SANTA MONICA, CA. (Geffen Records/ www.rufuswainwright.com) - Singer/songwriter
Rufus Wainwright, called an "as-yet unheralded American treasure" by Sir Elton John, is set to release "Want Two," his new DreamWorks/Geffen CD and fourth of his career.
The package also includes an extensive 20-track DVD feature. "Want Two" arrives in stores November 16. The 12-track CD comes on the heels of Wainwright's acclaimed "Want One" from 2003. The new one continues the themes explored on the previous recording, though Wainwright has said "Want Two" contains "the more daunting tracks, the operatic, weird stuff, some heavy numbers that relate to my classical sensibilities."
The new CD was largely recorded during the same sessions as the first, and features the same creative team Wainwright used for "Want One." That includes producer Marius deVries (Björk, Madonna, David Bowie) and guest performers Charlie Sexton and Gerry Leonard; drummers Levon Helm, Matt Johnson and Sterling Campbell; bassists Jeff Hill and Bernard O'Neill; and Backing vocalists Martha Wainwright (Rufus' sister), Jenny Muldaur, Linda Thompson and Teddy Thompson. Folk legend Kate McGarrigle, Wainwright's mother, plays banjo, while his aunt Anna McGarrigle plays accordion.
Tracks include "Hometown Waltz," "Little Sister," "The One You Love," "An Old Whore's Diet," "Memphis Skyline," "Peach Trees," "Agnus Dei," "Crumb By Crumb," "Gay Messiah," "The Art Teacher," "Waiting For A Dream," and "This Love Affair."
The DVD includes performances filmed at a live concert at San Francisco's historic Fillmore Auditorium, and includes songs from both "Want One" and "Want Two," among them "I Don't Know What It Is," "Dinner at Eight," "Go or Go Ahead," and "Oh What a World."
The son of two great popular music figures, Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle, Rufus Wainwright burst upon the recording scene with his self-titled 1998 debut. He followed that with "Poses" in 2001. Rufus will soon make his big screen debut in director Martin Scorsese's upcoming "The Aviator," with a second film role in the 2005 Merchant Ivory film "Heights."
