Attempted Mustache

Sound DNA

• Rock
• Folk Rock

• warm
• playful
• bohemian

About

Following the surprise success of novelty hit "Dead Skunk" on Loudon Wainwright's first full-band production, <i>Album III</i>, he headed to Nashville to cut <i>Attempted Mustache</i> with producer Bob Johnston (Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, et al) and some hotshot country musicians. There's not much country flavor to the album; like its predecessor it alternates between solo acoustic tunes and band-backed folk rock. While Wainwright never had another hit after "Dead Skunk," a number of the songs had lives beyond <i>Attempted Mustache</i> -- "Swimming Song" was covered by Kate & Anna McGarrigle (Kate was Wainwright's wife at the time), Lucy Kaplansky, and others, and was featured in the film <i>The Squid and the Whale</i>; Johnny Cash cut absurdist parable "The Man Who Couldn't Cry" on his landmark <i>American Recordings</i> album; and the Kate-penned "Come a Long Way" showed up on the McGarrigles' second LP. But the song bearing the most portent was "Dilated to Meet You," a wry greeting to the baby Wainwright and McGarrigle were expecting, who of course turned out to be future singer/songwriter star Rufus Wainwright.

via Apple Music

Tracklist

Credits