Search - Loudon Wainwright :: Live at the Cactus Cafe

Hugely acclaimed American singer-songwriter and humorist, Loudon Wainwright III enjoys a central position amidst a majestically talented family; father of Rufus, Martha and Lucy Wainwright Roche; brother of Sloan Wainwright, and former husband of the late Kate McGarrigle. Born in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Loudon's parents weren't professional musicians, although his father was a keen amateur songwriter and piano player. Loudon began to write songs himself in the late 1960's. He started to play folk clubs around Boston and New York City and was signed by Atlantic Records in 1970, who released his eponymous debut the same year. Staying with Atlantic for one further album before switching to Columbia, he has released 22 studio albums to date. In addition to his own solo live appearances, he also sporadically performs with legendary English singer-songwriter and guitarist Richard Thompson, as the duo Loud and Rich. Wainwright has always been particularly popular in the UK the legendary DJ John Peel championed him from the beginning of his career and he has been featured on a variety of BBC radio broadcasts ever since. He also benefited from wide exposure when he appeared in an entire series of Jasper Carrott's popular television show, Carrott Confidential, in the 1980's and enjoyed brief TV glory in the US after showing-up in 3 episodes of the long running comedy series M.A.S.H. Should anyone conclude that Loudon is a safe middle-of-the-road artist however, evidence to the contrary can be found within the confines of the man's downright dirty and depraved version of The Good Ship Venus on the Rogue's Gallery compilation (2006). This superbly recorded 1990 live broadcast comes from Austin, Texas famous Cactus Cafe, which is based on the University campus and which, since 1979, has been an exceptional showcase for acoustic music of all flavours. Billboard magazine hailed the Cactus as one of fifteen solidly respected, savvy clubs nationwide - an intimate, but eminently prestigious venue. With such a wealth of material from which to draw, it's surprising that Loudon manages to include in this 15-song set no less than 7 numbers still unreleased at the time. People In Love, The Doctor, A Father And A Son and Sometimes I Forget (all eventually on 1992's History); the plaintive They Spelled My Name Wrong Again and Road Ode (1993's Career Moves); and Jesse Don't Like It (Social Studies , 1999). Amongst the more familiar material, Dead Skunk (from 1972's Album III) might well be regarded as Loudon's Greatest Hit, a number for which he is universally known. Moving up the years, Unrequited to the Nth Degree is from 1975's Unrequited album and I'm Alright the title track of his 1985 album. There's a brace of numbers from 1986's More Love Songs (Hard Day On The Planet, Your Mother And I) and a final trio from 1989's Therapy (Thanksgiving, Me And All The Other Mothers, You Don t Want To Know). All told, what emerges is a supremely entertaining diversity of material, played with the magisterial air of a true master of his craft.