Way down in a POLL: ILM's top 50 Tom Waits tracks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GIAawSTisE

Not a tune I was familiar with previously. Though it was a bit slight at first, but it's growing on me.

That's my first place vote (and I put Blood Money in first place in the albums too). It's the only one that doesn't have too many songs.

Love this song. I voted for it, though fairly low. I'm realizing how slanted my votes were towards older stuff. This is probably the newest song I voted for.

43. I'll Be Gone (Frank's Wild Years, 1987)
46 points, 4 votes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAVl3PjTwbk

Now that's a tune.

42. I Hope That I Don't Fall in Love With You (Closing Time, 1973)
48 points, 6 votes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRyYayGtRBo

41. Trouble's Braids (Swordfishtrombones, 1983)
49 points, 3 votes, 1 first place

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nSA1gZ96eo

50. Diamonds On My Windshield
49. Black Wings
48. Anywhere I lay My Head
47. Swordfishtrombone
46. Hold On
45. Make It Rain
44. All the World is Green
43. I'll Be Gone
42. I Hope That I Don't Fall in Love with You
41. Trouble's Braids

And that's yer lot for today.

Glad to see Black Wings in there. It's the only standout for me on Bone Machine.

Pleasantly surprised to see "Trouble's Braids" place. Always loved it but never got the sense that it had fervent fans. All props to whomever gave it their #1 vote.

How do you make a spotify playlist into a url these days? Can only find Facebook and Twitter sharing options. I don't have pro.

Right-click on your playlist in the menu on the left, and go to to Highlight HTTP?

Copy HTTP Link, I mean.

Thanks, got it.

http://open.spotify.com/user/joe2goo/playlist/39FGIPX9whrzf9CxzxvxnQ

40. Invitation to the Blues (Small Change,, 1976)
49 points, 4 votes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CELo-AmUKiU

39. Ol 55 (Closing Time,1973)
50 points, 6 votes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXunos4IXDU

XP - Great song, didn't vote for it

Ol 55 sounds pretty bland to me, but there you go.

I was talking about Invitation, Ol '55 is a bit flat, yer right.

I'm not a fan of Closing Time at all really, nothing I love about Waits is in place yet.

38. In the Neighborhood (Swordfishtrombones, 1983)
51 points, 4 votes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLDA3GQpYJ4

I voted for "Ol' 55", but not because of the Closing Time version. It's all about the live recordings. For example, I love this 1975 performance from the essential boot Surfin' Minneapolis:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9AwysXhUqs

37= Hang On St Christopher (Frank's Wild Years, 1987)
51 points, 5 votes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBqFq0c1ANU

37= Shore Leave (Swordfishtrombones, 1983)
51 points, 5 votes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yptr7t37cAg

I'm really pleased the next one made it.

35. What's He Building in There? (Mule Variations, 1999)
53 points, 7 votes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaLjwSpZ6Cs

It got a lot of low votes, all adds up. Think I may have subconsciously influenced people to put it on their ballots by referencing it in the nominations thread title.

This song the root of a thousand bad jokes between my friends. "What's taking Matthew so long in the bathroom? He's not building a playground for the children..."

In a weird way, it's always reminded me of this SNL bit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RV7Qz640OeM

Sorry, gonna race through the rest a bit, haven't planned the afternoon very well.

love What's He Building but it got bumped from my ballot in favor of other oddball experiments.

34. Yesterday is Here (Frank's Wild Years, 1987)
55 points, 4 votes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Dnv5L59eSo

love What's He Building but it got bumped from my ballot in favor of other oddball experiments.

― money, chicken and other DNA (sleeve),

For me it's the best of his spoken word pieces. So creepy, and just a great short story.

33. Telephone Call From Instanbul (Frank's Wild Years, 1987)
56 points, 7 votes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6g8eRnks9bM

No one seems to have put the studio version on YT, by the way. That performance is really good anyway.

Gorgeous little song up next.

32. Kentucky Avenue (Blue Valentines, 1978)
57 points, 3 votes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvZK8Wl7RQ8

"Yesterday Is Here" is too low.

I'd never properly listened to the lyrics of Kentucky Ave before properly, they're pretty fucked up and amazing.

Last song of the day coming up in about ten. It's another great number.

31. Hang Down Your Head (Rain Dogs, 1985)
57 points, 5 votes, 1 first place

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEY18eXO724

40. Invitation to the Blues
39. Ol' 55
38. In the Neighborhood
37= Hang on St Christopher
37= Shore Leave
35. What's He Building in There
34. Yesterday is Here
33. Telephone Call From Istanbul
32. Kentucky Avenue
31. Hang Down Your Head

http://open.spotify.com/user/joe2goo/playlist/39FGIPX9whrzf9CxzxvxnQ

Hasta manana! Feel free to like and comment.

Glad to see "Closing Time" getting some love around here. "Martha" might have been my number one if I had voted (i've been moving and everything has been out of sorts so I'm totally bummed I missed this). Not sure about "What's He Building In There", even though I enjoy the track as a goof. If there had to be a talking one, I would've preferred "9th and Hennepin".

I voted for 9th and hennepin.

if i had been around for the noms bit, i would've repped hard for "Hoist that Rag"

Yesterday Is Here was close to the top of my Poll, it has it's own particular sound that is almost as lovely as something like I Only Have Eyes For You.

I voted for "Martha". I'll be interested to see if it places.

Glad to see "Kentucky Avenue" made it, I had that high on my list. I love his ballads. That one always feels a little rougher than some but there's something especially stunning about it, especially what it builds to near the end.

I wonder which album will end up with the most songs on the list. Already a lot from Swordfishtrombones and Frank's Wild Years.

i like seeing all the swordfishtrombone love altho i didnt vote for any of those tracks

'invitation to the blues' was v high on my ballot

What only three votes for 'All the world is green'!? That's one of his most beautiful instrumentations post-00s.

Also 'in the neighborhood' is a bit low considering how well it did on the album poll, it beated 16 shells which just has to feature somewhere in the following days.

Early prediction for top five (heavy on the rain dogs):

1. Jockey Full of Bourbon
2. Clap Hands
3. Cold Cold Ground
4. Downtown Train
5. Time /or Martha

otoh Bone Machine is wonderful.

watched a decent Laserdisc rip of Big Time last night which is about the only way i guess i'll ever see it. supposedly there's not only no plans to release it on DVD/Blu but the director has the only 35MM copy! it was shown in San Francisco at the end of last year. anyway the film is excellent IMO and the staging and props (Mondrian squares, feathers and confetti, a red and black chessboard floor, etc.. ) are amazing!

4 Observations from the Ride Home

--Other Lady Guest @ The Sausagefest: Pat Benatar. Caught another twofer block of "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" and "Promises In The Dark". Seems like she'd do well on a more '80s-centric playing field.

--The only two '60s songs were "Satisfaction" and "Magic Carpet Ride", which reminds me that Steppenwolf are quite lucky because both "MCR" and "Born To Be Wild" will still be in heavy rotation until doomsday.

--Newest track was "You Could Me Mine" by G'n'R, which perfectly ties into the coronation of AxL & Co. as the "Last Great Classic Rock Band" and why the format had to stretch in to the '90s to include them.

--Heard a commercial for a law firm that only represents men in divorce cases--Welcome To The Land Of Who Still Listens To Terrestrial Classic Rock Radio!

WTF? Wrong Poll!

Here's how I ranked the 1983-2011 years.

Ten years since Bad As Me. I'm finding that so hard to believe