Cheex Incarnate 0 Report post Posted December 30, 2005 I've been on a Tom Waits kick lately, and I would consider it rude not to simply remind everyone the guy exists. Quite frankly, the guy is a musical genius. Anyone who saw him any of the times he was on Letterman probably has mixed feelings towards him, but i assure you he's brilliant. Rain Dogs and Swordfishtrombones are probably his best albums (with Real Gone and Frank's Wild Years close behind). Anyone else here share my love of Waits? Anyone? -Cheex Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Special K 0 Report post Posted December 30, 2005 Even a bad Tom Waits album is pretty good, in my experience. He's totally unique, since I don't think many have the talent or inclination to do what he does. He's sort of like a folk-singer Charles Bukowski. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Edwin MacPhisto 0 Report post Posted December 30, 2005 He's one of my favorites, and I think the same could be said of a lot of the people who post here. Rain Dogs is my favorite and probably all-time top 10 stuff, but don't forget Bone Machine. Glad to see someone else likes Real Gone as much as I do; it's a bit overlong, but competes with the best stuff he's put out. I even like the pre-Island years stuff lately. Been listening to Small Change a lot. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Henry Spencer 0 Report post Posted December 30, 2005 Mule Variations usually gets underrated. That's my second favorite, behind Rain Dogs. Really though, I've yet to hear a bad Waits album, and I've heard most all of them. The Island years, anyways. What should I start with pre-Island, Edwin? All I've heard is Ol' 55. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Edwin MacPhisto 0 Report post Posted December 30, 2005 Great song. I don't think anything else on Closing Time is quite as good. "I Hope That I Don't Fall In Love With You" is nice too. I've only heard the albums up to Small Change, so I can't speak on anything that came out between that and Swordfishtrombones, but Small Change is my fave out of the first few. Good blend of sad-sack piano songs and spastic jazzy spoken-word stuff. The first two songs, "Tom Traubert's Blues" and "Step Right Up," should give you a good representation of what the whole album is like. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Annabelle 0 Report post Posted December 30, 2005 one from the heart Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nighthawk 0 Report post Posted December 30, 2005 Yeah. I also like The Black Rider. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Edwin MacPhisto 0 Report post Posted December 30, 2005 one from the heart I can never find that or songs from it anywhere. Worth just ordering? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PLAGIARISM! 0 Report post Posted December 30, 2005 He's a good lad. Trying to see his only UK show for 18 years was funny. £150+ for the back row of the circle the same day the ticks came out. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nighthawk 0 Report post Posted December 30, 2005 one from the heart I can never find that or songs from it anywhere. Worth just ordering? I say most assuredly. You'll also want to watch the movie. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Annabelle 0 Report post Posted December 30, 2005 its easily my favorite waits. its one in itself. no real comparisons in his catalogue. its very jazzy croonerish cinematic music. if that makes any sense. its brilliant. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Edwin MacPhisto 0 Report post Posted December 30, 2005 Shock of shocks, my local CD store actually had a copy. Whaddaya know. It's great so far, and makes me want to drink good whiskey. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cheex Incarnate 0 Report post Posted December 30, 2005 For all of you unfamiliar with his latest Real Gone, do yourself a huge favor. It's a complete departure from everything else he's done (which, I guess could describe almost every one of his albums). Glad to see the Small Change love around here, "Pasties and a G-String" rock socks. -Cheex Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ravenbomb 0 Report post Posted January 1, 2006 haven't heard much, really liked his cover of Waltzing Mathilda, and the duet he did with Elvis Costello of I've Forgotten More Than You'll Ever Know (had a hard time finding out the song, it was titled "Memories of What" on the file I got) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Your Paragon of Virtue 0 Report post Posted January 4, 2006 What did he do on Letterman? Tom is good people. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Coffey Report post Posted January 4, 2006 I think my favorite Tom Waits song is "The Piano Has Been Drinking." He just sounds so sloshed, it's comedy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cheex Incarnate 0 Report post Posted January 4, 2006 He didn't really "do" anything on Letterman, but I could see how some people may be turned off by him because he's so strange (that and his songs wouldn't be that accesible to a pop-orientated crowd). He's been on Letterman a few times, but the last time i saw was when Real Gone came out and he talked about genius horses and sang "Make it Rain" -Cheex Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ArkhamGlobe 0 Report post Posted January 4, 2006 Tom Waits is probably my all-time favourite musical performer. By now I own copies of almost all his studio albums (I'm only missing Small Change, Foreign Affairs and One from the Heart, I think) and I at least like pretty much all of them, most of them I like a great deal, several I out-and-out love. Rain Dogs is my overall favourite, as it is also arguably my all-time favourite album. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Czech Republic 0 Report post Posted January 5, 2006 Hey, I finally bought some Tom Waits. Swordfishtrombones and Rain Dogs. I drove through Johnsburg on the way home today, incidentally. There's nothing really there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Agent of Oblivion Report post Posted January 12, 2006 Bone Machine has "Going Out West," which is far and away my favorite song of his. The guy knows how to rock out, in a weird kind of way. I love that. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nighthawk 0 Report post Posted January 12, 2006 Hey Gene, as I recall, you haven't been listening to Tom for too long. I'd guess that you would definitely like The Black Rider if you haven't heard that one. It's not one of his more popular offerings, but it's your kind of thing. It's all weird. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Giuseppe Zangara 0 Report post Posted January 12, 2006 "The Briar and the Rose" is the only thing I like on The Black Rider, but I really, really like it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Edwin MacPhisto 0 Report post Posted January 12, 2006 I love "Lucky Day" and the weird-ass crossroads song. I think a lot of my fondness for the album stems from when I saw an actual performance of the play, which was crazy as hell. "Lucky Day" is a good, fairly typical Tom Waits ballad (albeit with a monologue about beans), but its placement at the end of the show is expert. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Czech Republic 0 Report post Posted January 12, 2006 I really, really, really don't like "Innocent When You Dream." I just want it to end, and it never does. Then it rears its head at the end again. I mean, a lot of good songs on these three are done in under three minutes, why is this dragging on for over four? It gets grating. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Man in Blak 0 Report post Posted January 12, 2006 Bone Machine has "Going Out West," which is far and away my favorite song of his. The guy knows how to rock out, in a weird kind of way. I love that. Yeah, I agree with a lot of this. I'm a big fan of Waits' up-tempo songs, stuff like "Hang On St. Christopher" or "Swordfishtrombones" or "Hoist That Rag" that just thumps along. Not quite rock, but still having a driving beat behind it. I like his ballads as well ("Alice", "Picture in a Frame", "Soldier's Things"), but I'm not as sold on the carnival music. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Czech Republic 0 Report post Posted January 12, 2006 Don't forget "16 Shells From A Thirty-Ought Six" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Giuseppe Zangara 0 Report post Posted January 12, 2006 "Innocent When You Dream" is one of his best songs, you retard. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Czech Republic 0 Report post Posted January 12, 2006 He could've taken a minute off it Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Agent of Oblivion Report post Posted January 12, 2006 My favorite ballad is also on Bone Machine. "Who are you." Just one of the biggest and best "Fuck yous" to a lousy bitch if there ever was one. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Annabelle 0 Report post Posted February 6, 2006 i'm giving waits 83-present work another go. ill periodically report my findings. i am taking into account all that has been discussed here. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
