40 Odd Years

''40 Odd Years'' is a compilation box set by American singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III, released on May 3, 2011 on Shout! Factory. The set contains music from throughout Wainwright's career, alongside a DVD of live performances and documentary pieces. The collection is co-produced and curated by filmmaker Judd Apatow, who also writes an introduction in the liner notes.

The album's fourth disc features both rare and unreleased tracks, including a newly recorded song for the collection, entitled "Dead Man".

Background

Regarding filmmaker Judd Apatow's involvement in ''40 Odd Years'', Wainwright noted, "I would see him and he would say, "You gotta have a box!" And I'd say, "Yeah, sure, I agree." But because of his interest and his influence, he was able get together with the people at Shout! Factory and encouraged them to make it happen. And he was also quite involved from the creative side of things. I sent him my choices, and the DVD was pretty much created by him and his team. So, he's a very big part."

Regarding the box set's track listing, Wainwright stated, "I've mourned over the kittens that have been put in the sack, that didn't make it into the box. That was an aspect that was difficult at that stage - choosing what could be included and what couldn't be included because there were digital space requirements. ..I took one song off because it made my wife wince too much. I cut her some slack. It takes a lot to make me wince; as far as I'm concerned, bad taste is timeless. I like to wince. I like to think that people are going 'Eeeghegh!' I put one song on there that I never had the guts to put on a record - which was this song called "Laid" - so I thought, 'What the hell? I'm almost dead. I'll put it out there'."

On the album's fourth disc of rarities, Wainwright included a duet with him and his ex-wife Kate McGarrigle, entitled "Weave Room Blues". Wainwright stated, "It seemed important to include something with the two of us: "Weave Room Blues' was the choice. ..We were having a lot of fun. And that was what I wanted to convey with that choice, that we did have fun."

Track listing

Disc 1 (1969–1983)

# School Days
# I Don't Care
# Uptown
# Be Careful There's A Baby In The House
# Saw Your Name In The Paper
# Dead Skunk
# New Paint
# Drinking Song
# The Swimming Song
# Dilated To Meet You
# Down Drinking At The Bar
# The Man Who Couldn't Cry
# Whatever Happened To Us?
# Crime Of Passion
# Kick In The Head
# Summer's Almost Over
# Just Like President Thieu
# Golfin’ Blues
# The Heckler
# Natural Disaster
# Red Guitar
# Hollywood Hopeful
# DTTYWLM
# The Grammy Song

Disc 2 (1984–1995)

# Westchester County
# I'm Alright
# Screaming Issue
# Unhappy Anniversary
# Your Mother And I
# Synchronicity
# Hard Day On The Planet
# You Don't Want To Know
# Bill Of Goods
# Thanksgiving
# Your Father's Car
# When I'm At Your House
# The Picture
# Men
# So Many Songs
# Tip That Waitress
# I'd Rather Be Lonely
# April Fool's Day Morn
# The Acid Song
# IWIWAL
# A Year
# Dreaming

Disc 3 (1996–2010)

# So Damn Happy
# Primrose Hill
# Bein’ A Dad
# Four Mirrors
# It's Love And I Hate It
# Christmas Morning
# Pretty Good Day
# White Winos
# Bed
# Surviving Twin
# The Shit Song
# Between
# My Biggest Fan
# When You Leave
# Make Your Mother Mad
# Daughter
# Grey In L.A.
# Muse Blues
# Motel Blues
# The Deal
# Rowena
# High Wide & Handsome

Disc 4 (Rare and Unreleased)

# Weave Room Blues (with Kate McGarrigle)
# McSorley's
# Black Uncle Remus (demo)
# Funny Having Money
# The Hardy Boys At The Y (with The Boys Of The Lough)
# Laid (live)
# Outsidey (live)
# That Cat
# Surfin’ Queen (demo)
# Newt
# 4X10 (live)
# Somethin’ Stupid (with Barry Humphries)
# The Miles (live)
# So Good So Far (live)
# Big Fish
# No Sure Way
# Hey There 2nd Grader
# More I Cannot Wish You
# Florida (Lucky You)
# Hank & Fred (live)
# Your Eyes (demo)
# Dead Man
# At The End Of A Long Lonely Day (with Suzzy Roche)

Disc 5 (DVD: Filmed Performances)

# One Man Guy - 1993 Dutch television documentary
# BBC4 Sessions: Loudon Wainwright: One Man Guy - Filmed at Bush Hall, London, on May 2, 2005 - 4 Song
# Loudon Wainwright III at The BBC - Aired on September 23, 2005 - 11 Songs
# Dead Man - Filmed on May 24, 2010; recording session documentary
# Entertainment Desk - Aired on Canadian television in 1995 - 1 Song with Martha Wainwright
# High Wide & Handsome – The Charlie Poole Project - Filmed in 2009 for documentary on making of album
# The Basement - Filmed in Sydney, Australia in 2008 - 1 Song with Lucy Wainwright Roche
# Austin City Limits - 5 Songs
# Saturday Night Live - Aired on NBC on November 15, 1975 - 2 Songs
# The Garfield House - Filmed on May 24, 2010 - 6 Songs
# 826LA Benefit - Filmed on January 16, 2007 - 2 Songs
# PBS Soundstage - Aired on February 2, 1977 - 1 Song
# McCabe's Guitar Shop - Filmed on February 3, 2007 - 1 Song
# The Mike Douglas Show - Aired on April 25, 1978 - Interview and 1 Song
# Nightline - Aired on ABC on June 22, 2005 - 1 Song
# Carrott Confidential - Aired on BBC on February 14, 1987 - 1 Song

References

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Loudon Wainwright III albums
2011 compilation albums
Shout! Factory compilation albums
Works by Judd Apatow