not quite as annoying. I think it's missing a certain whiney‑ness that Thom Yorke does so well (or bad depending on ones perspective, and fwiw, I'm in the bad camp). After : ======= So I did not finish the album yesterday and listened to the last 3 songs this morning and gave them all a 2. Whereas yesterday I was about 40/60 on 2's and 3s. So I decided to revisit the first few songs and yeah, they are 2's. So the average went from about 3.6 to 2.4. I feel fairly confident now this is a 2 for me.

I previously had the follow-up album to this, the one downside of doing this list, and was pretty luke warm on it. This I enjoyed much more though. There aren't a huge number of standouts but it's got a good energy to it and for most songs a lot of polish.

Found this one not unpleasant but rather boring.

Its just fine but loses a star due to the dweeb on the album cover

I got half way through, skipped some tracks after a while. Turned it off

Wow. This album was incredibly boring.

12/08/2026 This is one of the most boring albums I have heard. I came to see the public reviews to see if people agreed with me, and I feel I am more disappointed that other listeners have rated it highly. Spotify listeners: 1.4 million

Rufus Wainwright has a voice like Thom Yorke. Not a bad thing but Thom’s voice is at least sometimes buried in some cool sonic stuff to distract you.

Mit take er det samme som sidste album vi havde med ham. Cute nok men ikke i længden!

Bizart og dramatisk! Synes den er ret fed, ved altså ikke om vi havde brug for både 1 og 2 på listen? Virker lidt overkill

Like the second one, grandiose (bad) and a Thom Yorke soundalike.

There's a period of time from 2002 - 2016 ish when American and often British musicians were making this type of piano ballad pop music that feels akin to adult Disney showtunes. I don't know what category or genre to put this in. Like a more produced singer-songwriter thing, that's not just guitar and vocals.

Meh, todo medio balada pop. Estuvo bien hasta ahí.

Kinda boring, didn't love dude's voice

This dude definitely listened to a lot of Nick Drake.

Some mildly interesting tunes. But not worth sitting through the garbage to get to it.

The music ranges from interesting to quite boring, while the vocals are ostensibly quite good, ala Jeff Buckley, except it sounds like he's trying to sing without moving his lips.

46

This was a confusing listen. After 5 songs I was ready to rate this one star. By the end I was charmed by the production and the sound. The main issue is Wainwright's style of singing is not for me. I was begging him to enunciate the words. This rating could go up after a re-listen.

Not a bad impression after the first few notes but this bores very easily. I think it's musically not that great, a but too plastic bombastic for me. The voice is interesting initially, but very samey and not really my thing, which made listening to this album a chore. The odd individual song is quite enjoyable, it "sounds good". But not really my thing.

1025 - "Sorry kid, no juice box and no orange slice. Turn in your kit on the way out the door." (One of his albums made the main list and I didn't like it. Now here's another that makes the supplement, and it's worse. WTF? If the editors are softening me up for another Bjork album, it won't work.)

I quite like this. It sure is a mellow blend of pop and classical, but there is too much going on here to dismiss it as the kind of bland and inoffensive cruise ship music that only appeals to the elderly and small children. Rufus has solid pipes and a good ear for the theatrical. Probably not going to be on regular rotation, but might play well if I am having a lazy afternoon.

Oh What a World - 3.5/5 I Don't Know What It Is - 4/5 Vicious World - 3.5/5 Movies of Myself - 3.5/5 Pretty Things - 3/5 Go or Go Ahead - 3/5 Vibrate - 3/5 14th Street - 3.5/5 Natasha - 3/5 Harvester of Hearts - 3/5 Beautiful Child - 3.5/5 Want - 3/5 11:11 - 3.5/5 Dinner at Eight - 3/5 Sounds like Radiohead got a lot less depressing and at the same time got a whole lot less interesting. Overall: 3/5 Favorites: I Don't Know What It Is

-i’d say my experience with this album is pretty on par with what i remember about Want Two, which i listened to almost two years ago. not bad but didn’t blow me away -started off very very strong with Oh What A World but never quite reached that height again imo. i will acknowledge his lovely voice and great inclination toward theater and songwriting! -Favorites: Oh What A World, Beautiful Child

Really enjoyed this album. It's got the right kind of voice, the right kind of instrumentation. I want to listen to this again.

This album sounds a little bit out of time; it's giving me '70s vibes. Wainwright's voice sounds a lot like a young Billy Joel, and some of the song structures remind me of Wings-era Paul McCartney. I'm not putting his songwriting on a level with those two all-stars, but it's good, and the production and orchestrations are diverse and interesting. I'd have to be in the right mood for this album, but I'd listen to it again.

This was painful to listen to, all 8 seconds of each song.

3.5★/5 [07.30.2026] 08.05.2026

I like Rufus Wainwright. There's some nostalgia here for me. I read that one of the other reviewers said that they're like Disney songs for adults and yeah that's true too

Absolutely gorgeous album. The first song really hooks you into the album, and all the songs have a grandness to them. 5 stars.

This is probably the most painful album to try and get through, i've rarely struggled so much.

no thanks

Oh my god shut up dude. This rarely happens to me, where I find an album deeply irritating and I can’t find a great reason as to why. This is one of those albums.

I didn't get to this on Friday. So listening now. Not really sure what to expect here. The album cover is interesting. "This album is art-pop/baroque-pop, and it made the list because it’s unusually grand for a 2003 singer-songwriter-ish record. But this is not John Prine “guy with guitar” songwriting. Rufus Wainwright is much more dramatic: piano, strings, opera influence, cabaret, classical flourishes, big emotional gestures, and a voice that can feel half pop singer, half stage performer. This first track has a little bit of Bolero. First time I heard that was from a Tomita album my mom had. His voice sounds familiar. I wonder if I know any of his songs. His top hit is Hallelujah. Probably the same song that Leonard Cohen does. Yep. I wonder who did the original of that song. Hm! Turns out Cohens was first. Movies of myself is kinda cool. Has the same rhythm as I would walk 500 miles. Well I got as far as Natasha. Not really my style, I'll give it a 3. This is my first time using the editing feature! Im so happy they've integrated this into the app. Well it felt disrespectful to NOT listen to the full album. So I did infact finish the album. It was an interesting listen. I don't think it's something i'd go back and isten to but. I appreciate the work.

Extremely mediocre.

Another painful listening.

God I want to punch him in the face

Quite listenable.

I have so much time and love for Rufus Wainwright. Watched him perform live so many times over the years. My sister got me onto this record when it was released in 2003. His mix of theatrics and folky tunes works. His voice is stunning. The man can do no wrong musically. Every song is a banger. All killer. 5/5

Pleasant to listen to, and Rufus' talent is evident, but nothing grabs me and makes me want to listen repeatedly.

Dude has a great voice, but this was overwrought and overproduced and saccharin at times. Could have used a bit more restraint and stripped them back.

Disney soundtrack by thom yorke

Not really rock, more like chill alternative. Ok.

Oh What a World 3.4 I Don't Know What It Is 3.2 Vicious World 3 Movies of Myself 3.3 Pretty Things 3 Go or Go Ahead 3.3 Vibrate 3.1 14th Street 3.3 Natasha 3 Harvester of Hearts 3 Beautiful Child 3 Want 2.7 11:11 3 Dinner at Eight 2.8 Score: 3.078571429

Thom Yorke sounding at times. It's good overall. The arrangements are good and it's probably on here for that and the songwriting more than anything else. 3.5/5. Raising to 4.

Interesting

07/18 Boring

I was happily surprised with this album. I'm not a big Rufus Wainwright fan but some of these songs were really strong. Great writing and really strong musicians.

so ass

this is genuinely hella good kinda thom yorkey vocals at times 🤪 oh and i always thought his version of hallelujah was the best

Just really dull. Probably would have been one star early on in this process but I’ve heard the lows the we can get to now and need to re-baseline.

In some god forsaken alternate reality, Thom yorke’s post-Bends-anxiety gets the better of him. Instead of writing OK Computer he quits Radiohead and takes a job singing West End musicals with atrocious lyrics. I tried to dance to Britney Spears / I guess I’m getting on in years / My phones on vibrate for you / god knows what all these new drugs do. I mean jesus fucking Christ.

Great album. I love so many of Rufus’ songs.

Beautiful stuff really, musical world building. Some v fun harmonies and quite a wide range of musical influences drifting in and out, tied together throughout with some v consistently nice vocals. 4.7/5.0 Best Song: Want

..

I should be a huge Rufus Wainwright fan. He's an excellent singer with poetic lyrics and he often embellishes his artful pop music with classical elements and instrumentation. But something bothers me; something's missing. Or rather, listening to what is probably his best album, "Want One", I realise that something is just too much for me. It's too beautiful, too ornate and too playful. The result often comes across as overly sweetened, to the point where I switch it off. It's a brilliant idea to quote Ravel's 'Boléro' in 'Oh What a World' in a heavily slowed-down sequence, and of course a song like 'Natasha' is so beautiful it makes you want to cry. But over the course of a whole album, Rufus Wainwright is too much for me – too pretentious, too good to be true. The glycaemic index of his music is simply too high for my taste. It's lovely, but I have to consume it in very small doses.

Have I listened to this album before No How familiar am I with this album Completely unfamiliar How do I feel about this artist? I don’t know who this is at all Pre-Listen Thoughts: OK something new let’s see what happens Favorite track(s): 14th Street, Beautiful Child Post-Listen Thoughts: His voice reminds me of Gordon Gano but a little more polished, overall this was a solid album. I enjoyed it a lot for something I’d never heard before.

This is simultaneously too much and not enough. Nothing about this makes me want to listen to it more than the 3 spins I gave it and yet.... nothing about it makes me dislike it either. This is the epitome of "welp, this exists."

Love it! A bit long, but I can’t deny the Wainwright family talent!

God I think early 2000s might be my most hated era. It's whatever, why is this here, it doesn't deserve it, its the same as a bunch of bands from the same time that defined this era of mid. Everyone like "I CAN SING LIKE THOM YORKE TOO!" but Radiohead isn't even good.

This one grew on me as I listened. Still not really my type of music, but I like his voice and the production is very good.

Svag för thom yorke-ös-rösten. Bitvis riktigt bra, bitvis lite bjäring. Stark 3a eller rak 4a

hans röst är som en vägg

I can’t get into Rufus

I guess this has been removed from subsequent editions of the book - one thing the authors got right. We don’t have to listen to this. Uninteresting. Boring. Maybe 1 song that was good and his voice shined. 🤷‍♂️

I was bored more often than not. And kinda cheesy.

Not as bad as 2 but still makes my teeth vibrate

I'm not sure what was supposed to stand out about this album. It wasn't bad, kind of ambient music.

Could not listen to the whole thing, reminded me of plain noodles

Hated it at first but actually found it quite pleasant after a while

No reason for this to be on here

'Is there anyone else who's too / In love w/ beauty?' Rufus Wainwright, just like Sufjan Stevens, wants things beautiful & witty, but neither one of them has mastered that conjunction to the extent that Stephin Merrit has. 'Stop me making movies of myself.' Nothing here is exactly incoherent, but it's always reaching for some sort of intellectual integrity that's boring & vapid. Prolific arrangements & (all things considered) solid songwriting save this album from being a complete dud, & Want One is far better than Want Two, but too much of the following irritates: 'Wouldn't it be a lovely headline / "Life is Beautiful" on The New York Times?'; 'Pretty things / So what if I like pretty things?' +, as a vocalist, he has too much of that Thom Yorke affect.

I recognize that it is well produced baroque / sophisti-pop. Though I would argue that the songwriting quality is far overrated. As wrought as the lyrics seem to be, I found the songwriting and performance fairly unemotional. The feelings didn't really feel evoked at all. It probably doesn't help that I am not a fan of Rufus Wainwright's vocal performance style. I tried to put that to the side and focus instead on the lovely instrumental arrangements and choices, like those for example in "Oh What a World". But unfortunately for me, I didn't realize that was the high point of the album and that it would only become more mundane instrumentally from there. A frequent frustration of mine was that Wainwright seemed to have an aversion to including any well arranged choruses into his song arrangements. By the end of it, I felt I was being force fed a huge batch of undercooked indie bullshit. Somebody give me a Kate Bush or Imogen Heap palette cleanser. I got get this Wainwright out of my teeth.

Some interesting production and arrangements but sadly didn’t really do it for me

I swear Rufus be on one when he makes these. This is good but I think I like Want Two more. It has more of a bard feeling. Love Go or Go Ahead though

Sure its a little artsy, and foofy but damn good instrumentation, song writing and performance. I really dig this stuff and I frankly always ignored Rufus on my way to where I am in music.

This guy wants to put my best friend Thom Yorke out of a job, but he sucks!

Better than expected. But why is is so long?

This strikes me as a bit self-indulgent... the sappy orchestra backing and whatnot turned me off a bit. His weird nasally whiney voice didn't super help TBH. Not for me.

Never listened. Expectations: None - Verdict: Good - I had no idea what to expect with this one. The opener is kind of cool and the next track I quite like despite the musical theatre vibe. Vicious World is really nice. The next couple of tracks are alright but a bit forgettable. Go Or Go Ahead is really good. There are touches I really like throughout the rest of the album like the outro of 14th Street but it doesn't really capture me for the most part. Beautiful Child and Want are good however.

Theatre kid core 👎

Buena producción y calidad, pero no es de mi gusto musical

I wanted to give it 3 stars but it bore me to tears.

Vähä tylsää omaan makuun. Hempeää ja pehmeää jäi päällimmäiseksi mieleen kuvailevista adjektiiveista.

Mahtipontinen, teatraalinen, tosi laadukkaasti tuotettu levy joka tuntuu vähän jäävän sisällön osalta valjuksi omaan makuun. Isoja orkestraatioita osassa biisejä mitkä tuntu hienoilta, harmiksi laulaja itse ei paljoa lämmittänyt, aika perus indiepop-hoilottaja. Paikoitellen tosi siistejä innostavia juttuja, mut pääasiallinen viba levystä jäi vähän vilposeks.

Amé a este artistaaaa

1.5/10 - Sometimes you know solely by the album cover.

I listened a second time to see if my ears deceived me. Nope, this album was just as bad the second time through. Special shoutout to the run of Vibrate-Harvester of Hearts for being extra annoying. 1/10

3/4

The best way I could describe Rufus Wainwright is if Julian Casablancas decided to make this super grand Chamber Pop instead of his Garage Rock revival. The instrumentation here is truly to die for as this project feels like stepping into a Renaissance Fair and listening to one of the finest knights you have ever seen belt out track after track for 58 minutes. Rufus shows off his quite impressive vocal chops by putting it over some of the most lush instrumentals I have heard in some time. If this wasn't an album released in 2003 I could have very easily been convinced this was from a bygone era when people walked around stone villages in nothing but rags. This project is such a change of pace compared to everything else I have been hearing but I feel just never quite crosses the "great" threshold I hold for any album in that range. I do think I will be returning to this project in due time but for now I have to say I was quite impressed!!

Poppy sound

Average singing. Too musical-like.

Absolutely stunning in some places. Best appreciated by me in smaller pieces at a time. Running through the whole thing in one sitting highlights some of the melodrama and excess, but take a song at a time there is real beauty here. High 3.5

Blind album, know the artist. Blissfully smooth for sure, but not jaw dropping for me. 3.

ew

In reviewing all of these albums, I'm realizing that baroque pop just isn't for me. I guess this is fine for what it is and it's not tragically bad, it just really isn't for me. Bland and kind of boring.

World's Whitest Music

I love his voice!

I know in general what his music sounds like, but am really not familiar with his catalog. He has about a dozen albums since 1998. This is the only one that Apple Music has an “Essential Album”. Very much enjoyed it, as did Elizabeth. Didn’t mind that it was 59 minutes long.

Weird, the mp3 of 11:11 I downloaded off limewire in 2003 didn’t have the depth of the Qobuz streaming version in 2026. Heard some new sounds in an old favorite.

love his voice, not unlistenable but i found this so horrifically bland, feels like he's capable of writing good songs but just chooses not to

Stylish package but definitely not my cup of tea. Notably sleepy album that I had difficulties to even listen through.

#417 / 1089 Heard before? ❌ Revisit? ❌ ✅ I'm not a fan of pop music, this being called "chamber pop" makes my neck hair rise up. Rufus Wainwright is a familiar name, in the sense that "I don't need to listen to this guy" is an automatic subconscious thought. Reminds me of a light version of Radiohead. I dislike his slurred mumbley mannerisms (a.k.a sössötys) while singing, which is why I had to quit the album after 6 songs. His music sounds pretty here and there, constantly familiar from elsewhere and too polished, but it is meaningless to me. I dunno, 1/5 🤷‍♂️

Too much for me, opera pop and very heavy on the singing. Nope!

Sounds like a 1990s movie soundtrack.

Ok

No idea what this guy did to warrant another album on this list after a lot of other artists aren't don't even have one. This list keeps losing its credibility by the day but this one wasn't terrible at least. Lots of drawn out operatic singing

Too whiny for me this one

Yeah, no, sorry, I will not get warm with Wainright. He's a wailing guy that wants to spice up relatively standard songs with some odd idea here and there. It's not enough, it's overall annoying.

Surprisingly fun and good. Never heard it before.

really good one

magical

Rufus Wainwright has a relationship with songwriting that I barely understand. I’ve always liked his sound and was really into Cigarettes And Chocolate Milk, but I’ve always found some of his choices rather inexplicable or aimless. This album seems steeped heavily in that side of his output and it’s not especially successful to me. However the songs are typically unique and confident in a way that makes me feel like I’m just not getting it and the fault is mine.

An over-produced, misguided, overly long album with vocals that grind on your soul. I was thankful when it was over.

Great production, vocals and theatrics. Did not move me.

impresive good sufjan stevens illinois but worst

Oops I forgot to rate this album after listening to it. Goes to show how unmemorable this is. Apparently this guy has another album on this list for some reason. At this point I've given up on trying to make sense of the random shit on this list. Favorite track: Go Or Go Ahead

Boooooooring!!!

La voz es preciosa, tiene un estilo "ópera moderna suave". Go or go ahead, vicious world, harvester of hearts es increible. Suena como esperanzador y melancólico, tristeza bella. Muy de soundtrack, una peli indie elegante.

Alternate universe pablo honey era thom yorke where he’s canadian and also sucks

i think i wouldve felt real deep listening to this in 9th grade

Where to start? With the review about "Thom Yorke goes to Broadway?" Sure. Spot on, but I, on the other hand, think that's a positive, contrary to that reviewer. Such grandiose music apparently inspires me to be pretty careless with commas. Pizzazz! I couldn't focus on reading the Wikipedia article, nor could I pay attention to my own thoughts for the review while this played. Everything here commands my attention. This isn't pop. You're not going to have some catchy hook stuck in your head for a week, driving you to buy the album or request it on the radio (does that still happen?). This is a "sit down and appreciate the music while it's happening" album. Over a year ago, the 1,001 list brought me this album's sister, Want Two. I think I had previously heard Wainwright's name, but never his music. I loved that album, and I love this too. Both will be fine additions to my personal collection ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Really good. A strong journey in words and music. I would listen again and I'll likely search out more of him! 3+

I don't hate this one as much, but I do hate that this was given two days after Want Two and that they were presented out of order.

Great... two days after torturing me with Want Two I get this. It is also awful.

Not much to say about it. Decent sounding rock, alt rock maybe. Clear lyrics with nice vocals

Another boring album. Musically, it did nothing for me. Lyrically, it was OK. Vocally, I ended up hating the fact that he'd start singing the next line so far ahead of the beat that his voice just lingered so bloody annoyingly. Just stop it.

Of all the insufferable sad and whiny white boy singers who have ever lived this guy might be the saddest and whiniest.

He has such a distinct voice, and he sounds wonderful when he controls it. Sometimes he leans nasally and it almost feels lazy. But when he projects from the throat, he sounds great.

Lovely instrumentation. His moody way of singing resonates with me.

Not too bad but I don’t really care for it.

It was ok, kinda boring.

La portada del disco te da una pista en qué epoca está inspirada la música de este álbum. Música como de fábulas, animadas por momentos, por otros lento.

Had heard the name but knew nothing of him. It's like pop music for theater kids, but it's definitely really well done. His voice felt somewhere between a less whiny Thom Yorke or the singer from Muse. Songwriting was solid but definitely too long.2.5 rounded up bc I would see what else he's got.

I had only heard I Don't Know What It Is and Dinner at Eight before but the rest of the album was pretty good. I probably won't be doing a deep dive into his catalogue because the opulence and grandeur of the songwriting isn't something I'd always be in the mood for, but I might change my mind. After all, Rufus was at one time, a tit man, according to his Dad.

I think life might be too short to waste one more minute of it rolling my eyes at this man's voice.

I already knew this album, but I didn't realise it. I must have listened to it when it came out. It's lovely, sumptuous, opulent. I liked it a lot but it was very front-loaded, I'd lost a bit of interest by the end

Never listened to anything by Rufus Wainwright before this. It was a little ‘musical’ in the composition of the aongs but ovwrall i found myself enjoying it as background music.

tuba sollte verboten werden. ganzes album ziemlich schwerfällig.

I like this guy

Listens: 2 Standout Tracks: None Ugh, I guess this is gonna be one of those rants about how Rufus Wainwright has TWO albums on the List, and as I've seen across countless comments now (not for this album specifically), there's a lot of good artists that don't even have a single album on the List. I gave Want Two, a 4, I think. It must have been since one of the songs showed up on a hand-built playlist I made, where I only include tracks from 4 and 5 star albums. I did not connect with this album so much, and combined with the fact that Rufus already got his day in the sun - my listening to Want Two two hundred albums ago - this gets a much lower grade of 2.

No words...❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I read the less favourable reviews before I started this album. Those along with my initial preconception of Rufus Wainwright based on one song I heard and didn't like, I felt this was going to be a chore. Happy to say again, I was incorrect..pleasantly surprised with this album. It's giving a good 4, enough for me to revisit it in a few months. Some of these tracks sound a bit Broadway but it's not all bad. Never realised how much he sounds like Thom Yorke until I read the reviews.

Nah, couldn’t get into this. 1.5 stars

This is fine. Can't really fault it for anything but it's kind of uninteresting to me. Inoffensive but unmemorable.

I enjoyed this but didn't find it revelatory. I did end up getting messed around as I had already done Want Two previously but ended up listening to it again, instead of this record, because of confusion on my part... it had been over a year since Want Two. This is a different record which came out in 2003 (not 2004) and was only on some editions of the 1001.

I’ve tried and just can’t get into this guy. A couple ok songs here but I quickly become bored.

Oh dear - this guy again How?? This really is not 1001 material Dont like the voice, lyrics, music, cover art, anything Go away, and dont come back

Está bien, aunque a veces me resulta un poco cargante.

I was already familiar with Rufus Wainwright through his guest appearance on I Am a Bird now, so I thought I knew to expect mostly the same thing. Instead, it turns out he's actually more like Radiohead as an Elephant 6 band, with overblown production! Alas, I'm generally not huge on either Radiohead or Elephant 6, so it doesn't really do much for me, but nevertheless it's always a bit exciting to have your expectations blown to shreds!

Good find. Voice reminds me of Thom Yorke and there are some Radiohead adjacent vibes. Could grow on me. First song grabbed me but much of the others fell into the background.

This was better than the other album by his on the list. Had a bit more energy to it, but still felt like a poor man's Thom Yorke. Also, just a little too long, better in the first half.

Decent album.

He has a fantastic voice, but this is NOT for me at all. Incredibly boring.

Expansive, emotional baroque pop. Enjoyed this one, but not much replay value. His voice reminds me of Thom Yorke, but the music reminds me of Sufjan Stevens.

This was decent. I had a different album from him long, long ago that I don't think i clicked with but I enjoyed this. 6/10

I kinda see some of the song concept but its below average album lyrically and overall 2/10 but I see the concept in way but its not that good

Chill album

This was tough to get through. Almost like a modern day Billy Joel with a twist, only a lot more sad and not as good.

It’s hard to pull off chamber pop. And Rufus does an ok job with it here, even if a bit ambitious. Just not my bag, and way too dramatic and times pretentious for a weekend listen. The vocal comparisons to Thom Yorke are obvious, and there’s even some Sufjan and Elton sonic similarities tucked in there somewhere. Still, overall just an ok listen that in the end sounds the same from song to song to song to…

Listening to this in the car with my family. 20 minutes in I say to my wife: “this isn’t very good is it?” She agreed. There were a few bands this reminded me of (eg Radiohead) but just not as good as those others.

A bit bloated and bordering on adult alternative sounding, but overall ok album. 2.75/5

Loved the theatricality

A Mercury prize nomination from one of the most acclaimed artists around the turn of the millennium. The fact that he was born to singer songwriter royalty (London Wainwright and Kate McGarrigall) and has a sister in the same profession has only increased interest in his work. He has a distinctive voice - today I definitely heard a more theatrical vibrato enhanced version of Thom Yorke - and the song 'Go or go ahead' sounded like a classic Radiohead track. It's all musically crafted, with some classical references (Bolero on first track) and aspects of theatrical performance, and he's been requested to collaborate with some renowned artists over the years, but I find it hard to think of this album as an essential listen.

we have more than 1000 albums and we get two Rufus Wainwrights within 3 weeks. a lot of Rufus for me. a lot of singing, maybe too much singing. 2.5

This is a lot of Rufus Wainwright for one sitting but I did enjoy a lot of it, especially Go or Go Ahead and I think 14th Street

Pop, baroque pop, chamber pop, rock.

Too opulent for my taste

A nice easy listening album. Particularly interesting is the first song "Oh what a world", which references Ravel's "Boléro"

This album made me homophobic

Thom Yorke wailing over Disneyfied Robbie Williams songs Also he's called fucking Rufus hahaha

I bounced back and forth how I felt about this one. It has a Beatles in the 2000s sensibility that tends to work well for it. However it is quite a long album and meanders through a lot of songs I don’t really remember. I think it was an okay listening experience, but I don’t know that it would definitively be on everyone’s list.

Pretty weird to have both of these albums and not one as it was later released as a double album. Could have had Poses as well which is just as good. This is absolutely brilliant, I love him. Nice to get the nudge to listen to it again.

Melodious and enjoyable.

How to describe this style of music...perhaps orchestral-infused pop with a bit of jazz thrown in? Actually, the majority of this album sounds like it belongs in a Broadway musical. There's piano, strings, and some beautiful melodies. Some tracks have the added additions of guitars and drums, too. The whole thing is quite sweeping and grand, but something I'd expect more from a soundtrack than a standard album. Several of the songs were good, but this music isn't something I'd pursue on my own.

Album cover look promising. Delivery was lame

Meh. Disney music. Didn't love this one but it wasn't torture.

I have huge issues with his voice (& live it is revolting with uncomfortable sucking sounds on the inhale), but there is a bit of genius within which isn't a surprise with his heritage. The setting of "Oh What A World" against Ravel's Bolero is audacious and brilliant, it just works. I did have this at the time of release and quite liked it but didn't lead to me following him thereafter (his sister took over for us!). It's a shame if Rufus is on here twice but not his mum dad or sister! 23 years on and this sounds very fine indeed, I've enjoyed every moment of it and will be keeping it on rotation, thanks 1001 and Rufus.

Some pleasant pop, I'd definitely prefer this over, say, BTS, but not much to highlight or add to my rotation either.

Too whiny

Not his old man. Nor his old lady. Preferred them both to the son.

Radiohead to dager på rad men en dag er det jævlig bra mens den neste mangler det noe. Spesielt Go or Go Ahead kunne vært et outtake fra OK Computer. Men jeg har hørt outtakesa fra OKC, og selv de er bedre enn dette... Og på dette punktet har Radiohead gitt ut Kid A, Amnesiac, og Hail to the Thief -- tre skiver som alle er sterkere enn OKC -- så nå er det bare Rufus som fortsatt lever i OK Computerworld... Nå husker jeg ikke så godt hvordan Want Two var, men denne er bedre enn jeg husker Two. Egentlig burde jeg like dette godt! Denne skiva irriterer meg ikke, noe Want Two alltid stod i fare for å gjøre, men til tross på at jeg tror på følelsene hans rent rasjonelt, så føler jeg dem ikke selv, og da spiller det ikke noen rolle hvor teknisk bra det er. Inn i det ene øret, ut av det andre...

zzzz

Jeg likte dette bedre enn det forrige albumet vi fikk. Jeg føler han skjønte mer selv hva han vill her, og Ravel sitatet i første låta var mesterlig utført. Men det er no så køvlig kjedelig i blant

This was alright. I didn't particularly like Wainwright's voice at the start, but it grew on me over the album. Nothing especially grabbed me, except perhaps "Go or go ahead", which is a song I was already familiar with and have sentimal reasons to be attached to.

Lame

Of what?

I found his voice a bit wearing by the end, but I actually really enjoyed this. There’s something overly theatrical about his whole delivery but it’s the sort of thing that can work brilliantly when I am in the right mood for it, similar to the mood for The Divine Comedy

“Thom Yorke does Sinatra” isn’t quite the flex Rufus Wainwright seems to think it is.

yk what hell yeah 7.1/10

lowk kinda panic at the disco. pretty good just nothing crazy

ay dio mio la tapa. sintoma de la obsesión incomprensible de la decada de los 2000s con el medioevo. dios me perdone pero hubiera preferido otro disco de arcade fire a esto. es como estar escuchando una pelicula de disney de fondo todo el tiempo. No le pongo uno porque temo lo que pueda venir despues de esto

I kind of like the vibe but it was a bit one-note.

Long, chiant, et re-long derrière

🤔

Really wanted to like this one but it kind of just drone on

Anything I would write about this album would be too corny to memorialize here

Me ha encantado. Creo que es el primer disco de Rufus que me gusta tanto. Solo me guardo 3 canciones, pero el disco entero merece la pena: I don't know what it is, Movies of myself y Go or go ahead.

A new singer song writer for me. Some of his songs are worth a listen. Overall a fair album.

Thom Yorke wannabe does a shitty musical

lol nah

Great sample of Bolero in Oh What a World. It may be my favourite song from the album. Knowing how much this sounds like Radiohead's guy singing, a lot of people would pose the same question; what would this sound like if the singer was replaced by a trumpet. I think there's something of merit in here and there's moments that shine through.

His voice really is captivating. Such a well trained instrument. As an album it's quality all the way through, but nothing really stands out.

Don't get the hate for this, but it's admittedly not great. Go Or Go Ahead was my fav song and first listen of the album

I quite liked it at the beginning but it got beige very quickly.

His voice is a little marmite, but the musical accompaniment is where this falls down a little for me. Very ostentatious but without ever really adding anything of significant merit, no moments that made me stop and think ‘that was a nice countermelody’ or anything of that nature. In in the end, very little of memory, despite trying to do a lot.

01) Oh What a World - 8,0 02) I Don't Know What It Is - 7,5 03) Vicious World - 7,0 04) Movies of Myself - 7,5 05) Pretty Things - 7,0 06) Go or Go Ahead - 7,5 07) Vibrate - 7,0 08) 14th Street - 7,5 09) Natasha - 7,0 10) Harvester of Hearts - 7,5 11) Beautiful Child - 7,5 12) Want - 7,0 13) 11:11 - 7,0 14) Dinner at Eight - 6,5 TOTAL: 7,25 (73/100) Current ranking: 439/893

A bit melancholy but nice sound.

My friend loves this album, and informed me that the first track was a stunner; I must admit, after about 30 seconds of thinking it was okay but, basically, similar to Billy Joel (nowt wrong with that) I realised it was, indeed, special - I loved the Bolero motif and the theatricality. The theatrics continued on, in the lyrics, melodies and production of the album: RW was certainly a fine songwriter at this stage; it had a feel of the West End, so it's no wonder he's gone into writing musicals. I don't love everything about his languid voice, but it's a beautifully crafted album and an uplifting listen. Go Or Go Ahead is a great track; I just need to figure out which of my playlists it belongs on. I feel the need to include the words beautiful, gorgeous and lush in this review.

this is like jeff buckley maxxing and im a fan

Can't stand his voice

Equal parts humour and pathos. One of the best singing voices in the business

nah

Recognized him from Meet the Robinson's. Kind of a sucker for his music style

Sounds lush and just way too much and over the top. The actual core of the songs feels hollow or missing. I found it hard to finish.

Nice

Not my style.

At start it was so Radiohead, i thought i'd fall asleep. But the second part is so damn beautiful, it was all worth the wait

If Thom Yorke had at least 1 cup of coffee

Wasn't transported

I kept going back and forth on whether I could objectively rate this album without any nostalgia, but fuck it. I burned this album and played it nonstop when I was feeling particularly intellectual in high school. The melodies, his operatic voice, and the witty, musing lyrics still hit for me. I loved revisiting this for the first time in probably over a decade.

Powerful but unserious

young Rufus really sounds like Julian Casablancas if he had a good voice.

Stupid fucking album. Sure, I'll rate it what he wanted...

Great energy

Day 17 Want One by Rufus Wainwright This was… not for me. I really tried to be open with this one, but it just didn’t land at all. First of all, I really can’t stand his vocals. It feels like some kind of blend between Thom Yorke and Matt Bellamy, but like a Temu version of that. It just doesn’t work for me. The vocals feel forced, a bit annoying, and the emotional moments don’t hit at all. The music itself isn’t terrible. It’s not really my thing, but there are moments where it almost has this kind of beautiful, Disney-like quality. Still, it never really connects. “Go or Go Ahead” was probably the only track I somewhat liked. I can understand why people love this, and I respect it, but it’s just completely not for me. Wine pairing? Something white, sharp, and a bit too sweet. The kind you don’t really enjoy but finish anyway. Food pairing? Something equally off for your taste. Maybe an overcooked fancy dish that looks great but just doesn’t hit right. Vinyl? Don’t want it. First listen? Yes. Overall 1 out of 5.

I enjoyed this even if it felt a little silly at times.

No thanks. I kind of immediately pulled a stank face

You could have told me this album was simply one long song, and I would have believed it. Everything sounded exactly the same.

This album cover looks like AI slop before "AI slop" was a thing! The music is solid, though.

I like his voice and songwriting but it lacks standouts. 6/10

этот местами больше понравился чем остальные его из местных списков, в т. ч. песни с тенором и гармониями как у турин брейкс) но по итогу кажется только одну песню запомню

Didn't want to like this, but I actually found it catchy. His voice irritates me, but I found myself humming along to well composed tunes.

Brilliant

Enjoyed that, will dip again

I used to love this in my 20s but for some reason now I don't

me gustoooo, las mejores para mi son 14th street y go or go ahead.

Good but not for me

ok

The OG of sad dad early 2000s soft rock. Some good tracks but not a vibe I love. Some interesting influences with the dirge like tracks and interesting lyrics.

Instrumentally it reminds me a bit of one of my favorite albums ever - Illinois by Sufjan Stevens. Both are filled with rich, layered baroque instrumentation that sounds effortlessly lush and masterfully composed. Rufus is not as good a vocalist and storyteller as Sufjan, but then again not many are. Still a very enjoyable album. Go or Go Ahead is heart wrenching, such a powerful ballad.