High Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project cover

High Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project

Loudon Wainwright III · 2009

99 min · 30 tracks · blues · folk · traditional folk music

A vibrant tapestry of folk and blues storytelling, steeped in nostalgia and laced with humor.

Why this album works

This album is significant for reviving interest in Charlie Poole's music and highlighting the historical context of early American folk songs. It received positive acclaim, contributing to Wainwright's reputation as a storyteller and cultural commentator, while also reaching audiences who appreciated Americana and traditional folk music.
Best for
nostalgic storytelling with humor dynamic wave-like pacing experience engaging sing-along potential
Context
By 2009, Loudon Wainwright III was a seasoned artist with a career spanning over three decades. 'High Wide & Handsome' is a tribute to the early American folk musician Charlie Poole and showcases Wainwright's deepening connection to his roots after a series of introspective albums leading up to this project.

Tracklist

Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.

Disc 1

  • 1 High Wide & Handsome 2:50
  • 2 Took My Gal Out Walkin' 2:32
  • 3 I'm the Man Who Rode the Mule Around the World Standout 3:35
  • 4 My Mother and My Sweetheart 3:11
  • 5 Bill Mason's Bride 2:55
  • 6 Goodbye Booze Standout 2:53
  • 7 Old Ballyhoo 1:58
  • 8 Little Waterloo 2:53
  • 9 I'm Glad I'm Married 3:31
  • 10 Mother's Last Farewell Kiss Standout 4:44
  • 11 Acres of Diamonds 2:47
  • 12 Way Up in NYC 4:06
  • 13 If I Lose 3:57
  • 14 The Great Reaping Day 2:49
  • 15 Where the Whippoorwill Is Whispering Goodnight 3:22

Disc 2

  • 1 The Man in the Moon 2:32
  • 2 The Deal 4:09
  • 3 No Knees 2:22
  • 4 Moving Day 2:37
  • 5 Old and Only in the Way 3:44
  • 6 Ragtime Annie 3:33
  • 7 Sweet Sunny South 2:41
  • 8 The Letter That Never Came 3:07
  • 9 Awful Hungry Hash House 4:28
  • 10 Rowena 2:32
  • 11 Didn't He Ramble 3:59
  • 12 Ramblin' Blues 3:59
  • 13 Charlie's Last Song 4:59
  • 14 Beautiful 4:00
  • 15 High Wide & Handsome (reprise) 2:07

Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata