Social Studies (Loudon Wainwright III album)

Last updated
Social Studies
SocialStudiesalbumcover.jpg
Studio album by
Loudon Wainwright III
Released1999
Genre Folk, satire
Length52:08
Label Hannibal [1]
Producer Joe Boyd, John Wood
Loudon Wainwright III chronology
BBC Sessions
(1998)		Social Studies
(1999)		 Last Man on Earth
(2001)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [2]
Robert Christgau Five Pointed Star Solid.svg [3]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [5]

Social Studies is a studio album by Loudon Wainwright III, released in 1999. [6] [7] The album comprises various topical and satirical songs, originally produced for National Public Radio and based upon then-current issues and events, such as the Tonya Harding scandal, the O. J. Simpson murder trial, the lead-up to Y2K, and controversies surrounding comments made by former Republican U.S. Senator Jesse Helms. [8]

Contents

Regarding the album's topical nature, Wainwright notes: "It's something that no-one does anymore; write songs about current events. When I was young there were a lot of topical songwriters around; maybe folk music had more impact on culture back then. I see these songs as a kind of musical journalism. My father was a journalist, for Life magazine, and I've definitely inherited something of that approach." [9]

Production

The album was written over a period of 15 years, with Wainwright composing on his Martin guitar. [10] [11] It was produced by Joe Boyd and John Wood. [12] NPR declined to air several of the songs that eventually became part of the album's track listing. [13]

Critical reception

Rolling Stone wrote that "the best political songs combine passionate commitment and analytic command, laced with streaks of black humor, as in prime Mekons or Gil Scott-Heron." [5] The Guardian deemed Social Studies "largely an album about alienation, anonymous telephone sex, and a society that lives vicariously, either through the OJ soap opera, or by watching TV news." [14]

The Boston Globe thought that the album "shines with the same wise-guy wit, but also with a kind-eyed empathy that gives even his goofiest songs a sage maturity and warm emotional resonance." [15] The Independent opined that Wainwright "is as wry and acid as ever, but most tracks should probably have remained one-off live broadcasts, as intended." [16]

Track listing

All tracks composed by Loudon Wainwright III

  1. "What Gives" – 3:29
  2. "Tonya's Twirls" – 3:37
  3. "New Street People" – 2:50
  4. "Carmine Street" – 2:57
  5. "O.J." – 3:13
  6. "Leap Of Faith" – 2:53
  7. "Conspiracies" – 2:17
  8. "Christmas Morning" – 3:36
  9. "Y2K" – 6:13
  10. "Number One" – 3:39
  11. "Bad Man" – 3:21
  12. "Inaugural Blues" – 3:19
  13. "Our Boy Bill" – 3:11
  14. "Jesse Don't Like It" – 4:06
  15. "Pretty Good Day" – 4:19

Personnel

Release history

Related Research Articles

<i>Rufus Wainwright</i> (album) 1998 studio album by Rufus Wainwright

Rufus Wainwright is the debut studio album by Canadian-American singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright, released in the United States on May 19, 1998, through DreamWorks Records. The album was produced by Jon Brion, with the exception of "In My Arms", which was produced and mixed by Pierre Marchand, and "Millbrook" and "Baby", which were produced by Brion and Van Dyke Parks. Lenny Waronker was the album's executive producer.

<i>Kate & Anna McGarrigle</i> (album) 1976 studio album by Kate & Anna McGarrigle

Kate & Anna McGarrigle is the debut album by Kate & Anna McGarrigle, released in January 1976. Guest musicians on the album include Lowell George, Bobby Keys, Jay Ungar, and Tony Levin as well as family and friends such as eldest sister Jane McGarrigle, Anna McGarrigle's husband Dane Lanken, and the siblings' old friend Chaim Tannenbaum.

Brass Monkey are an English folk band from the 1980s, who reunited in the late 1990s. They were innovative in their use of a brass section which was atypical for English folk music.

<i>Album II</i> (Loudon Wainwright III album) 1971 studio album by Loudon Wainwright III

Album II is the second album by Loudon Wainwright III. It was released in 1971 by Atlantic Records.

<i>Album III</i> 1972 studio album by Loudon Wainwright III

Album III is the third full-length album from Loudon Wainwright III. It was originally released in 1972 on Columbia Records. Album III would spawn Loudon Wainwright's most popular hit single, "Dead Skunk", one of the many 'novelty songs' sprinkled throughout Wainwright's career. Although Wainwright has maintained an ironic, sometimes sepulchral sense of humor, "Dead Skunk", despite its commercial success, has dogged him ever since, as he comments on 1985's album I'm Alright, "Were you embarrassed about 'Dead Skunk'"?

<i>Attempted Mustache</i> 1973 studio album by Loudon Wainwright III

Attempted Mustache is the fourth album from Loudon Wainwright III. It was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee with producer Bob Johnston and was released in 1973 on Columbia Records.

<i>Fame and Wealth</i> 1983 studio album by Loudon Wainwright III

Fame and Wealth is an album by the American musician Loudon Wainwright III, released in 1983.

<i>Im Alright</i> (Loudon Wainwright III album) 1985 studio album by Loudon Wainwright III

I'm Alright is a 1985 album by Loudon Wainwright III. It was his third release on Rounder Records, recorded in London. It was produced by Richard Thompson, who also played electric lead guitar on several songs. The back cover features a photo of the two together, captioned 'Loud and Rich'.

<i>More Love Songs</i> 1986 studio album by Loudon Wainwright III

More Love Songs is a 1986 album by Loudon Wainwright III released on Rounder Records. Wainwright had moved to England, and this was the second album produced by Richard Thompson. Critically and popularly it is probably considered the peak of his 1980s renaissance. After three albums in four years, it would be another three years before he released the largely ignored Therapy. The album was nominated for the "Best Contemporary Folk Recording" Grammy.

<i>Therapy</i> (Loudon Wainwright III album) 1989 studio album by Loudon Wainwright III

Therapy is a 1989 album by Loudon Wainwright III. It followed a three-year hiatus, during which Wainwright moved from England back to the USA. Compared with those two, Therapy was not well received, but outstanding tracks have subsequently appeared on live albums.

<i>History</i> (Loudon Wainwright III album) 1992 studio album by Loudon Wainwright III

History is an album by the American musician Loudon Wainwright III, released in 1992 on Charisma Records. Wainwright supported the album with North American and European tours.

<i>Grown Man</i> 1995 studio album by Loudon Wainwright III

Grown Man is an album by the American singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III, released on October 2, 1995, on Virgin Records. The release is generally considered less stark and somewhat more humorous that its predecessor, History.

<i>Little Ship</i> (album) 1998 studio album by Loudon Wainwright III

Little Ship is an album by the American singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III, released in 1998 on Virgin Records/Charisma Records. According to Wainwright, the album "focuses primarily on the theme of a relationship. In terms of the other records, I don't know how or why I would place it somewhere except that it's the newest."

<i>Last Man on Earth</i> (album) 2001 studio album by Loudon Wainwright III

Last Man on Earth is the sixteenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III, released on September 24, 2001 on Red House Records. Recorded in the wake of Wainwright's mother's death and the collapse of a romantic relationship, the album thematically addresses feelings of grief and loneliness. In 2012, Wainwright noted, "Last Man on Earth was written right after my mother died, so a lot of the material on that record has to do with that momentous event. The life circle was present on a lot of those songs."

<i>T Shirt</i> (album) 1976 studio album by Loudon Wainwright III

T Shirt is a 1976 album by Loudon Wainwright III. Unlike his earlier records, this saw Wainwright adopt a full blown rock band (Slowtrain) - though there are acoustic songs on T Shirt, including a talking blues. According to Wainwright on the 2006 CD liner notes, it received a scathing review from Rolling Stone which depressed him so much he stayed in bed for five days. By the early 1990s, he disowned the album in a radio interview broadcast in Australia. However, by the time of the CD remaster he admitted to a much more sympathetic view of the album(s), which he referred to as his 'puppies'.

<i>BBC Sessions</i> (Loudon Wainwright III album) 1998 live album by Loudon Wainwright III

BBC Sessions is a 1998 release by Loudon Wainwright III. It is a compilation of BBC Radio recordings from 1971 to 1993. "Sunday Times" makes its first recorded appearance on the compilation.

<i>Bringing It All Back Home – Again</i> 1999 EP by The Brian Jonestown Massacre

Bringing It All Back Home – Again is an EP by American psychedelic rock band The Brian Jonestown Massacre. It was released in 1999 by record label Which?

<i>Old New Borrowed Blue</i> 1996 studio album by Fairport Convention

Old New Borrowed Blue is the nineteenth studio album by folk rock band Fairport Convention, although for this release, they were billed as "Fairport Acoustic Convention" as it was the band's first all-acoustic album in 29 years. Part studio, part live, it was recorded to publicise a tour of the United States and consisted of cover versions, new songs and classic tracks dating back to the band's early career. Dave Mattacks, who had provided drums and electronic instrumentation for previous albums, was absent.

<i>10 Songs for the New Depression</i> 2010 studio album by Loudon Wainwright III

10 Songs for the New Depression is the twenty-first studio album by American singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III, released in July 2010 through Proper Records. Released forty years following his first studio album, 10 Songs is Wainwright's first album since his Grammy Award-winning tribute project High Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project (2009). The concept album was inspired by the financial crisis of 2007–2008 and Great Recession, and features Wainwright backed by his own banjo, guitar and ukulele performances.

This is a discography of American songwriter, folk singer, humorist, and actor Loudon Wainwright III.

References

  1. ↑ "Sweethearts of the Jukebox: Parsons, Carpenter, Wainwright". July 12, 1999.
  2. ↑ "Social Studies - Loudon Wainwright III | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  3. ↑ "Robert Christgau: CG: Artist 838". www.robertchristgau.com.
  4. ↑ The Encyclopedia of Popular Music – Colin Larkin – Google Books
  5. 1 2 Loudon Wainwright III: Social Studies : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone
  6. ↑ "Loudon Wainwright III Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
  7. ↑ Alden, Grant; Blackstock, Peter (September 15, 2009). "No Depression # 78: Family Style". University of Texas Press – via Google Books.
  8. ↑ "Loudon Wainwright III Mocks The News". MTV News.[ dead link ]
  9. ↑ "Loudon Wainwright III". Lw3.com. 1999-06-20. Archived from the original on 2011-07-27. Retrieved 2012-01-12.
  10. ↑ "Loudon Wainwright III Does His Homework". exclaim.ca.
  11. ↑ "Triple A". CMJ New Music Report. CMJ Network, Inc. July 26, 1999 – via Google Books.
  12. ↑ "Reviews & Previews". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. July 24, 1999 – via Google Books.
  13. ↑ Knopper, Steve (23 Sep 1999). "LOUDON WAINWRIGHT III 'Social Studies'". Newsday. p. C7.
  14. ↑ Denselow, Robin (16 July 1999). "Music: Pop CD releases Loudon Wainwright III Social Studies (Hannibal/Rykodisc)". The Guardian. Friday. p. 18.
  15. ↑ Alarik, Scott (15 Oct 1999). "NEXT ACT, OFFSTAGE". The Boston Globe. p. D15.
  16. ↑ Barber, Nicholas (25 July 1999). "CD REVIEWS". The Independent. Features. p. 9.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.