Attempted Mustache

1973 studio album by Loudon Wainwright III

Attempted Mustache

Studio album by

Loudon Wainwright III

Released

1973

Studio

Ray Stevens Sound Lab, Nashville, Tennessee

Genre

Folk

Length

38:38

Label

Columbia

Producer

Bob Johnston,
Bruce Dickinson (1998 reissue production)

Loudon Wainwright III chronology

Album III
(1972)

Attempted Mustache
(1973)

Unrequited
(1975)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]
Christgau's Record Guide	A−^[2]
Rolling Stone	favorable^[3]

Attempted Mustache is the fourth album from Loudon Wainwright III. It was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee with producer Bob Johnston and was released in 1973 on Columbia Records.

Wainwright said that "I Am the Way" was partly inspired by Guru Maharaj Ji's appearance at the Millennium '73 festival in December 1973.^[4]

Johnny Cash covered the song "The Man Who Couldn't Cry" live on his album American Recordings.

Track listing

All songs written by Loudon Wainwright III; except where indicated

"The Swimming Song" – 2:26
"A.M. World" – 2:31
"Bell Bottom Pants" – 2:27
"Liza" – 2:47
"I Am the Way (New York Town)" (based on "New York Town", music by Woody Guthrie; new title and lyrics by Loudon Wainwright III) – 3:12
"Clockwork Chartreuse" – 3:37
"Down Drinking at the Bar" – 3:55
"The Man Who Couldn't Cry" – 6:16
"Come a Long Way" (Kate McGarrigle) – 2:45
"Nocturnal Stumblebutt" – 3:45
"Dilated to Meet You" – 2:02
"Lullaby" – 2:55

Personnel

Loudon Wainwright III - acoustic guitar, banjo, vocals
Kenneth Buttrey - drums
Johnny Christopher - acoustic guitar, electric guitar
Tommy Cogbill - bass
Ron Cornelius - acoustic guitar, electric guitar
Mac Gayden - acoustic guitar, electric guitar, slide guitar
Reggie Young - acoustic guitar, electric guitar
Hargus "Pig" Robbins - piano, organ
Doug Kershaw - fiddle and Cajun exclamation
Kate McGarrigle - banjo, vocal

Release history

LP: Columbia KC 32710 (U.S.)
LP: CBS 65837 (UK)
CD: Edsel EDCD269
CD: Sony-Legacy 65257 (1998)

References

^ Allmusic review
^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: W". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 21, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
^ Rolling Stone review
^ Lichtenstein, Grace (February 3, 1974), "They Won't Boo Loudon Any Longer", The New York Times