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Tom Waits' 'Closing Time' doesn't get enough love

harmless_little_f***harmless_little_f*** Posts: 8,005
edited April 2008 in Other Music
I know people love Tom Waits around here but this album is often avoided in our discussions. But it's a near perfect album... so why?
'We're learning songs for baby Jesus' birthday. His mum and dad were Merry and Joseph. He had a bed made of clay and the three kings bought him Gold, Frankenstein and Merv as presents.'

- the great Sir Leo Harrison
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Comments

  • Rhinocerous SurpriseRhinocerous Surprise Posts: 4,423
    harmless_little_f*** wrote:
    I know people love Tom Waits around here but this album is often avoided in our discussions. But it's a near perfect album... so why?

    I think most people associate Waits more with his boneyard-percussion, raw albums - ie. post-Swordfishtrombones. But even when you go back to his barfly stuff, Closing Time seems slightly out of place, more of a straight singer-songwriter album, not to mention his voice being so smooth. So even though it's a great album, most people pretty much start at Small Change when they talk about Waits.
    Smokey Robinson constantly looks like he's trying to act natural after being accused of farting.
  • bovy_jbovy_j Posts: 1,008
    I agree! I've always loved the album.
  • StoneG82StoneG82 Posts: 806
    Closing Time and Heart of Saturday Night...what an opening to a stellar career...two of the greatest recordings of all time...

    Those two, along with Hearttack and Vine, round out my three favorite early Waits records.

    The man is a life force.
    "What’s Orphans? I don’t know. Orphans is a dead end kid driving a coffin with big tires across the Ohio River wearing welding goggles and a wife beater with a lit firecracker in his ear." - Tom Waits
  • Jeremy1012Jeremy1012 Posts: 7,170
    I hope that I don't fall in love with you is just amazing.
    "I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing but the sky overhead, I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land — every colour, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike — all snored in the same language"
  • harmless_little_f***harmless_little_f*** Posts: 8,005
    Jeremy1012 wrote:
    I hope that I don't fall in love with you is just amazing.

    Yes, as is Ol' 55 and Martha... well, all of em.
    'We're learning songs for baby Jesus' birthday. His mum and dad were Merry and Joseph. He had a bed made of clay and the three kings bought him Gold, Frankenstein and Merv as presents.'

    - the great Sir Leo Harrison
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