A Conversation with Loudon Wainwright (continued)

PM: I read something very funny you said in a previous interview, that as a songwriter Allan Sherman was more interesting to you than Phil Ochs. [laughs] That's hilarious.

LW: Well, he certainly made me laugh more.

PM: Yeah.

LW: And I like to laugh. I mean, I--

PM: It's a taste thing.

LW: Phil Ochs was great, of course.

PM: Yeah, of course.

LW: So was Allan.

PM: Yeah, so was Allan. [laughs] I heard "Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah" the other day and laughed my ass off.

LW: Sure.

PM: What are you reading lately?

LW: Well, actually, I'm reading the book that I read on the plane coming home from Germany, My Life as Me, the Barry Humphries autobiography. Do you know who Barry Humphries is?

PM: I don't think so.

LW: He's an Australian actor who plays the character--among others--but is most famous for playing Dame Edna Everage.

PM: Oh!

LW: He's not a drag queen. He's an amazing, terrific, funny actor that I actually worked with on an episode of Ally McBeal.

PM: Exactly.

LW: But I've been a fan of his for years and years. And I lived in England for 12 years, and over there he has kind of legendary status. So I was reading his book, actually. That was the last big book I read.

PM: Are you listening to anything much?

LW: Not much. I'm kind of retro in the listening realm. I find myself going back to black dead jazz piano players, because--I suppose because I'm not threatened on any level by Bud Powell or Thelonious Monk. I don't really listen much to other songwriters. I mean, I know they're out there and some of them are good--

PM: Yeah, but--

LW: --but I hate that idea.

PM: [laughs]

LW: But for my own listening pleasure, I kind of alternate between jazz channels and classical music channels.

PM: The other night at a friend's house I saw the DVD of Straight, No Chaser.

LW: Wow, it's great. I own that DVD.

PM: Yeah, wow, is that good! That was spooky.

LW: Yeah, amazing.

PM: The new deal is with Sanctuary Records.

LW: Yes.

PM: I thought they were a head banger label.

LW: Well, that's why they signed me!

PM: [laughs] But they do more than that, don't they?

LW: Well, they certainly do. I think somebody told me they signed John Hiatt recently. And they're getting ready to sign somebody like Joan Baez. So they've got some money from their metal groups and their T-shirt sales, and their management. They manage The Who and--

PM: Holy geez.

LW: But I think they're trying to make some tasty procurements.

PM: [laughs]

LW: Hopefully I'm one of them.

PM: Oh, there's no doubt in our mind. Are there things you haven't attempted yet that you'd like to try?

LW: A triple back somersault with a full gainer.

PM: [laughs] I hope I don't hurt myself.

LW: Yeah, I don't know if at this point--I'm going to be 57 next month, or two months, so I don't know if I'll get to that in this lifetime. But you know, I'm chugging along here. The songs are, thank goodness, still coming out, sometimes a little slower than I'd like. And I've got some acting irons in the fire. We've talked about those. So I'm quite happy. There's plenty to do. I've got a ten-year-old daughter that I'm enjoying.

PM: Wow.

LW: So life is, dare I say it, good. Why not?

PM: Yeah. One ought to say it when it is, I think.

LW: Sure.

PM: Are you what you'd call a spiritual guy in any sense of the word?

LW: Well, I went to Episcopalian boarding school.

PM: [laughs] I guess that qualifies.

LW: And they just about stomped it out of me. But... Can you hold for one second?

PM: Sure.

. . . . . . . . .

LW: Frank?

PM: Yeah.

LW: Hi.

PM: Hi. Do you need to get that?

LW: Well, that's the next guy. But he said he's going to call back. We've got a few more minutes.

PM: Yeah, and I'm almost done, anyhow. I wanted to make sure it wasn't my question that put you off.

LW: What was the question?

PM: [laughs] Are you a spiritual guy in any way?

LW: Oh, yeah, it did put me off, actually.

PM: [laughs]

LW: I ain't no Leonard Cohen, let's put it that way! I don't go to no dang monastery!

PM: That's right.

LW: I can't even say the word. I don't know, I'm just as confused as the next guy. Does that qualify me as being spiritual? I certainly don't know what the hell is out there. There's something, but I don't know what it is.

PM: Yeah, that qualifies you in my mind. You're a spiritual guy, yeah.

LW: Okay.

PM: Well, I'll clear the line and the lane for the next guy, because I'm really grateful for your time, and love the new record.

LW: Well, thank you so much. And I'm so pleased that you do like it. And I've enjoyed talking with you.

PM: Thanks. And I'll say hi to Tom Mitchell for you.

LW: Please do.

PM: See you, Loudon.

LW: All right, Frank.

[The live Loudon images on these pages were shot by ace British photographer Karl Greenow. His work first appeared in Puremusic in our piece on the Be Good Tanyas. If your band is touring the UK and you're looking for a photographer to catch the action, Karl is definitely your man. Contact him here.]

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