Trisha Shetty (Editor)

Last Man on Earth (album)

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Released
  
September 24, 2001

Length
  
37:45

Artist
  
Loudon Wainwright III

Producer
  
Stewart Lerman

Genres
  
Folk music, Folk rock

Recorded
  
Shinebox Studios

Last Man on Earth (2001)
  
So Damn Happy (2003)

Release date
  
24 September 2001

Label
  
Red House Records

Last Man on Earth (album) httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediaenthumb4

Similar
  
Grown Man, So Damn Happy, Here Come the Choppers, Little Ship, Fame and Wealth

The last man on earth loudon wainwright iii


Last Man on Earth is the sixteenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III, released on September 24, 2001 on Red House Records. Recorded in the wake of Wainwright's mother's death and the collapse of a romantic relationship, the album thematically addresses feelings of grief and loneliness. In 2012, Wainwright noted, "Last Man on Earth was written right after my mother died, so a lot of the material on that record has to do with that momentous event. The life circle was present on a lot of those songs."

Contents

Portions of the album also reflect upon Wainwright's troubled relationship with his father, Loudon Wainwright, Jr., a subject that has populated many of his earlier recordings. Last Man on Earth can be seen as a companion piece to his 1992 album, History, written after the death of his father.

Loudon wainwright iii last man on earth


Background

In 1997, following his mother's funeral, Wainwright stayed in her home in Katonah, Westchester County for eighteen months. During this time, Wainwright wrote much of the album's material.

Last Man on Earth was released four years after Wainwright's mother's death. The working title for the album was Missing You, named after the album's opening track. However, the album's title ultimately became Last Man on Earth, a song written in Suffolk County following Wainwright's eventual move from his mother's old home.

Track listing

  1. "Missing You" – 3:29
  2. "Living Alone" – 2:37
  3. "White Winos" – 2:59
  4. "Fresh Fossils" – 1:50
  5. "I'm Not Gonna Cry" – 2:06
  6. "Out of Reach" – 2:57
  7. "Bridge" – 1:43
  8. "Surviving Twin" – 3:41
  9. "Donations" – 2:02
  10. "Graveyard" – 2:13
  11. "Bed" – 2:53
  12. "Last Man on Earth" – 5:01
  13. "Homeless" – 4:14

Personnel

The following people contributed to Last Man on Earth:

Musicians

  • Loudon Wainwright III – vocals, guitar, five-string banjo
  • Stewart Lerman – guitars, bass, organ, Wurlitzer, percussion
  • Dick Connette – piano, spinet, celeste, harmonium, percussion, arrangements
  • Steuart Smith – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, piano, organ, Wurlitzer, accordion, bass, harmonica
  • David Mansfield – fiddle, viola, mandolin, dulcimer, guitar, percussion, string arrangements on "White Winos"
  • Sammy Merendino – drums, percussion
  • Mary Rowell – violin, viola
  • Marshall Coid – violin
  • Dorothy Lawson – cello
  • Brian Stanley – bass ("Living Alone")
  • Johnny Gale – vocals and vocal arrangements ("Bridge")
  • Little Isidore – vocals ("Bridge")
  • Suzzy Roche – vocals ("Bed" and "Last Man on Earth")

    • Recording personnel

  • Stewart Lerman – producer, recording, mixing
  • Scott Lehrer – additional engineering ("Bed" and "Missing You")
  • Dominick Maita – mastering

    • Artwork

  • Deborah Feingold – inlay photograph
  • Patti Perret – beach photos
  • Don Stettner – back cover painting
  • Hugh Brown – layout and design

    • Release history

  • CD: Red House 158
  • CD: Evangeline 4025
  • CD: Evangeline 4076

    • Songs

    1Missing You3:30
    2Living Alone2:37
    3White Winos2:59

    References

    Last Man on Earth (album) Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA