Want Two

by Rufus Wainwright

Overview

Picking up where Want One left off, Rufus Wainwright's Want Two is a deeply introspective, sometimes kinky, and often personally critical set of mini-operettas that ruminate on his various relationships, drug abuse, and image in the media. Metaphorically liturgical and often classical in sound, Want Two touches on such interrelated themes as love, loneliness, sin, and sacrifice. It's more focused than Want One and as such packs more of a wallop both musically and emotionally. On the cover of Want One, Wainwright appeared as a chivalrous knight in armor, bringing to mind the conquering crusader -- Sir Gawain the gay knight? Conversely, on Want Two he appears as a dark-haired maiden -- the suicidal Ophelia? The imagery not only speaks to the campy and loaded cliche of the male-and-female, yin-and-yang drive of the gay male persona, but more importantly how one's personal desires are often sacrificed because of public successes. Never one to shy away from personal issues, Wainwright deals explicitly with how his sexuality has affected his life and career, not merely as a gay man but as a burgeoning gay icon with a complex desire to both embrace and ignore all that entails. This is no more apparent than on the album centerpiece, the iconoclastic "Gay Messiah," in which Wainwright both mocks gay pop culture and laments his ability to live up to his fan base's desire for a artistic hero in the culture wars. He sings, "He will be reborn/From 1970s porn/Wearing tube socks with style/And such an innocent smile," and later, "No it will not be me/Rufus the Baptist I be." Similarly, on the opening track, "Agnus Dei," he croons, "Agnus dei/Qui tollis peccata mundi/Dona nobis pacem." Translated it means, "Lamb of God/Who takest away the sins of the world/Grant us peace." It's Wainwright's most direct plea for both personal and public absolution and helps leave the impression of an artist attempting to find emotional buoyancy in the often perilous waters of both the music business and the dating scene. Musically, Wainwright has never seemed more in command of his muse. References to Nilsson, Brian Wilson, and Randy Newman are a matter of course, but Wainwright's growth as a pop craftsman with his own unique lyrical voice -- both conceptually and literally -- makes such comparisons unnecessary. To these ends, lush string orchestras, cheery choirs, and piping horn sections decorate the impeccably scored album and perfectly complement Wainwright's swooning vocals. Taken as a whole, Want One and Want Two work well together as a sprawling and ambitious double album that is camp, serious, and utterly compelling. ~ Matt Collar

Product Details

Release Date:	04/15/2022
Label:	Music On Vinyl
UPC:	0600753949320
Rank:	39965

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Rufus Wainwright   Primary Artist,Piano,Vocals,Keyboards,Guitar (Acoustic),Vocals (Background)
Antony Hegarty   Primary Artist
Anohni   Primary Artist
Sterling Campbell   Drums
Maxim Moston   Violin
Cenovia Cummins   Violin
Lily Lanken   Recorder,Vocals (Background)
Joan Wasser   Violin
David Sapadin   Clarinet
Gary Thomas   Orchestra
Sophie Solomon   Violin
Jeff Hill   Bass
Leona Naess   Vocals (Background)
Roger Greenawalt   Banjo,Ukulele
Julianna Raye   Vocals
Rob Burger   Organ (Hammond)
Kate McGarrigle   Banjo,Vocals (Background)
Martha Wainwright   Violin,Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Anna McGarrigle   Accordion,Vocals (Background)
Isobel Griffiths   Horn Conductor
Danielle Farina   Viola
Christopher Cardona   Violin
Gavyn Wright   Orchestra Leader
Teddy Thompson   Vocals
Suzzy Roche   Vocals
Charlie Sexton   Guitar (Electric)
Jane Scarpantoni   Cello
Levon Helm   Drums
Marius de Vries   Keyboards,Vibraphone
Julia Kent   Cello
Jenni Muldaur   Vocals
David Theodore   Oboe
Antoine Silverman   Violin
Alexandra Knoll   Oboe
Anja Wood   Cello
Matt Johnson   Drums
Daniel Shelly   Bassoon
Gary Leonard   Guitar,Guitar (Electric)
Kathryn Lockwood   Viola
Alison Gordon   Viola
Julieanne Klopotic   Violin

Technical Credits

Maxim Moston   Orchestral Arrangements
Andy Bradfield   Mixing,Engineer
Andy Taub   Engineer
Kevin Metcalfe   Mastering
Jacquelyn McKeever   Engineer
Gary Thomas   Engineer
Jean Sablon   Composer
Isobel Griffiths   Orchestra Contractor
Danielle Farina   Principal
Alexis Smith   Programming
Gilles Vigneault   Composer
Marius de Vries   Engineer,Producer,Programming,Orchestral Arrangements
Van Dyke Parks   Orchestral Arrangements
Rufus Wainwright   Design,Composer,Producer,Cover Art,Orchestral Arrangements
Martin Brumbach   Engineer
Antoine Silverman   Principal
Tom Schick   Engineer
Anja Wood   Principal
Zaldy   Stylist
Yelena Yemchuk   Photography
Beth Halper   A&R
Robelio Perez   Mixing
Hector Berlioz   Composer
Gerald Decock   Hair Stylist
Guillame Bengle   Live Recording
Jeanne Venton   A&R
Janet Wolsborn   Design
Rob Shearer   Live Recording
Jean Choux   Composer