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A memoir by the influential Grammy Award-winning singer and actor—son of journalist Loudon Wainwright, former husband of Kate McGarrigle and Suzzy Roche, and father of Rufus Wainwright, Martha Wainwright, Lucy Wainwright Roche, and Lexie Kelly Wainwright—a captivating meditation on relationships and creativity from the patriarch of one of America's great musical families.
With a career spanning more than four decades, Loudon Wainwright III has established himself as one of the most enduring singer-songwriters who emerged from the late sixties. Not only does he perform regularly across America and in Europe, but he is a sought after actor, having appeared in such movies as The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, and Sleepwalk with Me; and TV series ranging from M*A*S*H to Person of Interest to Parks and Recreation.
There is probably no singer-songwriter who has so blatantly inserted himself into his songs, about parents, grandparents, children, siblings, and wives. As he puts it in "So Many Songs": It's taken so long to finally see / My songs about you are all about me. The songs can be laugh-out-loud funny, but they also can cut to the bone. In his memoir, Wainwright continues to emphasize the personal: he details the family history his lyrics have referenced and the fractured relationships in the Wainwright family throughout generations: the alcoholism, the infidelities, the competitiveness—as well as the closeness, the successes, and the joy. Wainwright reflects on the experiences that have influenced his songwriting, including boarding school, the music business, swimming, macrobiotics, sex, incarceration, and something he calls Sir Walter Raleigh Syndrome.
The book is very much about being a son—a status that dominates many of Wainwright's songs. But it is also about being a parent, a brother, and a grandfather. Wainwright's song lyrics are represented throughout the book, amplifying his prose and showing the connections between the songs and real life. He also includes excerpts and selections from his father's brilliant LIFE magazine columns—and, in so doing, re-establishes his father as a major essayist of his era. A funny and insightful meditation on family, inspiration, and art, Wainwright's memoir will thrill fans, listeners, and anyone who appreciates the intersection of music and life.
With a career spanning more than four decades, Loudon Wainwright III has established himself as one of the most enduring singer-songwriters who emerged from the late sixties. Not only does he perform regularly across America and in Europe, but he is a sought after actor, having appeared in such movies as The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, and Sleepwalk with Me; and TV series ranging from M*A*S*H to Person of Interest to Parks and Recreation.
There is probably no singer-songwriter who has so blatantly inserted himself into his songs, about parents, grandparents, children, siblings, and wives. As he puts it in "So Many Songs": It's taken so long to finally see / My songs about you are all about me. The songs can be laugh-out-loud funny, but they also can cut to the bone. In his memoir, Wainwright continues to emphasize the personal: he details the family history his lyrics have referenced and the fractured relationships in the Wainwright family throughout generations: the alcoholism, the infidelities, the competitiveness—as well as the closeness, the successes, and the joy. Wainwright reflects on the experiences that have influenced his songwriting, including boarding school, the music business, swimming, macrobiotics, sex, incarceration, and something he calls Sir Walter Raleigh Syndrome.
The book is very much about being a son—a status that dominates many of Wainwright's songs. But it is also about being a parent, a brother, and a grandfather. Wainwright's song lyrics are represented throughout the book, amplifying his prose and showing the connections between the songs and real life. He also includes excerpts and selections from his father's brilliant LIFE magazine columns—and, in so doing, re-establishes his father as a major essayist of his era. A funny and insightful meditation on family, inspiration, and art, Wainwright's memoir will thrill fans, listeners, and anyone who appreciates the intersection of music and life.
306 pages, Hardcover
Published September 5, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
October 11, 2017
Loudon Wainwright --- he's the patriarch.
He's the skunk man who can get a little dark.
Loudon Wainwright stole my heart way back in 1972, when I first heard him warbling Dead Skunk on the radio. I was eleven years old at the time, and that 45 RPM record scarcely left my Close 'n Play for a month. Now, decades later, I'm still listening to the man. His Last Man on Earth CD (Yes, dammit! I still buy and listen to CDs!) is one of my Desert Island Discs.
Wainwright presents a rather meandering journey through his life, punctuated by song lyrics, and old Life magazine articles written by his father. If you're not already a fan of Wainwright's, this book will do little to sway you to thedark Loudon side. It's definitely a warts-and-all examination of one man's life. Wainwright candidly discusses failed relationships, failed marriages, and his mostly-absent parenting technique. He readily admits to petty jealousy, and to having a wandering eye . . . even while on his honeymoon. And yet, he seems to have great relationships with all his children and exes. All one can conclude is that he must have a genuinely kind heart hidden somewhere deep inside that crusty, curmudgeonly chest.
Anyway, I enjoyed his self-deprecating wit, and his wisdom - the kind that comes only from being closer to the sunset than the dawn.
And, dude . . . I'm still waiting to get my heart back.
He's the skunk man who can get a little dark.
Loudon Wainwright stole my heart way back in 1972, when I first heard him warbling Dead Skunk on the radio. I was eleven years old at the time, and that 45 RPM record scarcely left my Close 'n Play for a month. Now, decades later, I'm still listening to the man. His Last Man on Earth CD (Yes, dammit! I still buy and listen to CDs!) is one of my Desert Island Discs.
Wainwright presents a rather meandering journey through his life, punctuated by song lyrics, and old Life magazine articles written by his father. If you're not already a fan of Wainwright's, this book will do little to sway you to the
Anyway, I enjoyed his self-deprecating wit, and his wisdom - the kind that comes only from being closer to the sunset than the dawn.
And, dude . . . I'm still waiting to get my heart back.
January 20, 2018
I've listened to Loudon Wainwright III's music over the years and remember him on Mash but have never been a huge fan. That said I really enjoyed reading his memoirs.
Turning 60 myself this year, his relections on his 50, 60 & 70 year milestones struck a chord with me as well as his relationship with his seperated parents, exes, children and grandchildren.
Reading his song lyrics interspersed with his often humorous stories makes me want to take another listen to the music!
Turning 60 myself this year, his relections on his 50, 60 & 70 year milestones struck a chord with me as well as his relationship with his seperated parents, exes, children and grandchildren.
Reading his song lyrics interspersed with his often humorous stories makes me want to take another listen to the music!
February 1, 2018
Pretty much what you would expect. Loudon has always written and sang songs about his life. It is all there. The affairs, the kids, the ex wifes and girlfriends. Even the fans. Loudon seems so human, sometimes petty, sometimes brilliant. Gonna pull out that massive box set of music and enjoy it this afternoon.
November 21, 2017
Listened to this (mostly) on a round/road trip to San Francisco and enjoyed it immensely. First off, of course, I am a huge Loudon Wainwright fan since hearing my brother's copy of the second album when I was just a little kid. Secondly, he has continued to put out raw, poignant, raggedy, poetic, honest music ever since, which I have enjoyed listening to throughout my 57 years. He is a writer. Highly recommend the audiobook, as you get to hear him tell his story, along with hearing him sing the songs that relate to the story.
October 2, 2017
I one time met Loudon Wainwright in a distant land. I was slightly afraid to approach him. But he shocked me by being warm and friendly. I expected neither warmth nor friendliness instead of the vituperative dysphoria he so vividly portrays. Thus, as his albums show, he surprises us constantly. He floored me with his first albums and in the ensuing almost fifty years has never really let me (or himself) down.
Loudon Wainwright always amuses me. And sometime he downright floors me as in his song “Reciprocity,” which I request at his live shows. I love to see his slight discomfort as he tries to remember the sardonic and biting verses.
And if one of them should die,
I suppose that the other might cry.
There would be tears of sorrow and great grief,
Or else there would be tears of release and relief,
If one of them should die.
True he does cheat in this book cleverly subtitled “On Parents & Children, Exes & Excess, Death & Decay, & a Few of My Other Favorite things. He quotes his song lyrics, almost to excess. He also uses the Life Magazine columns of his father with a bit too much frequency.
No, this is not great musical autobiography, but it’s Loudon and it’s entertaining. And he neglects not one of his wives or mates! Like watching a trainwreck, one has to enjoy his songs and his equally malefic comments upon life and other important things such as being a good child.
I mean who could not love a song like “Unrequited to the Nth degree?” In case you forgot, it’s a song about death and how you’ll miss me when I’m gone. Here’s the chorus:
Ha, ha, ha, ha Ho, ho, ho, ho
Chuckle, chuckle, chuckle, chuckle
Snicker, snicker, snicker, snicker
Guffaw, guffaw, guffaw, guffaw
Yuk, yuk, yuk, yuk
Chortle, chortle, chortle, chortle
So, Loudon, thanks for the chuckles, the snickers, the suffaws,and the yuks but most especially for the chortles.
Loudon Wainwright always amuses me. And sometime he downright floors me as in his song “Reciprocity,” which I request at his live shows. I love to see his slight discomfort as he tries to remember the sardonic and biting verses.
And if one of them should die,
I suppose that the other might cry.
There would be tears of sorrow and great grief,
Or else there would be tears of release and relief,
If one of them should die.
True he does cheat in this book cleverly subtitled “On Parents & Children, Exes & Excess, Death & Decay, & a Few of My Other Favorite things. He quotes his song lyrics, almost to excess. He also uses the Life Magazine columns of his father with a bit too much frequency.
No, this is not great musical autobiography, but it’s Loudon and it’s entertaining. And he neglects not one of his wives or mates! Like watching a trainwreck, one has to enjoy his songs and his equally malefic comments upon life and other important things such as being a good child.
I mean who could not love a song like “Unrequited to the Nth degree?” In case you forgot, it’s a song about death and how you’ll miss me when I’m gone. Here’s the chorus:
Ha, ha, ha, ha Ho, ho, ho, ho
Chuckle, chuckle, chuckle, chuckle
Snicker, snicker, snicker, snicker
Guffaw, guffaw, guffaw, guffaw
Yuk, yuk, yuk, yuk
Chortle, chortle, chortle, chortle
So, Loudon, thanks for the chuckles, the snickers, the suffaws,and the yuks but most especially for the chortles.
September 19, 2017
This isn’t the prettiest book. But Wainwright opens up his life to us like a chef with a blade. He’s fearless. Sometimes I was stunned, and I always felt he was telling the truth.
Not everyone can start a chapter with an admission like this: “Recently someone was telling me about seeing a singer-songwriter contemporary of mine do a bad performance at a club. Hearing such a thing would usually lift my spirits, because, like most performers, I have a jealous, frightened, competitive and insecure nature.”
Sometimes he’s jealous, sometimes he’s frightened—but often enough he’s exuberant, funny and evocative. The tales of his adolescence fling me back to my own, and it’s not a gentle ride. (I should note that while I’ve never met Wainwright, his father worked for Life, my father worked for Life, and we both grew up in affluent suburban towns outside New York. Perhaps this makes me more susceptible than most to his early stories.)
Above all, as you could guess from the lyrics of his songs (many of which are included in the book), the focus is on his original family, his several marriages, his children and grandchildren. We read about his career, his depression, his friends and lovers—and he includes a few of his father’s columns from Life. But it’s his domestic stories that wring me. He’s been singing this way for almost fifty years, and the book is as honest as his songs: “The marriage was over, though the battles, with our kids acting as foot soldiers, raged on, long- and short-distance, for thirty more years.”
Yes, I kept thinking as I read, tell me some more. Because this is how so many of us are: insecure and desperate, and at the same time full of love. For me, an upright and memorable book.
Not everyone can start a chapter with an admission like this: “Recently someone was telling me about seeing a singer-songwriter contemporary of mine do a bad performance at a club. Hearing such a thing would usually lift my spirits, because, like most performers, I have a jealous, frightened, competitive and insecure nature.”
Sometimes he’s jealous, sometimes he’s frightened—but often enough he’s exuberant, funny and evocative. The tales of his adolescence fling me back to my own, and it’s not a gentle ride. (I should note that while I’ve never met Wainwright, his father worked for Life, my father worked for Life, and we both grew up in affluent suburban towns outside New York. Perhaps this makes me more susceptible than most to his early stories.)
Above all, as you could guess from the lyrics of his songs (many of which are included in the book), the focus is on his original family, his several marriages, his children and grandchildren. We read about his career, his depression, his friends and lovers—and he includes a few of his father’s columns from Life. But it’s his domestic stories that wring me. He’s been singing this way for almost fifty years, and the book is as honest as his songs: “The marriage was over, though the battles, with our kids acting as foot soldiers, raged on, long- and short-distance, for thirty more years.”
Yes, I kept thinking as I read, tell me some more. Because this is how so many of us are: insecure and desperate, and at the same time full of love. For me, an upright and memorable book.
February 12, 2018
not a huge fan of his music, which may have detracted from interest value, but generally engaging memoir of a long career as an entertainer, several divorces, complicated relationship with his Dad [inserting some of his father's Life magazine essays from BITD more or less at random didn't add much in my reading], drinking problems, etc.
Some good name-dropping -- ex: he roomed in San Francisco during the Summer of Love with Donald Fagen of [later] Steely Dan.
the title is well-chosen -- it's more notes/vignettes than a coherent story or analysis. Lots of short chapters, sometimes jarringly juxtaposed -- ex: a poignant reflection on sibling relationships immediately follows a pointless [IMO] anecdote about the producer Clive Davis recognizing him at the Grammys even though they hadn't worked together in quite a while.
all told, a mixed bag. I wouldn't say you have to read it, but if i saw you starting to do so on the subway i wouldn't stage an intervention to prevent it either.
Some good name-dropping -- ex: he roomed in San Francisco during the Summer of Love with Donald Fagen of [later] Steely Dan.
the title is well-chosen -- it's more notes/vignettes than a coherent story or analysis. Lots of short chapters, sometimes jarringly juxtaposed -- ex: a poignant reflection on sibling relationships immediately follows a pointless [IMO] anecdote about the producer Clive Davis recognizing him at the Grammys even though they hadn't worked together in quite a while.
all told, a mixed bag. I wouldn't say you have to read it, but if i saw you starting to do so on the subway i wouldn't stage an intervention to prevent it either.
January 3, 2018
After hearing the author on 2 of my favorite podcasts, WTF with Marc Maron and Fresh Air with Terry Gross, I was intrigued and wanted to read his memoir. Although I only know his music peripherally, I recall seeing him on MASH in reruns and I know his son, Rufus Wainwright, who has a beautiful voice has been featured on a few music programs in the recent past.
It's always great to learn about what it's like to be a performer like Loudon who has had a few wives, lots of girlfriends, a few kids and now grandkids, as he reflects on his life. Great read and you'll want to listen to his music after this, I guarantee!
It's always great to learn about what it's like to be a performer like Loudon who has had a few wives, lots of girlfriends, a few kids and now grandkids, as he reflects on his life. Great read and you'll want to listen to his music after this, I guarantee!
March 26, 2018
Read in a couple of days, so compelling and if you are, like me, a fan a must-read. Sorry to say a little thin by the end; I had the feeling Loudon was trying hard to flesh the book out enough to bring it in at the required length. I would rather be able to say that it was as brilliant and thought-provoking as his better songs, but while I would recommend it to fans I feel it's a bit insubstantial and possibly bewildering for the general reader who might not be familiar with the references to singer-songwriters and Loudon's back catalogue.
March 13, 2018
Meh.
I adored Wainwright’s music when I was young. I first saw him perform on MASH, and on Saturday Night Live... One or two of his mid-career albums still seem pretty good to me. I think I had always managed to believe that the slimy, narcissistic persona he projected was just that: a persona. A witty, comedic persona.
But I finished this short volume feeling not charmed, not amused. I felt a kind of disappointed distaste. 🙁
I adored Wainwright’s music when I was young. I first saw him perform on MASH, and on Saturday Night Live... One or two of his mid-career albums still seem pretty good to me. I think I had always managed to believe that the slimy, narcissistic persona he projected was just that: a persona. A witty, comedic persona.
But I finished this short volume feeling not charmed, not amused. I felt a kind of disappointed distaste. 🙁
January 21, 2018
No reason to read this if you aren't a Loudon fan, but I am. It was uneven, but I enjoyed reading about his life, his family and his musical motivations. It all helped me appreciate his music more.
February 14, 2018
Besides the Dr. Demento favorite “Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road”, I had not heard of Loudin Wainwright’s songs, and hadn’t realized he was the guitar playing, singing Doctor in early MASH episodes. I picked this up on a whim. I was treated to an affected writer whose stories take curious sidetracks. For instance, in the middle of talking about his family he lists and describes his 10 favorite places to swim, many of which sound incredibly dreadful. There’s a very droll humor at work here. Mr. Wainwright grew up well off and he knows how lucky he’s had it. He also knows he’d be considered poorly for many of his actions, including his handling of his children, wives, girlfriends, and opportunity. Yet the raconteur tells his story well, and with no, or few, apologies. Along the way, on the audio version of the book narrated by the author, he breaks into song quite often, and accompanies himself on guitar or piano. His distinctive voice adds to the appeal. I found this an interesting story about the life of a minor recording artist with plenty of foibles. I may even listen to one of his records…
While I don't believe Wainwright would be considered A List, I read this for the 2018 Book Riot Read Harder Challenge for the prompt: celebrity memoir. Being on Dr. Demento and MASH makes him a celebrity in my book.
While I don't believe Wainwright would be considered A List, I read this for the 2018 Book Riot Read Harder Challenge for the prompt: celebrity memoir. Being on Dr. Demento and MASH makes him a celebrity in my book.
October 15, 2017
I've been a fan of LW3 just about forever--the first concert I ever went to as a young teen was Loudon Wainwright opening for Janis Ian, in Phoenix, AZ. Yeah, I thought it was a weird pairing too. I've seen him a number of times since then, and if anything he keeps getting better.
This memoir is frank, funny, and poignant, just like his songs. I can assure you I'll never again use the ice bucket in a hotel room after reading this book.
This memoir is frank, funny, and poignant, just like his songs. I can assure you I'll never again use the ice bucket in a hotel room after reading this book.
September 18, 2017
Back in the day, a book like this would be reviewed and they would say that he never really figured out appropriate boundaries in what he shared. Today, he would be praised for his transparency. All I can tell you is that anyone who has ruined every relationship he has ever had because he is a serial cheater gives off a really creepy vibe, and as clever of a writer that he can be, he wasn't clever enough for me.
October 26, 2017
I am a LoudHead--I've listened to or own all his albums, and he's one prolific sonofabitch. Seen him live a couple of times. When I heard he'd penned this autobiography and there was an audiobook version read BY Loudo and featuring him playing some of this songs, I KNEW I had to own this and listen to it right away. Like Janis Ian's Society's Child (for which she won a well-deserved Grammy the same year she sang on my song "Don't You Wanna Go to Mars?"--which DIDN'T win a Grammy), this audiobook is both spoken word and music. I have to say Loudo really goes for it. Nothing is held back and there's a LOT of him singing, which is superb as always. Hilarious too.
My one quibble was technical: In my rush to get this, I ordered it to arrive on the day it dropped. Things went smoothly until disc 7, track 3 when it began to skip. This happened with another audiobook I ordered earlier this year (Al Franken's) and of course Amazon was wonderful about replacing immediately. However, the replacement ALSO had an identical skip on disc 7, track 3 so I opted for a refund and waited a month.
The new audiobook arrived crushed/damaged and, again, disc 7--no skips but huge pops (it appeared to be scratched) and also this audiobook looked to be a hastily repackaged "open box" (!). Come on, Amazon.
Now I've got ANOTHER replacement which I'm going to check for defects. Hopefully it's okay because this an audiobook I plan to listen to over and over again.
My one quibble was technical: In my rush to get this, I ordered it to arrive on the day it dropped. Things went smoothly until disc 7, track 3 when it began to skip. This happened with another audiobook I ordered earlier this year (Al Franken's) and of course Amazon was wonderful about replacing immediately. However, the replacement ALSO had an identical skip on disc 7, track 3 so I opted for a refund and waited a month.
The new audiobook arrived crushed/damaged and, again, disc 7--no skips but huge pops (it appeared to be scratched) and also this audiobook looked to be a hastily repackaged "open box" (!). Come on, Amazon.
Now I've got ANOTHER replacement which I'm going to check for defects. Hopefully it's okay because this an audiobook I plan to listen to over and over again.
February 19, 2018
Loudon can be a very insightful and funny songwriter. The same is true of him as an author. I felt a bit let down by the project, however, at many junctures. It was pretty "on the surface"--short chapters and no big insights. In fact, it often felt like a way for him to name-check artists he's known or worked with or brushed up against.
Could have gone into some depth about all of the family drama (most of which was at his own making; four children with three women, often cheating on them, etc) but he really just skirts around it. Dunno--I read it all, but it was just okay...
Could have gone into some depth about all of the family drama (most of which was at his own making; four children with three women, often cheating on them, etc) but he really just skirts around it. Dunno--I read it all, but it was just okay...
November 19, 2017
I won this book in a giveaway. I didn't know much about Loudon Wainright III or many of the people he mentioned when I read this book but I enjoyed it. My favorite part was the song lyrics-- even though I didn't like them all, some of them really got to me. The timeline went back and forth quite a bit but it was still easy to follow. His dad's essay about their dog, John Henry, I give 5 stars. It moved me to tears.
April 4, 2025
An honest and reflective memoir. Loudon unearthed some of his father’s best articles from Life magazine to also include here that add so much to this book.
Wainwright talks about the scope of his career and his personal life and the difficulties of negotiating relationships with his children by different mothers and maintaining good feelings with these disparate families.
His lyrics, many included here, add poignancy to his life on the road and his family life. It was a pleasure to read.
Wainwright talks about the scope of his career and his personal life and the difficulties of negotiating relationships with his children by different mothers and maintaining good feelings with these disparate families.
His lyrics, many included here, add poignancy to his life on the road and his family life. It was a pleasure to read.
November 12, 2017
well written, amusing, but always interesting to watch a smart guy never earn from his mistakes - lots of marriages and children (very talented children). Almost uncomfortable reading the parts about his experiences as the absentee father, and his lack of insight into causing more pain.
September 30, 2017
Loudon Wainwright III's father's favorite discussion topics in school were "wine, women, and camels." The son's preoccupations have not strayed far, neither in his wit, nor (as he laments) from his father's tendency to stray, using every conveyance possible (except camels.).
While the senior Loudon was famous as a writer of personal essays for Life, his son discovered his own talents in writing and performing personal songs. In this memoir, we are given the bones of his life, from a privileged childhood with country clubs, swimming pools (!), and movie stars, to the present. As the father of celebrated musicians (Lucy Wainwright Roche, Rufus Wainwright, Martha Wainwright) whose mothers were and are also famous musicians (Kate McGarrigle, Suzzy Roche), he has bragging rights to a second generation of artists. However, his essays and song lyrics cast a very sour eye on himself, sparing nothing.
The book includes many of his song lyrics as well as examples of his father's writings, including one diamond about having a suit personally tailord for him on Saville Row. Both Loudon the father and Loudon the III may have been rakes, but they were talented rakes. I'm glad to have had the opportunity to read the older essays, and to read about a performer I have seen in concert numerous times, loving the wit and wincing along with him at his excesses.
Thanks to NetGalley for an e-book to review.
While the senior Loudon was famous as a writer of personal essays for Life, his son discovered his own talents in writing and performing personal songs. In this memoir, we are given the bones of his life, from a privileged childhood with country clubs, swimming pools (!), and movie stars, to the present. As the father of celebrated musicians (Lucy Wainwright Roche, Rufus Wainwright, Martha Wainwright) whose mothers were and are also famous musicians (Kate McGarrigle, Suzzy Roche), he has bragging rights to a second generation of artists. However, his essays and song lyrics cast a very sour eye on himself, sparing nothing.
The book includes many of his song lyrics as well as examples of his father's writings, including one diamond about having a suit personally tailord for him on Saville Row. Both Loudon the father and Loudon the III may have been rakes, but they were talented rakes. I'm glad to have had the opportunity to read the older essays, and to read about a performer I have seen in concert numerous times, loving the wit and wincing along with him at his excesses.
Thanks to NetGalley for an e-book to review.
April 14, 2020
If I had bought this book I would have felt robbed however I got it as a gift so I felt compelled to read it. This basically boils down to a guy that was born in some wealth, gave his parents fits, was sent to a private, several really, boarding school did enough to graduate gaand keep the parents happy, then on to college for his B.A. In drugs, sex and rock & roll. Of course he didn't,t like what they were teaching so he set off to the west coast to joking the hippies, gurus and inbibe in more free love. Of course all the while turning his back on his parents. Then he got arrested on drug charges and his parents were his best friends. He dabbled in music and had girlfriends who some turned into wives who then then also turned up pregnant. Our hero marries a few of them but can't really handle marriage or the kids again turns into a free spirit and flees to England. He insists on putting lyrics to his songs throughout the book as he really didn't have all that much to say. He takes his through the death of both parents and then ends the book worrying if all of the people he trampled on in his life would forget about that and attend his funeral as that would make him really glad. Geesh!
December 3, 2017
Liner Notes was basically what I thought it would be: a funny, uncomfortable, sometimes obnoxious, but almost always insightful memoir. Most of the time, Wainwright comes across as kind of a pathetic, tragic figure - someone who has screwed many people over and is disliked by family and A LOT of ex-lovers, but also as a man who is reckoning with what his legacy is and how he will be remembered after he dies. Mostly though, he's pretty charming, if somewhat flawed (and who isn't?). His song lyrics accent each chapter and they actually help the prose because so much of his work is autobiographical. The inclusion of his dad's columns (he was a famous writer for Life magazine) was kind of distracting, but I understand why they were included. I was surprised that the book didn't focus more heavily on his musical career. Obviously, it was a constantly present, but albums and songs (outside of the anecdotal lyrics) really didn't get touched on too much. In a strange way, maybe the book benefitted from this approach because I felt like I knew Loudon as a person vs. him as a performer by the end of the book. He wrote with no fear.
January 30, 2018
Even though I've not listened to hardly any of Loudon Wainwright III's music, after hearing him a couple of times on Fresh Air with Terry Gross, he captured my attention. This was quite an entertaining audio book as Loudon narrates it with excellent dramatic form (he originally wanted to be an actor) and he sings his absolutely tight and outstanding lyrics accompanied by his guitar.
Funny, tragic, self deprecating, obnoxious at times, truth-telling his way, as his lyrics always do, plus insights into the human condition from his personal and performing povs.
He's married some outstanding women songwriters and has very talented children saying the family has worked out differences and difficulties (which looks like are mostly his doing) through songs. :) Check out Father/Daughter Dialog for a taste: Father/Daughter Dialog.
The book has photographs so I gave myself access to both. There are a couple of places that bog down a bit but overall a page turner right through the acknowledgments.
Funny, tragic, self deprecating, obnoxious at times, truth-telling his way, as his lyrics always do, plus insights into the human condition from his personal and performing povs.
He's married some outstanding women songwriters and has very talented children saying the family has worked out differences and difficulties (which looks like are mostly his doing) through songs. :) Check out Father/Daughter Dialog for a taste: Father/Daughter Dialog.
The book has photographs so I gave myself access to both. There are a couple of places that bog down a bit but overall a page turner right through the acknowledgments.
October 18, 2017
I don't like every song that Loudon Wainwright III has written, but the ones I like move me in a way that most songs don't and can't. Wainwright is that artist who has no walls between his life and his art. He has written songs that are revealing and damaging to his personal life simultaneous to revealing the damage in his personal life. The book is kinda like that. Wainwright doesn't hold back, and it has everything a good memoir should - sex, death, pain, heartache and song lyrics. He throws in a few of his dad's Life Magazine essays to boot. I'm sure you'd enjoy this even if you weren't a LWII fan, but if you are, you'll want to throttle him, comfort him and listen to all his songs you love.
September 16, 2017
I admit it. I am a Loud Head. The book is, as expected, a deeply personal dive into the Life and Times of Loudon Wainwright III. It includes funny stories, lyrics, some of his Dad's columns from Life magazine and a lot of his anguish, guilt and depression. But it is an honest and poignant look at his life as a musician on the road (which he loves) and his complex relationship with his kids, exes, and extended family. If you are a fan, as I am, you will enjoy this book. Just don't compare it with Springsteen's autobiography. Loudon would hate that.
July 4, 2019
I'm a huge LW3 fan, as most readers of this book likely are, have been since the early 80s and I've seen him perform I don't know how many times. I did enjoy it, it gave me a lot more info and insight on the ol' Loudo, but...I think I came away liking him less as a person. He is nothing if not introspective and reflective, and he'll freely his mistakes, yet he never really seemed to accept responsibility in the sense of changing his behavior himself. It's a bit of a paradox: an introspective narcissist.
November 6, 2017
This was an interesting book. Fans of Loudon Wainwright III will absolutely love it. He is honest about his successes and failures. His family, his thoughts, all his life events, are recounted in quick sarcastic succession. His lyrics are woven into the memoir...as if they emanated directly out of his experiences. What is left is Wainwright's memory of his life, and those around him. He interacted with music business royalty, and occupied a respected position within it.
March 26, 2019
I have been a fan of Loudon Wainwright's music and somewhat twisted sensibility for a long time, but - truth be told - I thought he was kind of a jerk. What I learned from this book, a very sincere autobiography, is that he is just a flawed human like the rest of us.
He has, though, had some remarkable experiences and continues to make marvelous, engaging music and be a fine showman, as evidenced by a recent concert in Phoenixville, PA.
I'm glad he wrote this book. I'm glad I read it.
He has, though, had some remarkable experiences and continues to make marvelous, engaging music and be a fine showman, as evidenced by a recent concert in Phoenixville, PA.
I'm glad he wrote this book. I'm glad I read it.
December 30, 2019
What is there even to say about Loudon Wainwright III? He is brilliant and dispicable and fantastic and would probably make the vest friend in real life. The book is like a continuation of his songs, an extension of all the trauma and love and accidents that has paved the path for him, both as a person and a muscian.
It is love, it is hate, it is trouble and commotion and at the end - it is life. Loudon is a mortal human after all and he shows it no better than it this book.
It is love, it is hate, it is trouble and commotion and at the end - it is life. Loudon is a mortal human after all and he shows it no better than it this book.
September 5, 2023
Put off reading for six years thinking it would be dull. Finally started it and was riveted. Finished in 3 days. His writing is lyrical, poignant and funny. Yeah, like his songs. He doesn’t hold back. By his own admission , he’s a lousy father and a cheating husband just like his old man, with lots of regrets. Speaking of his father, I enjoyed the Life columns that LW III includes in the memoir. If you’re a fan, this explains everything.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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