Poses, by Rufus Wainwright [Album]

Rufus Wainwright is yet another great artist I discovered thanks to Nick Hornby: after reading his 31 Songs (and, of course, listening to all 31 of the songs), my Top 5 emerged naturally, and One Man Guy was amongst them. I'd never heard of Rufus, but now I just had to find a way to know more of his songs... Poses is the album that has "One Man Guy", and it's one hell of an album. First of all he has a beautiful voice, which is of course of utter importance. All the songs in this album are so beautifully arranged, ranging from a flurry of instruments and voices in "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk" to the simplicity of One Man Guy, with her sister harmonizing with him in a way that , in the words of Hornby, "will make you believe that God exists". He was really good to pick the songs he'd cover: One Man Guy (originally by his dad, Loudon Wainwright III), and Across the Universe (by the Beatles). Both are really good in his rendition, but the whole harmonizing in One Man Guy is really amazingly beautiful... and the lyrics... well, he has that sort of intelligent sarcasm that's just captivating... in Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk he sings:

"Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk
there are just a couple of my cravings
everything it seems I like's a little bit stronger
a little bit thicker
a little bit harmful for me
...
and then there's those other things
which for several reasons we won't mention
everything about them is a little bit stranger
a little bit harder
a little bit deadly"

For those of you unaware of it, Rufus is gay. Which actually makes him covering One Man Guy even the more interesting...

"People will know when they see this show
The kind of a guy I am
They'll recognize just what I stand for and what I just can't stand
...
And they'll recognize I'm a one man guy
Always was through and through"

Which at first seems like an ode to faithfulness... but then he sings...

"I'm gonna bathe and shave
And dress myself and eat solo every night
Unplug the phone, sleep alone
Stay away out of sight
Sure it's kind of lonely
Yeah it's sort of sick
Being your own one and only
Is a dirty selfish trick"

Beautiful (OK, it's much better on the record than in this live version)... this is one great album that is both lyrically and musically brilliant... let me just finish with some quotes from Greek Song...

"You who were born with the sun above your shoulders
You turn me on you turn me on
You have to know
You who were born where the sun she keeps her distance
You turn me on you turn me on
But so does she
...
You who were born where you shiver and you shudder
You turn me on the girl is gone so come on
Lets go"