History (Loudon Wainwright III album)

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History
Studio album by Loudon Wainwright III
Released	1992
Genre	Folk
Length	46:06
Label	Charisma Records
Producer	Loudon Wainwright III, Jeffrey Lesser
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Robert Christgau link Rolling Stone (favorable) link
Loudon Wainwright III chronology
Therapy (1989) History (1992) Career Moves (1993)

History is a 1992 album by Loudon Wainwright III.

The album was released after the death of his father, and features songs which range from ironic comedy, to serious social commentry, to deeply personal compositions.

It remains perhaps the first Loudon Wainwright III album which tends more to the serious than the comic (though it would be outdone in this respect by 2001's Last Man on Earth, recorded after the death of his mother).

The album does not solely focus on his father. 'Hitting You' is the fourth song of his career dedicated to his daughter Martha Wainwright, and 'A Father and a Son' is at least the second directed to his son Rufus Wainwright.

The musical style ranges from talking blues ('Talking New Bob Dylan') - a parody of early Bob Dylan tracks like Talking World War III Blues, to almost pure country rock ('So Many Songs), modern folk ('The Picture', and the masculinist 'Men') to bouncy country ('People in Love'). The final track is an adaptation of a song written by his father.

The album was hailed as a breakthrough in his career. All Music Guide call it 'his masterpiece', and both Bruce Springsteen and Bob Geldof cited it as the best album of the year.

[edit] Track listing

1. "People In Love" – 2:57
2. "Men" – 3:35
3. "The Picture" – 2:32
4. "When I'm At Your House" – 2:31
5. "The Doctor" – 4:00
6. "Hitting You" – 3:03
7. "I'd Rather Be Lonely" – 2:50
8. "Between" – 1:27
9. "Talking New Bob Dylan" – 3:34
10. "So Many Songs" – 3:52
11. "4 X 10" – 3:07
12. "A Father And A Son" – 3:21
13. "Sometimes I Forget" – 5:53
14. "A Handful Of Dust" – 3:24

[edit] Release history

• CD: Virgin/Charisma V2-86416 (U.S.)
• CD: Virgin CDV2703 (UK and Europe)