"Initially, this was simply going to be an album of piano and voice", Wainwright stated in a May 2007 interview with The Independent's Nick Duerden.[4] That was, however, until he visited Berlin, which influenced the album's lush sound. Wainwright declared, "Basically, a huge wave of German Romanticism descended on the recording process, and almost drowned me."[4] Wainwright cited two reasons for the change in direction and the heightened dramatic flare: the cancer diagnosis received by his mother (folk musicianKate McGarrigle) during the album's genesis, which he found "fueled his creative intensity in some kind of displaced attempt to get her well", and the New York Metropolitan Opera's commissioning Wainwright to write an opera, making Release the Stars a way of training for such a large project.[4] Revealing the overall theme in January 2007, Wainwright declared the album was about opening up and following impulses.[5] "Whether it's the environment, politics or religious warfare", Wainwright stated in an interview with The Japan Times, "it's time to get out there and be a part of the solution, whatever that is."[6]
For his "incredible take on what popular music means in today's world", Wainwright recruited Neil Tennant to advise him, act as executive producer of the album, and assist with the editing process.[7] Parts of the album were recorded at Second Story and Legacy in New York City, Brooklyn Recording in Brooklyn, Saal 4 in Berlin, and Strongroom and Angel Recording Studios in London.[8] Wainwright had his sister Martha Wainwright, half-sister Lucy Wainwright Roche, and mother Kate McGarrigle appear on the album, along with father and son musicians Richard Thompson and Teddy Thompson. Marius de Vries, who produced both of Wainwright's previous albums (Want One and Want Two), worked on the album, as did longtime band members Jeff Hill, Jack Petruzelli, and Matt Johnson.
Singles
"Going to a Town" was released in the United States as a single in digital format on April 3, 2007.[9] The track was later released via digital distribution in the UK on May 7, including "Low Grade Happiness" as a B-side on iTunes. "Going to a Town" entered the UK Singles Chart on May 19, 2007, at number 68. The following week (May 26), the track reached its highest position at number 54.[10] "Going to a Town" lasted on the chart for two weeks in total, and failed to chart in other countries. The music video for the song was directed by Sophie Muller.[11] The video premiered in April 2007, and Logo aired a 20-minute feature on the making of the video on April 27, 2007 (Making the Video: Going to a Town).[12]
The album's second single, "Rules and Regulations", was released digitally in the UK on July 30, 2007.[13] The song failed to chart. Petro Papahadjopoulos directed the music video for "Rules and Regulations", which features a group of men performing a choreographed dance around a long john-wearing Wainwright inside a London mansion.[14]
Released in October 2007, "Tiergarten" was the third single from Release the Stars.[15] A limited edition (500copies) 12-inch single containing "Supermayer Lost in Tiergarten" was released on October 27.[16] A one-track EP containing the Supermayer remix was released in the UK via iTunes and 7digital on October 29.[17] Both the album version and remix of "Tiergarten" failed to chart.
"Do I Disappoint You", the album's opener, "sees [Wainwright] present a withering defense of his own human frailties, while one orchestral battalion after another mount their attacks and Martha Wainwright summons 'CHAOS!' and 'DESTRUCTION!' like a marauding Fury".[18] "Going to a Town", the album's lead single, was considered by Uncut's John Mulvey to be among the angriest lyrics Wainwright has written, an "indictment of the country of his birth that hinges on the refrain, 'I'm so tired of you America'".[18] The political track, which Wainwright claimed he wrote in just five minutes on the eve of his departure for Berlin, confronts the Bush administration's perceived damage to the U.S. in the form of a love song.[6][19][20] It was his discontent with America at the time that lead Wainwright to spend some time recording the album in Berlin.[19] "Tiergarten", named after a large park in Berlin of the same name, is a song about Wainwright's German boyfriend, Jörn Weisbrodt.[21] While recording parts of Release the Stars in Berlin, the couple visited the park often.[22]
"Nobody's Off the Hook" is written about the singer-songwriter Teddy Thompson, a longtime friend of Wainwright's.[7] Citing Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, and Mahler as influences, Wainwright stated the string arrangements were his first attempt at writing chamber music.[23] "Between My Legs", which Wainwright wrote about a "boy [he] was infatuated with named Tommy Hotpants", is a "fantasy about being able to save your object of desire when the apocalypse comes, and bring him to some sort of hidden paradise."[7] The last 30 seconds of the song contains the opening notes of the title song from Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical The Phantom of the Opera, along with a dramatic spoken word part by Siân Phillips.[24] According to Wainwright, "Rules and Regulations" was originally written as a slow ballad for Robert Wilson, and is about the perspective of "someone who looks at athletes, but who is not an athlete".[23] "Not Ready to Love" is Wainwright's "surrender to the whole idea of being loved and being able to maintain a relationship."[23]
"Slideshow" is about Michael Cavadias, a friend Wainwright took to Australia for a Leonard Cohen tribute concert, who failed to include Wainwright in the computer slide show he put together.[25] Wainwright wrote "Tulsa" after meeting The Killers frontman Brandon Flowers at a bar in Tulsa, Oklahoma. After reuniting with Flowers at the 2007 Glastonbury Festival in England, Wainwright said of their encounter that Flowers was "very flattered" and "somewhat bashful".[26]
"Leaving for Paris N° 2",[8] previously released as "Leaving for Paris" on a bonus CD for Want One in France,[27] differs from the first version with the addition of a second verse along with added instrumental effects. In an April 2007 interview with Scotland on Sunday, Wainwright revealed the inspiration for both "Do I Disappoint You" and "Leaving for Paris N° 2":
[They were] actually written for a musical that I was thinking of writing. They're both about the same person. Essentially it's about an extremely beautiful individual, man or woman, who's deathly attractive, who basically lashes out at his oppressors or fondlers or pursuers. And just tells them that, 'you know, the fact that you love me for my physical attributes is kind of a sin, and in fact I'm a lot like you, and that's the truth. Looking at me physically you don't see my soul.' And that was just [written] during the period when I was obsessed with good-looking people and why people liked them.[22]
Wainwright later stated that the musical was Moulin Rouge!:
"[Leaving for Paris]" is a very old song. I wrote this years ago, and I've sung it for a long time. Initially, it was a piece I wrote for Moulin Rouge!, Baz Luhrmann's movie. I thought it would be great for Nicole Kidman to sing, and kind of walk away from her little village and end up a prostitute in Paris. Slowly, Nicole Kidman morphed into me. Because they didn't use it in the movie, I kept it for myself.[23]
"Sanssouci" was inspired by 18th century Prussian monarch Frederick the Great's Rococosummer palace outside Berlin. Wainwright has said the song is about the discrepancy between expectations from success and its reality.[23] "Release the Stars", the title track and album closer, has a "brassy Broadway swagger". The song's lyrical inspiration comes from Lorca Cohen, Leonard's daughter, "missing the New York show" (referring to one of the Judy Garland tribute concerts Wainwright performed in June 2006 at Carnegie Hall).[18]
The images on the album's front cover, back cover, and liner notes are from the gigantomachy frieze at the Pergamon Altar in Berlin. The photos were taken by Wainwright.[8] Insert photographs of Wainwright, the altar, the bushes, and the long path were taken by Sam Taylor-Johnson, Wainwright, Lucy Roche, and Weisbrodt. In the liner notes, Wainwright gives "special thanks to all [his] family and friends".[8]
World tour
To promote the album, Wainwright embarked on a tour that lasted for nearly eight months, starting in London in May 2007 and ending in New York City in February 2008.[28][29] The tour visited the United States and Canada during June–August 2007, the UK in October, Europe during November–December, and Japan and Australia / New Zealand during January–February 2008.[30] Throughout much of the tour, fans could audition to join Wainwright on stage and perform their own rendition of Siân Phillips' spoken word part in "Between My Legs". Candidates posted their audition videos on YouTube, and a winning act was chosen for each concert.[31][32] Photos of "Between My Legs" contest winners performing on stage with Wainwright were posted on his official MySpace site.[33] The last stop of the tour was Valentine's Day, February 14, 2008, at Radio City Music Hall in NYC.[29]
Overall, reception of the album was positive. In his review for The Guardian, Alexis Petridis wrote that Release the Stars "is, by anyone's standards, a wonderful album, packed with stunning melodies and brilliant lyrics."[37]Billboard magazine's Susan Visakowitz described the album as Wainwright's "most unabashedly flamboyant record yet", with "larger-than-life melodies wrapped in swelling strings and surging horns and buoyed by the singer's typical swoon-inducing, caramel-covered tenor."[43]The Observer's Stephanie Merritt called the album "complex, melodramatic, ambitious, vain, beautiful and frequently magnificent." While she wrote that Release the Stars may not yield many chart hits, Merritt claimed "it feels like an album that will endure".[39]Music journalistRobert Christgau complimented the album, observing: "To prove he can, [Wainwright] sets just one of this career-topping aggregation of florid melodies to electric guitars, and damn my heterosexual ears for liking it best."[35] Caitlin Moran of The Times declared, "The stars will be released, in batches of fours and fives, in every review."[42] Referring to "Sanssouci", the former summer palace of Frederick the Great and inspiration for the song of the same name, Uncut contributor John Mulvey wrote, "If he keeps making albums as good as this, we should wall him up in there forever."[18]
However, the album did receive some criticism, mostly pertaining to its overly lavish and decadent style. Regarding his attempt at creating radio-friendly music, Petridis claimed that Wainwright "doesn't seem to be trying at all" by employing Neil Tennant (a musician also known for grandiloquence) as executive producer of the album and including extravagant orchestrations.[37] He wrote, "every time Wainwright seems on the verge of making a straightforward appeal for the mainstream, he throws a glittery spanner in the works." He noted the exotic instruments used in "Do I Disappoint You": "It's a marvelous song, but it's lavishly decorated with thundering timpani, fluttering woodwind, pizzicato strings and brass." Petridis questions, "Is this really the way he proposes to win over the punters who pick up two albums a year?"[37] In his review for NME, Priya Elan wrote: "Someone needs to tell Wainwright there's a huge difference between 'epic' and 'over-egged'."[38]Entertainment Weekly's Gregory Kirschling stated that Release the Stars was "adorned with more strings, horns, choirs, and piccolo flute (!) than ever, his melodies — and what melodies they are — are drowned out by the bombast", citing "Nobody's Off the Hook" as an example. "But", Kirschling stated, "he still yearns more beautifully than anyone."[36]
Joan Wasser – backing vocals (2,5,8,11), electric guitar (5,8), violin (2)
Kenny Wollesen – drums (12)
Credits adapted from Allmusic and the album liner notes.[2][8]
Chart positions and certifications
Release the Stars debuted at number 23 on the U.S. Billboard 200, Wainwright's highest debut chart position as of 2009, selling about 24,000 copies in its first week.[46] The album also achieved Wainwright's highest chart position on the UK Albums Chart, debuting at number 2 with sales approaching 30,000 in the first week.[47] Overall, Release the Stars charted in 13 countries, reaching Top 10 positions in Denmark, Norway, and the United Kingdom. The album was certified gold in both Canada and the UK.[48][49]
Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter, and composer. He has recorded eleven studio albums and numerous tracks on compilations and film soundtracks. He has also written two classical operas and set Shakespeare's sonnets to music for a theatre piece by Robert Wilson.
Want One is the third studio album by the Canadian-American singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright, released through DreamWorks Records on September 23, 2003. The album was produced by Marius de Vries and mixed by Andy Bradfield, with Lenny Waronker as the executive in charge of production. Want One spawned two singles: "I Don't Know What It Is", which peaked at number 74 on the UK Singles Chart, and "Oh What a World". The album charted in three countries, reaching number 60 on the Billboard 200, number 130 in France, and number 77 in the Netherlands.
I've Been Expecting You is the second studio album by English recording artist Robbie Williams. It was released on 26 October 1998 through Chrysalis Records. The album spawned five singles, including lead single "Millennium", which became Williams' first UK number-one hit.
Martha Wainwright is the debut album of Montreal singer Martha Wainwright, released on April 12, 2005. The album received generally favourable reviews.
Songs from the West Coast is the twenty-sixth studio album by English musician Elton John, released worldwide on 1 October 2001.
Teddy Thompson is an English folk and rock musician. He is the son of folk rock musicians Richard and Linda Thompson and brother of singer Kamila Thompson. He released his first album in 2000.
Minutes to Midnight is the third studio album by American rock band Linkin Park, released on May 14, 2007, through Warner Bros. Records. The album was produced by Mike Shinoda and Rick Rubin; it is Linkin Park's first studio album produced without Don Gilmore, who had produced the band's two previous albums. Minutes to Midnight is the band's follow-up album to Meteora (2003), and features a shift in the group's musical direction. For the band, the album marked a beginning of deviation from their signature nu metal sound. Minutes to Midnight takes its title from the Doomsday Clock symbol. It is also the band's first full-length album to carry a Parental Advisory label.
Rock n Roll Jesus is the seventh studio album by Kid Rock, released on October 9, 2007. Rob Cavallo co-produced the album with Rock. The album was not available at the iTunes Store in an act of protest by Kid Rock regarding a royalties dispute. It was nominated for two Grammy Awards for Best Rock Album and Best Male Vocal Performance for "All Summer Long" at the 2009 Grammy Awards. "All Summer Long" from the album was named the official theme song for WWE Backlash 2008 as well as "So Hott" for WrestleMania XXV and "New Orleans" for WrestleMania 34.
Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall is the sixth album by the Canadian-American singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright, released through Geffen Records in December 2007. The album consists of live recordings from his sold-out June 14–15, 2006, tribute concerts at Carnegie Hall to the American actress and singer Judy Garland. Backed by a 36-piece orchestra conducted by Stephen Oremus, Wainwright recreated Garland's April 23, 1961, concert, often considered "the greatest night in show business history". Garland's 1961 double album, Judy at Carnegie Hall, a comeback performance with more than 25 American pop and jazz standards, was highly successful, initially spending 95 weeks on the Billboard charts and garnering five Grammy Awards.
I Know You're Married But I've Got Feelings Too is the second full-length album of Canadian singer-songwriter Martha Wainwright. It was released in Australia on May 10, 2008, with other countries to follow. The 14-track album features 12 original tracks and cover versions of Pink Floyd's "See Emily Play" and, as a bonus track in some countries, the Eurythmics' "Love Is a Stranger".
The discography of Rufus Wainwright, a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, consists of eleven studio albums, six live albums, three compilations, three extended plays (EPs), three video albums, nine singles, and nine music videos. Wainwright's self-titled debut album was released through DreamWorks Records in May 1998. Wainwright reached number 24 on Billboard's Top Heatseekers chart, and Rolling Stone named him 1998's Best New Artist. Wainwright's second album, Poses, was released through the same label in June 2001, resulting in a number one on the Heatseekers Chart and number 117 on the Billboard 200. With material recorded from the same session, Want One was released through DreamWorks in September 2003, and Want Two was released through Geffen Records in November 2004.
Easy Come, Easy Go is a studio album of cover versions by English singer Marianne Faithfull, which was released in the EU on 10 November 2008. The album is produced by Hal Willner and features guest appearances from a variety of musicians. It was released as both a standard 10-track CD and a special 18-track edition with a DVD documentary by Anne Rohart under Jean-Baptiste Mondino's artistic direction, with both Faithfull and Wilner commenting on the song selection. A collectible 2-disc vinyl pressing is also available. The album was recorded with Pro Tools in NYC at the Sear Sound Studio.
Gravity at Last is the second studio album by German singer and songwriter Ayọ, released on 26 September 2008 by Polydor Records. The album was recorded in March 2008 and, like her debut album, Joyful, within five days under live conditions. The recording in analog technology took place at Compass Point Studios in Nassau on the island of New Providence, Bahamas. The album topped the French chart in its second week on the run. On 5 February 2009, the album was certified platinum by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP), denoting sales in excess of 200,000 copies in France.
"Rules and Regulations" is a song written and performed by Canadian-American singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright. It was the second single from Wainwright's fifth studio album, Release the Stars, released digitally via iTunes in the UK on July 30, 2007.
"Tiergarten" is a song written and performed by Canadian-American singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright. Released in October 2007, it was the third single from Wainwright's fifth studio album, Release the Stars. A limited edition 12" vinyl single containing "Supermayer Lost in Tiergarten" was released on October 27. A one-track EP also containing the Supermayer remix was released in the UK through iTunes and 7digital on October 29.
Milwaukee at Last!!! is the seventh album by Canadian-American singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright, released in the United States on September 22, 2009. The album consists of live recordings from his August 27, 2007, performance at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in support of his previous studio album, Release the Stars (2007). Documentary film director Albert Maysles recorded a film of the same name for DVD, also released on September 22 in the US.
The Promise is a compilation album by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released November 16, 2010, on Columbia Records. The album is a collection of previously unreleased songs which were recorded during the Darkness on the Edge of Town sessions in 1977–1978, with some vocals and additional instrumentation overdubs recorded in 2010. It was released in 2CD and 3LP formats. The album is also available as part of the box set The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story. The two-CD version of the release entered the UK Albums Chart at number 7. It had been in production for many years and was originally scheduled to be released for the 30th anniversary in 2008. The Promise debuted at number 16 on the Billboard 200, while the box set, The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story, debuted at number 27.
Out of the Game is the seventh studio album by singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright, released in Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada in April 2012 and in the United States on May 1, 2012 through Decca Records/Polydor Records. The album was produced by Mark Ronson. Recording sessions began in May 2011. Guest musicians include his sister Martha Wainwright, Thomas "Doveman" Bartlett, drummer Andy Burrows, guitarist Nels Cline, members of the Dap-Kings, Sean Lennon, the alternative rock band Wilco, Miike Snow's Andrew Wyatt and Yeah Yeah Yeahs guitarist Nick Zinner.
Take All My Loves: 9 Shakespeare Sonnets is a studio album by Rufus Wainwright. It features nine adaptations of Shakespeare's sonnets and guest appearances by Helena Bonham Carter, Fiora Cutler, Peter Eyre, Carrie Fisher, Inge Keller, Siân Phillips, Anna Prohaska, William Shatner, Martha Wainwright, and Florence Welch. Released by Deutsche Grammophon and Universal Music Canada on April 22, 2016, the tribute album commemorates the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare's death.
Unfollow the Rules is a studio album by Rufus Wainwright, released on July 10, 2020. It marks Wainwright's ninth of original material, his first since Out of the Game (2012), and his first under BMG. The album was produced by Mitchell Froom, and other contributors include Matt Chamberlain, Jim Keltner, and Blake Mills.
↑ "Årets beste plater!". Dagbladet (in Norwegian). Oslo, Norway: AS Avishuset Dagbladet. December 4, 2007. Archived from the original on October 29, 2008. Retrieved February 23, 2009.
↑ "Los Mejores de 2007". Mondo Sonoro (in Spanish). December 2007. Archived from the original on June 1, 2008. Retrieved February 23, 2009. Note: User must click on "Internacionales" to view international albums.
↑ "The 50 Best Albums of 2007". Q. London, United Kingdom: Bauer Media Group. January 2008. Archived from the original on March 8, 2009. Retrieved February 23, 2009.
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