History (Loudon Wainwright III album)

Infobox Album |
Name = History
Type = Album
Artist = Loudon Wainwright III


Released = 1992
Recorded =
Genre = Folk
Length = 46:06
Label = Charisma Records
Producer = Loudon Wainwright III,
Jeffrey Lesser
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:kr7ibka9hakv link]
*Robert Christgau Rating-Christgau|hm1 [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?id=838&name=Loudon+Wainwright+III link]
*"Rolling Stone" (favorable) [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/loudonwainwrightiii/albums/album/222609/review/5944420/history link]
Last album = "Therapy"
(1989)
This album = "History"
(1992)
Next album = "Career Moves"
(1993)

"History" is a 1992 album by Loudon Wainwright III.

The album was released after the death of his father, and features songs which range from ironic comedy, to serious social commentry, to deeply personal compositions.

It remains perhaps the first Loudon Wainwright III album which tends more to the serious than the comic (though it would be outdone in this respect by 2001's Last Man on Earth, recorded after the death of his mother).

The album does not solely focus on his father. 'Hitting You' is the fourth song of his career dedicated to his daughter Martha Wainwright, and 'A Father and a Son' is at least the second directed to his son Rufus Wainwright.

The musical style ranges from talking blues ('Talking New Bob Dylan') - a parody of early Bob Dylan tracks like Talking World War III Blues, to almost pure country rock ('So Many Songs), modern folk ('The Picture', and the masculine 'Men') to bouncy country ('People in Love'). The final track is an adaptation of a song written by his father.

The album was hailed as a breakthrough in his career. Allmusic call it 'his masterpiece', and both Bruce Springsteen and Bob Geldof cited it as the best album of the year.

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 Roches - vocals
*Syd Straw - vocals
*Jeffrey Lesser - vocals
*David Mansfield - pedal steel & electric guitar, violin
*Anna McGarrigle - vocals
*David Nichtern - acoustic guitar
*Paul Ossola - acoustic bass
*Chris Parker - drums, percussion
*Chaim Tannenbaum - banjo, harmonica, vocals
*Stephen Tubin - organ, accordion
*Kate McGarrigle - vocals
*Robin Gould - drums

Release history

*CD: Virgin/Charisma V2-86416 (U.S.)
*CD: Virgin CDV2703 (UK and Europe)