Older Than My Own Man Now by Loudon Wainright III

Loudon Wainright III has been making records for forty years and as he himself has said in the past his career has had some ups and downs. A wry humorist Wainright has had a small devoted following for years but has always been on the fringes of success. I, myself, remember when I was a very young boy in the early seventies hearing the song Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road. This was, though a bit of a novelty song, the highlight of his commercial success.

With his son Rufus Wainright making his own career these days it was certainly easy to forget Loudon Wainright here in 2012. However in a surprise as large as you will find in music this year he has recorded a new album. An album that reflects on his life, his family and relationships and of course growing old.

A few of the songs still go down the pathy of silly that is further than I enjoy, songs such as I Remember Sex. This is balanced however by some songs that are some of the most affecting, honest, and meaningful songs that you will ever hear.

Yes this album is nothing short of a revalation. This is a very, very strong album with a few songs that are incredibly moving.

The title song Older Than My Old Man Now begins with a spoken word speech about his father, long dead. His words that " my father who died when I was seventeen continues to be my principal ghost " struck me in the heart. My own father died when I was in my late teens. At an age similar to the age at which he lost his Dad, that being old to a teenager but not old to a man who is in middle age.

Wainright sings on how he feels being older than his Dad was when he died, having won the race to live that long he is not sure what comes next.

In C has Wainright at the piano singing about his life, growing up in his family, then having one of his own. Talking about families breaking apart and how fast a mans life goes by Wainright can pull on your heart strings. Ending with an observation that he has noticed that his children too, also sing in C he comes full circle. As most of us do.

Somebody Else sings what we all feel as we get older, the sadness of seeing more and more people you know die before you.

The bookend to the title cut is The Days That We Die. Joined by his son on this song there is another spoken word intro followed by another rumination on death. The final verse has Rufus stating that neither he nor his Dad will change, neither will ever win. Fathers and Sons have to come to a peace especially when as Loudon sings The Days That We Die are not far away.


This is a very good album with a couple of songs that you will never forget.