\u201cFamily dysfunction, it\u2019s one of my favorite topics. I come from kind of a dysfunctional family, but so do many of us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a singer-songwriter, Loudon Wainwright III has made a career of putting intimate details from his private life under the microscope and out into the world. And on his his latest release, Lifetime Achievement<\/strong><\/a>,<\/em> the 76-year-old artist once again succeeds in connecting the personal to the universal. For this Acoustic Guitar Session, Wainwright, Martin D-28 in tow, performs two tunes from the album\u2014one a little sour and one unexpectedly sweet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n First up is \u201cFam Vac,\u201d which takes a lighthearted look at family outings and indulges a feeling\/fantasy most of us have experienced. Then, on \u201cLifetime Achievement,\u201d Wainwright looks back on his life, his legacy, and his love, no punchline needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I asked about the subject of the title track\u2019s refrain: <\/p>\n\n\n\n The biggest prize\/ the great surprise\/ is I managed to find you He was quick to answer: \u201cIs there a specific you? Well, you know, there is. I’m thinking about my girlfriend, Susan, who I’ve been living with for nine years. It’s about her and me. But it’s also about my audience in a sense. It could be, anyway . . . \u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n I started to ask him about the relationship between and artist and audience, but he wisely cut me off, \u201cSusan inspired the song, let me say that much, because I don’t want to get into any trouble when I get back home.\u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wainwright seems to be on solid footing; of the two songs, it\u2019s hard to imagine \u201cLifetime Achievement\u201c causing any disharmony at home!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Who needs cash and prizes \/ what I achieved is you<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n