History (Loudon Wainwright III album)
Encyclopedia
History is the twelfth studio album by American
singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III
, released on September 21, 1992 on Charisma Records
. The album was recorded following the death of Wainwright's father, Loudon Wainwright Jr.. Regarding his father's death and its influence on History, Wainwright states that:
The album features deeply personal compositions, with a musical style that ranges from talking blues
("Talking New Bob Dylan") to almost pure country rock
("So Many Songs") and modern folk ("The Picture", "Men").
History is often regarded as a breakthrough in Wainwright's career. Allmusic call the album "his masterpiece", and both Bruce Springsteen
and Bob Geldof
cited it as their favourite album of the year.
"Hitting You" is the fourth song of Wainwright's career dedicated to his daughter Martha Wainwright
, and "A Father and a Son" is directed to his son Rufus Wainwright
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III
Loudon Wainwright III
Loudon Snowden Wainwright III is a Grammy Award-winning American songwriter, folk singer, humorist, and actor. He is the father of musicians Rufus Wainwright, Martha Wainwright and Lucy Wainwright Roche, brother of Sloan Wainwright, and the former husband of the late folk singer Kate McGarrigle.To...
, released on September 21, 1992 on Charisma Records
Charisma Records
Charisma was a record label founded by former journalist Tony Stratton-Smith in 1969. Manager for The Nice, the Bonzo Dog Band and Van der Graaf Generator at the time, Stratton-Smith was unable to find a record company willing to release an album by one of his favourite groups so he founded his own...
. The album was recorded following the death of Wainwright's father, Loudon Wainwright Jr.. Regarding his father's death and its influence on History, Wainwright states that:
The album features deeply personal compositions, with a musical style that ranges from talking blues
Talking blues
Talking blues is a form of country music. It is characterized by rhythmic speech or near-speech where the melody is free, but the rhythm is strict....
("Talking New Bob Dylan") to almost pure country rock
Country rock
Country rock is sub-genre of popular music, formed from the fusion of rock with country. The term is generally used to refer to the wave of rock musicians who began to record country-flavored records in the late 1960s and early 1970s, beginning with Bob Dylan and The Byrds; reaching its greatest...
("So Many Songs") and modern folk ("The Picture", "Men").
History is often regarded as a breakthrough in Wainwright's career. Allmusic call the album "his masterpiece", and both Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
and Bob Geldof
Bob Geldof
Robert Frederick Zenon "Bob" Geldof, KBE is an Irish singer, songwriter, author, occasional actor and political activist. He rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Irish rock band The Boomtown Rats in the late 1970s and early 1980s alongside the punk rock movement. The band had hits with his...
cited it as their favourite album of the year.
Song information
The final track, "A Handful of Dust" is an adaptation of a song written by his father."Hitting You" is the fourth song of Wainwright's career dedicated to his daughter Martha Wainwright
Martha Wainwright
Martha Wainwright is a Canadian-American folk-rock singer-songwriter. She is the daughter of American folk singer and actor Loudon Wainwright III and Canadian folk singer-songwriter Kate McGarrigle...
, and "A Father and a Son" is directed to his son Rufus Wainwright
Rufus Wainwright
Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter. He has recorded six albums of original music, EPs, and tracks on compilations and film soundtracks.-Early years:...
.
Track listing
- "People In Love" – 2:57
- "Men" – 3:35
- "The Picture" – 2:32
- "When I'm At Your House" – 2:31
- "The Doctor" – 4:00
- "Hitting You" – 3:03
- "I'd Rather Be Lonely" – 2:50
- "Between" – 1:27
- "Talking New Bob Dylan" – 3:34
- "So Many Songs" – 3:52
- "4 X 10" – 3:07
- "A Father And A Son" – 3:21
- "Sometimes I Forget" – 5:53
- "A Handful Of Dust" – 3:24
Personnel
Loudon Wainwright III - guitar, vocals- The RochesThe RochesThe Roches are a female vocal group of three songwriting Irish-American sisters from Park Ridge, New Jersey, known for their "unusual" and "rich" harmonies, quirky lyrics, and casually comedic stage performances.The Roches have been active as performers and recording artists since the mid-1970s,...
- vocals - Syd StrawSyd StrawSyd Straw is an American rock singer and songwriter. The daughter of actor Jack Straw , she began her career singing backup for Pat Benatar, then took her distinct voice to the indie/alternative scene and joined the Golden Palominos...
- vocals - Jeffrey Lesser - vocals
- David MansfieldDavid MansfieldDavid Mansfield is an American violinist, mandolin player, guitarist, pedal steel guitar player, and composer....
- pedal steel & electric guitar, violin - Anna McGarrigleAnna McGarrigleAnna McGarrigle, CM is a Canadian folk music singer/songwriter who wrote and performed as a duo with her sister, Kate McGarrigle, until Kate's death in 2010.-Musical career:...
- vocals - David Nichtern - acoustic guitar
- Paul Ossola - acoustic bass
- Chris Parker - drums, percussion
- Chaim Tannenbaum - banjo, harmonica, vocals
- Stephen Tubin - organ, accordion
- Kate McGarrigleKate McGarrigleKate McGarrigle, CM was a Canadian folk music singer-songwriter, who wrote and performed as a duo with her sister Anna McGarrigle....
- vocals - Robin Gould - drums