How is this guy not even bigger than he is? He's such a natural. I can't even think of another singer in the past couple of decades who's this gifted. Riveting voice, writing and performances.
Rufus Wainwright debuted in 1998. And, by then, the strong, solid songwriting of the 1980's was sacrificed for the rythmic, loop-based street-poetics of Hiphop music. Other thing is that Grunge, literally with it's dirty sweaters and gritty voices now represented a rejection of corporatized, highly-marketed and glossy 80's songs and videos. Nirvana's "Nevermind," a Grunge landmark album came out in 1991. By 1998, the public at large was not interested in an act from a Canadian singer who's sound was more akin to theater, Vaudville, and jazz. Though completely ignored by radio stations, a decade later accapella and folk-style singing made a comeback because from 2000 to 2010 everybody actually forgot what real singing really was. That was the decade of the whiny, cry-baby-sounding garage-bands. Literally, instead of singing, they actually whined! Nothing expresses the voice of entitlement like pop music of the 2000's. The voice as a natural, resonant instrument was further destroyed by the advent of auto-tune. The computer program that could slide isolated melodic lines to snap un-naturally to whatever key of choice. Amazingly, Cher's "Belive", the first usage of autotune on pop radio, came out in 1998--the very year of Rufus Wainwright's debut. (Autotune had an interesting, somewhat computerized effect, which I have nothing against. I'm just saying that it removed from the radio any grounded sense of resonant singing.) Ironically, it was television that saved the human singing voice (and Rufus Wainwright paved the way for this by keeping theater and jazz pop music alive till then). In 2006, during the complete death of singing, America's got talent (and other such competitions) appeared, and suddenly, people began to hear real singing again. These were live competitions, so the singer had to use his voice to the fullest because, besides a little added reverb, that's all he had. Slowly, singers began to quit singing from there little snotty noses. By the end of that decade, Glee came out (2009), which was a dramatic musical series of high school kids in a music program at school. With glee, if was finally OK to sing in a theater or folk style--meaning un-plugged, minimal accompaniment, and group harmony. Also, by the end of the 2000's, radio was being replaced by the internet. It now, suddenly didn't matter if you were hip to what was being presented on the radio at whatever given time. It finally became cool to NOT know what was popular at the time. Indeed, Rufus Wainwright WAS ahead of his time. The quality of his original music, plus critical acclaim, kept his music alive almost exclusively thru a cult status. Also, like Vince Clarke and Erasure in the 80's, Wainwright cleverly worked the gay sub-culture by identifying himself with being openly gay at a time when gayness was still an under-ground and taboo issue. His second album, Poses came out in 2001, and although his most financially successful release, it was make a decade of dark obscurity from the public eye and ear. His legacy is a large body of work that is both highly accessible, yet intellectually and harmonically challenging and provocative. Rufus Wainwright's legacy is that his music survived a pop-culture that never survived him.
A song no one ever seems to tire of. And every time he sings it is like he is performing it for the first time. As we all know by now, he is a true genius.
i just want to thank my dad for playing this song for my whole life. cause now im 15 and have never found a song more compellingly written. i want to get better and be like this guy one day lol.dudes a literal fucking genius
Rufus Wainwright songs are love letters and homages to the music from the 70s and 60s. He combines everything to make it new, yet something familiar and beloved, a familiar friends returning you missed for such a long time you never want to be parted form again. It's like the first time I heard Van Morrison or Carol King.
Jeff Hill is the bassist. he's great. plays with The Chris Robinson Brotherhood now, but played with Rufus for ten years, been touring non-stop pretty much and recording non-stop with a number of well known acts and his own bands.
Im Spanish, sorry for my english: Find him, this extraordinary artist, was so difficult, and I don´t understand the reason why he isn´t more known; many popular singers can not be compared to the voice ande the talent he exhibits.
Just blissful. Rufus was blessed with artistic genes and has certainly taken full advantage of them. Stunning. It's not just the precise playing, but his ability to convey so much emotion in his vocal that makes him such a treasure.
How is it that no one told me there was Rufus out in the world? Now I discover at an advanced age and must play catch-up. How is it I love Rufus so much? At least the young Rufus. My goodness
You've got my lost brother's soul My dear mother's eyes A brown horse's mane And my uncle's name You walked me down 14th Street For the doctor to meet after thoughts of the grave In the home of the brave and of the weak But why'd you have to break all my heart Couldn't you have saved a little bit of it? Why'd you have to break all my heart? Couldn't you have saved a minor part? I could have clipped and saved and planted in the garden Damn you guess I'll have to get a new one I'd love to sit and watch you drink With the reins to the world, gripping a smoke Vaguely missing link Don't ever change you hungry little bashful hound I got the sheep, poor little Bo Peep Has lost and filed for grounds. But why'd you have to break all my heart I could have ripped apart and thrown into the river Wonder if there's hearts that will deliver Don't ever change, don't ever worry Because I'm coming back home tomorrow To 14th Street where I won't hurry And where I'll learn how to save, not just borrow And they'll be rainbows and we will finally know
Rufus what is the video where there's a middle-aged German man alongside his wife singing exuberantly to either 14th street or another song? Bravo Mr. Wainwright this one is a performance of the decade
This is a song for when the bar is closing and the party's over, but you can still go back to your daily toils knowing that things are maybe not so bad.
Rufus can sing circles around virtually everyone in popular music today. He's so absurdly talented. I know there are some truly incredible popular singers today who might be better than Rufus, but there aren't MANY. The only one I can think of immediately who has as much vocal talent and also sings equally interesting music is Kimbra, whom I also love. Sure, Josh Groban, Adele, Celine Dion, and so forth are great singers, but I don't care for the music they choose to sing. It's boring.
This concert originally aired on direct tv. Can't find any footage now! Where's the rest? Can't understand why anyone would post one song and nothing else! Please help me! where can I find this concert! It clearly exists.
This came with the Want Two CD - you can get it here on Amazon. www.amazon.com/Want-Two-Rufus-Wainwright/dp/B0007TURAM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1471226582&sr=8-2&keywords=want+2+rufus+cd
Elton said "he is one of the best songwriters and singers ever" or words very close to that ! I've seen Elton once in late 80"s and Rufus 3 times so far.... Do it.
Thom Yorke!??? Ricardo, you are insane ... Anyway .. Rufus, Awesome! Love this song, and love you! But what's with the breathing? Weird way to take breathes ... not very discreet man! Sounds like you are inhaling something, like an asthma inhaler, or a joint! again, mad love tho ...
