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Loudon Tapping His Own History

Yep Roc Records

Loudon Wainwright's "Recovery" features new versions of 13 songs from the early part of his career.

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By CURTIS ROSS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 27, 2009

Updated: 02/26/2009 03:04 pm

"I've always been worried about getting older, even when I was young," says singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III, now 62.

It's hard to argue, especially after he points out the first line of the first song on his first album: "In Delaware when I was younger," from his eponymous 1970 debut, recorded when he was 22.

Wainwright's latest album finds him either bravely facing or running away from his fear. "Recovery" features new versions of 13 songs from the early part of his career.

"I wrote them all in my 20s," Wainwright says by telephone from Brooklyn, the night after a show there. "The most recent song is written in 1974."

Wainwright gives producer Joe Henry the lion's share of the credit for the idea. Henry also produced Wainwright's last album, 2007's "Strange Weirdos," a collection of songs written for the film "Knocked Up."

"Joe is a fan of my earlier work," Wainwright says. "Those were originally presented in a straight-ahead voice and guitar format. We'd been working with a group of musicians we like a lot so we said, 'Let's record some old songs.'"

Henry and Wainwright chose the songs. "We tossed it back and forth and came up with 13 songs we thought would be interesting," Wainwright says. "It was kind of a random approach."

Some of the songs, such as "School Days," have been in Wainwright's live sets "for damn near 40 years," he says.

Others, he says, "I had forgotten. I had to relearn some."

He wasn't displeased with what he found.

"It was a happy experience," he says. "It felt good to find that the songs were well-written and well-crafted. What an interesting young songwriter I was," he says with a laugh.

The songs may remain the same, but the writer doesn't. The lyrics almost inevitably mean something deeper, if not entirely different, decades down the road.

"When I wrote that line, 'In Delaware, when I was younger,' it has a certain kind of resonance," Wainwright says. "Now at 62, it has a much deeper resonance. More time has passed, decades. Now you're really talking about something."

"Quiet, There's a Baby in the House," was composed years before Wainwright became a father. Now, three of his offspring - Rufus, Martha and Lucy - have music careers of their own.

Given that Wainwright's career has had its ups and downs - his one hit single was the novelty single "Dead Skunk" in 1972 - was he tempted to discourage their career choices?

"No," he says. "Their moms Kate McGarrigle for Rufus and Martha, Suzzy Roche for Lucy are singers and songwriters and musicians. Genetically, the deck was stacked in favor of them going into the family business."

Wainwright has a sideline in acting as well.

He appeared on the television series "M*A*S*H" in the '70s and more recently on the short-lived "Undeclared."

He's now joined the cast of "Parks and Recreation," the new comedy starring Amy Poehler. It won't be the first time he's worked with Poehler.

"She did an episode of 'Undeclared' in which we were romantically linked," Wainwright says. Will lightning strike twice?

"Yeah, I hope so," he laughs. "We'll have to wait and see."

ON TOUR

Loudon Wainwright III

WITH: Rebekah Pulley

WHEN: 8 p.m. Monday

WHERE: The Palladium, 253 Fifth Ave. N., St. Petersburg; (727) 822-3590

COST: $25

Reporter Curtis Ross can be reached at (813) 259-7568.

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