Social Studies (Loudon Wainwright III album)
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Social Studies | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 1999 | |||
Genre | Folk, satire | |||
Length | 52:08 | |||
Label | Hannibal | |||
Producer | Joe Boyd, John Wood | |||
Loudon Wainwright III chronology | ||||
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Robert Christgau | ![]() |
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Social Studies is a studio album by Loudon Wainwright III, released in 1999. The album comprises various topical and satirical songs, originally produced for National Public Radio and based upon then-current issues and events, such as the Tonya Harding scandal, the O. J. Simpson murder trial, the lead-up to Y2K, and controversies surrounding comments made by former Republican U.S. Senator Jesse Helms.
Regarding the album's topical nature, Wainwright notes: "It's something that no-one does anymore; write songs about current events. When I was young there were a lot of topical songwriters around; maybe folk music had more impact on culture back then. I see these songs as a kind of musical journalism. My father was a journalist, for Life magazine, and I've definitely inherited something of that approach."[1]
Track listing[]
All tracks composed by Loudon Wainwright III
- "What Gives" – 3:29
- "Tonya's Twirls" – 3:37
- "New Street People" – 2:50
- "Carmine Street" – 2:57
- "O.J." – 3:13
- "Leap Of Faith" – 2:53
- "Conspiracies" – 2:17
- "Christmas Morning" – 3:36
- "Y2K" – 6:13
- "Number One" – 3:39
- "Bad Man" – 3:21
- "Inaugural Blues" – 3:19
- "Our Boy Bill" – 3:11
- "Jesse Don't Like It" – 4:06
- "Pretty Good Day" – 4:19
Personnel[]
- Loudon Wainwright III - guitar, vocals
- The Roches - vocals
- John Scofield - electric guitar
- Greg Cohen - bass, piano
- Richard Crooks - drums, percussion
- Peter Ecklund - trumpet, cornet
- David Mansfield - guitar, harmonica, violin, mandolin
- Jenni Muldaur - vocals
- Ken Pearson - organ, piano
- Lenny Pickett - clarinet, saxophone
- Chaim Tannenbaum - banjo, harmonica, vocals
Release history[]
- CD: Hannibal HNCD 1442
References[]
- ^ "Loudon Wainwright III". Lw3.com. 1999-06-20. Archived from the original on 2011-07-27. Retrieved 2012-01-12.
- Loudon Wainwright III albums
- 1999 albums
- Albums produced by Joe Boyd
- Albums produced by John Wood (record producer)
- Hannibal Records albums