Customer Reviews
A Great Debut.... but hard work! - By: Mr. R. E. O'NEILL, 15 Oct 2006 
Rufus Wainwright is a musical & lyrical GENUIS, but.... I heard his albumsin reverse order. This obviously being the last I had heard. Want I bought first the double album & it blew me away. The songs (even though all so very different) seemed to flow & you could not wait for the next one. Rufus debut was not like that. Danny Boy is a very painful song about his love for a straight friend that broke his heart, you can really feel his painin the song. April Fools lifts the spirit of the album & stands out on this album, you hope to hear more songs like this on it, but there is not!! Also Beauty Mark (about his mother) is another magical song, talking openly about his sexuality. Even though I do not seem to rate it highlyin my review I still give the album 4 stars for effort & bringing a refreshing style of music & lyrics. Definitely originality at its best....
Melanchloy and Theatrical - By: M. J., 18 Sep 2006 
Listening to Rufus Wainwright's debut album is not only a pleasant esthetic experience, it's probably a very healthy thing to do to your brains & senses, like eating fresh salmon or avocado or viewing an Olafur Eliasson installation. His breathless vocals & guitar & piano arrangements fusein cabaret-like compositions that oozein through your ears & keep you from doing anyting else but listen.
His lyrics are frequently sad yet never dire, counting some very personal songs like Danny Boy, a love ballad, & Beauty Mark, a tribute to Rufus's own mother, folk legend Kate McGarrigle. Rufus's quite uncloseted sexuality is one of many themes his lyrics touch upon, but not to the point of tediousness; today he's arguably the most significant gay icon alive, at least for the younger generations.
The album's opening track, Foolish Love, epitomizes Wainwright's style by building up slowly & gradually,in different phases, until it reaches a theatrical & danceable pace. It's mellow, but definitely with a silver-lining, a confessional with wit & pop-sensibility, setting the tone for a fantastic debut album which a lot of people are discovering now, 8 years after its release.
A debut album has no right to be this good. - By: M. A. Fraser, 08 Mar 2006 Although this is Rufus's first, it was the last of the 4 CD's I purchased. I confess I did so out of loyalty & completeness, not expecting it to compare with the wayward brilliance of the Wants.
What I heard exceeded my expectations by a mile, particularly once the sophisticated tunes have been given a chance to lodgein the brain.
The sound-world here is more straightforward than subsequent releases, very much piano-based with various band & orchestral backing. Comparisons with Billy Joel & Elton John are inevitable, & it's difficult to see how any fan of piano-based rock & pop could not enjoy this.
The first four tracks are simply perfect. Foolish Love, with its lush, segmented melodies, Danny Boy with its lagubrious rolling rhythm (in 6/8 time?), while April Fools is the Beatles song they never wrote.
The fourth song, In My Arms, is almost a duet with his sister Martha. Maybe I'm biased, but having Martha on backing vocals is like sprinkling magic dust on a song. Can't help thinking back to Emmylou Harris doing the same for Gram Parsons & Bob Dylan.
Other highlights are the graceful Barcelona, fully justifying its 7 minute length, & Sally Ann, a wistful show tune. There's not a song out of the 12 here that doesn't deserve its place on this impressive debut. Say what you want about his voice, Rufus's talent as a songwriter is undeniable.
Best time to enjoy: late afternoon/early evening.
Wonderful album, but buy "Want one" first... - By: Alexander C. Hale, 29 Jul 2005 This is an absolutely fantastic album which offers a wide selection of well-crafted songs & I highly recommend it. However, before listening to other Rufus work (in particular the album "Want One") I was put off by the sounds of the samples. I would recommend buying "Want one" first, getting accustomed to Rufus' wonderful, unique voice, & then purchasing this album (and his others!).
Rufus remember sunbathing on the roof near Mount Royal? - By: , 18 Mar 2005 I have a home-taped cassette of Rufus singing 3 of the songs featured on this album & even though the recording quality is rubbish, I always loved his voice & admired his piano playing. He is one of a kind & you won't regret buying this album. Smooth, heavy, sexy voice with lyrics that fuse his classical training & magnetic personality. Wow, you've come a long way Rufus! Rebecca
