Loudon Wainwright III (from Lifetime Achievement

Loudon Wainwright III (from Lifetime Achievement

Loudon Wainwright III (from Lifetime Achievement on Storysound Records) (by Lee Zimmerman)
 
To some, it might seem enough to simply call Loudon Wainwright III the paternal head of a great musical dynasty, one whose offspring -- Rufus, Martha, Lucy, and Sloan -- often threaten to overshadow their otherwise famous father. Granted, the elder Wainwright has made his mark; his jocular offerings, flush with wit and whimsy gave him minor hits, such as “Dead Skunk” and “The Swimming Song”, but his deeper reflections revolving around family, desire and other attributes many folk-bred musicians allude to are often taken for granted.
 
Lifetime Achievement, as its title implies, is pure robust Wainwright, a welcome return to the style and savvy that benefits from a personal perspective. As always, there’s no mistaking the irony embrace in certain songs. “Fam Vac”, for example, revisits the subject of family responsibilities, a topic he’s employed frequently throughout his 50-plus year career.

‘I need a family vacation
I mean a family vacation alone
I’m gonna pack up the car, load up the bike and the kayak
And leave the fucking family at home’

“Hell” follows a similar tact:

‘Welcome back to hell, boy, heaven’s out of reach
It’s much hotter here than there, hence that figure of speech…’
 
Other offerings tackle more temporal themes, from the endearing notions of “Hat” (‘hat was the first word that my Lucy said’) to the discourse on mortality that revolves around “How Old Is 75?” (‘There is no pre-nup type agreement between God and you’) and, not surprisingly, the wary worldview shared in “It Takes 2” (‘these strange days seem worse than crazy, They feel downright grim…’). It’s fair to say that Loudon Wainwright III is a thinking man’s singer/songwriter, and while he can be testy, and even somewhat tempestuous at times, he shares his thoughts with a knowing and nuanced point of view. It’s that unique mix of humor and happenstance that finds him both a realist and idealist in what can only be described as an increasingly confounding world.
 
Ultimately, those qualities alone ensure the fact that Lifetime Achievement lives up to its claim. (By Lee Zimmerman)
 
 
 
Listen and buy the music of Loudon Wainwright III from AMAZON
 
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