''Last Man on Earth'' is the sixteenth studio album by

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

singer-songwriter

Loudon Wainwright III Loudon Snowden Wainwright III (born September 5, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter and occasional actor. He has released twenty-six studio albums, four live albums, and six compilations. Some of his best-known songs include "The Swimmin ...

, released on September 24, 2001 on

Red House Records Red House Records is an independent folk and Americana record label in St. Paul, Minnesota. The label was founded in 1983 by Bob Feldman after seeing a performance by Iowa folk singer Greg Brown. Origin The label is named for a farmhouse in ...

. Recorded in the wake of Wainwright's mother's death and the collapse of a romantic relationship, the album thematically addresses feelings of

grief Grief is the response to loss, particularly to the loss of someone or some living thing that has died, to which a bond or affection was formed. Although conventionally focused on the emotional response to loss, grief also has physical, cogni ...

and

loneliness Loneliness is an unpleasant emotional response to perceived isolation. Loneliness is also described as social paina psychological mechanism which motivates individuals to seek social connections. It is often associated with a perceived lack ...

. In 2012, Wainwright noted, "''Last Man on Earth'' was written right after my mother died, so a lot of the material on that record has to do with that momentous event. The life circle was present on a lot of those songs." Portions of the album also reflect upon Wainwright's troubled relationship with his father, Loudon Wainwright, Jr., a subject that has populated many of his earlier recordings. ''Last Man on Earth'' can be seen as a companion piece to his 1992 album, ''

History History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...

'', written after the death of his father.

Background

In 1997, following his mother's funeral, Wainwright stayed in her home in

Katonah Katonah is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) within the town of Bedford, Westchester County, in the U.S. state of New York. The Katonah CDP had a population of 1,679 at the 2010 census. History Katonah is named for Chief Katonah, an ...

Westchester County Westchester County is located in the U.S. state of New York. It is the seventh most populous county in the State of New York and the most populous north of New York City. According to the 2020 United States Census, the county had a population o ...

for eighteen months. During this time, Wainwright wrote much of the album's material. ''Last Man on Earth'' was released four years after Wainwright's mother's death. The working title for the album was ''Missing You'', named after the album's opening track. However, the album's title ultimately became ''Last Man on Earth'', a song written in Suffolk County following Wainwright's eventual move from his mother's old home.

Track listing

#"Missing You" – 3:29 #"Living Alone" – 2:37 #"White Winos" – 2:59 #"Fresh Fossils" – 1:50 #"I'm Not Gonna Cry" – 2:06 #"Out of Reach" – 2:57 #"Bridge" – 1:43 #"Surviving Twin" – 3:41 #"Donations" – 2:02 #"Graveyard" – 2:13 #"Bed" – 2:53 #"Last Man on Earth" – 5:01 #"Homeless" – 4:14

Personnel

The following people contributed to ''Last Man on Earth'':''Last Man On Earth'' liner notes

Musicians

– vocals, guitar, five-string banjo * Stewart Lerman – guitars, bass, organ,

Wurlitzer The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to as simply Wurlitzer, is an American company started in Cincinnati in 1853 by German immigrant (Franz) Rudolph Wurlitzer. The company initially imported stringed, woodwind and brass instruments ...

, percussion *Dick Connette – piano, spinet, celeste, harmonium, percussion, arrangements *

Steuart Smith Steuart Smith (born 24 June 1952) is an American guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, writer and producer from Arlington, Virginia, United States. He is a touring member of the American rock band Eagles, where he has performed as one of ...

– electric guitar, acoustic guitar, piano, organ, Wurlitzer, accordion, bass, harmonica *

David Mansfield David Mansfield (born September 13, 1956) is an American musician and composer. Mansfield was raised in Leonia, New Jersey. His father, Newton Mansfield was a first violinist in the New York Philharmonic. David played guitar, pedal steel guitar ...

– fiddle, viola, mandolin, dulcimer, guitar, percussion, string arrangements on "White Winos" *Sammy Merendino – drums, percussion * Mary Rowell – violin, viola *Marshall Coid – violin * Dorothy Lawson – cello *Brian Stanley – bass ("Living Alone") *Johnny Gale – vocals and vocal arrangements ("Bridge") *Little Isidore – vocals ("Bridge") *

Suzzy Roche Suzzy Roche ( ; born September 29, 1956) is an American singer and actress best known for her work with the vocal group The Roches, alongside sisters Maggie and Terre. Suzzy is the youngest of the three, and joined the act in 1977. She is the aut ...

– vocals ("Bed" and "Last Man on Earth")

Recording personnel

*Stewart Lerman – producer, recording, mixing *Scott Lehrer – additional engineering ("Bed" and "Missing You") *Dominick Maita – mastering

Artwork

Deborah Feingold According to the Book of Judges, Deborah ( he, דְּבוֹרָה, ''Dəḇōrā'', " bee") was a prophetess of the God of the Israelites, the fourth Judge of pre-monarchic Israel and the only female judge mentioned in the Bible. Many scholars ...

– inlay photograph *Patti Perret – beach photos *Don Stettner – back cover painting *Hugh Brown – layout and design

Release history

*CD: Red House 158 *CD: Evangeline 4025 *CD: Evangeline 4076

References

External links

"Album biography"
taken from the Rosebud Agency website. {{Authority control Loudon Wainwright III albums 2001 albums Red House Records albums Albums produced by Stewart Lerman