Vibrate: The Best of Rufus Wainwright (2014) is a comprehensive retrospective that captures the first 15 years of the American-Canadian singer-songwriter's career. Released on February 28, 2014, by Universal Music Enterprises, the collection serves as both an introduction for new listeners and a curated journey for long-time fans. Album Overview and Significance
Notably, this FLAC release bypassed the "loudness war" compression that plagued some of Wainwright’s early CD pressings. Tracks like "The One You Love" (from Want One) no longer feel brick-walled. The dynamic range is breathtaking: from a whisper to a near-orchestral roar in the space of a single chorus. You find yourself reaching for the volume knob not because it’s quiet, but because you want to feel the room shake.
Rufus Wainwright retains significant control over his masters. As of 2025, you can find Vibrate: The Best of Rufus Wainwright in FLAC format on the following platforms: Rufus Wainwright - Vibrate Best Of -2014- -FLAC...
"Me and Liza": A brand-new track for this release, co-written with Guy Chambers, offering a sleek, radio-friendly pop sound. Critical Reception
Release Dates: Debuted on February 28, 2014, in Australia and Ireland, with subsequent releases in the UK (March 3) and North America (March 4). Vibrate: The Best of Rufus Wainwright (2014) is
The true gift of the Vibrate FLAC is how it elevates the non-singles. "Gay Messiah" (Want Two), with its blasphemous folk-revival strut, reveals a banjo buried so deep in the mix that most streaming encodings erase it entirely. "Out of the Game" (the title track from his 2012 album) shimmers with a Phil Spector-esque wall of sound that, in FLAC, doesn’t collapse into noise but coalesces into a golden haze.
Here’s a quick feature summary of that release: Hallelujah Poses Greedy I Don't Know What I
(Note: Tracklisting may vary slightly depending on the digital versus physical version, but the above represents the primary standard running order.)