Social Studies (Loudon Wainwright III album)

Social Studies
Studio album by
Loudon Wainwright III
Released1999
GenreFolk, satire
Length52:08
LabelHannibal[1]
ProducerJoe Boyd, John Wood
Loudon Wainwright III chronology
BBC Sessions
(1998) 		Social Studies
(1999) 		Last Man on Earth
(2001)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Robert Christgau(1-star Honorable Mention)[3]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[4]
Rolling Stone[5]

Social Studies is a studio album by Loudon Wainwright III, released in 1999.[6][7] The album comprises various topical and satirical songs, originally produced for National Public Radio and based upon then-current issues and events, such as the Tonya Harding scandal, the O. J. Simpson murder trial, the lead-up to Y2K, and controversies surrounding comments made by former Republican U.S. Senator Jesse Helms.[8]

Regarding the album's topical nature, Wainwright notes: "It's something that no-one does anymore; write songs about current events. When I was young there were a lot of topical songwriters around; maybe folk music had more impact on culture back then. I see these songs as a kind of musical journalism. My father was a journalist, for Life magazine, and I've definitely inherited something of that approach."[9]

  1. ^ "Sweethearts of the Jukebox: Parsons, Carpenter, Wainwright". July 12, 1999.
  2. ^ "Social Studies - Loudon Wainwright III | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  3. ^ "Robert Christgau: CG: Artist 838". www.robertchristgau.com.
  4. ^ The Encyclopedia of Popular Music – Colin Larkin – Google Books
  5. ^ Loudon Wainwright III: Social Studies : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone
  6. ^ "Loudon Wainwright III Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
  7. ^ Alden, Grant; Blackstock, Peter (September 15, 2009). "No Depression # 78: Family Style". University of Texas Press – via Google Books.
  8. ^ "Loudon Wainwright III Mocks The News". MTV News.[dead link]
  9. ^ "Loudon Wainwright III". Lw3.com. 1999-06-20. Archived from the original on 2011-07-27. Retrieved 2012-01-12.