Want One

I thought I’d heard a Rufus Wainwright album before today, but looking at his discography I don’t see anything that looks familiar. I’m not sure if I’m mixing him up with somebody else or if I’ve had some kind of cerebral incident. Regardless, I’ll be listening to this one today and giving some thoughts! Songs I already knew: none Favourites: I Don’t Know What It Is The best descriptor I can give for this music is “warm”. The music feels cosy, the vocals are unbelievably smooth, and I found myself sinking into my chair while listening. There is something lovely abut singer-songwriter music. Perhaps it is because their vision is undiluted and so presents a more interesting experience. Sometimes, I can find that this makes for something annoying rather than pleasant, but this is certainly not one of those times.

Sweet, lovely Rufus, always committed, often interesting, sometimes unfocused. Lots to like here, not consistently, but enough there to interest the listener.

Lot's of drama music and singing here. It's pretty good!

What a pretty voice. Tremendous control over his instrument.

Ok

it's melodic

Enjoyed this, more so than the other Rufus Wainwright record on the list so far. It’s more eclectic, more interesting for me, and from memory less theatrical. Not that this doesnt have an element of that, its just not as much in your face. The first half was definitely stronger than the second half, and definitely agree with the Sufjan comparisons in places. One track had a touch of Thom Yorke about it, cant remember the name but it was a belter. Will definitely be back.

I liked this album better than Want Two! Beautiful Child was one of my favourite songs. I admit the album wore on me by about halfway through. There's not enough variation in style to keep my attention for almost a full hour. I think a 40-minute runtime would have bumped this up to a 4, as is it's a 3.5 for me.

the first two tracks were really strong, but the rest couldn't quite capture that energy. he has such a beautiful voice and such poetic lyrics that i do want to give some credit to that, but it's very Starbucks Music in bush administration vibes. still, a 3.5 rounded to a 4 for me overall. it really is such a nice voice.

Very similar to Want Two which I've already heard through this list. They definitely feel like two parts of a single album to me.

Surprisingly good. Didn't expect to listen to such a beautiful album.

I liked this a lot more than Want Two.

- Not that familiar with Wainwright, but I can see the appeal. - The instrumental backing is the most impressive part here--saw one critic call it luscious and I can see why. Bombastic, fun, and rich. - Wainwright's voice does not quite live up to his ambitions and many of the songs were a bit "same-ish", but fun all the same.

On this one I had no idea what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. He has a beautiful voice and together with an orchestra sound it all comes together. The album starts off very strong, but the second part ain’t that bad also. I absolutely enjoyed it and I will try more of Rufus Wainwright. Favourite songs: - Oh what a world - I don’t know what it is - Go or go ahead

J'adore Rufus et il me semble que c'est réciproque si j'en crois les nombreux likes et emojis flamme qu'il a posés sur mes stories.

Tolerable in small does ... Rufus has one of the most unique voices, it's simultaneously dreamy and annoying ... it's beautiful, but the droning holds "mwaaaahh, mwaa, mwa mwaaaaaa" can get sleepy and tiresome after a few songs. Regardlesss, this album made me get through some of the work I'd been procrastinating on for a long time and since it was so successful the first time thru, I listened to it again.

Baroque pop. Now I get it. This guys vocals are a perfect match for the orchestral instruments.

My man Rufus has some pipes. Album was great, definitely need to listen to more.

This is a weird Radiohead album. Despite the vocal similarities between Thom Yorke and Rufus Wainwright, this album is pretty solid. The lurching, emotive ballads aren’t my thing, but what’s here is well done.

Never heard this guy before. Very Thom York-esque. The vibe is hard to pin down, containing subtle hints of fantasy, medieval-ness, dramatic opera, and piano/music hall, all wrapped into a neat genreless package. All of the tracks sound great and are genuinely fun to listen to, with the exception of Vibrate (something about the lyrics just don't translate the way I imagine Wainwright wanted them to). The album cover is very odd, with an unattractive colour palette and - looking at the knight's attire - allusion to just one of the many genres included in the tracklist. Weird. 4/5

A pleasant surprise. Have never really listened to Rufus Wainwright but I enjoyed it. The vocals are almost Thom Yorke-esque at times. Some of the slower ballads dragged on a bit but all in all an above average album. 7.25/10 (3.625/5)

I have to admit that I never heard anything from this artist that I really liked, so I’ve avoided his stuff. Three songs in and I have been converted. He sounds so good here. Really balanced vocals, very pretty music. Pop adjacent, but good quality. Good production overall. Some of the singing is similar to Thom Yorke, but not quite as good IMHO. But still very good. Ok 14th Street is more like what had turned me off to him. Too whiny and uncontrolled, too much all around. Skip over the next two, as well. Gets good again at Beautiful Child. 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.

Una de las mejores voces de cantautor moderno

The name sounded familiar but that was because I know his father, Louden Wainwright of "Dead Skunk" fame. Best songs: Oh What a World, I Don't Know What it is, Want

Me gustó, no me parece para un 4 pero no le puedo poner el 3 que le puse a varios álbumes sin chiste.

Great!! Really enjoyed it.

Good

Interesting voice. 5/5: Oh What a World, I Don't Know What It Is, Want. 4/5: Vicious World, Pretty Things, Go or Go Ahead, Vibrate, 14th Street, Natasha, Harvester of Hearts, Beautiful Girl, 11:11 Rating: 4/5

I am in shock that there’s a vocalist that exists who sounds like thom yorke and Julian casablancas simultaneously. I loved this guys voice and the music was pretty good overall but I didn’t connect with it like I would a five star album. If it sounded like a mix of Radiohead and the strokes instead of Elliott smith type 00s alt rock I’d probs consider it the greatest piece of entertainment media of all time tbh. Favs were oh what a world, I don’t know what it is, and 14th street.

So so sad and catchy. would rate higher except it all kinda sounded the same to me after a while. +1 for bc i said so.

Excellent stuff

Rating: 8/10 Best songs: Oh what a world, Vicious world, Go or go around, 11:11

This was a good album however, his voice is unique and I found that I could not listen to it for long periods of time.

I get it

Favorite Tracks: Oh What A World I Don’t Know What It Is Beautiful Child

Really enjoyed this one. His voice is great, and the song composition and lyrics are really good.

4/5

Like radiohead but happy. The album was decorated but still in stature.

Liked this, especially ’Movies of Myself’, he has a really good voice

First 2 songs were really good, never really heard anything like it. Next couple weren't as good but not bad. Overall a solid album.

Lots of decent moments and pretty enjoyable overall

En el seu moment va sorgir com un petit secret que cada vegada es va anar donant a conèixer més i més. Sobretot pel boca-orella dels seus shows, gairebé performances artístiques més que concerts a l'ús. Tot i ser el tecer disc, molts el vam conèixer amb aquest 'Want One' i la seva segona part. Era l'artista més cool del món. La seva música, la seva actitud i, és clar, la seva veu. Però també tenia cançons increïbles. Moltes. Al final el personatge es va anar menjant l'artista, però en aquell moment era imbatible

This is lowkey goated I can't even lie. I enjoyed the theatrical/grand instrumentals; I liked how large some of the songs sounded. I'd give a 5 but I didn't like some songs in the 2nd half.

I love how grandiose this album sounds, even the slower songs aren’t quiet per se. It’s a very solid singer/songwriter album with influences from other genres as well.

Rich and lush, this album is the companion of its successor 'Want Two', which I really liked. This is the better of the two. Gorgeous instrumentation throughout, the album really shows off Wainwright's voice, which has a Thom Yorkian quality to it. Rating: 4.5/5 Playlist track: Oh What A World Date listened: 05/12/23

Really solid.

Zucht.... wat een held toch die Rufus. Al de bombastiek en het dik-aangezette kan ik van hem allemaal hebben. Prachtige stem.

Ik vind niet alle nummers even goed, maar die stem 😍.

Not my favourite Rufus Wainwright album, but still very.

Very cool, good for Sunday listening

Pop. Dudo entre un 3 o un 4. Venga, un 4 porque tiene algo de pop barroco en alguna canción.

Was skeptical at first but maybe ruffie is all(wain)wright

Hmmmm i didn't get to pay super close attention to it, but I did like the vibe.

Chillax la max. Très sympa pour se reposer

I had gotten a Rufus Wainwright album prior (the "sequel" to this one, "Want Two"), but admittedly didn't remember much of it. Without revisiting it, this sounds a bit like that one, but maybe less (as I described it) "theatrical". The impulses are still there, but they feel like they mix in to the straight-forward pop provided. Certain parts remind me a little of Rod Stewart, but with a nicer voice. It started losing me a little near the end, but call it a 3.5 cos it never truly lost me, just made me ready to move on to the next one. Favorite tracks: "Go Or Go Ahead", "14th Street", "11:11"

AMAZING

The Wainwrights are an interesting musical family dynasty - critically beloved but only ever surfacing into mainstream appeal as fits and starts. I still haven't found a Rufus track I love as much as I have singles from his sister (like Bloody Mother Fucking Asshole) or albums from his dad Loudon III (like Unrequited) and he always feels a bit too Andrew Bird/Sufjan adjacent for my taste for me to actively seek out his music, but I think this is a solid effort. I Don't Know What It Is and Go Or Go Ahead remind me of the sensibility later fine tuned by contemporaries like Keane, and I think he's stronger when he doesn't lean so heavily into baroque elements and lets the powerful sustain in his voice take center stage. Would go 3.5 but I'll round up to balance out the diversity of opinions on the merits of Rufus's music within our group. No shade though, I get it, I feel that way about Death Cab for Cutie

Not sure exactly what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. Beautiful album, start to finish.

Gorgeous!

Had forgotten this album (and Want 2) existed. Very relaxing, although I can imagine his voice being a bit marmitey to some.

Enjoyed this much more than I expected to!

It turns out that the most charming baroque pop that I've ever heard is something from 2003.

This grew in me immensely as it went on. Ended sounding like Radiohead or Fun. or something.

I'm a fan of all the Wainwrights, and this one is particularly good. Heartfelt 4/4 time.

Yeah it's quite good but very hipster I guess?

Typically great.

7/10. Yeah, I like this guy. Very consistent sound, but I don't get bored of it over the length of his albums.

Rufus Wainwright sounds like Father John Misty for people who aren't that depressed. 8/10

This one surprised me. Very beautiful.

As soon as I say I don't like pretty, sad, slightly whiny songs I find some pretty, sad, slightly whiny songs to like. But they weren't all that way, which helps! I really liked this, I'll definitely listen again and listen to more of his work. Also, I totally called it when I thought spotify would pick Nick Drake to play after this album finished.

I don't know why I don't listen to Rufus more often. He has such a great voice, which the simple instrumentation makes beautifully clear on this album. It's not something I'd ever put on to "jam" to, but it really draws me in when it's on. Great work.

Not usually my vibe but pretty into this one, good stuff, 4 stars

Lovely voice. Strong start to the album, some intelligent songwriting and a couple of musical twists I appreciated, but it just started to fade into the background a little in the second half. Glad I've had the experience though - songsterism with heart.

Own this record, love this record. Every time I see a clock that reads "11:11" I immediately think of that song and it makes me happy. Waking up at 11:11 would also make me VERY happy, btw. "A little piece of bacon never eaten by Elvis," is one of my favorite bits of pop-adjacent lyrics ever. Great, lush record!

Lots of surprising tracks! He's like a more mournful Elton John

Totally captivated by the first track. The rest were really good too, but a little too much all at once. This guy really seems to construct a song deliberately, carefully, with purpose and patience. Really beautiful throughout.

Huh. Really similar experience rating this as "Want Two", which already came up. I _really_ dug the first track, and although the rest of the album has its charms, I can't help but wish it was all like the opener. Maybe one of his other albums is that level of OTT throughout? Fave track - "Oh What A World", as mentioned...

I think I got the second half of this quite a ways back and I'm wondering what I said about it. I liked this, he's clearly very talented, but there is an element of a little too clever (and well aware of the fact) and a little too gloss. I'd like to hear him a little rawer, a little rougher, a little closer to the heart.

Once Rufus sang "Still, I think I'm doing fine". Yes, he's doing fine, the album is nice. The first part is much better than the end, the album could be shorter. It was a pleasure to hear, I think I'll forget about it quickly. 3.5/5

I'd really like to rate it 5, because there are some 5 star songs, but inbetween them there are some others that are not quite so brilliant. I wouldn't say they're bad, but simply forgettable

First song is really great. I love this orchestral build up. It made me hyped up for the rest of the album and "Go or go ahead" and "14th street" were the only ones that were up to the challenge. The rest was dissapointing, vastly different in terms of atmosphere and boring. I would love shorter album with development based on ideas more similair to that from mentioned songs. In my opinion 5/5 album would be possible. But with all things considered it is 3.6/5

very good album, I would rate a 4.5. Enjoyed the varied style and sound! Reminded me of Kevin Max

peut etre un peu long mais j’ai dormi donc pas un problème

Liked it more than I thought. Wanted to check him out much earlier, always think of Hallelujah and Shrek when I read his name. But this was refreshingly thoughtful, the album. Dreamy, thought-provoking... I liked the atmosphere. Some of the notes about the making of the songs resonated with me. + Oh What A World + I Don't Know What It Is + Vicious World + Vibrate + Harvester of Hearts + Want

Pop with super dense and complex layering. His vocals are like Broadway meets Thom Yorke.

Great album

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

'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.

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.

Better than expected. But why is is so long?

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.

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.

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

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

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

Ok

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.

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

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

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

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

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 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.

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.

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.

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

Chill album

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…

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

🤔

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.

this is like jeff buckley maxxing and im a fan

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

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

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.

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

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.

I respect the ambition and the grandiose of it all. objectively good just not really my schtick yet I did add 5 songs to my playlist so make of that what you will. Fav: 14th Street Least Fav: Vibrate

5/10

Oh, look! Less talented Radiohead!

It's not my music, but I do appreciate the high quality voice and songwriting (and production).

3.8

Sounds like Muse meets Queen meets Bruce Springsteen and then making ballads

Oh what a world - 4 I don't know what it is - 3 Vicious world - 2 Movies of myself - 3 Pretty things - 3 Go or go ahead - 4 Vibrate - 3 14th street - 4 Natasha - 3 Harvester of hearts - 3 Beautiful child - 3 Want - 3 11:11 - 3 Dinner at eight - 3

oh hey, Mr. Hallelujah is back. i reviewed Want Two some time last year when it came up on thisbgenerator. we'll see how this one is in comparison Oh What a World - 2/5 I Don't Know What It Is - 3/5 Vicious World - 3/5 Movies of Myself - 4/5 Pretty Things - 3/5 Go or Go Ahead - 5/5 Vibrate - 3/5 14th Street - 4/5 Natasha - 3/5 Harvester of Hearts - 3/5 Beautiful Child - 4/5 Want - 2/5 11:11 - 3/5 Dinner at Eight - 3/5 Average score: 3.2/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ my enjoyment of this is about the same as Want Two (maybe slightly less?) like i mentioned last time, he's got a nice voice (even if he wants to be Thom Yorke really bad), and his musical arrangements are well-crafted. his music is pretty inoffensive overall, which is neither good nor bad. very middle-of-the-road music overall, though i'll admit a couple songs pulled at my heartstrings

gave me heavy bo burnham energy in the way that its heavy theatery vibes. ai goblins said he once cited rufus as an influence so im not wrong. sike i think it hallucinated but anyways i like the vibes, julie was onto something.

This wasn’t too bad..I actually really liked a couple of the songs. But overall, I give it a three. There are too many songs here, and some are too long.

Instant places me at a numbered table waiting for my meal I picked on a RSVP Card 3 months ago. Wedding tunes.

Self-proclaimed gay messiah Rufus Wainwright.

Best chill

This was much better than Want Two in my opinion. I kinda wish I had gotten this one first.

I really like the first song in the album "Oh What A World". Not too sure what the genre but nevertheless it was a good listen.

This album wasn't bad, but was way too long for me. This style of music just tends to drag on me after a while.

Decent sound. He's got an interesting voice

On est en 2003, et je me demande encore comment on a pu en arriver là. Le monde est en train de se demander si le rock à guitares des Strokes va sauver la planète, et au milieu de ce foutoir, déboule un mec avec un piano, une voix de dandy d’opéra et une ambition qui ferait passer Napoléon pour un joueur de flûte à bec débutant. Ce mec, c’est Rufus Wainwright et l’album, c’est Want One. Want One, c’est le premier volet d’un diptyque (le second étant logiquement Want Two, pour ceux qui suivent au fond). À l'époque, Rufus sortait d'une période de défonce à la crystal meth qui l'avait laissé sur le carreau, à moitié aveugle et totalement parano. Forcément, ça donne une autre profondeur à ces chansons qui, de prime abord, pourraient passer pour des ritournelles de Broadway. Allez je pose le diamant sur le sillon — ou j'appuie sur "play", peu importe le support, le choc est le même. Dès les premières secondes, on comprend que la subtilité a été jetée par la fenêtre. Rufus ne fait pas dans la demi-mesure, il ne veut pas juste faire un disque, il veut construire une cathédrale de son, un truc tellement massif que même les nuages s’écartent pour le laisser passer. Le premier constat, et c’est là que le "JE" entre en scène avec toute sa subjectivité, c’est que le bonhomme a une voix de dingue. Une voix de canard aristocratique, traînante, nasillarde, mais d’une puissance émotionnelle assez dingue. Il se balade dans les aigus, il redescend dans les graves avec une aisance qui m'agace presque. C'est le genre de talent brut qui te saute à la gorge, mais le talent, c’est comme le beurre : si t’en mets trop partout, ça finit par t’écœurer. Et Rufus, il adore le beurre. L’album s’ouvre sur des envolées orchestrales qui te donnent l’impression d’être assis au premier rang d’une comédie musicale à Broadway, mais une comédie musicale qui aurait été écrite par un génie un peu trop porté sur les substances lyriques. Marius de Vries à la production, c'est le complice idéal pour ce genre de délire. Les mecs ont dû se dire : « Tiens, il reste un peu de place pour une section de cuivres ici ? Allez, on la met. Et des chorales ? Oui, trois ou quatre couches de chorales, ça fera l’affaire. » C’est là que mon enthousiasme commence à stagner. Quand j’écoute de la musique, j’aime qu’on me laisse un peu d’air. J’aime les silences, j’aime les respirations et ici, c’est l’asphyxie par le luxe. C'est superbe, attention, je ne dis pas le contraire, c'est d'une richesse mélodique rare. Mais c'est tellement plein, tellement léché, tellement "parfait" que ça finit par manquer de ce petit quelque chose qui fait qu'un album devient organique. Je me balade dans les morceaux et je vois bien l’exercice de style. Rufus rend hommage à tout ce qu’il aime : l’opéra, la pop des années 70, le folk de ses parents (même s'il le dynamite à coups de violons), et une sorte de cabaret moderne complètement déjanté. C’est brillant, c’est intelligent, c’est plein de références culturelles que les critiques adorent déterrer pour se sentir intelligents. Mais est-ce que ça me touche ? Pas vraiment. Prenez un titre comme "I Don't Know What It Is", c’est une machine de guerre. C’est épique, ça monte, ça descend, ça explose. C'est le genre de morceau fait pour les stades ou les opéras de Vienne. Mais une fois l’explosion passée, il reste une impression de "trop". Rufus est un boulimique e il veut tout bouffer, tout embrasser, tout posséder. C’est d'ailleurs le titre de l'album : Want One. Alors oui, il y a des moments de calme, comme "Dinner at Eight", où il s'adresse à son père. Là, on touche à quelque chose d'un peu plus vrai, d'un peu plus dépouillé. Mais très vite, la grosse machine orchestrale repart de plus belle. On ne peut pas rester dans le simple avec lui, il faut que ça brille, il faut que ça pète. En 2003, cet album a été reçu comme le messie de la "Baroque Pop". Pour moi, c'est surtout un disque qui regarde beaucoup dans le rétroviseur. Il ne révolutionne rien, il recycle avec un brio incroyable des codes qui existent depuis des décennies. Il les mélange, il les pimente avec son charisme de dandy queer, mais au fond, la structure reste très classique. Ce n’est pas ici que vous trouverez le futur de la musique, c’est plutôt une très belle lettre d’adieu à un certain type de pop grandiloquente. Le problème de ce genre d'album "parfait", c'est qu'il ne laisse aucune place à l'imprévu car tout est calculé. Chaque coup de cymbale, chaque envolée de cordes semble avoir été pesée sur une balance de précision. Et moi, j'aime bien quand les musiciens perdent un peu le contrôle. J'aime bien quand ça dérape, quand la sueur vient tâcher le costume trois-pièces. Mais chez Rufus, même la sueur doit avoir un goût de champagne millésimé. C’est pour toutes ces raisons que je m’arrête à un 3 sur 5. C'est une note de respect. Je respecte le travail immense, je respecte la voix hors norme, je respecte l'audace de sortir un truc pareil à une époque où le rock devenait de plus en plus minimaliste. Mais je ne peux pas m'empêcher de trouver ça un peu pompeux. Il y a une sorte de distance froide dans cette débauche de moyens. On sent que Rufus joue le rôle de Rufus. Il est le héros de son propre film, et nous, on est juste les spectateurs assis dans le noir. C'est flatteur pour l'oreille, mais ça ne vient jamais vraiment nous bousculer dans nos certitudes. Finalement, Want One reste avant tout le témoignage d'une époque qui cherchait encore ses nouvelles icônes. Rufus Wainwright en est devenu une, assurément. Mais est-ce que cet album mérite sa place parmi les 1001 qu'il "faut" avoir entendus ? Peut-être pour son côté ovni dans le paysage de l'époque. Mais pour moi, il reste un bel objet de curiosité.

Love the composition in this album and a few of the singer-songwriter aspects but honestly this was kind of boring to listen to. Every song felt sort of redundant except in its story telling but I don't really lean to that aspect in songs personally. Favorite Song: Beautiful Child, 5/10

Pretty enjoyable album with a very enjoyable cover. Nice piano melodies

mid surfjan

I like the more upbeat songs than the slower songs. The slower songs can be dull & overtly long. I found Vibrate to be interesting song, the lyrics are quirky enough but takes itself seriously. I laughed at it a bit but its a good song. It's a little uneven but it's alright. A bit too theatrical for my tastes. The album cover reminds me of the Sword in the Stone Disney movie because from a distance Want looks like Wart. Wainwright is also dressed as knight. Wart was the Arthur's nickname in said movie. His name's font reminds me of Mother Love Bone or Temple of a Dog album cover.

Great voice but no songs grabbed me

I didn’t really know what to expect going in. The only thing I knew of his was his feature on The Loneliest Time by Carly Rae Jepsen, which I loved. His voice struck me immediately as something special, elegant, emotional, and very distinctive. That alone made me curious to hear more. And knowing that he was already openly gay at the time this album was released added another layer of interest for me. I was genuinely excited to hear his perspective, his emotional world. But the album itself surprised me. Not in a bad way, but in an unsettling one. It has a theatricality that I wasn’t expecting, something very dramatic, very ornate, almost excessive at times. It feels deeply performative, like it was created by someone with a strong background in theater. And I mean that as a compliment. There’s a sense of grandeur and intention behind everything. His voice often reminded me of Chris Colfer’s voice as Kurt on Glee, that same fragile clarity mixed with emotional intensity. At the same time, it wasn’t an easy listen for me. The album made me restless. I couldn’t listen to it all in one sitting. I had to pause several times, not because it was bad, but because it demanded a certain emotional attention that felt exhausting. It’s long, dense, and sometimes overwhelming. I ended up giving it three stars, because while I admire it, I didn’t fully connect with it. Out of the fourteen tracks, I saved five that really stood out to me, I Don't Know What It Is, Pretty Things, Vibrate, 11:11, and especially Dinner at Eight. “Dinner at Eight” is, without question, the emotional centerpiece. It’s stunning. The piano, the vocal performance, the vulnerability of the lyrics, everything comes together in a way that feels devastating and intimate. It’s easily the best moment on the album. I don’t regret listening to Want One at all. In fact, I’m glad I did. It challenged me. It showed me something different. But I also don’t see myself returning to it often.

Pretty good. Nice sound but nothing special.

Radiohead on broadway. I liked the first three tracks a bit aside from the bolero interpolation but then the songs started to be really hit or miss. He leans too much into the musical theater-ness for my taste but I actually like his tenor-y voice. Very mixed feelings on the whole thing

This album was a very pleasant surprise - ar first. I had never listened to Rufus Wainwright’s music before. The first two songs really grabbed me, especially the orchestrations and countermelodies. The complexity made for an interesting and enjoyable listen. Go or Go Ahead was another highlight for me. However, the further I got into the album, the more tiresome it became. Wainwright’s voice started to grate on me. I think I like this album but in small doses - a couple of tracks at a time.

Eh… 3/5

very soothing, slightly boring

Soviet immigration x fair ground intro Pretty similiar throughiut m, show tune esc stuff Chilled ending Too long

00’s Pop Rock ⭐️Go Or Go Ahead

Ok but not my normal tatse

This is Rufus Wainwright's second album on this list. I didn't like the vocals or arrangements throughout the entire album. In the end, I was glad when it was over. I don't think I'll be listening to this album again anytime soon. 3/5

I like the instrumentals but it’s also a little boring

I can't imagine seeing this performed live, very lovely but kinda a bore.

A bit samey

Gayly overblown, Rufus can be an acquired taste. It's certainly a bloated album and could well do with a bit of editing to bring it down to the 40 minute mark, but I guess that's not his modus operandi. It's a mix of theatre meets pageantry, meets pop, meets confessional. Oftentimes it's not in balance, such as 'Dinner at Eight' addressed to his erstwhile absent father with heartfelt and excoriating lyrics - but drenched in Disney strings. The scene is set here with the interpolation of Ravel's Bolero in the opening track - theatrical and over the top. But if nothing else, it's a solid collection of pop songs, and has a Beatlesque sensibility running through a fair bit of it. 'Movies of Myself' is particularly like an 80s Harrison pop number, with excellent bass. It doesn't quite match up to 'Want Two' which is full of more delicate moments such as 'The Art Teacher' and 'Peach Trees'. But there are excellent elements when untangled from all the showmanship. The more restrained arrangements work best. In addition to that he's quite a unique character, mixing show tunes, classical, baroque and credible pop and folk, with a good vocal - all of which is thrown in the positive pot.

Que grande voz, grande produção, instrumentos, tudo. É um forte 3/5. I Don't Know What It Is e Go or Go Ahead foram as minhas favoritas, mas todas as músicas são bonitas e especiais. Sei exatamente a quem mostrar este álbum e essa pessoa tem muito onde se inspirar para fazer mais música.

Meh

Didn’t love it or hate it, middle of road for me.

This was kinda mid. His voice was just okay, nothing extraordinary, the songs were the same. This really wasn't anything to write home about.

musically it was interesting to listen to.....but it drug on. and his voice gives off really heavy Radiohead vibes (not in a good way)

Previously rated: #601 - Want Two (2/5) ************************ Album #1,017 Did I warm up to him a bit, or is this just a better album? I don't know. I listened to 400+ albums between the two of his, so it's hard to compare them without a second listen, which isn't going to happen. I certainly don't love this, but it's got some good moments. I heard some very Beatles-like sounds (She's Leaving Home and Ringo's solo Photograph) in here. I still don't like the lazy way he pronounces some of his lyrics (saying "fwee" instead of "free," for instance). I liked when there were accompanying vocals to break up the monotony of hearing just him for an hour. I’m not usually big on lush productions, but I didn’t mind it here – it’s OK. The last few tracks are a bore, so I’ll give this a very low 3/5 whereas his other was barely a 2/5.

Decent, first track by far the best

Like Want Two, I didn’t like this record all that much. I do like it slightly better because it’s a lot more acoustic guitar and piano backed by synths instead of the opposite. Again, he can sing. And the music is done well but it’s still soft pop crooners that don’t really interest me a lot.

Good and appealing but I just can’t envisage myself listening to it much.

Not bad

One of those albums I can sense is probably quite musically but didn't quite bowl me away as a casual listener

3 stars

Want One > Want Two

I expected even whinier

Palju põnevaid ideid ja harmooniaid. Ükski lugu kõrva ei kriibi, aga samas on ikka meeldivalt kuulatav. Mõni lugu läks mul Liked Songs nimekirja ka, aga mul on tunne, et siin albumil lihtsalt ei ole piisavalt midagi huvitavat, et olla 4 punni väärt, kõik lood on lihtsalt "OK", aga erakordset pole. 3.5/5, kaldub pigem 3 poole.

I can tell he put a lot of work into this album, a lot of production quality. But it feels like a dull Radiohead album. Lots of bells and whistles, but no hooks, no over the moon instrumentalization.

Well... That was ...okay. Rather merged into the background, like at a trendy bistro. Won't be listening again.

Want One showcases Rufus Wainwright as operatic yet introspective. There's a running theme of low-key melancholy and theatrics, with modern flourishes.

That was pretty good, he has his own unique spin on baroque pop. There were a handful that stuck with me, I wouldn’t mind going through his other stuff if I was bored. Rating: 3.2

Very talented theater kid energy

Started out beautiful and got progressively more tedious as the songs went on (and on).

Really liked a few songs but most didn’t make a big impression on me.

I knew Rufus Wainwright, but not much of his work before listening to this album. For me, this is one of those musicians where there are some songs I really love and then on the other side there are some I absolutely don't like. For certain he is a great musician with very good songwriting skills but that is not enough for me to give a 4. Unfortunately.

I fell asleep but in a good way

I enjoyed the album musically but not so much the voice that delivered it. There's a quality to Wainwright's voice that's kind of irritating and even more so when he goes into vibrato. I think I might have enjoyed this much more with a different singer.

This had ups and downs but the highs were pretty high. The intro (oh what a world, I don't know what it is) and the outro (want, 11:11) are real good

Stellar voice and interesting album. I like it.

Interesting

listened on friday, completely forgot what i heard by monday. ill give it a three because i don't recall actively disliking it.

6/10 - nice chilled album but can become slightly grating towards the end

Another solid Rufus album. Liked this a bit more than Want 2

Really well composed and written songs, at least for the first half of the album. Rufus clearly has a lot of talent, though his voice is at its best when he’s hitting higher notes. Sometimes his vocals get a bit croony or monotone. But he clearly has range. I feel like I want to like this more but the album just drags on too long and only a few of the songs really resonated with me. Still a decent and interesting record worthy of being on this list.

Just some meh

Never heard of this guy, he was pretty good

I like it

I liked the orchestra vibe. I did not like the lyrics / singing as it felt very imagine dragons cringe

Good, he’s got a great voice.

Cant say it’s a bad album. It feels like a lot of other 00s soft rock

Nice easy listening kind of indie-pop

canadian baroque pop, I don't even know where to start

A surprising 3 star rating from this tired listener. It matched my Sunday night mood. The excellent “Fo or Go Ahead” was the standout for me.

The faster tunes are pretty solid, but the ballads are tough to get through. It's something about his voice for me. The long drawn out notes just feel flat, or something like that. It averages out to 3 stars for me.

Not bad but I can’t say that any of these sonts really stuck with me

Rufus could use a less wimpy sound, but it's still quite alright overall.

Well... Everything was well produced and arranged, the songs were not bad at all! I liked it, but it won't be a keeper.

You get the sense there's a much better album in there, if he can just get over himself. The instinct to just do a bit more, more orchestration, more vocals, more production, just seems as if it overwhelmed Rufus. Plus, what's with the whiney singing voice, it's an annoying affection. Nobody sings like that normally.

The kind of album I'd listen to when I'm doing the cleaning - but I say this in a good way. I don't think I'd pick out any tracks that I'd blast out again and again but its beautifully composed and arranged. Bit of a Queen feel to some tracks, which I quite like.

Went into this with no knowledge of the artist at all. Enjoyed this, especially when it went full bends era Radiohead on Go or Go Ahead

Meh, it was ok. One or two songs I really enjoyed but the rest of the album just droned on tbh 3 ⭐️

The pros of this release is that a good number of these songs are done very well. Rufus Wainwright is a very accomplished vocalist and I commend his work on this release. Someone even compared this to Thom Yorke's solo stuff and I do hear it somewhat. The cons are that sometimes the theatrical nature of the record may be too much for me sometimes, but it works most of the time. My biggest gripe with this is the run-time. 58 minutes of this kind of baroque-operatic style is much to take in. The great stuff goes above and beyond (Movies Of Myself, Go Or Go Ahead) and if it doesn't quite match up with the quality, it's a simple pass. It should be noted that nothing sucks here. I am left with a fine impression of Mr. Wainwright's abilities and my sleep schedule is suffering (1:32am) (6/10, 3/5 on this scale)

Vocals got a bit boring after a while. It's not necessarily a bad album, but nothing sticks out. It's like a not so good version of Keane.

One of one, and I kinda dig it.

It's..random. First Bolero then Natasha....what's going on? Ok, in the end I should say it was calm and nice

Gooooo or go aheeeeead 3.5

This is very pretty music but I think I'm craving something with a few scuff marks. Did the song 11:11 playing exactly at 11:11 blow my mind today? You bet

Goxtei mas nada extraordinário

5/10

He's gotta be one of my favorite artists I never listen to. Time and place kinda thing, I guess

感觉像美声

3/5

Chill, folksy - a good listen.

We have many artists that tend to be more theatrical in their music, but they typically come to it by development or paying their dues in good old rock and roll. I am intrigued by the scope of Rufus Wainwright's musical talent and execution, but I think this album suffers from him standing on the shoulders of giants.

Quality stuff. Whenever I see a DreamWorks album, my mental image is a wunderkind showered with money and resources, like the orchestra that appears on this album. That might not be the truth here, but the preconception does make this less relatable.

Listened to it and a road trip and it was good for driving!

The perfect playlist for a rainy road trip when you don't have to pay too much attention to the lyrics and can instead drift along to the orchestration. I wasn't the biggest fan of his vocals and the lyricism held nothing spectacular - it felt a little kitsch (do i dare?, but there was an ethereal quality to this album which I enjoyed. I'll give it a solid 3.

I should think of something to say about this, but right now I can't be bothered. It was pretty good.

The album artwork to "Want One" is superb, with a front cover so striking it demands attention and prompts immediate curiosity about the music. As for the music, "Want One" is a nice listen, well written, performed, arranged and produced. Rufus Wainwright has a lovely voice, very soothing. Across the albums fourteen tracks "Go or Go Ahead", "14th Street", "Natasha", "Beautiful Child", "11:11" (Wainwright sounds similar to Thom Yorke here) and "Dinner at Eight" stood out as excellent tracks. The constraint of a rapid, high-volume listen (like the 1001 albums project) makes deep immersion difficult. This feels like a record that would slowly reveal itself and become a comfortable favourite over time, enveloping the listener like a warm hug. Based on this initial experience, "Want One" is good, intriguing, and certainly warrants further listens, earning it an initial three star rating. 1. "Oh What a World" – (3/5) 2. "I Don't Know What It Is" – (3/5) 3. "Vicious World" – (3/5) 4. "Movies of Myself" – (3/5) 5. "Pretty Things" – (3/5) 6. "Go or Go Ahead" – (4/5) 7. "Vibrate" – (3/5) 8. "14th Street" – (4/5) 9. "Natasha" – (4/5) 10. "Harvester of Hearts" – (3/5) 11. "Beautiful Child" – (4/5) 12. "Want" – (3/5) 13. "11:11" – (4/5) 14. "Dinner at Eight" – (4/5) Total - 48 Average - 3.43 72/138 albums reviewed were new to me.

I call Rufus Wainwright "dramatic pop" because his sound is so orchestral, elaborate and it feels very overdramatic, yet accessible. His sister, Martha, makes music that is just as dramatic, but she hides a lot of her drama behind biting lyrics. Martha wants attention and will work to get it, while Rufus seems like he doesn't care for the attention, but he is going to certainly give a show if you are going to notice him. Rufus Wainwright can be an acquired taste and I am sure he's too theatrical for some people to enjoy. I don't know if this is my favorite Rufus Wainwright album, as I enjoy Release the Stars more. Overall, this is a good introduction to Rufus Wainwright and the first album I would consider him to have found his voice on. My favorite tracks: Oh What a World I Don't Know What It Is Movies of Myself Go or Go Ahead Beautiful Child Dinner at Eight

2nd album of his I've been assigned. It's much better music and voice wise, but still has nonsensical lyrics.

If Thom Yorke went full singer-songwriter, you’d end up here. Theatrical, lush, and self-serious in a way that somehow kind of works?

some cool things here and there but honestly didn’t care about much of this. hints of radiohead shined through (derogatory)

Listening to this kind of felt like watching a Baz Luhrmann film. Nice Bolero reference in the first track, Oh What A World, fitting of it's rather orchestral arrangement. Not too often you hear oboe and bassoon in a "pop" song. Very cute that his mom played the banjo part on the 8th track, 14th Street.

Rufus Wainwright has a really strong singing voice. This album had great instrumentation and some cool orchestral/big band influence

Started off pleasant, but I found it got old pretty quick. Same sort of airy vocal style and heavily layered instrumentation that started to blend together a bit. Still an enjoyable listen through! Not surprised this eventually got bumped from the list to make room for newer better albums (this online list has 1089 albums, all albums to have ever made the list are on here). Favorite song: Go or Go Ahead 6.5/10

Gillade inte riktigt lika mycket som Want Two (som jag hörde först) men stundtals spännande!

This is 2003 Benson Boone. In fact, it feels like Benson Boone, if he listened to Radiohead and was just generally more sad. That being said, I really loved the opening track. And it kind of picked up again for me about midway through. Most of this record was kind of meh for me, I don’t love tortured male centered anthemic pop. But at the exact same time, some of the sad tortured songs were pretty good. Maybe that’s why I despise indie pop, it tricks me. I go from hating 5 songs to suddenly feeling all the things in next. Tasting Notes: Elvis Costello, Andrew Bird, Radiohead, fun.

This was actually OK. A bit too much like Radiohead, whom I love, but wasn't looking for a clone of. Rufus worked hard and achieved his goals here

Guys got talent

He's a really good singer and composer (at least I hope he's written and composed all these songs), but it all feels very theatric to me, which sets me off. Good music, but not really for me. My Rating: 2.5/5, rounding to 3.

Good

Je le connaissais pour sa cover d’hallelujah (Shrek 1), agréable d’en découvrir plus ! Tres belle voix. J’ai beaucoup apprécié « dinner at eight ». Certains morceaux faisaient très comédie musicale, très comédie musicale, très film

Its alright

I ended up liking this one more than I thought I would. I can definitely hear the influence he's had on some of the artists I love now (Muse came to mind).

Could have been great if it wasn’t for the annoying singing. The man knows his classics. I heard Ravel and Bach. If only he put a tiny bit of effort into singing properly instead of the unsteady Radiohead wail.

Was a bit surprised to see that this album was from 2003 after I had listened to it. Thought it would be more recent. I actually enjoyed a lot of the harmonic movements on the tracks and his singing is not bad at all. His voice reminded me a bit of Thom Yorke sometimes. What I DID find lacking was the execution and, especially, the lack of any interesting, or at least intriguing, rythms. I just feel some more intricate drum patterns and a more active bass lines than those pulled straight out of a German Schlager would have done a lot for this album. And it did feel a bit long too, as I was quite honestly relieved when it indeed. BUT, I still think the listening experience was interesting and different enough keep it from 2 starts.

This was much better than I expected it to be

3.5

Like a weird mix of Thom York singing for the Beatles. I didn't think I'd enjoy it and I was pretty correct. It was fine, just not something I'd choose to listen to.

Very mediocre

Pretty good

Somebody else described this as "Thom Yorke sings Broadway tunes." It's pretty accurate. When it's good, it's really good. Tracks like "Oh What A World", "Pretty Things", "Go Or Go Ahead", and "Want" are very good. But the rest feels too much like lounge music or something. While it's not outright bad, it's just not to my liking. 3/5

This was a little like listening to a Harry Nilsson album. Lots of flights of fancy and high-voice singing. Not my usual style, but there was something about it that was interesting. A few songs stood out, but I doubt I'd actually search him out again. Definitely different, which I always appreciate, and wholly himself.

So it’s definitely not a top tier chamber or baroque pop album, but it’s good for what it is. Rufus leans a little too far into the theatrical and dramatic side of the spectrum for my taste, but it wasn’t bad by any means. I’d be willing to give it another chance later on down the road.

it was all right

I didn't think it was that bad until Apple Music immediately followed this with 90s Radiohead and made everything I had heard sound so much worse by comparison. It was fine. I would listen to it and smile at my wife if she put it on. I couldn't imagine putting it on myself, though. It sounds too much like other music that I like better.

Curious album. Hard to describe. I liked elements of it. Some interfering songs, a unique sound, however his voice sounds like he's not trying and about halfway through I found it getting to be too much. He literally drones on and on.

Listening to this was very much like its successor in the 'want' duology in which I could liken it to getting an injection. I dreaded it far more than what I ended up feeling about it afterwards (I would like to think this album didn't have anything to do with me taking a long hiatus from this website and that it was just me being lazy but who knows). This didn't really provide me with any health benefits though it just left me pondering once again how Wainwright has a mixture of the zesty queer posturing of Robbie Williams as well as the snobbiness of Thom Yorke. From memory I enjoyed this a lot more than Want Two though I can't comfortably say that I liked it enough to give it a 4.

Decent album

Pretty solid singing and songwriting, not necessarily my preferred genre but I could put it on again for some kinda background listening. I’ll give it more listens.

Creative and pop driven, but not too deep lyrically or musically. not what I’d normally be into but I’m happy to have this kind of thing get inserted into my algorithm so that I can be exposed to newer/more recent music that might interest me more than the same old 60’s/70s/80s/90s rock that I’ve been stuck with for a while

I’m enjoying this today.

Sounds like a parallel universe where Thom Yorke went to stage school and decided to make cabaret style baroque pop instead of Kid A I think I slated the previous Rufus Wainwright album I've heard on this list, but I'm either in a better mood today, or this one is better. It's a nicely textured and layered album. Some of the complex vocal arrangements reminded me a bit of Queen My interest waned a bit in the second half but decent album

He has a great voice.

There were a lot of albums and artists like this floating around in the early to mid 2000s - Anthony and the Johnsons, Jack Johnson, Corinne Bailey Rae, James Blunt, or the Magic Numbers for example. That doesn’t mean that they were good, but they were inoffensive and easy for people who don’t really listen to music to listen to. This is bland, inoffensive, forgettable, and very beige. It’s not terrible, it’s not even bad, really - it’s just … there. There are a couple of good-ish tunes, but this album is nearly an hour long and a couple of tunes is just not enough to make me like the album. It’s three stars, but really it is 2.5 as it’s totally mid and rounding makes it 3, but it couldn’t be any lower on that grade without dropping.

Great voice

It was pleasant to listen to on my ride to and from work. I actually had two people recognize the music and compliment me on my taste. I don't remember a single song from the album five hours later.

his thom yorke voice is awesome

I like his voice. I can't say that the music stood out to me in a special way but I did appreciate it.

Ça partait pas si mal, puis je me suis souvenu de lui là, le wannabe Thom Yorke, avec sa voix fragile et geignarde. Mais le reste est pas mal meilleurs que Want Two, donc 2+1=3.

I had heard the name Rufus Wainwright but had never heard his music. Based on his name I always assumed he was a country singer. (I know, it's stupid to make assumptions). He's obviously got a ton of talent. I'm just not a fan of the overly theatrical style.

Kanye sucks

Very very flamingo

Enjoyed this and can see it being better with more repeat listens. Got Want Two to check out now which I'm excited for!

Nostalgic 🩷 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The performances and the production are exceptional. This man singing is very smooth and calming and everything else sounds super clear. So while the sound of this album is high quality, when talking about the songs, this album is quite stale. Almost every song feels the same, and I believe it is due to both the lack of variation in the songs and charm. Talking about the lack of variation, it is true that there are songs which introduce elements that are not present in other songs, like the trumpets or the choir in 'Beautiful Child', the structures and the emotions portrayed feel vey similar from one song to the other; and some traits don't even change, like his style of singing, which is very reminiscent of the operatic way of singing of Thom Yorke from Radiohead (and would even compare the whole style of some of his songs to Radiohead). When talking about the lack of charm, I'm refering to the absence of that power to keep me engage. When written about the previous point, it came to my mind the first three albums of Leonard Cohen. I think that, in terms of variation, what Leonard did with those album are in a similar level as what Rufus did with this one. But I find that Leonard Cohen music to be way more interesting and captivating. Maybe this comparition seems unfair, but the point I'm trying to make is that I don't mind the lack of variation when I find the music charming enough. So thats the reason whyI feel that this album is very one-dimentional, and even a bit too long. Maybe it would be a better experience to listen to the songs outside of the context of this album. When it comes to a rating, I'm not confident enough to give it just 2 stars, as I found a lot of quality in the performances and production.