Waiting For A Want
Encyclopedia
Waiting for a Want is the first EP
by Canadian-American
singer-songwriter
Rufus Wainwright
, released through DreamWorks Records
electronically
on June 29, 2004. At the time it was released, the collection previewed Wainwright's forthcoming album, Want Two
. Initially planned to be released shortly after Want One
, after plans of a double album
fell through, the purchase of DreamWorks by Interscope
delayed the release of Want Two. The EP provided listeners with new material during this period. Admitting that he wanted to release "a couple of ditties" before the United States presidential election of 2004
, Wainwright described the collection as "some of the more daunting tracks, the operatic, weird stuff, some heavy numbers that relate to my classical sensibilities".
Songs from the EP were produced by Marius de Vries
, who collaborated with Wainwright for both Want albums, with mixing
by Andy Bradfield (de Vries and Bradfield both mixed "Waiting for a Dream"). Guests include family members Martha Wainwright
and Suzzy Roche
, fellow musicians Teddy Thompson
and Joan Wasser
, and orchestra
l arrangement
s by Van Dyke Parks
. Album artwork
was made available for download from Wainwright's official website. Critical reception of the EP was mixed, and it did not win awards or chart in any nation.
, is slightly different from the version that would appear on Want Two
, and does not feature the overdubbed horn solo. Wainwright has stated the song was inspired by a straight
man that he met at the gym who told stories about his female students that had crushes on him.
Wainwright stated the following of "Gay Messiah", which describes a savior who will descend from the stars of Studio 54
and sunbathe on the beaches of Fire Island
:
The ballad "This Love Affair" "finds Wainwright trying his hand at concocting a modern-day standard and pulling it off with just the right mood and texture". Wainwright believes the song represents a perfect example of one of his own songs, being "emotional yet structured", "melancholy yet tough", and "very personal and universal at the same time".
"Waiting for a Dream" has been characterized as a "lush, enveloping, surreal excursion through a troubled subconscious". The political song addresses George W. Bush's first term as President of the United States
, claiming, "There's a fire in the priory, and an ogre in the Oval Office
".
wrote that Waiting for a Want is just that, a "series of pop-opera reveries more rococo than Wainwright's norm". Browne complimented "Waiting for a Dream" and "Gay Messiah".
Paste
s Bud Scoppa claimed that the four-track collection lacked the "psychologically potent songs and gorgeous arrangements" that appeared on Want One
, insisting that sociocultural commentary is not Wainwright's "sweet spot". Expanding on this, Scoppa asserted that the politically-driven songs "Gay Messiah" and "Waiting for a Dream" are earnest, but not worth listening to multiple times. Scoppa did, however, praise "The Art Teacher" and "This Love Affair".
In his review for Salon.com
, Thomas Bartlett called "Gay Messiah" boring and criticized the "clumsy, literal-minded" lyrics in "The Art Teacher". Bartlett complimented "This Love Affair" and "Waiting for a Dream", comparing the latter's downtempo
electronic pop
style to the "better" songs on Wainwright's second album, Poses.
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
by Canadian-American
Canadian-American
A Canadian American is someone who was born or someone who grew up in Canada then moved to the United States. The term is particularly apt when applied or self-applied to people with strong ties to Canada, such as those who have lived a significant portion of their lives in, or were educated in,...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
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:...
, released through DreamWorks Records
DreamWorks Records
DreamWorks Records was an American record label. Founded in 1996 by David Geffen, Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg as a subsidiary of DreamWorks SKG, the label operated until 2005 when it was shut down...
electronically
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
on June 29, 2004. At the time it was released, the collection previewed Wainwright's forthcoming album, Want Two
Want Two
Want Two is the fourth album by American-Canadian singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright. The album was released on November 16, 2004. Four of the tracks on this album were released in the summer of 2004 as the EP Waiting for a Want on the iTunes music store.Want Two is, according to Wainwright, the...
. Initially planned to be released shortly after Want One
Want One
Want One is the third studio album by the Canadian-American singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright, released through DreamWorks Records on September 23, 2003. The album was produced by Marius de Vries and mixed by Andy Bradfield, with Lenny Waronker as the executive in charge of production...
, after plans of a double album
Double album
A double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
fell through, the purchase of DreamWorks by Interscope
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...
delayed the release of Want Two. The EP provided listeners with new material during this period. Admitting that he wanted to release "a couple of ditties" before the United States presidential election of 2004
United States presidential election, 2004
The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...
, Wainwright described the collection as "some of the more daunting tracks, the operatic, weird stuff, some heavy numbers that relate to my classical sensibilities".
Songs from the EP were produced by Marius de Vries
Marius de Vries
Marius Van Wyk de Vries is an English music producer and composer. He has been behind some of the key albums and soundtracks of recent times, gathering five Grammy nominations, two BAFTAs, and an Ivor Novello award along the way.-Music Producer:...
, who collaborated with Wainwright for both Want albums, with mixing
Audio mixing (recorded music)
In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
by Andy Bradfield (de Vries and Bradfield both mixed "Waiting for a Dream"). Guests include family members 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 Suzzy Roche
Suzzy Roche
Suzzy Roche , originally from Park Ridge, New Jersey, is best known for her work with the female vocal group The Roches, alongside sisters Maggie and Terre...
, fellow musicians Teddy Thompson
Teddy Thompson
Teddy Thompson is a British folk and rock musician. He is the son of folk-rock musicians Richard and Linda Thompson and brother of singer Kamila Thompson...
and Joan Wasser
Joan Wasser
Joan Wasser is a violinist and singer/songwriter in the indie rock world. She began her career playing violin with the Dambuilders. She has released three albums as a singer songwriter, the 2006 Real Life the 2008 To Survive and the 2011 The Deep Field...
, and orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
l arrangement
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
s by Van Dyke Parks
Van Dyke Parks
Van Dyke Parks is an American composer, arranger, producer, musician, singer, author and actor. Parks is perhaps best known for his contributions as a lyricist on the Beach Boys album Smile....
. Album artwork
Album cover
An album cover is the front of the packaging of a commercially released audio recording product, or album. The term can refer to either the printed cardboard covers typically used to package sets of 10" and 12" 78 rpm records, single and sets of 12" LPs, sets of 45 rpm records , or the front-facing...
was made available for download from Wainwright's official website. Critical reception of the EP was mixed, and it did not win awards or chart in any nation.
Songs
"The Art Teacher" has been compared to a short story "in which a lonely woman looks back on a delirious schoolgirl crush". This version, recorded live at Le Metropolis in MontrealMontreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, is slightly different from the version that would appear on Want Two
Want Two
Want Two is the fourth album by American-Canadian singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright. The album was released on November 16, 2004. Four of the tracks on this album were released in the summer of 2004 as the EP Waiting for a Want on the iTunes music store.Want Two is, according to Wainwright, the...
, and does not feature the overdubbed horn solo. Wainwright has stated the song was inspired by a straight
Heterosexuality
Heterosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the opposite sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, heterosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, physical or romantic attractions to persons of the opposite sex";...
man that he met at the gym who told stories about his female students that had crushes on him.
Wainwright stated the following of "Gay Messiah", which describes a savior who will descend from the stars of Studio 54
Studio 54
Studio 54 was a highly popular discotheque from 1977 until 1991, located at 254 West 54th Street in Manhattan, New York, USA. It was originally the Gallo Opera House, opening in 1927, after which it changed names several times, eventually becoming a CBS radio and television studio. In 1977 it...
and sunbathe on the beaches of Fire Island
Fire Island, New York
Fire Island is one of the outer barrier islands adjacent to the south shore of Long Island, New York. It is approximately long and varies between broad. Fire Island is part of Suffolk County. It comprises a number of hamlets, census-designated places , and villages, all of which lie within the...
:
The ballad "This Love Affair" "finds Wainwright trying his hand at concocting a modern-day standard and pulling it off with just the right mood and texture". Wainwright believes the song represents a perfect example of one of his own songs, being "emotional yet structured", "melancholy yet tough", and "very personal and universal at the same time".
"Waiting for a Dream" has been characterized as a "lush, enveloping, surreal excursion through a troubled subconscious". The political song addresses George W. Bush's first term as President of the United States
George W. Bush's first term as President of the United States
George W. Bush's first term as president of the United States began on January 20, 2001 and continued until his second term commenced on January 20, 2005...
, claiming, "There's a fire in the priory, and an ogre in the Oval Office
Oval Office
The Oval Office, located in the West Wing of the White House, is the official office of the President of the United States.The room features three large south-facing windows behind the president's desk, and a fireplace at the north end...
".
Critical reception
Reception of the EP was mixed. Making the case that EPs are "outlets for rejected or leftover material too out-there to fit onto an album", David Browne of Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
wrote that Waiting for a Want is just that, a "series of pop-opera reveries more rococo than Wainwright's norm". Browne complimented "Waiting for a Dream" and "Gay Messiah".
Paste
Paste (magazine)
Paste is a monthly music and entertainment digital magazine published in the United States by Wolfgang's Vault. Its tagline is "Signs of Life in Music, Film and Culture."-History:...
s Bud Scoppa claimed that the four-track collection lacked the "psychologically potent songs and gorgeous arrangements" that appeared on Want One
Want One
Want One is the third studio album by the Canadian-American singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright, released through DreamWorks Records on September 23, 2003. The album was produced by Marius de Vries and mixed by Andy Bradfield, with Lenny Waronker as the executive in charge of production...
, insisting that sociocultural commentary is not Wainwright's "sweet spot". Expanding on this, Scoppa asserted that the politically-driven songs "Gay Messiah" and "Waiting for a Dream" are earnest, but not worth listening to multiple times. Scoppa did, however, praise "The Art Teacher" and "This Love Affair".
In his review for Salon.com
Salon.com
Salon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online liberal magazine, with content updated each weekday. Salon was founded by David Talbot and launched on November 20, 1995. It was the internet's first online-only commercial publication. The magazine focuses on U.S...
, Thomas Bartlett called "Gay Messiah" boring and criticized the "clumsy, literal-minded" lyrics in "The Art Teacher". Bartlett complimented "This Love Affair" and "Waiting for a Dream", comparing the latter's downtempo
Downtempo
Downtempo is a laid-back electronic music style similar to ambient music, but usually with a beat or groove unlike the beatless forms of Ambient music. The beat is sometimes made from loops that have a hypnotic feeling...
electronic pop
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
style to the "better" songs on Wainwright's second album, Poses.
Track listing
All songs written by Wainwright.- "The Art Teacher" – 3:58
- "Gay Messiah" – 3:14
- "This Love Affair" – 3:15
- "Waiting for a Dream" – 4:16
Personnel
- Rufus WainwrightRufus WainwrightRufus 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:...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
(1–4), pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
(1,3–4), additional vocals (2), acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
(2), orchestraOrchestraAn orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
l arrangementArrangementThe American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
s (3–4) - Christopher Cardona – violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
(3–4) - Cenovia Cummins – violin (3–4)
- Marius de VriesMarius de VriesMarius Van Wyk de Vries is an English music producer and composer. He has been behind some of the key albums and soundtracks of recent times, gathering five Grammy nominations, two BAFTAs, and an Ivor Novello award along the way.-Music Producer:...
– programming (2,4), orchestral arrangements (3–4), keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
(4) - Danielle Farina – violaViolaThe viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
(3–4) - Alison Gordon – viola (3–4)
- Isobel Griffiths – horn contractor (4)
- Eric Hammelman – viola (3–4)
- Jeff Hill – bassDouble bassThe double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
(2,4) - Matt Johnson – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
(2) - Julia Kent – celloCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
(3–4) - Vivienne Kim – violin (3–4)
- Julianne Klopotic – violin (3–4)
- Alexandra Knoll – oboeOboeThe oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
(3) - Kathryn Lockwood – viola (3–4)
- Maxim Moston – violin (3–4), concertmasterConcertmasterThe concertmaster/mistress is the spalla or leader, of the first violin section of an orchestra. In the UK, the term commonly used is leader...
(3–4), orchestral arrangements (3–4) - Jenni Muldaur – additional vocals (2)
- Fiona Murray – violin (3–4)
- Van Dyke ParksVan Dyke ParksVan Dyke Parks is an American composer, arranger, producer, musician, singer, author and actor. Parks is perhaps best known for his contributions as a lyricist on the Beach Boys album Smile....
– orchestral arrangements (3–4) - Carlo Pellettieri – cello (3–4)
- Troy Rinker, Jr. – bass (3–4)
- Suzzy RocheSuzzy RocheSuzzy Roche , originally from Park Ridge, New Jersey, is best known for her work with the female vocal group The Roches, alongside sisters Maggie and Terre...
– additional vocals (2) - David Sapadin – clarinetClarinetThe clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
(3) - Jane Scarpantoni – cello (3–4)
- Daniel Shelly – bassoonBassoonThe bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family that typically plays music written in the bass and tenor registers, and occasionally higher. Appearing in its modern form in the 19th century, the bassoon figures prominently in orchestral, concert band and chamber music literature...
(3) - Antoine Silverman – violin (3–4)
- Alexis Smith – programming (2,4)
- Teddy ThompsonTeddy ThompsonTeddy Thompson is a British folk and rock musician. He is the son of folk-rock musicians Richard and Linda Thompson and brother of singer Kamila Thompson...
– additional vocals (2) - Martha WainwrightMartha WainwrightMartha 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...
– additional vocals (2) - Joan WasserJoan WasserJoan Wasser is a violinist and singer/songwriter in the indie rock world. She began her career playing violin with the Dambuilders. She has released three albums as a singer songwriter, the 2006 Real Life the 2008 To Survive and the 2011 The Deep Field...
– violin (3–4) - Anja Wood – cello (3–4)