I can't tell if I liked it or was annoyed by his miserable voice but I think it was good
If you can get past the truly awful opening track, ‘Want Two’ markedly improves. It’s a ballsy record, very theatrical and stylistically broad in sound, with folk, pop/chanson, baroque, indie and show music styles among its repertoire. It’s probably overproduced, but it’s all these elements, (and the gay subtext also present) that make it interesting. ‘Want Two’ is the proverbial Forrest Gump box of chocolates: you never quite know what you’re going to get, but there’s a little something for everyone. Surprised how much I ended up liking this one.
He 'Want Two' and I'm going to give him a 2. Most of this album is just whinging. The second song is great though.
I don't know what's with this album but I absolutley loved it. Also, in some parts the vocals reminded me of Thom Yorke from Radiohead, am I the only one?
3/16 One of those albums where almost every song is a different genre, really well crafted, great album. Standout Tracks: Agnus Dei, The One You Love, The Art Teacher, Memphis Skyline, Old Whore’s Diet
If I had to come up with a list of 5 singers, knowing that when I woke up the next morning I would be able to magically sing like one of them, I feel pretty certain Rufus would make the cut. Just to be able to belt out shit like that in my car would make me so satisfied in life. Anywho, I’m more of a Want One guy, but this is definitely the more dramatic of the two and I enjoyed the most of it. No I won’t be the one, baptized in cum.” How did he make that sound pretty?! How???
My perception of Rufus Wainwright is tainted by my association of his music with an ex girlfriend. Regardless of that, it is still not my cup of tea. Couldn't listen to the whole thing in one go.
Beautifully cinematic pop record with an orchestral flair that suits the songwriting. I am honestly surprised I have never even heard the name, because wow this sound suits me.
One of the prettiest albums I’ve heard in my time. This is what it looks like when an artist has an artistic vision, and takes the utmost care to craft what was in their mind into something they can share with the world.
There is something timeless about everything Rufus does and this album is no exception. His theatricality matches perfectly with the quality of his voice. The first song is the perfect way to enter this album and sets the stage for an emotional experience.
He sure can write crazy good songs. "Agnus Dei" has some lovely instrumentation which I've really missed on this list, and it sets the vibe from the start. Ok finally something that makes me feel anything. Probably deserves a 4 for the second half, but I love the cover too. This is beautiful. "Going To A Town" is one of my all time favorite songs. It's not on this album though, and the album it is on kinda sucks. I don't know why I had to say that. 5
that was pleasant! no experience prior. (also i wanna look like the album cover person pls)
Good album, there's a classic vibe to it, I'm not sure how to describe it. I digg it - I can see me listening to this record while cleaning the house or cooking.
Levy jota kuuntelin varmaan lähemmäs kymmeneen kertaan, enkä oikein vieläkään tiedä mitä tästä ajattelen. Rufus Wainwright toki artistina on tuttu, mutta tämä on jäänyt kuuntelematta. Ehkä jonkinlainen linjattomuus häiritsee levyssä, vaikka yleisfiilis on todella positiivinen. Parhaimmillaan vitosen arvoista mahtavuutta, heikoimmillaan kolmosen arvoisia tylähköjä rallatuksia. Nelonen lienee oikeutettu arvosana.
Very good, although I feel like somebody tried to engineer the living defi option of "too clever by half"
This was really chill and I needed it this morning. I just want to say thank you to the creators of this website. This shit is dope.
i keep hoping he'll cover dead skunk. that would be hilarious. i've always loved the art teacher - it's so raw, which is such a contrast to the rest of this album.
Impressive vocals, clean production, and interesting instrumentals made for a surprisingly enjoyable album. It was long and had some slow burns but overall quite good. 8
Art pop at its most magnificent. You have to listen carefully to let yourself go with the intricate melodies and arrangements but it's worth it. The One You Love is simply one of best 00's singles
Interesting and inventive—incorporates a lot of classical music/operatic themes throughout which was cool to hear. Storytelling songs sometimes didn’t work but some did. Especially liked the one you love and waiting for a dream
Miellyttävää musaa. Loppua kohden kävi ehkä vähän yksitoikkoiseksi, mutta eipä tuo haittaa. Kiva kun löytyy näitä iloisesti yllättäviä uusia tuttavuuksia.
Cool! I enjoyed it... not that sure at first, but I will probably listen the whole album again!
The vocals are so amazing. Great atmosphere and vibe too. Definitely need to relisten.
Rufus has always been one of those "artsy" pop artists for me. I have liked some of his stuff though (Moulin Rouge). Glad to finally give him a proper listen. Thoroughly enjoyed this interesting album. Very pleasant throughout.
Kinda like if Thom Yorke made a solo album during The Bends era, though I’m not sure he would’ve ever made anything this lush and orchestrated.
Not what I was expecting at all, but I was surprised to find I really liked this. Ended up listening to it twice in a row.
Not my usual album and not one I’d go back to on a regular basis but this guy is a modern day talent. Knew only the name but expected something totally different. Getting vibes of Matt Bellamy and Thom Yorke.
Really enjoyed on second listen. Interesting sound with classical strings and orchestra over modern lyrics. Creative verses with introspective reflections delivered by strong vocals (also grew on me on second listen). Broad variety of styles throughout. Agnus Dei, the art teacher, this love affair, crumb by crumb, old whores diet
There's a lot going on here, much of which is a little strange. The regency music of Little Sister is perhaps the most unusual amongst a lot of different styles. Musical theatre vocals, asian instrumentation, orchestral and choral elements run throughout and hold the album together. Overall, an interesting album, which is tender, epic and funny in places. The more I listened, the more I liked it. 4/5.
Always wanted to delve into Rufus Wainwright (who I always call "Adam" in my head. Baseball.) and my immediate reaction here is that the first song should be the album closer :D - it's a challenging intro, leading off with "Agnus Dei" - this being my idea of Thom Yorke given the assignment of leading a cathedral congregation in a Latin dirge for 5 minutes. It's not *not* impressive - just ... well, listen to it. Once the album gets started properly with "The One You Love" the Thom Yorke comparison really holds for me; the voice and manner of laconic singing. But there's a lot going on here - a few odd chord turns that really make me sit up and take notice. "Little Sister" and "The Art Teacher" are the early standouts for me on this album - one a complex layered orchestration and the next mostly just vocals and piano (with a subtle/tasteful horn part) - the latter feels like it could have fit comfortably on Elton John's self-titled 1970 album. That said, this album is probably not gonna be for everyone and is a little tough in spots but the music for me is really intriguing - complex, lush, very very melodic. It's not easily digestible. I like that. Dammit I feel like I give everything a 3 - because of the density of this one, I think it's hard to get a real feel for the album with 1 or 2 spins. But the talent, diversity, and thought that clearly went into this recording for me make me push this to 4 - I feel like I'm anticipating eventually liking this album more than I already do right now :) 8/10 4 stars
Wow!! Första gången jag lyssnar på Rufus Wainwright men kommer inte vara sista. Extremt imponerad av tonspråket, variationen, texterna, arrangemangen, allt! Jag personligen hade kunnat leva med en eller två låtar med lite högre tempo, och hans släpiga sätt att sjunga är inte helt min favvo, men då letar jag ursäkter att inte dela ut en femma. Superplatta!
Glorious, elegant, flaming singer songwriting from Rufus Wainwright. Some really absorbing tracks with a stylistic strings and drum machine flavour. Normally strings are added to hide the shortcomings of the singer or the singing but not so here - the vocals and music together to make a chamber pop classic.
Loved it. Odd start moves on to something extraordinary. Has never listened to his music before - certainly glad to have been introduced to it.
This is a mostly low tempo album with an excessive number of ballads. It's not overly repetetive, but I have heard better melodies from Rufus Wrainwright. Still a nice listen, but without standouts. 3.5/5
Before this listen, I knew him as the guy who sang "Hallelujah" on the Shrek soundtrack. I gotta say, I'm impressed. I feel like he's probably a bit polarizing, but I enjoyed what I heard. Sometimes it dragged, but for the most part it tugged at my heart strings. The opening track is probably my favorite.
Необычный альбом. Не зря в этот список попал. Но не мой по настроению. Очень грустный и тоскливый, хотя местами необыкновенно романтичный и красивый.
I've probably described albums as "theatrical" but this album feels like a better example than most. The storytelling with lush orchestral arrangements really does make this feel ready for the stage. I enjoyed it, but don't know if I'll listen again. Favorite tracks: "The Art Teacher", "Crumb by Crumb"
First thoughts went to Radiohead but then all I could hear was Ball Park Music. Nothing bad but not great
Good voice, but not the type of music I'd want to listen to. I have heard "The Art Teacher" before. His voice with another style of music would be interesting.
I have listened to a fair bit of Rufus Wainwright and this was consistent with what I think when I think of him. His voice is beautiful, the songs are thoughtfully constructed and embellished with strings. In the end though, the music is just so brooding that it brings the whole experience down for me.
I saw him in concert when he toured with Ben Folds and I kept thinking 'get this fucker off the stage'. Hes way better than I gave him credit for.
6/10. This has some cool ideas, musically and lyrically, especially in the first part of the album. However, I think overall it comes off as maudlin and fairly corny, and the more baroque-styled tracks get a bit grating.
Was just hanging on listening to the music - interesting/ genre mixing. Started to pay attention to some lyrics. Not impressed
Unfortunate that I got the second album before the first (Want One). What purposeful music though! Compositions are wide and sweeping, lifting Wainwright's voice and giving it so much dignity. I'm reminded of Sufjan Stevens in a lot of ways, that being "fancy pop" for lack of a better term (there's even banjo at one point!). I think it is very good, but perhaps a little to grand for it's own good? It ends up trying to be this magnificent magnum opus and comes across as maybe too much. It becomes a bit tiring with all of it's orchestrations and it makes me wish there was just a straight pop song or stripped-down acoustic song for grounding. Otherwise it's a nice listen. I don't want to rag on it too much but I had to figure out why it didn't click as much as I had thought.
Kaunista musisointia ja laulamista, mutta jotenkin jopa liian eteeristä tähän sähäkkään torstain alkuiltaan. Tasaisen hyvää suorittamista, mutta ne helmet jäi omalta osalta puuttumaan.
Rufus Wainwright is a talented singer, songwriter, and musician. Not really an album I would put on normally, though. Would have to be in the right mood.
Saved Prior: None Saved Off Rip: The One You Love, Old Whore's Diet Cutting Edge: Little Sister Overall Notes: A pleasant album. Not really sure why it's required listening but glad I listened to it. This is perfect music to put on in the background while you do work.
An unexpected delight. Wonderful lyrics and some quite brilliant songs on here. I will definitely revisit
Genuinely cannot tell if it's my bad internet of just the song that's making it sound like that Internet is having a hard time so far good tho Final Thoughts: 3/5
Finally a daily album from an artist who I have meant to give more attention. The only Rufus album I have listened to before is Want One, so I suppose Want Two is a good place to continue. I really enjoyed this album although the plethora of musical styles from opera to pop may be too much over the course of one album. He can play then all though, and what a voice! Very good stuff.
This is pretty good; eclectic and varied, but also a bit over-indulgent. I like strong melodies and the complete lack of them made this hard to get into. Music that is basically designed to be background music for an indie film. But the sound is nice, and if you stop to really listen, there’s a ton to find and hear in every second. Favourite track: “Gay Messiah”
Not bad at all, feels like if Thom Yorke went in a completely different direction or never met Radiohead. Good voice and interesting ideas.
A very enjoyable listen. Beautiful songwriting, dramatic phrasing and arrangements. Though the music is not my usual fare, the talent is undeniable. His voice is expresdivecand powerful and the melodiescate memorable. 3.5 🌟
Agnus Dei - Very Latin religious wailing vibe, like something you'd hear in a movie soundtrack about ancient Rome. Opener is a bit unique but does give a hint to the style/vibe of the album. Voice is a lot like Josh Homme if he didn't get into hard rock, same wailing, long notes. Some songs he's channeling a lot of Thom Yorke. Album is very mellow/chill. Piano, lounge music drums, but has a stoner vibe. Legit sounds like this was written and performed by depressed Josh Homme. Some orchestral instruments, very melodic tunes. Would have been my cup of tea in the past, bit too slow for my tastes now but is very well done if in the mood for some slow/sad tunes.
Rufus has a style that is very particular and can be offsetting to most when you get past his bigger hits. I'm a fan of Rufus and listening to this album top to bottom felt tough for me. Still a great album that highlights his vocal range.
Did homeboy sound like Thom Yorke? Kind of like a stripped down more theatric Radiohead. I liked it.
1st track got some kind of Radiohead vibes. More classical though. Gets some Harry Nhielson vibes going too. Not my thing at all so would struggle to give it more than a 3, however I can totally see how it's on the 1001 album list. 3/5
Härligt experimentellt musikaliskt. Ibland lät det som Michael Bublé på LSD, vilket inte var helt fel.
I didn’t hate it as much as I thought I Would I mean I did an absolutely love it it was a little droopy at times but I thought that it was actually kind of good
I wish I could do half-stars, but oh well. This is hard to rate effectively because I like and don't like parts in equal measure.
The music is surprisingly layered and the strings and piano are very interesting. The music is fine, nothing that really engages beyond initial pleasantries.
Mixed feelings on this one. Musically very impressive and some very good lyrics, but overall kind of boring.
Bra album med nästan enbart bra låtar men känns inte speciellt banbrytande, där majoriteten låter som rätt många andra runt den här tiden. Lite som en 'indie/folk' version av tidiga Muse, Midlake, the Strokes, Anthony and the Johnssons, Woodkid m.flr. (kanske bara inte har öra för sånt här...?) Där Rufus sticker ut från de ovannämnda är i de lite mer 'storslagna' låtarna med fler kreativa instrumentuppsättningar och mer 'textboksklassisk' dramatik. Väldigt maffig komposition emellanåt men kan inte riktigt leverera när det kommer till den 'musikkvalitativa' dynamiken, allting går inte igenom lurarna till lyssnaren och ljudet får en lite 'komprimerad' känsla och orkesterinslagen känns lite nedprioriterade. Man känner sig lite "snuvad på konfekten" då sång och de mer konventionella instrumenten såsom sträng, bas och trummor är så väl återgiven. Jag gillar därför mer de *mer* minimalistiska låtarna där återgivningen är som bäst och allt känns polerat vilket gör låtarna och artisten rättvisa, tex. "Little Sister" och "Gay Messiah". De mer 'enkla' låtarna lyckas fortfarande behålla lite kreativa inslag. Har inte hört förut men kommer definitivt fortsätta lyssna på Rufus. Blir dock inget toppbetyg då hela albumment känns lite för konventionellt för att vara ett banbrytande eller kurssättande album i sin genre och tid, samt låtarna, visserligen väldigt bra, inte gör något avsevärt bättre och därmed inte sticker ut ibland sina jämlikar för att rättfärdiga någon slags framtida 'klassiker' status. Lite som en häftig småskalig craft lager, något som jag verkligen uppskattar och ser mig som målgrupp men kanske inte sätter riktningen för bärs framöver.
I didn't realize how much of his music I'd heard before listening to this album! Good stuff. Will certainly become a staple of my "normal" rotation.
As a pedant classical music fan am not quite fond of directly adding classical stuff in pop so not quite into the album. Rhythm is too slack also. Add a star for Old Whore's Diet...
Atmospheric. The tone wanders a bit and I can't say I *disliked* it but it definitely requires you to be in a specific kind of mood
Genre: Chamber Pop 3/5 A decent Pop offering from a songwriter I was not familiar with until listening. While the scope of this project is quite grand, and the production is lush, expensive, and clean, its persistent melodrama doesn’t quite mix with Rufus’ near-Thom Yorke style vocals. Agnus Dei was very intriguing, and served as a great intro, but it never quite got back to that mysterious, progressive side much again after that. This is a well-made album, with some solid ideas and good vocals, and Wainright is a very talented songwriter. Just not all one of my favs.
Ça c’est de la yeule molle ! Ça fini par tanner. Autrement j’ai bien aimé, surtout « old whore’s diet ».
Un bon album dansson genre. Edt ce quec’est son meilleur je ne sais pas mais je suis intrigue, d’autre sur cette liste .3.5
- i like when artists kill me with the first song - you hear lots of thom yorke and matt bellamy in his voice
Operatic pop, often cinematic. I was half expecting to dislike this album, but ended up thinking it was alright. 2.5
His voice is gorgeous, and some of these songs are really pretty. However, there's nothing here that really elevates it. I think it just scrapes a 3, it's a perfectly pleasant listen but doesn't hit any real heights.
Wainwright's 4th album and second of the "Want" series. Only two albums in that series. His music is described as Baroque Rock which combines elements of rock music with classical music. I learned something today and it is a very accurate description of the music. This album is kind all over the place; there are pop songs, ballads, a waltz, some songs use more string arrangements and a song with reggae backbeat. There is no doubt this guy has talent; a great voice and the music sounds great and complex (with the arrangements). I personally like his second album "Poses " better. Some album highlights are "The One You Love" - nice pop song with a choir, "The Art Teacher" - very dramatic and recorded live and "Old Whore's Diet" - this 8 minute song kind of summed up the album as it goes over the place with a reggae backbeat at times and vocals from Anohni (Antony and the Johnsons). For some reason, I could not get into this album. I recognize the talent, the album achievement of variety and I'm sure a lot of others like this album quite a bit.
This album was an interesting listen, not at all what I expected. It started well but his grating voice was unbearable by the end.
Judging by the cover I want to guess this is world music, or some acoustic type thing inspired by softer led zeppelin? the artwork is sorta that fantasy-type shit you see in junk shops, priced at like $80 per 10cm-high statue. either way, *points like Varg* let's find out! ...aaaaaand it's super soft pop rock. similar to Muse or Arcade Fire? I don't want to just say "pretentious".... but it's pretty fucking pretentious lol. So far pretty samey, ambitious but mopey. Hoping it picks up a bit. .....aaaaand ONE HOUR LATER: somehow, this album needed an entire hour to go absolutely nowhere. every song was identical, all just based on a handful of overused ideas. THAT's the truly depressing thing about it: it's like kicking your valium habit by taking so much valium it kills you. 2/5.
Kuin olis kattonut äärettömän tylsää ja hidastemposta romanttista taide-elokuvaa, jota runoilijatyypit fiilistelee housut märkänä. Itsellä ei kastunut. Pari huvittavaa biisin nimeä ja kuuntelin kokonaan...
Wenn er lange Noten singt, komme ich nicht umhin, an Thom York zu denken und dass er gleich in die Kopfstimme wechseln müsste. Überhaupt klingt die Platte, als ob Radiohead aus vertraglichen Verpflichtungen gezwungen waren, mit Hilfe von Disney-Songschreibern eine easy-listening-Platte zu machen (und größtenteils daran gescheitert sind). Nicht ganz 3 Sterne, einige Songs finde ich doch ganz gut.
I like Rufus Wainwright's voice, plus I sat directly behind him in a movie theater once, so we have that bond, but maybe I like him best in small doses. I don't like the constant maudlin singing. 2 stars.
Good. Second half is a bit of a sleeper. Little Sister and Couer de Parisienne were the best.
His voice is like a B version of Muse. Got bored of listening to it pretty quickly. LH: I don't like his voice, but some of the songs were ok. I'd like the songs better if someone else was singing them.
Just overwhelmingly pretentious. The fact that you can hear every inhale through his teeth is nails on a chalkboard.
I was looking forward to this album but I could never get into it so I was disappointed with it
Always heard this name but never checked him out. Oh, so it's like Thom Yorke's dreary background cabaret project. Snooze.
I've always found Rufus to be one of those American Singer / Songwriters that is far too clever for my simple palate. Too much going on- all very impressive- but doesn't add up to a cohesive album to my proletarian ears
Rufus Wainwright's fourth album, and the "darker sibling" to his previous album Want One. This is a Canadian/American alternative rock / pop album. I thought the music was pretty good, but nothing amazing.
He's got a haunting voice and his music is downbeat. You've got to be in a mood to want to listen to it again.
its the guy who sings hallelujah the end has some interesting ideas but overall pretty weak
It's an interesting album; the first song on the album is darn outright awful! I don't hate it, but would be okay never listening to it again.
Very baroque in style and dreamy, Rufus has a voice similar to Matt Belamy from Muse - when he's singing on some of their softer tracks. I can see why some people would really like this its very adult contemporary in style, however it's too dreamy and flowery for me. Best: Angus Dei; Crumb by Crumb Worst: Old Whore's Diet
Can't really make up my mind on this one. At times it feels like ridiculous theatrical warbling nonsense and then at others there's a lilt and bounce that is quite infectious.
I want to give this 1 star because the singing annoyed me so much. However if I'm being honest the instruments sound quite lovely in places. Overall I found this mostly a dull affair. I don't think I will ever revisit this. 3/10
Shrill and repetitive you'd have to be a fan to get into this, not for the casual listener.
Ouf... il m'a toujours tombé sur les nerfs le Rufus... ça lyre sur un moyen temps... La prod est majestueuse, harmoniquement il a bien repiqué son Chopin, son Beatles pis son Broadway showtunes, il chante juste (la plupart du temps) mais ça me laisse de glace... Il a l'air de s'aimer assez pour que je passe mon tour ... Les meilleurs bout de l'album c'est quand il ne chante pas 🤣 pis l'intro de grichage de violon
Ended up being okay. I think the songs are well written and quite creative lyrically, but I don't think the melodramatic vocals did them much justice. I think a little variation in the tone of the songs would've done this album a lot of good. 4/10
Poor Rufus, imagine having a name like that. It sounds like dog vomit. This album is just a guy singing with a whiney voice-over instrumental. Not very good.
Allora, non è che sia malvagio, la musica anzi è molto bella e anche la voce, ma dice cose strane, non mi convince.
Meh, I prefer his dad. I hated "Old Whore's Diet" but it sounds like he's saying Old *Horse* Diet so that's kinda funny.
I found the instrumentation uninteresting. I fear the later we get into this project the more "exceptional" an album has to be for me to notice it.
Rufus is a tough one for me. So much talent. So much history to draw from, but in the end I feel like he has so little to say.
This is a strange album. There are moments where I think this is exactly what I enjoy musically and then something else comes into the mix and ruins it for me.
First off, the good points; Amazing cover art and some interesting musical arrangements with plenty of variation. The bad points; Wainwright's voice is really dour (sounds a lot like Thom Yorke) who sadly makes some ok music sound dull. There's also much better chamber pop available than this.
This was way too (two?) long and overindulgent. Two observations for this album with an inexplicable "two" in its name: (1) I'll give two to one odds that songs from the album have been used in at least two dozen coming-of-age indie films. (2) The line about being baptized in cum might have been clever on paper. Not so much in practice. Best track: Agnus Dei
Tries a little bit of everything and isn't great at any of it. Pretentious lyrics, drab songs and one of the most irritating voices around. If these are the selections for the week, I dread what the weekend's pick is gonna be like.
This album is definitely overrated. Sounds like a poor man's Thom Yorke. With this album and several Radiohead albums on the list, me thinks the author has an obsession with the band.
The vocals felt very monotone and grating throughout. The variety in the instrumentals between songs was nice, I just can't get behind the lead vocalists style.
A tad slow and boring for my taste. Overall all songs on the album sound similar and none really stood out.
Je reconnais que Rufus Wainwright est un artiste prolifique et talentueux dans son genre et je crois qu'il faut effectivement avoir écouter au moins un album. Par contre, son style n'est vraiment pas dans mes cordes. J'ai de la difficulté avec sa voix et musicalement je ne trouve pas ça très novateur ou intéressant. J'avoue préférer d'abord la musique dans un disque, donc rien pour m'aider avec cet album. Je respecte l'artiste, mais ce n'est pas pour moi. Pièce la plus intéressante: Waiting For A Dream
Rufus combines classical, pop, poetry and melancholy, to terrible effect. He gets the worst from all these things and makes a god awful mess. It's like nick cave with out the dark humour and melancholic poetry. Mozart with just the shit garden centre twiddles. It's like nothing I want to listen to again.
christ that first track is like nails on a chalkboard, couldn;t finish it. rest far too boring, gave up halfway. miserable man
Not my style