Can ye recommend some Tom Waits albums? (1 Viewer)

[Denny Oubidoux]

i'd skip everything up to but not including swordfishtrombones which is his best album by a long mile, one of the finest albums by one one even. maybe try a comp for the earlier stuff if you must. after that you could take or leave everything until bone machine and the black rider which are both excellent "im mad, i am" tom waits albums. mule variations is dreadful and alice is pretty good actually. real gone is a bit bland.

 

[Anarcho Munk]

What about Real Gone? I thought that album was amazing.

 

[jimmybreeze]

Strange how small change hasn't got a mention yet,well worth checking out

 

[Unicron]

Strange how small change hasn't got a mention yet,well worth checking out

Shit, any mention I previously made of Closing Time, I meant Small Change.

 

[nlgbbbblth]

Closing Time is where I started.
After that I got Small Change, then Nighthawks...

Swordfishtrombones is amazing. 33 1/3 book just out.

poll 1 and poll 2

 

[classic seanc]

poll 1 and poll 2

Right well, suppose I'd better post immediately after nlgbbbblth regarding Tom Waits, as is my wont. Jesus.

 

[Lili Marlene]

obviously you should start with her one

 

[thisgreg]

I think most people's introduction comes through closing time but it's a bit deceptive because it's definitely an easier album to get into. For fair weather music fans this is probably the waits album they know, that said it is an amazing album.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned mule variations that's an amazing album start to finish and has a good mix of his music.

I'd probably go Heart attack and vine, Bone Machine and Mule Variations for my favourites, but that changes from time to time.

 

[quasiquasi]

Beautiful Maladies is a good compilation of his eighties music, has tracks off Rain Dogs, Swordfishtrombones, Bone Machine and a bunch of other stuff.

 

[flashback]

So, I would say Rain Dogs, Small Change, Closing Time.

Fuck...but Swordfishtrombone. Bone Machine.

Its not fair to pick one.







As far as I am concerned this is lyrical perfection.

Well, he came home from the war with a party in his head
And an idea for a fireworks display
And he knew that he'd be ready with a stainless steel machete
And a half a pint of Ballantine's each day
And he holed up in room above a hardware store
Cryin' nothin' there but Hollywood tears
And he put a spell on some poor little Crutchfield girl
And he stayed like that for twenty-seven years


He packed up all his expectations, he lit out for California
With a flyswatter banjo on his knee
With Lucky Tiger in his angel hair, and Benzedrine for getting there
They found him in a eucalyptus tree
Lieutenant got him a canary bird, and skanked her head with every word
And Chesterfielded moonbeams in a song
He got twenty years for lovin' her from some Oklahoma governor
Said everything this doughboy does is wrong

He got twenty years for lovin' her from some Oklahoma governor.
I mean, lads.

 

[Jim Daniels]

Am I the only one who likes Blood Money?

I love Blood Money (especially Coney Island Baby). Alice is great too.

Romantic Tom beats the hell out of bonkers Tom..

 

[travispickle]

All of which reminds me, did that Storytellers show ever get a proper release? I know it's around on bootleg, but wouldn't know if the quality is any good.
Anyone?

 

[potlatch]

Nope, but The Black Rider is the best of them, methinks.

Aye, The Black Rider is fantastic. Any I like Blood Money, but because I saw the Wilson/Waits 'Woyzeck', the album never added up to the stage play.

If I was starting on Waits, I'd probably spend a month splashing out on a new 'un a week. Starting with Closing Time, then Small Change, then Swordfishtrombones, Frank's Wild Years, The Black Rider, Bone Machine, and Mule Variations. And download Books of Moses. Nighthawks at the Diner is OK for novelty value.

 

[maims bond]

has he done a bad album? I think Alice, Blood Money, Bone Machine, Mule Variations are all great, and saying his earlier stuff is great kinda goes without saying. Incredible body of work. Bit disturbed by the Scarlett Johansson thing.

 

[Franco]

has he done a bad album? I think Alice, Blood Money, Bone Machine, Mule Variations are all great, and saying his earlier stuff is great kinda goes without saying. Incredible body of work. Bit disturbed by the Scarlett Johansson thing.

Don't think he has a real stinker, but Foreign Affairs is a bit weak. But then Burma Shave is on it, so it's redeemed....

Anyone ever hear Bounced Checks? It's a deleted comp with a great live version of The Piano Has Been Drinking on it, recording in Dublin apparently.

 

[avernus]

Closing Time
The Heart of Saturday Night
Bone Machine
Alice


I listen to these the most I reckon. I started with Alice, though. Incredible.

 

[kavanelli]

I have Closing Time, The Heart of Saturday Night, Small Change and Rain Dogs.

The Heart of Saturday Night and Rain Dogs would be the two I like best out of them.

Is there any albums that should be avoided?

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

As far as I am concerned this is lyrical perfection.


He got twenty years for lovin' her from some Oklahoma governor.
I mean, lads.

i used always be late for school and one time the head brother caught me trying to sneak past his office and made me sit outside and write an essay on punctuality before i could go to class. i wasnt bothered thinking up stuff about pucntuality so i wrote out the words to swordfishtrombones changing them to "puntuality came home from the war with a party in his head..." although i had to guess half the words and i padded it out with some of Frank's Wild Years. then at the next parent teacher meeting he called my mother in, gave her the essay and told her i was a weird person. she thought i made it up myself and sent photocopies to my brothers and aunts and uncles, i was morto.

Anyone ever hear Bounced Checks? It's a deleted comp with a great live version of The Piano Has Been Drinking on it, recording in Dublin apparently.

i have that, its nothing special. dunno if piano was recorded in dublin or not as theres not much info. theres a nice version of jersey girl with just guitar and vocals

 

[Franco]

i used always be late for school and one time the head brother caught me trying to sneak past his office and made me sit outside and write an essay on punctuality before i could go to class. i wasnt bothered thinking up stuff about pucntuality so i wrote out the words to swordfishtrombones changing them to "puntuality came home from the war with a party in his head..." although i had to guess half the words and i padded it out with some of Frank's Wild Years. then at the next parent teacher meeting he called my mother in, gave her the essay and told her i was a weird person. she thought i made it up myself and sent photocopies to my brothers and aunts and uncles, i was morto.

Ha! I crowbarred a batch of Tom Waits lyrics into my Junior Cert english essay. His words were better than mine.

 

[Franco]

i have that, its nothing special. dunno if piano was recorded in dublin or not as theres not much info. theres a nice version of jersey girl with just guitar and vocals

Says Dublin here:

Bounced Checks (Compilation) (46:25) (1981) Asylum K52316 (LP or cassette only) (Out of print)
Heartattack and Vine; Jersey Girl (alt. master); Eggs and Sausage; I Never Talk To Strangers; The Piano Has Been Drinking (Live @ Dublin Ireland, March '81); Whistlin' Past the Graveyard (alt. master); Mr. Henry (previously unreleased); Diamonds On My Windshield; Burma Shave; Tom Traubert's Blues.

It's not an amazing comp, but there's a few nice curios on it for the completist.