A Place to Forget Yourself, In My Arms Tonight

The first time I heard Rufus Wainwright was on the soundtrack for the Adam Sandler movie "Big Daddy." There was a time when I would have said without hesitation that this is where most people had heard him first, if they had heard him at all. But since then, he's also had tracks in "Moulin Rouge" and "Shrek 2," so I can only imagine there's a couple hundred million dollars worth of audience that have heard him first since Sandler's flick. The "Big Daddy" soundtrack was brought to my attention by two good friends at the time, especially Wainwright's track, "Instant Pleasure." It's a good one.

Since then, I think it's fair to say that my knowledge of the artist surpasses either of my friends', in album-purchasing dedication if nothing else. I have purchased, either for myself or as a gift, Rufus Wainwright, Poses, and Want. And today, Want Two is being released.

But I've been listening to Wainwright's self-titled debut album tonight. It's a good one.

It'd be pretty hard and difficult and hard and stupid to argue that that album is Wainwright's best work, his finest attempt at musical craftsmanship. Artists get better the more they do (sometimes). However, chances are slim that he will ever release another record that I will like as well. It's of a time and place for me, and I'm again in that time and place, so it's been a tad extra significant of late. Extra significant like!:

You gave me all your love in one day
You gave it all and almost faded away
Well I'm gonna take this sad unread issue
In my arms tonight
Looking at hospitals Victorian
Feeling as helpless as the Elephant Man
Wish you were here
to chain you up without shame
In my arms tonight

Except, when I take the sad unread issue, I actually do take a comic that's been sitting on an unread stack of comics for two years and read it out of pity because of sad and stupid desperation.

But hey, at least there's a new album of music coming out today!

UPDATE: In 2008, I am no longer this whiny.