Why do people not like Swordfishtrombones? I actually prefer that album to Rain Dogs - shorter. Plus, it's got "Shore Leave" and "Frank's Wild years." Hot cha.
― ddrake, Sunday, 30 November 2003 21:04 (twenty years ago) link
― s1utsky (slutsky), Sunday, 30 November 2003 22:34 (twenty years ago) link
So did Xtina ;) Also, while the persona itself has remained constant, different songs present different perspectives of it; with much of his work, Tom's character (generally in 'observer' mode) is actually less important to the song than the characters he sees. Of course they're filtered through his narrative, but I think he wants to be a pretty reliable narrator most of the time, when not soaked in whisky.
I thought Swordfishtrombones was generally considered to be his best... I always preferred Rain Dogs, though. I still haven't got over how his voice sounds NORMAL on Closing Time.
― The Lex (The Lex), Monday, 1 December 2003 00:37 (twenty years ago) link
― lauren (laurenp), Monday, 1 December 2003 00:57 (twenty years ago) link
I love Tom Waits more than life itself.
― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Monday, 1 December 2003 01:00 (twenty years ago) link
Sometimes I tell people I moved to the Bay Area in the hopes of bumping into Tom. Even I don't know if I'm joking or not.
― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Monday, 1 December 2003 01:09 (twenty years ago) link
― jed (jed_e_3), Monday, 1 December 2003 01:12 (twenty years ago) link
haven't listened to him in quite a while though, I kinda overdid it there
― s1utsky (slutsky), Monday, 1 December 2003 01:12 (twenty years ago) link
― jed (jed_e_3), Monday, 1 December 2003 01:13 (twenty years ago) link
― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Monday, 1 December 2003 01:13 (twenty years ago) link
― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Monday, 1 December 2003 01:14 (twenty years ago) link
The Black Rider is shit-scary... I still need to acquire Bone Machine.
TS: Alice vs Blood Money? I go with the latter, though "Alice" is possibly the best song from the two of them put together.
― The Lex (The Lex), Monday, 1 December 2003 01:15 (twenty years ago) link
― lauren (laurenp), Monday, 1 December 2003 01:18 (twenty years ago) link
― jed (jed_e_3), Monday, 1 December 2003 01:23 (twenty years ago) link
― gaz (gaz), Monday, 1 December 2003 01:40 (twenty years ago) link
didn't really care for mule variations though, and his last two left me a little cold, though I think "blood money" is the better of the two
― s1utsky (slutsky), Monday, 1 December 2003 02:16 (twenty years ago) link
― dog latin (dog latin), Monday, 1 December 2003 02:34 (twenty years ago) link
― s1utsky (slutsky), Monday, 1 December 2003 03:09 (twenty years ago) link
― cinniblount (James Blount), Monday, 1 December 2003 05:58 (twenty years ago) link
Also, Marc Ribot!!
― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 1 December 2003 17:13 (twenty years ago) link
http://www.kicoz.nu/tom_waits/images/shoezko.jpghttp://www.c-m-b.com/web/tom%20waits.jpghttp://elsewhere.polydistortion.net/lib/cache/pics/music/2002-04-19-tom-waits.small.jpghttp://www.e835.to.infn.it/people/fbertini/waits.jpg
― Chuck Tatum (Chuck Tatum), Monday, 1 December 2003 17:50 (twenty years ago) link
― Chuck Tatum (Chuck Tatum), Monday, 1 December 2003 17:52 (twenty years ago) link
― Chuck Tatum (Chuck Tatum), Monday, 1 December 2003 17:54 (twenty years ago) link
― Huckleberry Mann (Horace Mann), Monday, 1 December 2003 17:54 (twenty years ago) link
― charltonlido (gareth), Monday, 1 December 2003 17:54 (twenty years ago) link
― Rockist Scientist, Monday, 1 December 2003 17:55 (twenty years ago) link
― Rockist Scientist, Monday, 1 December 2003 17:56 (twenty years ago) link
― Huckleberry Mann (Horace Mann), Monday, 1 December 2003 17:57 (twenty years ago) link
― Chuck Tatum (Chuck Tatum), Monday, 1 December 2003 17:59 (twenty years ago) link
― Huckleberry Mann (Horace Mann), Monday, 1 December 2003 18:02 (twenty years ago) link
― s1utsky (slutsky), Monday, 1 December 2003 19:16 (twenty years ago) link
― Chuck Tatum (Chuck Tatum), Monday, 1 December 2003 19:52 (twenty years ago) link
"The next generaton of an underworld American musical dynasty makes its debut on a new LP currently being worked on by Tom Waits. The singer's son Casey appears playing percussion and turntables on the album, working title Real Gone, slated for release this autumn on Anti Records."
― AdamL :') (nordicskilla), Sunday, 27 June 2004 17:13 (nineteen years ago) link
― AdamL :') (nordicskilla), Sunday, 27 June 2004 17:14 (nineteen years ago) link
― AdamL :') (nordicskilla), Sunday, 27 June 2004 17:16 (nineteen years ago) link
― Jordan (Jordan), Sunday, 27 June 2004 17:17 (nineteen years ago) link
Best song: Who Are You from [i]Bone Machine[/i]. Does anyone else find this song to be the most perfect song/performance of his career. Reduces me to a husk every time.
Fave albums are [i]Closing Time, Swordfishtrombones, Franks Wild Years[/i] and [i]Bone Machine[/i]. [i]Mule Variations[/i] and [i]Alice/Blood Money[i/] I like very much, though a little patchy. Given what albums I love, should I get [i]Black Rider[/i]?
― PT, Sunday, 27 June 2004 22:59 (nineteen years ago) link
― PT, Sunday, 27 June 2004 23:01 (nineteen years ago) link
― gaz (gaz), Sunday, 27 June 2004 23:04 (nineteen years ago) link
― AdamL :') (nordicskilla), Monday, 28 June 2004 00:09 (nineteen years ago) link
― jed_ (jed), Monday, 28 June 2004 00:14 (nineteen years ago) link
― AdamL :') (nordicskilla), Monday, 28 June 2004 00:16 (nineteen years ago) link
― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 28 June 2004 00:22 (nineteen years ago) link
― jed_ (jed), Monday, 28 June 2004 00:25 (nineteen years ago) link
"The Ramones cover" is probably "I Don't Wanna Grow Up" - on Bone Machine.
― AdamL :') (nordicskilla), Monday, 28 June 2004 01:19 (nineteen years ago) link
― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 28 June 2004 01:29 (nineteen years ago) link
― AdamL :') (nordicskilla), Monday, 28 June 2004 01:58 (nineteen years ago) link
According to Johnny Ramone, “It took the Ramones 30 years to be eventually nominated for a Grammy. Thanks to Tom Waits for finally getting us there.”
Tom Waits recorded the track for the tribute album with his son Casey Waits on drums and Les Claypool of Primus on bass, while Brett Gurewitz from Bad Religion and Epitaph Records founder co-produced and played guitar. “The only honor possibly greater than producing and playing on a Tom Waits track would be to do it for The Ramones,” said Gurewitz. “The fact that it’s nominated for a Grammy makes it all the more surreal.”"
― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 28 June 2004 02:02 (nineteen years ago) link
My fave is "Nighthawks at the diner". It is a little bit like his "Take no Prisoners". He is such a great entertainer and the nightclub atmosphere really fits him well. I used to listen to it on dope, it really intensifies the listening experience. I used to think "Bone Machine" was his last peak after that I lost interest. Finding out that his singing voice is not his real voice did not really help in appreciating his music. On the contrary after that I got pretty tired of his shtick.
― Ich bin kein Berliner (alex in mainhattan), Thursday, 17 August 2017 20:56 (six years ago) link
real gone is good it's got some siqq ribot playing
― kurt schwitterz, Thursday, 17 August 2017 22:33 (six years ago) link
ok the first song on real gone is the worst shit he's ever done
― kurt schwitterz, Thursday, 17 August 2017 22:38 (six years ago) link
Finding out that his singing voice is not his real voice did not really help in appreciating his music.
Actually, his speaking voice (I spent about 2 hours on the phone with him) is not that different from his singing voice at all, just slightly more subdued - 'cause he's talking and not singing. But his speaking voice is definitely gravelly and hoarse. The difference is about what you'd expect. I mean, Robert Plant doesn't speak in high-pitched screams, you know?
― grawlix (unperson), Thursday, 17 August 2017 22:39 (six years ago) link
Maybe his speaking voice is contrived as well. It could well be that he has "forgotten" his normal voice. There is a sudden change of his voice from the first two albums to the others to a much lower register. Do you really think that was natural?
― Ich bin kein Berliner (alex in mainhattan), Friday, 18 August 2017 12:41 (six years ago) link
there's nothing 'natural' about Tom Waits. his entire act is, well, it's an act. but like you say, it's hard to tell how much of it he has absorbed into his natural persona of course
― Shat Parp (dog latin), Friday, 18 August 2017 12:58 (six years ago) link
There is a sudden change of his voice from the first two albums to the others to a much lower register. Do you really think that was natural?
I disagree, and I'm listening to Closing Time as I type this. The voice sounds almost the same to me, just a little more singer-songwriter/country and a little less Howlin' Wolf/Captain Beefheart. Maybe a little more nasal and a little less chest/throat. That's all.
― grawlix (unperson), Friday, 18 August 2017 13:56 (six years ago) link
he didnt go full howlin' until heart attack and vine, which by all accounts is a great success of an album
― kurt schwitterz, Friday, 18 August 2017 15:39 (six years ago) link
His voice on the Glitter and Doom live album is verging on death metal. I was a bit disappointed by the lack of nuance on that one, even though the playing is great.
― Shat Parp (dog latin), Friday, 18 August 2017 15:48 (six years ago) link