Goin' Out West is pretty bitching, you should give it a listen.
― I wish to incorporate disco into my small business (chap), Thursday, 17 October 2013 13:49 (ten years ago) link
16. Train Song (Frank's Wild Years, 1987)79 points, 5 votes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1372DyU8H8
― I wish to incorporate disco into my small business (chap), Thursday, 17 October 2013 13:58 (ten years ago) link
big time version with intro is a must
― zvookster, Thursday, 17 October 2013 14:15 (ten years ago) link
15. I Don't Wanna Grow Up (Bone Machine, 1992)83 points, 7 votes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqOm78Vvg3w
― I wish to incorporate disco into my small business (chap), Thursday, 17 October 2013 14:18 (ten years ago) link
You guys just don't listen tot he same Waits as I do, I'm starting to think.
xpost
Although... I love this song! First ever Waits song I heard, maybe on Beavis and Butthead or something?
― Pingu Unchained (dog latin), Thursday, 17 October 2013 14:18 (ten years ago) link
Oh hush, a good handful of songs from your ballot have placed already.
― I wish to incorporate disco into my small business (chap), Thursday, 17 October 2013 14:22 (ten years ago) link
IDWGU is another one that makes me feel a bit sad somehow. The lyrics, again, are filled with pathos. I love Waits when he's critiquing the human condition.
― Pingu Unchained (dog latin), Thursday, 17 October 2013 14:22 (ten years ago) link
"this guy can't write songs, but boy can he sing"
― zvookster, Thursday, 17 October 2013 14:26 (ten years ago) link
14. Way Down in the Hole (Frank's Wild Years,, 1987)87 points, 9 votes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wZZu93VsNA
― I wish to incorporate disco into my small business (chap), Thursday, 17 October 2013 14:34 (ten years ago) link
Temptation is a great one I didn't vote for - a real grower. He doesn't often do falsetto, does he? Isn't this based on an old Cole Porter song or did I imagine it?
― Pingu Unchained (dog latin), Thursday, 17 October 2013 14:35 (ten years ago) link
The only bad thing about Way Down In The Hole is that the coda doesn't go on for long enough! I love the guitar solo on that one. ~Might have to learn it one day.
"I Don't Wanna Grow Up" is one of my favorite short songs.
― the objections to Drake from non-REAL HIPHOP people (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 17 October 2013 14:36 (ten years ago) link
Only just dawned on me that Way Down is a one-chord song.
― I wish to incorporate disco into my small business (chap), Thursday, 17 October 2013 14:42 (ten years ago) link
I kinda dig the little false endings to Way Down.
― pplains, Thursday, 17 October 2013 14:46 (ten years ago) link
13. Ruby's Arms (Heartattack and Vine, 1980)88 points, 6 votes, 2 first place
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmM7B-M3LVg
― I wish to incorporate disco into my small business (chap), Thursday, 17 October 2013 14:50 (ten years ago) link
Compulsive Gamblers' cover of Way Down in the Hole
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rb_KSSYt6hA
― cops on horse (WilliamC), Thursday, 17 October 2013 14:53 (ten years ago) link
A fine farewell to to the first phase of his career, Ruby's Arms.
― I wish to incorporate disco into my small business (chap), Thursday, 17 October 2013 14:55 (ten years ago) link
The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me) (Small Change, 1976)88 points, 7 votes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPPtrqvHGEg
― I wish to incorporate disco into my small business (chap), Thursday, 17 October 2013 15:06 (ten years ago) link
Not that I post here any more, but: One thing Wait's tearjerkers pull off better than anything outside of the opera is nail the point where heartache and grief -- as in bereavement from death -- intersect and become indistinguishable. And that's been the most consistent thing in his entire career, except for the phoney-baloney jazz-beatnick-bum moments that drive me nuts even when they sound great.
― Three Word Username, Thursday, 17 October 2013 15:07 (ten years ago) link
I'm surprised so many pre-Rain Dogs tracks have appeared!
― the objections to Drake from non-REAL HIPHOP people (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 17 October 2013 15:08 (ten years ago) link
check the radically different slurred spoken "the piano has been drinking" live that's on Spare Parts
― zvookster, Thursday, 17 October 2013 15:12 (ten years ago) link
v funny imo
― zvookster, Thursday, 17 October 2013 15:13 (ten years ago) link
Alfred, I am too.
Funniest Lyric and Saddest Lyric would have been interesting side polls.
― cops on horse (WilliamC), Thursday, 17 October 2013 15:14 (ten years ago) link
11. Rain Dogs (Rain Dogs, 1985)93 points, 7 votes, 1 first place
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsuQj0ZGE6c
― I wish to incorporate disco into my small business (chap), Thursday, 17 October 2013 15:20 (ten years ago) link
actually i meant this one live in dublin '81 which i think is on bounced checks
― cops on horse (WilliamC), Thursday, 17 October 2013
yes!
― zvookster, Thursday, 17 October 2013 15:24 (ten years ago) link
20. Martha19. Blue Valentines18. (Looking For) The Heart of Saturday Night17. Goin' Out West16. Train Song15. I Don't Wanna Grow Up14. Way Down in the Hole13. Ruby's Arms12. The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me)11. Rain Dogs
― I wish to incorporate disco into my small business (chap), Thursday, 17 October 2013 15:30 (ten years ago) link
Rain Dogs is my first place! Yay!
― Pingu Unchained (dog latin), Thursday, 17 October 2013 15:31 (ten years ago) link
Funniest Lyric and Saddest Lyric would have been interesting side polls.― cops on horse (WilliamC), Thursday, 17 October 2013
Can we do this?
― Pingu Unchained (dog latin), Thursday, 17 October 2013 15:32 (ten years ago) link
Love The Piano Has Been Drinking too.
― Pingu Unchained (dog latin), Thursday, 17 October 2013 15:33 (ten years ago) link
That's a song that'll always remind me of being in my early 20s - barreling home pissed after a night out with the sun coming up. Bittersweet times - I lived to go out because life at home was so rough.
― Pingu Unchained (dog latin), Thursday, 17 October 2013 15:35 (ten years ago) link
I take back what I said earlier about not feeling the choices in this poll. These last few seem to reveal I'm as populist as ever.
― Pingu Unchained (dog latin), Thursday, 17 October 2013 15:37 (ten years ago) link
and she was lovely and fair as the roses of the summerrrr
― zvookster, Thursday, 17 October 2013 15:45 (ten years ago) link
http://open.spotify.com/user/joe2goo/playlist/39FGIPX9whrzf9CxzxvxnQ
― I wish to incorporate disco into my small business (chap), Thursday, 17 October 2013 16:04 (ten years ago) link
i think it's great how much 70s music there's been in the poll. maybe there's stronger consensus on songs from the early albums because people might often know them from various comps, whereas most any Waits fan owns Rain Dogs etc. and has their favorites from it?
― deez so unusual (some dude), Thursday, 17 October 2013 20:26 (ten years ago) link
My top five are already accounted for.
Ten of the songs on my ballot are still not mentioned. I'm guessing six will wind up in the ILM top ten. I don't know why I think this.
― Set the Ctrl-Alt-Del for the heart of the sun (SlimAndSlam), Friday, 18 October 2013 02:47 (ten years ago) link
I'm really upset that nothing from 'One From The Heart' has turned up....can't believe anything will be top 10??
― The Pastiche Liberation Front (sonnyboy), Friday, 18 October 2013 09:46 (ten years ago) link
I used to think Rain Dogs was my favourite album because it has such great highs, but in more recent evaluation I think Swordfish and even Franks are more consistent on the whole. RD has too many dull genre-exercises and I never liked Waits when he does, say, straight-up country, blues or rock'n'roll so there's a big stretch over the second side where I just tend to switch off or skip. Much more inclined to enjoy the Weillian bierkeller gargoyly stuff on SFT or the bad-trip Gothic Mingus stuff on FWY than load sof the stuff on RD.
― Pingu Unchained (dog latin), Friday, 18 October 2013 10:36 (ten years ago) link
10. Innocent When You Dream (78) (Frank's Wild Years, 1987)102 points, 8 votes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6KkJ6-Ecxw
― I wish to incorporate disco into my small business (chap), Friday, 18 October 2013 13:33 (ten years ago) link
Speaking of gargoyly bierkellers, this was my number 6.
― Pingu Unchained (dog latin), Friday, 18 October 2013 13:39 (ten years ago) link
Something that isn't made enough of are Waits' production techniques. This is my favourite of his experiments.
― Pingu Unchained (dog latin), Friday, 18 October 2013 13:40 (ten years ago) link
9. Burma-Shave (Foreign Affairs, 1977)105 points, 9 votes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ug7DZG1F6bs
― I wish to incorporate disco into my small business (chap), Friday, 18 October 2013 13:50 (ten years ago) link
Chap, could we get a recap of 50-10?
― EZ Snappin, Friday, 18 October 2013 13:53 (ten years ago) link
Burma Shave is HIGH, especially for a track off Foreign Affairs. I guess as a Brit part of the point of that song is lost on me, but I rather like FA, it's a pretty weird (if disjointed) record.
― Pingu Unchained (dog latin), Friday, 18 October 2013 14:10 (ten years ago) link
50. Diamonds on my Windshield49. Black Wings48. Anywhere I Lay My Head47. Swordfishtrombone46. Hold On45. Make It Rain44. All the World is Green43. I'll Be Gone42. I Hope That I Don't Fall in Love with You41. Trouble's Braids40. Invitation to the Blues39. Ol' 5538= Hang on St Christopher38= Shore Leave36. In the Neighborhood35. What's He Building in There34. Yesterday is Here33. Telephone Call From Instanbul32. Kentucky Avenue31. Hang Down Your Head30. Dirt in the Ground29. Johnsburg, Illinois28. Tom Traubert's Blues27. Temptation26. Cemetery Polka25. Picture in a Frame24. Downtown Train23. Step Right Up22. Soldier's Things21. Alice20. Martha19. Blue Valentines18. The Heart of Saturday Night17. Goin' Out West16. Train Song15. I Don't Wanna Grow Up14. Way Down in the Hole13. Ruby's Arms12. The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me)11. Rain Dogs
― I wish to incorporate disco into my small business (chap), Friday, 18 October 2013 14:24 (ten years ago) link
8. Time (Rain Dogs, 1985)110 points, 9 votes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAB4uGGquX4
― I wish to incorporate disco into my small business (chap), Friday, 18 October 2013 14:26 (ten years ago) link
I'm not that huge a fan of Time myself, it kind of goes on a bit.
― I wish to incorporate disco into my small business (chap), Friday, 18 October 2013 14:28 (ten years ago) link
Thanks for the recap!
I'm not a big "Time" fan, either.
― EZ Snappin, Friday, 18 October 2013 14:29 (ten years ago) link
Yeah, it's kind of superficially weary to my ears; like, I'm not sure I'm quite taken in by its illusion.
Is Time based on something else? It sounds like a 'reclaimed' song. So does 'In The Neighbourhood'. They both sounded immediately familiar on first hearing.
― Pingu Unchained (dog latin), Friday, 18 October 2013 14:29 (ten years ago) link
Quite a few of his songs have had that effect on me; he often uses fairly hokey structures, it's the texture and instrumentation that makes them interesting.
Then again he uses quite wacky structures at other times.
― I wish to incorporate disco into my small business (chap), Friday, 18 October 2013 14:37 (ten years ago) link
7. Singapore (Rain Dogs, 1985)119 points, 12 votes, 1 first place
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxB4GqYM0T4
― I wish to incorporate disco into my small business (chap), Friday, 18 October 2013 14:39 (ten years ago) link