Even if I didn't play piano, Rufus Wainwright would be one of my favorite artists and songwriters. I do believe that he's the best singer I've ever seen live - or at least in a 3-way tie with Aretha Franklin and Steve Perry; but Rufus is the only of these I've seen without a full band, where nothing but his hands and voice onstage absolutely has blown me away.
Here's a video of his concert here in San Diego last week; not perfect audio but it kind of shows how commanding he is even as a solo performer.
I think his voice is tremendously well respected by just about anybody in music or who knows anything about music. So, I don't need to make that case. What I do want to highlight is that Rufus Wainwright is one of my consistently favorite songwriters and arrangers/producers.
40 Songs
The goal here is to get you to hear these songs. I'll just say something brief about each here and that'll be that. Enjoy.
1 Jericho - Rufus seems to be known more for the sensitive ballads. This is sensitive but it's sensitive pop candy. And this is one the best bridges or setups for a bridge I've ever heard. I can listen to it on repeat. And here's the best compliment I can think of: As a songwriter, I'm so fucking jealous of this song and recording it's unbelievable.
2 Poses - My friend Laura was at the Rufus concert last week and she strongly declared this is her favorite of his songs. I wasn't so sure I have "a favorite" but it might as well be this one. Gets better the more you listen to it.
3 April Fools - This is probably the first song of his I ever heard and it's hooky as fuck. Even this early in his recording career, this has dozens of tracks and sounds like a million bucks in a Brian Wilson way.
4 Going To A Town - You can only write this perfect song about disappointment with America if you really love America and it's letting you down. Also, it's a great cycle of chords that once you're playing it, you never want to stop.
5 Slideshow - OK, finally we're into the ballads. You'll notice there's no piano here. Really captures all of our worst selves' fears about being ignored or left out.
6 Cigarettes And Chocolate Milk - I hate to say this but I think I loved this song so much when it came out that I unconsciously put similar elements into a Bigfellas song I co-wrote (I don't want to say which). Just like Dave Matthews "Too Much" who can't relate to decadently wanting more of a good thing.
7 I Don't Know What It Is - Sure we all totally get a broken-hearted song, but usually they sound sadder. This sounds wonderful.
8 One Man Guy - Of all the Rufus Wainwright songs there are, this is the one I've performed the most myself. It's not a feeling-sorry-for-yourself loner song, it's matter of fact. And his voice never sounded better.
9 Barcelona - Do you fantasize about leaving your serious troubles behind and dreaming of some other ideal place? That's the beautiful part of this song. Then the change to the B part is back to reality, but still with a little sweetness in the "bittersweet". Or at least that's what it sounds like to me.
10 Leaving For Paris No. 2 - This song as recorded is one thing. It's as if Cole Porter could actually come out in a standard. But this song is at another level when you see it done live. The confidently medium-slow pace is killer in a packed room of silent, attentive fans.
11 Early Morning Madness - Another quiet one that explodes live for me, with spookier minor and half-diminshed chords than Leaving For Paris. Then there's a piano explosion (live) or dissonant orchestral crescendo (on the recording) to turn this from a double to a triple. When you watch him do it live, you can't believe that everything you're hearing is coming from one person right in front of you.
12 Across The Universe - Not the cover song you might have expected to be highest on this list. It's a more adventurous song than "Hallelujah". I've always said that it's great to cover Dylan because you can probably sing it better; same could be said for John Lennon. And I say that still as a huge fan.
13 The One You Love - We're back in pop mode, albeit dark pop. Somebody can say they "love you" but not mean it or show it through their actions. So this is the narrator throwing it back in their lover's face for being bad at love, and doing it with more gusto because of the hookiness. My two cents.
14 14th Street - I swear I did not jerry-rig this list to make "14th Street" number 14 here. Another song I've accidentally done something similar to (again, won't name it). "Why did you have break ALL my heart?" says it all. Kind of reminds me of 1990's era Elvis Costello.
15 Between My Legs - Overtly sexual and fun. There's a fun Phantom Of The Opera easter egg at the end while the song is going off.
16 Shadows - Even as it's a lament that he's almost accomplished everything he wants to but finds that it doesn't make him happy, it still sounds like a celebration. Might not seem like his most special song at first, but those vocal arrangements in the bridge and the cello that runs through the whole thing, it's great flute and cello pop.
17 Vibrate - The sexual joke here is an obvious one but this song is so much better than a one-note joke. Plus you get the great pizzicato-driven feel and lines like "I tried to dance Britney Spears, I guess I'm getting on in years" and "Pinocchio's now a boy who wants to turn back into a toy."
18 Out Of The Game - This album (Out Of The Game) to me is where he peaked as an arranger and producer. As for the words, like most brilliant people Rufus seems like he has to fight off ennui and cynicism - and in this case he's not winning. Or to quote Lethal Weapon, "I'm getting too old for this shit."
19 The Loneliest Time - Rufus is just featured vocal here on a Carly Rae Jepsen song so the songwriting credit doesn't go to him. But Jesus Christ this is god-damn fantastic modern pop. If a great pop song can then make use of Rufus Wainwright's voice: winning.
20 Sanssouci - Should be the definition of "toe-tapping". I've heard it's about different things: it's a lyrical riff on an Oscar Wilde story, or it's about him being nostalgic about doing more drugs or being wilder. No matter. It's a vibe. And the "tonight" bridge is so cool chord-wise.
21 Damsel In Distress - Whether the narrator is talking to a real person, a type, or himself, who doesn't love making fun of everybody's tendency to pain themselves as a victim. One of his best guitar-driven songs.
22 The Art Teacher - This should be higher. It might sound depressing listening around the house but played live it's transcendent. I believe it's about an art teacher acquaintance of his who had a girl student with a crush on him, while Rufus found the guy gorgeous and understood. A romantic sounding piano piece scoring the feeling of having too many romantic feelings.
23 Greek Song - Really has a cool Mediterranean feel (prompted by the title) although that kooky soloing instrument is a Chinese erhu. Traveling to foreign places heightens the senses, and this feels foreign. Or just sounds cool if you're washing the dishes.
24 Hallelujah - I'm guilty of taking this song for granted. It's a Leonard Cohen classic, but Cohen's own version is so perversely slow that I sometimes think it's unlistenable. It's a clever word and music puzzle that Rufus totally elevated. It's great. That said, I'd still rather listen to Jeff Buckley's version but Rufus totally put this song into the culture.
25 Release The Stars - Rufus Wainwright is the singer at the club that fictional Howard Hughes goes to in The Aviator. Just like that performance, this song totally recreates an old Hollywood sound, like something Judy Garland would have loved to have in her act. All while telling more modern Hollywood that "old Hollywood is over" so bombs away and let gay stars be gay. I think. Who cares, this sounds fantastic, should be higher in this list.
26 Matinee Idol - Speaking of Hollywood, this tack-piano and vibraphone mixed with subtle synthesizers intentionally sounds like it could be scoring a Rudolf Valentino movie. But it's about River Phoenix. If the Beach Boys were all gay men it might sound more like this.
27 Old Whore's Diet - Is the old whore's diet: A) Cum/sex, B) Chinese food, or C) Drugs. I don't know and I don't care. Starts out acapella then gets into a really hypnotic groove. I totally don't blame this song for being 8 minutes long. You'll have a spring in your step the whole way.
28 Oh What A World - Rufus can be cynical. I think this one is on the level. When you travel, you see shit. The world is pretty amazing and beautiful, and so is the idea of being alive. The music is a slow burn and by the end it's like a Gershwin multiple orgasm.
29 California - Sounds like it could be pop celebration of California even though it's not (like Randy Newman's "I Love L.A.". Again, it's super realized sugary music and arrangements, even early in his career. Only his second album but when I heard references to Rhoda and Bea Arthur, I know this guy was on my get-every-album-when-it-comes-out short list.
30 11:11 - A beautiful musical slow burn starting with the 12-string guitar before a fuller arrangement. I can't pretend to know what this song is about other than a reminder that people who enjoy each other should maximize that time while we're all still alive. Got a nice beat and you can dance to it.
31 Perfect Day - Not a particularly noteworthy cover but this Lou Reed song is incredible and Rufus Wainwright's voice does it so much more justice than Lou ever could/did.
32 Respectable Dive - Sounds like a great French chanteuse torch song or something a brassy lady singer like Elaine Stritch would have knocked out of the part. Sounds like a cautious narrator letting his feelings come out for once on one night.
33 Unfollow The Rules - Pretty ballad-ish song sounding like an old Kurt Weill standard with a normally reticent narrator singing honestly about reticence. The "I'm no Hercules" slowed down chorus is so fucking beautiful if you can get yourself in the right headspace for this slow one.
34 Want - I once heard this when I was pretty high and almost started crying. So simple, about enjoying life, being yourself and enjoying being yourself. Slow brushes on the snare drum and a vibraphone sound and light piano is right in my wheelhouse.
35 Montauk - Another rolling piano exercise that's Western poor man's opera. Maybe not the song you put on with other people, yet is a crowd pleaser live because it requires tons of skill to perform live. It's hypnotic.
36 Romantical Man - Rufus' music has always been romantic, even when the lyrics are biting and cynical. In this one, he just embraces being a romantical man. If this was on the first few albums it probably would have been straight piano, but this subtly full arrangement makes it a keeper.
37 Dinner At Eight - Most songs about father-son conflict and confrontation about being abandoned would have a heavy rock feel. Here instead it sounds like it's in a romantic French movie. The sentiment starts by wanting to be angry, but I feel like the swelling tender music actually softens the narrator by the end and changes his mind.
38 Pretty Things - Simple classical piano that's intentionally bare and the lyrics a little more opaque than usual. Again, not for a party, but a beautiful palette cleanser in a long playlist like this.
39 Tulsa - Another kind of classical piece, but with some baroque strings and pizzicato stuff. Lyrically, I've read that it's about meeting The Killers' Brandon Flowers in Tulsa and their interaction, which Rufus turned into a sweeping fantasia love affair that didn't real happen.
40 Beauty Mark - Apparently Rufus' musical mom didn't love his initial songwriting efforts, so he wrote this because it's something he knew she would like musically. Childlike and simple music and feel.
