Want One

Not for me.

It’s a really pleasant, smart pop record which Rufus sings maturely and well. Better than Want Two that was listed a week ago.

I kind of can’t stand his voice.

Every time I'm about to add a song to my playlist there's a line that is so bizarre that it completely pulls me out of it lol. 2.5

(2.5) On the fence about this one. I could see myself revisiting this and connecting with it a lot more in a couple years maybe, but just on this first listen, I was not super impressed. I feel like what this album is going for has just been done better, especially with this being recorded a few years after OK Computer was released. Not terrible, but felt kindof tedious. By the time I got to the last couple tracks, I was ready for the album to be over.

I think they meant to put this album on the “1001 albums that I’d rather hang from the gutter by my nutsack than listen to” list.

Trash. 0⭐

Boring, uninspired.

The songwriting is clearly good, I just couldn't really get into it too much. "Go Or Go Ahead" was quite nice. It sounded like a Radiohead song.

Tilgerðarlegt og uppskrúfað. Hafði þó gaman af þessu. 3,5.

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.

Masterpiece

Some nice stuff on here but overall found it to be one paced and that pace isn’t for me.

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.

Why is this guy mumbling?

I get it

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

Some interesting songs but album is pretty similar throughout. Standout songs: oh what a world, pretty things, beautiful things

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

Iha jees

Þessi plata er ógeðslega góð. Við fyrstu hlustun er þetta ekki rödd sem ætti að ná til mín, en hún gerir það nú bara samt. Productionin íburðarmikil en aldrei of, og lögin eru góð, sum hver geggjuð. Óskiljanlegt að hann sé ekki stærra nafn.

He's got a pretty great voice and all, but these songs are just meh. I expected more from the hype and left dissatisfied.

Pretty darned lovely. 4.5 stars... Oh. what the heck, give him 5.

4/5

fín, soft listening

I like his hallelujah song and thats about it

Started out okay and then after a while I just couldn't stand him anymore

Thoughtful, dynamic (in that it goes from super soft a little above speaking volume) and pretty pleasant.

Rufus is like a rich dessert. Really good for a couple of bites, but becomes way too much too quickly.

Ca ne m'a pas déplu, mais il y avait quelque chose de très produit dans cet album. L'artiste est très présent, mais j'ai l'impression qu'on a voulu trop en faire parfois. Ca reste un bon album en général. 3.25

I wasn't overly familiar with Rufus Wainwright coming into this, but I was pleasantly surprised. The opening song is fantastic with the marching band sound going behind the lyrics. And it just gets better. Really one of my favorite albums thus far.

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

Want one. Gets two. Still poor.

don't want one

Wonderful - like a warm hug on a cold day. An artist I have never appreciated before this, but now have a huge admiration for. A great voice, interesting songs (lyrically and musically) - all round, a brilliant album

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

Pretty but feels very similar to hundreds of other artists.

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.

Frist listen to this one, I've heard Want Two already and like that one. Kind of an interesting voice and sound. 3.5

Not a big fan. Interesting to hear the echoes of early Billy Joel, not sure if it is his accent in the vocals or some of the musical elements.

Song composition was above average, but nothing too groundbreaking or memorable. Vocals were a bit too dominant. None of the tracks were standouts. This album was just kind of... there.

Never heard of him before, but I'm now a big fan.

Lots of decent moments and pretty enjoyable overall

Unique, consistent sound. Felt a little whiny for my taste, but I can see the appeal!

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

Had another one of this guy's albums over a year ago, and only now do I realize that he's the Shrek Hallelujah guy. I like this, but I can't shake that weird feeling that I'm being catered to by some mega-corporation. There's a very distinct "music magazine darling" feel to these songs that I can't even begin to properly describe. In the wise words of Peter Griffin, it insists upon itself. Pretty good effort, gay Thom Yorke from Shrek. Good effort. Put some more pizzazz into it next time - sing it like you mean it.

this sounded exactly as i expected. not a compliment.

Fucking boring

Tykkäsin ja en tykännyt. Aavistuksen uneliasta menoa vaikkakin sopi päivän tunnelmaan ja ehkä siksi nostaa pisteitä. Jotain kakkosen ja kolmosen välistä.

Ei herännyt tunteita

Not a huge fan of his voice without some interesting instrumentation.

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.

Leaving my review, I noticed it was almost identical to my review of Want Two a couple years ago. Thom Yorke ass wannabe, too flashy and not enough personality, spamming lush instrumentation on an alt rock backing to come off as artful. It's forced and unsatisfying, often clashing with his vocals. The minimalist tracks are even worse, with nothing to keep my attention. There're some good ideas, but no song is perfect here. Favorites: I Don't Know What It Is, Go or Go Ahead, 14th Street, Beautiful Child

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.

Egentlig ein toer, men skal få et plusspoeng for kult cover

I don't think it's as terrible as Want Two, that appeared on this list like a year ago. Maybe I had a very bad day? But the fact remains that I have a massive problem to listen to two songs by Wainwright in a row. His style of singing is just vertigo inducing, and not in a positive way. His instrumentation was quite good this time, less baroque and even rock at some times, but it's just so hard to push anything past that vocal. I now need a couple days of rest after this cheerful album.

Just ok, not as good as the sequel.

BEAUTIFUL

Tämänkin kuvittelin arvostelleeni jo. Sietämätöntä disney sheissea! 1:5

En kyl tiiä, miten tältä on kaks levyä täällä.

Aika tylsää määkinää, en päässy sisään. 2/5

Meneer Wainwright met zijn zuigende klote voornaam wordt overal op handen gedragen maar daar ben ik 't niet mee eens; Allemaal net niet, met zijn irritante stem en over de top gezemel!

Groot fan van Rufus, maar dit was met tijd en wijlen iets te bombastisch. Maar zijn stem is echt geweldig!

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 😍.

Rufus Wainwright? More like Rufus Wain…not…wright. I don’t know, I don’t write comedy. One star 👎

Not my favourite Rufus Wainwright album, but still very.

The songs are like cotton candy, sweet but easily forgotten. The production value seems high. The grand orchestra is cool.

Nice and relaxing vibes. Quality singing although it got boring by about halfway through the album. Some more diversity would've been nice.

Yea it was ok

It sounds good but the songs are just bad idk how else to describe it.

getting MAJOR radiohead vibes from the lead singer. I enjoyed a couple songs. It was def a nice depressing album which i love. Saved a couple but it’s a pretty easy 3

What is it with the early 2000s and bombastic pomp? It's very tempting to blame Oasis and The Verve, but I'm not sure it can be in this case. Everything is soaring, full of grandiosity - and a bit shit. Vicious World has some truly unpleasant stereo imaging, which is I can only assume the mixing desk equivalent of an extremely drunk bloke at a house party flicking the lights on and off while shouting "Disco!" to a bunch of unenthusiastic and slightly embarrassed teenagers. Every track has that bright ostentatious sound. An old piece of bacon never eaten by Elvis.

Listened Before? No Album Art: 2 / 5 (I'm sure it makes sense in the context of the album, but as a standalone piece its pretty silly looking. Hard to know whether it is meant to be taken seriously or not) My sister was pretty into Rufus Wainwright, so I'm surprised I never heard this one before. Oh What A World opens the album on a slogging indie folk song. Lots of vocal layering with a theatrical edge to the arrangement. Vocals + bass on Go Or Go Ahead oddly remind me of Layne Staley of Alice in Chains. Something about the arrangement also reminds me of Killer Queen by Queen. All said, standout track to me with a huge slow-building climax and nice production. Tbh this is a fine enough album it just doesn't have a lot for *me*. Rufus Wainwright has a nice voice and he uses and layers it very well. Production is quality if a bit theatrical as I said before. For some reason, I'm just not really enjoying it. Pretty forgettable album from my perspective. On a relative scale this is a 2 / 5 that I will never come back to. Added to Library? No Songs Added to Playlists:

First couple songs were cool, then it kinda faded to the background.

Very pleasant instrumentals. I went from really liking some of the songs like Beautiful Child, to the others being a bit too slow for me.

Really dug the first song but unfortunately nothing after that really came close. The production is pretty solid on it with the orchestral feel to it. I liked his voice as well. All this to say it felt a bit uninspired and and meshed together a lot. Something just didn’t sit right with me and got pretty boring pretty quick.

Never heard the album before. . . Obviously talented, but not that interesting. Melodies are a bit too dramatic and theatrical. Feels cheesy and a little stilted. I don't connect to the music emotionally at all.

So emotional that I get the feeling That this is Music for People with no feeling, for those who do not listen to music but get these 1 or 2 recommendations per year they completely dig. CD rack holds 27 albums.

Very cool, good for Sunday listening

Not bad. But very forgettable.

Not bad at all. Never listened to him before. A little much in parts. Kind of Nilsson in parts. A little like Thom Yorke but more theatrical. Go or Go Ahead is great! Sounds a bit like a Radiohead song. Overall pretty good! At least a 3.5. Cover is weird though.

Dásemd! Hvílík rödd! Hvílíkar laga- og textasmíðar! Elsk <3

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

I remember this album! I enjoyed it.

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

Nothing special. He has nice voice.

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

Now THIS is how you pop a baroque.

Even though I listened to Want Two first, this is The Return of the King

Chillax la max. Très sympa pour se reposer

Idk, I feel like I should like this more than I do. I like the dramatic, orchestral instrumentals and production, but it's kinda just too one note, pretty as it is. Every song sounds the same, and I'm sick of it halfway through.

Elegant and engaging. Beautiful arrangements with a strong sense of pop songcraft. Charming and earnest vocals. The album could have been a couple of songs shorter, but overall it was a really lovely listen. Fave Songs: Oh What a World, Want, I Don't Know What It Is, Vibrate, Natasha, Dinner at Eight

My grocery store needs new music. I will suggest this.

Okay..

Gag. Absolute shit.

A great album all around.

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"

The chamber baroque pop is not really for me. It's just a little much. Beautiful no doubt, but just a little much. No thanks.

A great flowering of talent here, it seems. Rich and lush and layered and interesting – "breathtaking, eccentric opulence" is about right. A criticism might be that it all runs together a bit, in tempo and mood and excess layering, but how enjoyable and engaging it all is along the way and the combo of ambition/vision and fearless execution/willingness to go for it on every cut seems borderline genius. It’s a steady flow from strength to strength, with every cut registering – “Oh What a World” is a strong opener and great mood-setter, “Vicious World” and “Movies of Myself” keep things moving in rich cinematic fashion, And then what a sequence from the power of intense “Go or Go Ahead” to the yearning “Vibrate” to the rollicking “14th Street” to the legit-lovely “Natasha” to the wry “Harvester of Hearts” – RW leaves nothing on the table (hard to believe another record is coming). “Want” is beautiful, too, with the strong “11:11” and the riveting (if maybe overwrought) “Dinner at 8” make for an extraordinary (and fitting) close. Maybe it’s a little weak vocally, with a one-note style that throws up the same modulations and tics at every song. And it’s not hard to see how the overall feel might be overly dramatic for some tastes (not to mention excessively multi-tracked and overly instrumented/orchestrated). But the payoff is there, song after song after song. One expects to build a long-term relationship with this record (and its twin, which is nearly – but not quite – as excellent) as they have already repaid multiple listenings and definitively give off the air of a masterpiece.

awesome

As bad as I thought it might be

Some good songs - Go or Go Ahead,14th Street, Natasha - otherwise very similar and unexciting. Worth a listen - once.

AMAZING

the orchestration’s pretty cool

Great music. Not my cup of tea. At least, not this album.

I once sat directly behind Rufus Wainwright in a movie theater. It was at the Sundance Film Festival screening of I'm Your Man, a film of a Leonard Cohen tribute concert. Rufus was sitting next to Emmylou Harris. Perhaps because I have this special bond with him, I've always appreciated Rufus Wainwright's talent. He has a great voice and writes interesting songs. But I do find that he veers too much into the Broadway/cabaret range with his style of singing. Overall he's good, but I like him best in small doses. 3 stars.

Interesting. A little too subdued for long stretches. May take a few listens to fully absorb and may grow on me more. Really liked "Go or Go Ahead"... Sound alike Radiohead a bit.

I like want two better, but this is good.

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

Liked this better than the most recent Rufus I listened to. Still not entirely for me but this one felt a little more structured with better lyrics. I liked 14th Street. High 3.

Very pretty songs. The album listens like musical theater, which, is fine, but not something I really seek out to listen to. This was a nice listen but I doubt I’d come back to it.

I hate Rufus Wainwright. Wish I could give it a 0.

I don’t understand how he has two albums on this list, but at least I liked it more than the other one we heard. These had a grandiose quality to them that could be a little too self-serious but did seem sincere and grew on me as I listened and because it matched my mood.

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

An original work, with Wainwright's unique touch. Worthy of a listen, but then move on.

Alright, I guess they do know that other Canadians exist aside from Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, and Leonard Cohen. Not much of this appeals to me, it’s just too over the top melodramatic and pretentious, but I can appreciate that he is a real artist; someone who writes his own music and is a skillful singer-songwriter. I do feel sorry he has such a bastard man for a dad. Seriously, read the Wikipedia on Loudon Wainwright III, what a trash bag excuse for a human being. Poor Rufus. He had no choice but the become a musician to make sense of himself and his world.

Very whiny

Music for theatre kids and main characters

Theatrical

A lot like Want Two. Not as eclectic, though, and thereby not as good. The end I guess.

I probably wouldn’t seek this guy out to listen, but the albums of his on this list are really, really good.

Started out really promising but I started losing interest a few songs in. Could've been a 4, but maybe I will give it another chance in the future and see if it becomes one.

Gorgeous!

Couple good ones on here. I know him from his Hallelujah cover on the Shrek soundtrack and I'm seeing he also has Another Believer on Meet the Robinsons. Two classics. Interesting album cover too. Overall nothing to write home about but glad we are getting some "variety" (not UK)

Ugh. I know this name, not sure where from, but the music screams "posh twat." I'm not even British, and "posh twat" just popped into my head. The album opener has some lines about how unbelievable today's world is, straight men reading fashion magazines?? Inconceivable. This guy just seems really full of himself. Musically, it's fine, but seems high-brow in a way that just isn't fun or inviting. Not really interested in making new fans. Favorite tracks: Vicious World. Album art: Cover does look really cool, but the picture seems to confirm my feelings. Is that him? With the eyeliner and brooding look? Again, feels very self-important, this one. It's a really cool, elaborate cover though. 1.5/5

It doesn't slap, but it sure sways.

мне кажется уже было и уж больно слишком мюзикальный, для нового года хорошо подходит

Is it just me or is this Walmart brand Radiohead?

I don’t like his voice. The album was whiny and repetitive, not for me 1*

Didn't like this.

Stop singing at me. Gorgeous voice and production and really sophisticated songwriting. Clearly surplus talent. I guess he’s queer which adds a star automatically. But this kind of baroque over the top - more Beethoven tho - is too much for me. Maximalist pop. There must be a time and place for it. I’d rather listen to Bowie any day. White people and white men in particular just lost the plot after grunge and the dominance of rap/rnb. Doubling down isn’t the answer.

Interesting, very different to any kind of music that I have listened to before. Very funky but enjoyable to listen to.

Is this the start of the sad music genre? There's some since compositions in there and I have heard at least one song before. I know a few people's daughters who listen to artists who sound like their about to commit suicide it's so sad. This isn't quite there.

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!

Nice sound

wow so same

1/5. This is just an awful Michael Buble wannabe. Not my taste of music at all and really a disservice by Apple Music to categorize this album as “rock.”

meh. IDK why people made such a big deal about this album

Gentle it's my 1st time

C'était bon mais un peu long et unidimensionel. Je n'ai pas trouvé que grand pièce se démarquait du lot. Les arangements musicaux sont souvent vraiment très beau et Rufus a une très belle voix, mais ça restait un tantinet facce. 7/10

I enjoy the overblown-ness. What's the word? Theatricalness? Pomp. But I find his voice a bit flat. Flat with a vibrato. But flat. Or just irritating. If not for the voice would listen again.

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

The kind of indie where you can tell this guy would be really hard to talk to because he fancies himself such an artist (ar-teest)

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

very singer songwritery

Distinto, místico, mágico. Para mí este siempre fue un disco perfecto de punta a punta.

This is the second album I've listen to be Rufus Wainwright and it's a bit better, though still not a fan. I guess if you love bad movie soundtracks than this is your album.

I left this on and didn’t hate it. Which overcame 2 expectations. I would go so far as to say… I even enjoyed a few songs.

I like it better then two. Fine but not something i'm going to revisit.

I still think Wainwright has one of the most annoying voices in pop music. I just can't stand it. I can't get past the voice to even pretend to determine if there's anything "there" in the rest of the songs. I hope this is the last Wainwright on the list. Is it better than Want Two? Maybe, at least it didn't start with something I wanted to turn off 10 seconds in. This one took about half way though the album before I kept reminding myself that I don't skip songs during this challenge. But man, did I want to.

A nice well song and decently written album. This one seemed much better than the other Wainwright album. The singer songwriter style was well delivered and felt less spiritual or experimental. Overall it was good and would be worth revisiting. 6.6/10

Helemaal in het begin dacht ik het nog wel een schappelijke 3 te gaan geven, ook al was het niet helemaal mijn smaak, maar na een tijdje beginnen die langgerekte woorden en zinnen er teveel in te hakken en gaat het irriteren. Qua stem doet ie me denken aan een koorknaapje van een jaar of 11. Samengevat is het theatraal, circus, Glee. Michael Bublé als dat een castraat was. Op de beste momenten is het huismerk Muse, maar ik heb een redelijke hekel aan Muse. Op de helft eigenlijk al helemaal klaar mee. 2 sterren, omdat ik inmiddels heb ervaren dat het zeker nog een tandje erger kan, maar dit komt dicht bij de 1.

No sé por qué, pero parece que ya había escuchado este disco. O puede ser que todos los de Rufus me suenan igual.

Just not very inspiring, despite being completely pleasant. I imagine singer- songwriter isn’t a genre I’m ever going to embrace properly. So, meh really.

Pretty good.

I don't really get on with this stuff, it's too indulgent, doesn't really give me any impetus or interest even though parts of it are charmingly listenable.

A pretty voice, some pretty music, good but not great (opening track aside). A bit OTT theatrical in some places, 3/5.

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

Thought this was a very interesting listen. Definitely plan to listen to more of Rufus Wainwright and learn more about his background/upbringing. Seems like an interesting fellow, a tad bit crazy? 3 stars.

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

From the guy who sings Hallelujah in the Shrek movie comes a whole album that isn't the song Hallelujah. After listening to this album I listened to Hallelujah. That song is great, Leonard Cohen writes beautiful lyrics and Rufus' voice is sorrowful and brings out the heart of the song. Oh right, Want One is ok I guess not my sort of thing.

Typically great.

When it comes to Wainwrights I prefer Loudon and Martha

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

Very grandiose

Some of the musicians play their instruments beautifully and the songs are complex, but I was so bored listening to a lot this album. Some of the songs were pretty. They just didn’t evoke a lot of anything out of me and I’m easily evoked by music.

Nope

This one surprised me. Very beautiful.

Melancholy. No one should feel that lack

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 want to like it more, but he's trying O much of a whinny MF'er

what a great album of awful songs!

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.

His voice is good, production is good, but the sum is missing something.

I’ve heard some songs by Rufus Wainwright before, not many, but I remember liking them. This album is interesting. A little over the top for my ears at times but I also wouldn’t be surprised to learn that’s what he meant. He seems to skilled to me to let anything happen by accident.

I like his style, some good folk rock songs.

I’m a big fan of Baroque pop, and enjoy a lot of what Rufus Wainwright is doing, but for me, this album just come together as well as it could. The textures are here and the instrumentation is grandiose and theatrical, but the various elements don’t always flow well.

Eh. Very sleepy album that brings nothing to the table for me.

Oh yay, we get both parts! Weirdly, given the numbering, this is the less exciting half or Want One/Two, but still lush and funny.

No one can say that Rufus Wainwright is a bad writer and performer. His songs are ripe with melodic ideas and interesting one-liners, generally speaking. The thing is, as good as Rufus's skills are, there's not much rhyme or reason in the way the double-feature *Want* was contructed. Maybe a great *single album* lies there somewhere, if Wainwright had been better at self-editing himself. But frankly, I'm not interested enough to recreate said single LP. Because, as decent and lushly produced as the music is in those twin albums, most of their cuts still come off as derivative at the end of the day. And a lot of them even sound pretty quaint, trite, chatty or oversentimental. Which is a huge problem in my book. Some reviewers in here compared Wainwright's voice with the one of Thom Yorke, and I can see why they did so. But if Radiohead dabbled in mock-novelty cuts once in a while, the latter were always mixed up with many different styles. And the whole yet managed to be part of the same connective tissue. *Want One* and *Want Two* are actually far less adventurous when it comes to the genres they use or refer to. And yet they never manage to create such cohesiveness. It's like a catalogue of exercises in styles, with very few songs being instantly memorable, unfortunately. Exceptions in *Want One" are the rococo opener "What A World"--lush with orchestral quotes from Ravel's Bolero--, more experimental and subdued "Vicious World" and "Want", along with the climactic, heartfelt ballads "Go Or Go Ahead" and "Beautiful Child". Oh, and there's the incredibly sour closer "Dinner At Eight", where Rufus narrates a dinner evening with his dad--the folk singer Loudon Wainwright III--going very fucking *wrong*. It's a true story, by the way, and a quick search online shows that Rufus follows an old tradition of the Wainwright extended clan here--one that allows each family member to give jabs at their close relatives through their songs--be they father, son, daughter or exes. Best case scenario, those cuts settle the score, and the whole dysfunctional routine starts again some time after a temporary reconciliation. Quite an endearing family of neurotic artists! Loudon especially, often comes off as an insensitive and stubborn patriarch, as talented as he was as an artist. Waiting for the HBO series that would take inspiration from this weird clan of musicians for its next big hit onscreen... All of this is nice and well, and it sure is interesting. But as I said, and all biographical anecdotes apart, the problem is that there are not enough truly memorable moments in *Want* (one AND two) to justify adding it to this list. The songs I have not quoted in this review (and there are a lot of them!) go from Robbie Williams-like innocuous bland rock-pop cuts to more extravagant cabaret shenanigans, where Wainwright go through his histrionic routine without imprinting it on the listener's mind, very sadly. And I guess in the middle of those two extremities, you can find a bit of Elton John. But without the hits. And without the hits, you can't call a pop-rock album a keeper, be it part of an ambitious double-feature. Following the specific purposes of this list of essential albums, I'm giving a 3/5 grade for both *Want One* and *Want Two* (I'm not gonna describe the latter here--let me just say that the first volume still sounds slightly more convincing than the second album, but the difference is not big enough to bother giving distinct gradings to those two LPs). This overall grading translates to a 8/10 mark for more objective and general purposes (5 + 3)... Next, please. Number of albums left to review: 461 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 254. Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 126 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 161 (including this one)

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

This one really worked for me. Every song is expertly crafted, expansive, and poetic. It's night and day compared to the second entry. Best track: Oh What A World

Great album. One of the best two-song openers of any album I've heard. Movies of Myself, 14th Street, Go or Go Ahead are also great. The inbetweeners also have a lot to offer. Well done, everybody.

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!

Very nice album; certainly better than the other Wainwright album on this list. Every song is listenable and the album flows nicely. On the flip side, there is no real standout. 3/5

There are a couple of decent songs but I’m just not a Rufus fan.

Is it possible that 1001 chose Rufus for his genes? The critics were pretty lukewarm about this album, as I am. The highpoint (or lowpoint) for me is the openning line to Vibrate: "I've got my phone on vibrate for you..." It's hard to sound funny or playful with such a dreary voice.

I certainly don't Want One. I'm surprised that no one has mentioned his annoying voice, it really got under my skin and I had to skip through the songs. Campy, showtunes for the wannabe hipsters

Good

got better and better the more i listened to it. beautiful lyrics! first track kinda reminds me of FUN.'s music

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

Interesting and unique sound and vibe. I enjoyed this.

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.

julia 2, stefan 3

First half stronger than the second half. Really liked the first 3 songs, and Go or Go Ahead is a great song. Some slower songs on the back half that were kind of forgettable, but this album surprised me overall, never really knew Wainwright past some of his covers. Really solid production, very operatic, with Bjork-esque vocals.

Oh What A World sets the scene for this gentle album. Once again enjoyable enough middle of the road. Fave track 11:11

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...

Clásica. Lírica. Aburrido.

Second album by this guy here. Soft hipstery pop stuff, not my thing. Very much up its own arse- I would not be surprised to find out this guy has named himself one of the world's greatest songwriters in an interview. It's "ambitious" but imo just comes off as annoying. Not fuck-you-and-you-die annoying, but just a low-level annoying that bugged me for an hour. 2/5.

Maybe I'm being quick to judge, but it seems like a slightly bland pop rock folk thing

Lush and gorgeous

Not my jam but it's finee

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.

Definitely heard better RW albums

Something disgustingly beautiful about the way he sings and the way these songs are orchestrated. I can appreciate it but it's not something I will likely choose to listen to. One of my favorite parts was the very end of "Harvester of Hearts" when he says "that's all you're getting tonight" then laughs that goofy strange laugh. It felt like a glimpse behind a lush facade to something that is hiding behind meticulously crafted prose and arrangement - something that I'm more interested in seeing that what's being shown.

An album unfairly tainted by association with a past relationship, which, uncoincidentally, stirred up a dream/nightmare about said relationship that awoke me at 4:40am this morning. Well, I guess I have an early start to my day. Thanks 1001!

Never much for this type of theatrical-pop singer-songwriter stuff. I can see why people WOULD like it, but it's definitely very much a "every song could be a different play" sorta vibe.

I kept forgetting I was listening to this one. Not sure if that's a good sign or bad sign. Good background music I guess.

Sucesión de canciones un tanto melancólicas, con una buena voz al frente. Sin grandes alardes. Pop sosegado

It's alright. Great voice. 6/10

Want One, like the companion disc, is dominated by a gentle ebb and flow. It is beautifully executed, and holds easy interest for a while. At least one legend has it that the end contains particularly jeweled work. Not sure how to compare Wainwright's music against ensuing decades' smooth surfaces.

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

J'aime bien et je m'en veux pour ça

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

Meh, I was not interested in whatever this man was selling

It's bad. Not good. Better than a one but ot by much. I was bored. Glad it's over.

Sounds like the marketing department opted to keep me out of the target audience for this one.

Bon chanteur, musicalement agréable

Dreadful divorced mom pop. Sounds like Thom Yorke but less interesting. Club me in the head with a bowling pin. Eughh, gotta wash my ears out with Blood Incantation or something.

I wasn't sure what to expect from a Rufus "the Hallelujah guy" Wainwright, but this definitely exceeded my expectations. It has many sounds to be later found in later alt / indie music of the next few years. Specifically reminiscent of artists like Andrew Bird and Sufjan Stevens. Really excellent songwriting with a lot of eccentric charm throughout the different styles. Heartfelt and theatrical, bits of whimsy intercede with deep emotion. Put it on early thinking it'd be casual but it really gripped me while listening

The global reviews on this are pretty lackluster, and it didn't really move me much, but it also feels like it might be a grower. But then I'm not that motivated to revisit it yet either.

Obviously very talented singer-songwriter, just not really my type of music.

The ultimate hipster album.

Cantor é capaz de criar e sustentar um clima intimista sem ser pretensioso. Porém, sempre fica a expectativa de quando vai começar a tocar Hallelujah.

Decent album, I enjoy the instrumentation, but I started getting bored after a couple of songs.

Pretty generic moody voice with a bit more upbeat tone, overall just fine.

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.

after listening to scott walker, this feels like a slightly hammier, more modern version of that album. oddly? maybe not. both could be played behind a black white film or a theater production (on broadway?), or some vaudeville adjacent modern hipster club. maybe? its fine, he has nice pipes, i spose.

A nice singer songwriter to listen to!

I enjoyed the layering of vocals and harmonies, as well as instrumental flourishes in places. The album as a whole feels like its aiming for something very grandiose in scale and this could just be because the style leans heavily into lushly orchestrated, baroque-esque popera. I would say that in terms of lyrics, they were of variable quality. Some provided quiet musings on the quirks of life, whilst others seemed to be repetitive or not say much at all. My favourite tracks were Go Or Go Ahead and Beautiful Child. I enjoyed the swell of these ones and they felt like the main high points in the album for me. However, a criticism I would make about choosing this style is that in comparison to these lusher tracks, the ones in the second half of the album in particular feel a bit non-descript and seem to blend together in an easily forgettable way. Having said that, there still needs to be variety so I think the tracks should have been arranged a little differently, providing a bit more variation in tone between tracks. I can understand why this album made it into the list for 1001 albums - technically, I would say that the songs are well composed and the decadent style will be a pull for some people. It was an enjoyable enough listen but I don't think I would go back to listen to this album again or seek out Rufus' other music - it's just not that uniquely interesting enough for me. I would rate this album at 2.5 for me personally but since I can't give it half a star, I'll be generous and give it a 3 for technical achievement alone.

HmmmMMMmmmMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM I kinda like the vocal ornamentation early on, the large orchestral swells are nice aswell. I like 'I Don't Know What It Is' more than the first track, but if he has mysterious bruises he needs to get that checked out. Anyone got the email address for Rufus? It's not for me. I'm trying not to, but i'm beginning to resent Rufus and might just let those mysterious bruises get him.

rufus wainwright's want one was a nice album. it was dreamy and pretty in general. i felt rather enveloped by his music because it was all encompassing. but it had some sleepy time tea vibes, so i found my interest waning as the album went on to nearly an hour. anyway, a song released in 2003 named "vibrate" and containing lyrics like "my phone's on vibrate for you" was rather of the time. what a time to be alive, huh. 2.5

Rufus has a nice voice, and I know him from his stunning cover of "Hallelujah". But honestly, this album was a little bit more sleepy than I was hoping. It definitely started to put me to sleep after a while. It had an interesting cabaret-esque quality to it without fully leaning in to that motif. It was an okay album, if not a tad bit boring. 2.5.

Exceptional. I loved every song on this. Jericho was a personal favorite.

Great album