Want Two is the fourth album by American-Canadian singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright. The album was released on November 16, 2004. Four of the tracks on this album were released in the summer of 2004 as the EP Waiting for a Want on the iTunes music store.

Want Two
Studio album by
ReleasedNovember 16, 2004
RecordedBearsville Studios, Woodstock, NYC; also London
Genre
Length54:08
LabelGeffen
Producer
Rufus Wainwright chronology
Want One
(2003)
Want Two
(2004)
Release the Stars
(2007)
Singles from Want Two
  1. "The One You Love"
    Released: February 28, 2005 (UK)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic78/100[3]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
Entertainment WeeklyB[5]
The Guardian[6]
Los Angeles Times[7]
NME9/10[8]
Pitchfork6.0/10[9]
Q[10]
Rolling Stone[11]
SpinB−[12]
The Village VoiceB−[13]

Want Two is, according to Wainwright, the darker sibling of 2003's Want One – its subject matter concerned with "the world we live in" (RW Geffen Bio) after Want One's focus on the intensely personal. The artist's song selections here show his range to be broad, veering from romantic ballad ("Peach Trees") to tragic ballad ("This Love Affair"), sophisticated pop ("The One You Love") to third person/first person narrative lament ("The Art Teacher"), personal tongue in cheek manifesto ("Gay Messiah"), to a classical pop hybrid written about Jeff Buckley ("Memphis Skyline") and songs beyond category. "Agnus Dei" is used in the trailer for the 2007 film Trade.

Mother Kate McGarrigle and aunt Anna (McGarrigle) both perform and sing on "Hometown Waltz". Anohni of 2005 Mercury Prize winners Antony and the Johnsons sings lead vocal alongside Wainwright on "Old Whore's Diet". The initial UK version of the record contains bonus live tracks, "Coeur de Parisienne – Reprise d'Arletty" and "Quand vous mourrez de nos amours" (written by French Canadian songwriter Gilles Vigneault).

Legacy

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The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[14]

Track listing

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  1. "Agnus Dei" – 5:45
  2. "The One You Love" – 3:44
  3. "Peach Trees" – 5:59
  4. "Little Sister" – 3:22
  5. "The Art Teacher" – 3:51
  6. "Hometown Waltz" – 2:33
  7. "This Love Affair" – 3:13
  8. "Gay Messiah" – 3:14
  9. "Memphis Skyline" – 4:51
  10. "Waiting for a Dream" – 4:14
  11. "Crumb by Crumb" – 4:13
  12. "Old Whore's Diet" – 9:09

Bonus tracks

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  1. "Coeur de Parisienne — Reprise d'Arletty" (live) (UK & EU bonus track) – 2:46
  2. "Quand vous mourez de nos amours" (live) (UK bonus track) – 3.23
  3. "Chelsea Hotel, No. 2" (live) (bonus track on Want) – 3:47
  4. "In with the Ladies" (bonus track on Want) – 3:52

Live at the Fillmore DVD

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  1. "DVD Intro" – 1:26
  2. "L'Absence" – 4:00
  3. "14th Street" – 4:33
  4. "Harvester of Hearts" – 3:41
  5. "Natasha" – 3:24
  6. "The Art Teacher" – 3:34
  7. "Hallelujah" – 4:22
  8. "Matinee Idol" – 2:58
  9. "Vibrate" – 3:17
  10. "Gay Messiah" – 4:17
  11. "Want" – 5:27
  12. "Greek Song" – 3:52
  13. "Foolish Love" – 5:35
  14. "I Don't Know What It Is" – 5:40
  15. "Dinner at Eight" – 5:00
  16. "Beautiful Child" – 6:28
  17. "Oh What a World" – 4:13
  18. "Liberty Cabbage" – 4:56
  19. "California" – 3:28
  20. "As in Happy" – 3:40
  21. "DVD Credits" – 1:35

Personnel

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Chart positions

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Chart (2004) Peak
position
French Album Chart[15] 160
Netherlands Album Chart[16] 68
Portuguese Album Chart[17] 30
UK Albums Chart[18] 21
U.S. Billboard 200[19] 103
Scottish Albums (OCC)[20] 21

Awards

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Year Nominee / work Award Result
2005 Want Two GLAAD Media Award – Outstanding Music Artist Nominated
Juno AwardAdult Alternative Album of the Year Nominated

References

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  1. ^ "Release the Stars – Rufus Wainwright – Songs, Reviews, Credits – AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on March 6, 2014. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  2. ^ "CD: Rufus Wainwright, Want Two". TheGuardian.com. February 25, 2005. Archived from the original on October 10, 2016. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
  3. ^ "Reviews for Want Two by Rufus Wainwright". Metacritic. Archived from the original on October 14, 2016. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  4. ^ Collar, Matt. "Want Two – Rufus Wainwright". AllMusic. Archived from the original on November 15, 2017. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  5. ^ Browne, David (November 19, 2004). "Want Two". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  6. ^ Petridis, Alexis (February 25, 2005). "Rufus Wainwright, Want Two". The Guardian. Archived from the original on October 10, 2016. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  7. ^ Hilburn, Robert (December 5, 2004). "Wainwright packs a 1–2 punch". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 17, 2015. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  8. ^ Marshall, Julian (March 19, 2005). "Wainwright, Rufus: Want Two". NME. Archived from the original on March 25, 2016. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  9. ^ Deusner, Stephen M. (November 15, 2004). "Rufus Wainwright: Want Two". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on October 6, 2016. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  10. ^ "Rufus Wainwright: Want Two". Q (224): 92. March 2005.
  11. ^ Walters, Barry (December 15, 2004). "Want Two: Rufus Wainwright". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 15, 2009. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  12. ^ Caramanica, Jon (January 2005). "Rufus Wainwright: Want Two / Richard Swift: The Richard Swift Collection Volume One". Spin. 21 (1): 100. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  13. ^ Christgau, Robert (March 22, 2005). "Consumer Guide: DJ Kicks". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on March 27, 2017. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  14. ^ Robert Dimery; Michael Lydon (February 7, 2006). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. Universe. ISBN 0-7893-1371-5.
  15. ^ Rufus Wainwright French Charting Archived February 14, 2009, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on October 13, 2008
  16. ^ Rufus Wainwright Dutch Charting Archived February 13, 2009, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on October 13, 2008
  17. ^ "Portuguese Charts". PortugueseCharts.com. Archived from the original on February 14, 2012. Retrieved October 13, 2008.
  18. ^ "RUFUS WAINWRIGHT". Officialcharts.com. August 7, 2004. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  19. ^ Rufus Wainwright American Charting – Billboard 200 Retrieved on October 13, 2008
  20. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
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