Last Man on Earth (album)
| Last Man on Earth | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 24, 2001 | |||
| Recorded | Shinebox Studios | |||
| Genre | Folk rock | |||
| Length | 37:45 | |||
| Label | Red House | |||
| Producer | Stewart Lerman | |||
| Loudon Wainwright III chronology | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | link |
| Robert Christgau | link |
| PopMatters | favorable link |
Last Man on Earth is the sixteenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III, released on September 24, 2001, on Red House Records. Recorded in the wake of Wainwright's mother's death and the collapse of a romantic relationship, the album thematically addresses feelings of grief and loneliness. 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, written after the death of his father.