BBC Sessions

Amazon.com

Loudon Wainwright III may be the American Beauty of singer-songwriters. No, he’s never swept award shows (really only had one “hit,” “Dead Skunk,” in 1972), but he does paint a revealing (and sometimes haunting) portrait of the middle-aged male’s brain. And, just like the movie, he leaves you smiling. The BBC Sessions shows Wainwright’s evolution from a Dylan-indebted folksinger to suburban troubadour in fine fashion. These live takes–spanning 1971 to 1993–are far from polished, but they capture the artist at his solo, melancholic best. The medley featuring “I Know I’m Unhappy,” “Suicide Song,” and “Glenville Reel” is an obvious highlight, while his stripped-down takes of “The Swimming Song” and “Men” are simply endearing. The spoken word of “I Wish It Was Me” and cocky tunes such as “Nice Guys” have never revealed Wainwright at his best, but on this probing disc, even they somehow fit. –Jason Verlinde