Album III

Album III, as its title indicates, is the third full 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", making this his commercial 'breakthrough' album. "Dead Skunk" was, however one of the many 'novelty songs' sprinkled throughout Wainwright's career, and rather pigeonholed him as a latter-day Tom Lehrer, to the extent that he appeared in three episodes of M*A*S*H*. 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 embarressed about 'Dead Skunk'"?

Nevertheless, Album III launched Wainwright into a mid-1970s commercial heyday, even if his serious side was ignored in favor of his clownish one.

This is also the first of his albums to feature a full backing band (on many tracks). Wainwright mostly eschewed a rocking sound for a stripped down acoustic one from the early 1980s onwards.

Track listing

1. "Dead Skunk" – 3:05
2. "Red Guitar" – 1:49
3. "East Indian Princess" – 2:56
4. "Muse Blues" – 2:53
5. "Hometeam Crowd" – 1:49
6. "B Side" – 2:26
7. "Needless To Say" – 3:14
8. "Smokey Joe's Cafe" – 2:31
9. "New Paint" – 3:00
10. "Trilogy (Circa 1967)" – 3:11
11. "Drinking Song" – 2:55
12. "Say That You Love Me" – 2:30

Personnel

• Loudon Wainwright III – Guitar, vocals
• David Amram – French horn
• Brooks Arthur – Engineer
• Charlie Brown – Guitar, Electric guitar
• Richard Crooks – drums
• Richard Davis – Bass
• Thomas Jefferson Kaye – Guitar, Arranger, Rhythm Guitar, Producer
• Bill Keith – Banjo, Steel guitar
• Kenny Kosek – Fiddle, Violin
• Hugh McCracken – Guitar
• Don Payne – Electric bass
• Elliott Randall – Electric guitar
• Jim Ryan – Guitar
• David Sanborn – Saxophone
• Sailor Bob Schmidt – Harmonica
• Tom Watson – Electric bass
• Eric Weissberg – Dobro, Guitar
• Teddy Wender – Piano

Release history

• LP: Columbia KC 31462 (U.S.)
• LP: CBS 65238 (UK)
• CD: Sony CK31462 (August 20, 1990 re-release)

References