Music
All-Time High (And Low) Scores
Best Of 2009
Best Of 2008
Best Of 2007
Best Of 2006
Best Of 2005
Best Of 2004
Best Of 2003
Best Of 2002
Best Of 2001
Best Of 2000
Upcoming &
Recent Releases
62
50 Cent
70
AFI
65
Air
70
Alice In Chains
53
Kris Allen
78
Amerie
79
Annie
76
Anti-Pop Consortium
75
Arctic Monkeys
82
Atlas Sound
77
The Avett Brothers
67
Backstreet Boys
59
Bad Lieutenant
68
Devendra Banhart
71
Lou Barlow
88
Baroness
69
Basement Jaxx
81
David Bazan
72
Beak>
84
Biffy Clyro
72
The Big Pink
95
Big Star
46
Billy Talent
75
The Black Crowes
72
The Black Heart Procession
68
Blitzen Trapper
75
BLK JKS
53
Bon Jovi
76
A.A. Bondy
65
Boys Like Girls
76
Brand New
73
Tyondai Braxton
83
Brother Ali
72
Ian Brown
75
Michael Buble
77
Built To Spill
61
Colbie Caillat
78
Califone
69
Mariah Carey
81
Brandi Carlile
72
Julian Casablancas
83
Rosanne Cash
71
Castanets
82
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis
64
Exene Cervenka
79
Vic Chesnutt
81
Circulatory System
67
The Clean
84
The Clientele
72
Cold Cave
85
Converge
76
The Cribs
79
Cymbals Eat Guitars
62
Dashboard Confessional
71
Datarock
59
Dead By Sunrise
76
Dead Man's Bones
77
Del The Funky Homosapien & Tame One
73
Do Make Say Think
63
The Dodos
77
Drive-By Truckers
67
Bob Dylan
58
Echo & The Bunnymen
61
Electric Six
44
The Entrance Band
69
Fanfarlo
71
Jay Farrar And Benjamin Gibbard
63
Felix Da Housecat
68
Fink
66
Orenda Fink
79
The Flaming Lips
66
Flight Of The Conchords
79
Florence And The Machine
67
John Fogerty
83
Fuck Buttons
71
Nelly Furtado
47
Gary Go
68
Ghostface Killah
79
Girls
69
Gossip
62
David Gray
66
David Guetta
65
Calvin Harris
79
Richard Hawley
74
Mayer Hawthorne
66
Headlights
79
HEALTH
67
Hockey
67
Whitney Houston
80
Hudson Mohawke
68
Imogen Heap
59
Jack Ingram
79
Islands
74
Jamie T
65
Jay-Z
51
Jet
68
Daniel Johnston
76
Norah Jones
77
Karen O And The Kids
72
Toby Keith
69
Kid Cudi
75
Kid Sister
66
Kings Of Convenience
62
Sean Kingston
64
KISS
63
Mark Knopfler
73
Kris Kristofferson
68
KRS-One & Buckshot
76
La Roux
85
Miranda Lambert
71
Sondre Lerche
56
Juliette Lewis
62
Leona Lewis
82
Lightning Bolt
74
Little Dragon
44
Pixie Lott
83
Patty Loveless
73
Lyle Lovett
79
Lucero
75
Baaba Maal
77
Madness
84
Madonna
85
Manic Street Preachers
61
Maps
73
Mario
55
Massive Attack
57
Matisyahu
62
John Mayer
66
Tim McGraw
65
Brian McKnight
79
Mew
75
Mika
68
Amy Millan
76
Mission Of Burma
75
Molina And Johnson
80
Monsters Of Folk
66
Morrissey
76
The Mountain Goats
62
Múm
72
Muse
66
Willie Nelson
82
Nirvana
96
Nirvana
80
No Age
71
Noah And The Whale
75
Noisettes
79
Nudge
64
OneRepublic
47
Dolores O'Riordan
74
Os Mutantes
78
Osso
67
Alec Ounsworth
81
Owen
73
Paramore
78
Pastels And Tenniscoats
80
Pearl Jam
69
Jemina Pearl
65
Phish
61
Pitbull
79
A Place To Bury Strangers
79
Polvo
72
Porcupine Tree
72
Port O'Brien
79
Q-Tip
79
R.E.M.
88
Raekwon
69
Rain Machine
75
Dizzee Rascal
74
The Raveonettes
79
Real Estate
81
Rodrigo Y Gabriela
66
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez
78
Russian Circles
69
Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions
78
Say Anything
61
Sally Shapiro
78
Shudder To Think
70
Simian Mobile Disco
58
Simple Minds
80
Slayer
61
The Slits
58
Spiral Stairs
55
Steel Panther
75
Sufjan Stevens
52
Rod Stewart
68
Joss Stone
83
Barbra Streisand
77
A Sunny Day In Glasgow
74
Susanna And The Magical Orchestra
79
The Swell Season
80
David Sylvian
83
Taken By Trees
80
Tegan And Sara
68
The Temper Trap
78
The Dutchess & The Duke
71
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
74
Them Crooked Vultures
72
Themselves
82
They Might Be Giants
66
J Tillman
69
Times New Viking
57
Tokio Hotel
67
Trey Songz
73
Frank Turner
71
The Twilight Sad
60
Carrie Underwood
56
The Used
68
Various Artists
69
Various Artists
77
The Very Best
70
Kurt Vile
65
Vivian Girls
71
Volcano Choir
73
Rufus Wainwright
78
Wale
57
Weezer
81
White Denim
76
Why?
83
Wild Beasts
80
Wildbirds & Peacedrums
69
Robbie Williams
59
Andrew W.K.
65
Wolfmother
84
The xx
79
Yo La Tengo
83
Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band
52
Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson
59
Zero 7
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
Want One
Generally favorable reviews
Based on 19 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 42 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >
Album Info
Label: DreamWorks
Release Date: 23 September 2003
Discs: 1 disc
Genre(s): Singer-Songwriter, Adult Alternative
Summary
The Canadian singer-songwriter worked with producer Marius deVries (Björk, Massive Attack) for this third LP, which is actually the first half of what was originally planned as a double album ('Want Two' will instead arrive next year).
Also By This Artist: Poses Release The Stars Rufus Does Judy At Carnegie Hall Want Two
Also On The Web: Official Artist Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Entertainment Weekly
If Sondheim had been reared on old Van Dyke Parks records, he might sound like this. [26 Sep 2003, p.94]
Q Magazine
The musical scope is breathtaking. [Dec 2003, p.139]
Uncut
Takes his lush, orchestrated pop to staggering new heights. [Nov 2003, p.124]
E! Online
More scattered than his past works, Wainwright's skills bubble to the surface here only after repeated listens.
Read Full Review >Neumu.net
Whether you listen closely, for the sonic textures, or in a cursory fashion, scouting out the allusions galore, with each listen you'll likely appreciate something different.
Read Full Review >Village Voice
Painful as the backstory gets, the work itself remains lovely and luxuriant.
Read Full Review >Mojo
Despite such flamboyant touches, the songs here are more caustic than camp. [Oct 2003, p.120]
PopMatters
It's a staggeringly ambitious album with an emotional complexity the like of which is rarely seen in pop music of any era, never mind this one.
Read Full Review >Launch.com
Rufus is self-effacing and clever enough to keep the music from becoming totally insipid.
Read Full Review >New York Magazine
Wainwright’s powers of observation recall both Morrissey and Cole Porter.
Read Full Review >Pitchfork
A top-heavy album, with his best material-- the more operatic and unconstrained works-- all unfolded within the album's first half hour.
Read Full Review >Flak Magazine
Want One matches the eclecticism of Poses and his eponymous debut, but suffers from a lack of memorable songs.
Read Full Review >All Music Guide
Unlike his previous two releases, Wainwright's musings seem less focused and a little meandering on a handful of the songs.
Read Full Review >Spin
The arrangements are so ponderous, the vowel-masticating vocal languor so excessive, you almost wish he'd go whole hog and cover "Ave Maria." [Nov 2003, p.117]
Blender
He lays it on so thick, the music all but drowns in pretty surfaces. [Oct 2003, p.129]
Austin Chronicle
It would seem Wainwright has traded his operatic sensibilities for Broadway flair, which is as tired as swapping stilettos for orthopedic loafers.
Read Full Review >Stylus Magazine
All but a couple of tracks here are dipped in the melodramatically thick strings of the opener- and the sum result is that it’s almost too much to take the whole LP in one sitting.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this album is 8.9 (out of 10) based on 42 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Robbie C gave it a10:
Grandiose, tragic, dramatic, beautiful, and HONEST. A wonderful achievement.
Joe G gave it a10:
I consider Want One to be a work of genius. Although I'm not a big fan of the Marius de Vries style, the lush production on many tracks does justice to the many inspired musical ideas. In summary, a highly engaging and stimulating listen, although possibly a little too sophisticated for many.
Jerry B gave it a 10:
A true orignal, and I believe this is the strongest CD from him so far. In this day and age of so much god awful crap out there, it is always welcome to have Rufus crooning and swooning through a collection of obscenly lush and beautiful songs. I wish there were more of this type of unashamedly gorgeous music for me to consume. MMMMM
Jack gave it a 10:
The cunning sample of Ravel's Bolero in the opening track is worth the "10" alone!
Billy Bob gave it a 10:
I've never heard anything remotely like this. Gets better at every listening with great richness, complexity and balls! It would sound sensational under the influence of non-prescription substances.
Maria THE FACE gave it a 9:
I really, really, really loved this CD when I first got it. It was a my introduction to Rufus, and I swear from the first song I was hooked. I later bought his other two CDs and found they were just a fabulous :D . I think all the critism of Want One is justified, and I agree that his earlier has more "energy". However, this Cd is still loads better than some of the other options out there in music land. Keep on belting it out Rufus :D!!!
Danielle F gave it a 10:
Rufus Wainwright takes each album to new, untouched territory. When you think he has hit his peak, he comes out with a new album as if to declare "I'm not done yet, honey". Fantastic is the only word to describe the sheer magnificence of this album. A lesser artist would have made these words seem over the top and overly dramatic (assuming a lesser artist could write lyrics as thought provoking as these) but Rufus sings with such an honest quality in his voice you can't help but believe what he says, and hope he eventually finds the one he wants.
