by Quint KikWithin the year to come, Loudon Wainwright III would enjoy his brief moment of fame with the single "Dead Skunk." Reaching the number 16 position on the Billboard chart and appearing on his third album, the musical approach to the tune differed a lot from his first two LP releases. Album 1 and Album 2 didn't feature a band -- they simply presented the artist with his guitar (and occasionally on piano). Thus, compared to his later albums, the songs on Album 2 appear less melodic. Naturally, the listener is directed to what matters most: Wainwright's imaginative and often funny lyrics. Combined with the unique manner in which he delivers them -- part regretful, part nearly hysterical -- his views are essential to his performance. For all it matters, he's not that good a singer, but whenever he tries to reach a higher note, it makes the implications of his songs more tragicomic. Every once in a while he's rediscovered for this specific talent and his fan base expands a little further. From the lyrics on this record, it is clearly noticeable that Wainwright grew up, if only a little. His then-wife, Kate McGarrigle, had given birth to their son Rufus; hence, Wainwright offers an insightful account of fatherhood in "Be Careful There's a Baby in the House" and, in all honesty, gets away with a line like "For the coochie coochie coo is a lot of pooh pooh." ... Read More...