Tom Waits?

[Jazzmoose]

Spotting Shawn's post on the "what are you listening to" thread triggered a memory. I never cared for Tom Waits back when I was a rock listener, though I liked his writing, but I heard something on KCSM the other day by him and really enjoyed it. So, it's come to this: any recommended starting points?

[Dr. Rat]

Small Change.

And you might want to try his soundtrack for that Copolla film he lost all that money on.

I've also really grown to like his two demo cds: Early Years Vols. 1 & 2.

He sounds vaguely like Townes Van Zandt. The spare setting really let's the twisted melancholy of his tunes come across.

--eric

[RDK]

His style has changed so much over the years that it's hard to know which "one" you might like (having not been a fan before). I think he's got a new album coming out, so that might be what you heard on the radio. For a more recent "sampler," try "Beautiful Maladies." An excellent comp from his earlier recordings is "The Asylum Years."

[Free For All]

Swordfishtrombones is a good one, IMHO.

[king ubu]

Swordfishtrombones is a good one, IMHO.

This one's fantastic! might not be the ovious starting point if you come to Waits via jazz, but it's a great great album!

[Werf]

'Swordfishtrombones" and "Rain Dogs" are his finest, IMO. The former is a touchstone for Waits, initiating a new amalgam of Beat jazz stylings (his old style), with Harry Partch, Howlin' Wolf, Kurt Weill, punk-garage rock and avante-gardeisms mixed into the stew. Great shit.

I have to add, after listening feverishly to his stuff for over a decade and a half, I can no longer make it through any of his platters anymore. I respect it, even love it in my heart, but I'm thoroughly burned out on the guy.

[Dave James]

Speaking of Tom Waits, I caught a guy on Austin City Limits the other night who was kind of a hybrid of Waits, Bob Dylan and Tom Petty. His name is Chuck Prophet. I liked him enough to pick up several of his CD's. "Hurtin' Business" and "No Other Love" are both pretty serviceable. Anyone else familiar with him?

Up over and out.

[Jazzmoose]

His style has changed so much over the years that it's hard to know which "one" you might like (having not been a fan before).

Thanks to KCSM's new online playlist (with search capabilites! woohoo!!) I can tell you that it was "Eggs and Sausage" from Nighthawks at the Diner . But I'm not sure the time period really matters. I've always liked his songwriting. It's kind of like my dad with Bob Dylan; he likes his songs, but can't stand to hear him sing. I think all that jazz has done for me is make me see his individualistic style as an assett rather than a fault. So gems from any time period should be welcome.

[Jazzmoose]

Screw it; I'm just too damned lazy to edit just to fix "asset"...

[Jazzmoose]

So gems from any time period should be welcome.

Particularly since a trip to AllMusicGuide reveals that this particular LP came from precisely the era when I couldn't stand the man!

[RDK]

So gems from any time period should be welcome.

Particularly since a trip to AllMusicGuide reveals that this particular LP came from precisely the era when I couldn't stand the man!

And (sad for me to say) probably my least favorite Waits album!

[Alexander]

My favorite Waits albums:

Early Waits:

"The Heart of Saturday Night"

Middle Period Waits:

"Nighthawks at the Diner" & "Small Change"

Post-Modern Waits:

It's too hard to pick just one! Start with "Swordfishtrombone" and get "Rain Dogs" and "Frank's Wild Years" if it appeals to you.

Scary Waits:

"Bone Machine" Sill scares the HELL out of me when I listen to it. I generally save it for around Halloween...

His last three albums ("Mule Variations," "Alice," and "Blood Money") all have some good writing, but his stuff has become too much of the same. The ones I mentioned above are the cream of the crop. Everything else that I don't mention ("The Early Years," "Closing Time," "Foreign Affairs," "Blue Valentine," "One from the Heart," "Heartattack and Vine", "The Black Rider") are quite good, and worth picking up, just not essential Tom.

[Man with the Golden Arm]

I'm w/ COOP and IGNATZ avatars above! 'SFT' & 'RD' are one side of two coins. The first is a "west coast" session and Ribot is his post Lizards finest on the "east coast" 'Rain Dogs'. These two are essential and I would not fear to start here in the middle and work your way out.

Although I do have a soft spot for "Phillipino Box-Spring Hawg"!

Edited September 11, 2004 by Man with the Golden Arm