Search - Loudon Wainwright III :: I'm Alright

Journeyman Loudon

Blake Watson | Winnetka, CA USA | 05/26/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If LW3's albums of the '70s are uneven, his albums of the '80s are enlightening. In this album in particular, we get a taste of Loudon's range.The opening tune is "One Man Guy". Loudon pokes fun at himself, at society, and ends with the sort of pathos that raises a gag-song to the level of classic. It's a "folksy" tune, but it's followed on the album by a song that hearkens back to the '30s, by "the happy blues" of the title track, with the thrash rock of "How Old Are You?", the pre-school-ish "Animal Song", and the Dixieland Jazz "Daddy Take A Nap".Looking over the list of songs, it's hard to say why this whole album doesn't get five stars. Any particular song would get a smile and raucous applause at a concert, but as a whole the album doesn't maintain the sort of emotional resonance and humor of the albums that would follow it. But I'd guarantee that most intelligent listeners would find at least two or three songs on this album that they considered "indispensible"."

From Great to OK

L. David Kruse | Chicago, IL USA | 02/17/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This album goes from great to ok. Loudon sings an account of a birth of one his his daughters in Screaming Issue that is haunting. The song has similarities to a Leonard Cohen song. Also Not John is a beautiful ballad about John Lennon. His sense of humor is alive as usual but not all the songs appear to have the same degree of inspiration. I would not buy this album for your first taste of Loudon, but I would recommend it for anyone hooked on him like I am."

Simply ...His Masterpiece

Robert L. Giarrusso | Dante's Inferno, Washington, DC | 02/26/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was introduced to Loudon like most of my generation, through the novelty tune "Dead Skunk," and a recurring role on M*A*S*H*. Then I forgot about him, but he never went away. This 1984 release found him teamed with one of my favorite guitar legends, Richard Thompson, and in top form. Running the emotional range from sincere and profound to his more tongue and cheek, quirky, and sardonic, there are several compositions on this album that rank with the best singer/songwriters of the last 30 years: Dylan, Springsteen, Graham Parker, Elvis Costello, Neil Young. Lost Love is a bittersweet, almost country ballad, complete with a great fiddle lead by Ric Sanders. The title cut features Thompson cutting loose with a growling, oily electric guitar lead that undercuts Loudon's firm denial that his life is falling apart and that he's barely hanging on by the skin of his teeth. Not John is a brilliant epitaph to Lennon, that echoed every fan's reaction to the news that he'd been murdered after returning to public life on that sad December night. Cardboard Boxes is a great ode to the phenomenon of moving oneself, with the help of "a few strong buddies," which anyone whose ever been through that ordeal should hear. Screaming Issue may be my favorite Loudon song ever, describing a father's helplessness trying to calm his crying newborn child. The Animal Song is a great singalong for the little ones, which shows he can be a lot of fun without cussing, cracking wise, or dripping sarcasm between the lines. And Out of this World is another epitaph, only this one somehow hopeful, if you accept it at face value, looking at it as a blessing, looking forward to brighter future in the next life. The last cut, Career Moves (also the title of a later live album that captures some of the best moments of this mid-eighties era) is a frank reflection on his own career- funny at turns, self-deprecating and insightful at others. Certainly, this album would stand out if only for the lyrics, which are incredibly moving and evocative throughout. The one fault I typically find with Loudon doesn't apply here- sometimes he can get too caught up in his own wordplay and overshadow his own story, but the delivery and musicianship blend together here to really propel this album into a level that ranks among the best. I only wish Richard Thompson had been coaxed into singing a few duets on this, or some of their other collaborations- still, these two did some real magic together, especially on this outstanding effort. I've never played I'm Alright for anyone that wasn't impressed by the depth, emotion, and power of this recording. A transcendent moment in a great career, bravo LWIII."