Rufus Wainwright, Perfect Day | COVERS

In the 21^st edition of COVERS (2024), Rufus Wainwright delivers a compelling rendition of “Perfect Day,” originally performed by Lou Reed.

Ah, it’s time to get cozy and cover up! In COVERS, we highlight a musician or band covering songs by another musician (likely a popular musician). COVERS focuses solely on the musician who covers, as opposed to the original/most famous performer.  It is open to both established musicians and musicians who may not be as well-known. In the 21^st edition of COVERS (2024), Rufus Wainwright delivers a compelling rendition of “Perfect Day”, originally performed by Lou Reed.

“Just a perfect day, drink Sangria in the park / And then later, when it gets dark, we go home.” In the 2024, Lou Reed tribute album, The Power of the Heart: A Tribute to Lou Reed, Rufus Wainwright earned the extraordinary honor to cover one of the late, great musician’s best songs, “Perfect Day”. In the original, Reed delivers a modest vocal which is part of the charm.  What isn’t modest is the songwriting, including incredibly tuneful melodies. In the hands of the talented Wainwright, “Perfect Day” receives a minimalist, stripped take. Accompanying Rufus is the guitar (Madison Cunningham). That is sufficient and fitting.

The fact that “Perfect Day” is stripped makes the listener lean into every lyric and every note that Wainwright sings. That’s part of the magic of Reed’s original given his modest vocals – we embrace the lyrics. Wainwright delivers an expressive vocal performance.  It’s more dynamic than the original yet, Wainwright never over-sings.  In fact, in the first verse, Rufus seems to emulate Reed’s delivery. In the chorus, he welcomes vocal harmonies, performing alongside Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, and guitarist, Madison Cunningham.  The chemistry between the two vocalists is utterly sublime.  Perhaps their best moment is during the famous outro: “You’re going to reap just what you sow… ” Ultimately, Wainwright delivers a magical cover of “Perfect Day”. Nothing is perfect but this cover comes close!

Various Artists // The Power of the Heart: A Tribute to Lou Reed // Rock and Roll Credit Card, Inc. / Light in the Attic // 2024

Rufus Wainwright, Perfect Day: Covers No. 21 (2024) [📷: Brent Faulkner /The Musical Hype; Rock and Roll Credit Card, Inc. / Light in the Attic; Andrea Piacquadio, cottonbro studio, MART PRODUCTION, Matteo Milan from Pexels; MR1313, OpenClipart-Vectors, Vicki Hamilton from Pixabay]