There was a time around the turn of the century when Rufus Wainwright wasn't just the sexiest man on Earth, he was also the coolest badass. A sexual maverick, and everything about him was so in your face he made New York cooler and sex dirty, nasty, promiscuous, and very fucking faggy.
His album of the time, Poses, is a gigantic leap forward from his first album (made piano sexy as well). Poses is one of the best albums since… ever. As gay albums go, it transcends its bent with ease and flies at you. Do you know it? Play "Greek Song" and listen for the violins and wait for the pay off, "When I get back I will read in Barnes And Nobles…"
No, wait, I don't wanna review the album. I wanna praise the coolest man on Earth.
Or rather, the coolest man in 2001.
In 2010 I saw Rufus at Carnegie Hall, and he was stupendous, but that isn't the point. The wild man had calmed down. Sure, it was a remembrance of his Mom Kate McGarrigle., a relatively subdued affair. But before that were interviews with the Man speaking how he had married, had a baby. Even in the pictures at the time, he had really grown up. He reflecting on his drug and heavy sex life and how it had stopped. I thought of Elton John. I guess life caught up with him, I'm sure he, like Elton John, is much happier. Mark Ronson has produced Rufus' next album, rumor is there is a potential hit single in the mix.
But is the world ready for an adult Rufus? His music isn't as good as it once and I love Days And Nights. I'm listening to "Zebulon" as I write and maybe I'm wrong -maybe it is as good as it was but it isn't what I want from.
I hate how the sin has been taken out of sex. C'mon, one of the main pleasures in gay sex is its taboo nature. If it's not wrong, where's the fun? There was something so wrong about gay sex. Breeders need to get our sin through adutery, child molestation and a cold shower and a hot whip. At least gays were sinning simply by fucking each other. How fun is that???
Anyway, that was then and now Rufus is older, slower, it won't be long before he will be Elton John.Where's Doprian Grey when you need him?