- Record Label: Off Records
- Release Date: Oct 28, 2003
- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
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MojoThe tribute album of the year, a cavalcade of orch-pop joy, an object lesson in songwriting smarts. [Dec 2003, p.106]
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There's a little something for everybody hidden within this mysterious box.
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The majority of the album is comprised of covers that don’t deviate enough from the source material to validate their existence.
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Fans of the movie who are attached to the film renditions have no cause for concern; none of the songs here are dramatic reworkings of the originals. But almost all of them pop with the same buoyancy and joy, demonstrating that the artists covering the songs are Hed-heads too.
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Hedwig And The Angry Inch deserves to be the Rocky Horror Picture Show of its generation, and Wig In A Box marks an encouraging step in that direction.
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UncutOver-the-top histrionics are nicely downplayed by the lo-fi indie faction. [Dec 2003, p.124]
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Standout tracks include the Breeders' "Wicked Little Town (Hedwig Version)," the Polyphonic Spree's "Wig in a Box," Spoon's Stones-y take on "Tear Me Down" and the whisper-to-a-scream romp that Yoko Ono and Yo La Tengo let loose on "Hedwig's Lament / Exquisite Corpse."
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Alternative PressAmazing. [Jan 2004, p.108]
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Q MagazineIt's uniformly good, apart from Bob Mould's new house direction, which gets laughs for all the wrong reasons. [Jan 2004, p.124]
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BlenderThere are some surprising misfires here... but also some unexpected treats. [Dec 2003, p.147]
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Anything that keeps this compelling musical in the foreground of popular consciousness is worth something, and if a fan of Hedwig happens to be an indie rocker as well, this compilation is a delightful wedding.
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This is one of the liveliest, most vital tribute records in recent memory.
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Nearly all of Wig in a Box is both unique and successful.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 3 out of 3
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Mixed: 0 out of 3
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Negative: 0 out of 3
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thumperSep 7, 2006Cyndy Lauper's "Midnight Radio" is nothing short of brilliant.
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JBankstonSep 10, 2004I really enjoyed this album, Frank Black's "Sugar Daddy" was amazing and Rufus Wainwright is now a new favorite for me,what a voice.