Tom Waits News

brianlux · June 2013

Having just seen (twice in two days!) Tom Waits in the Jim Jarmusch film "Down By Law" (I'm a big fan of Jarmusch and utterly confounded by the fact that I'd somehow missed this movie all these years until now) I'm led to ask you Waits fan this- where to start with Waits' music? I don't have any of his albums (and there are a lot of them!) and not sure where to start.

mookeywrench · June 2013

brianlux wrote:

Having just seen (twice in two days!) Tom Waits in the Jim Jarmusch film "Down By Law" (I'm a big fan of Jarmusch and utterly confounded by the fact that I'd somehow missed this movie all these years until now) I'm led to ask you Waits fan this- where to start with Waits' music? I don't have any of his albums (and there are a lot of them!) and not sure where to start.

these good starting points that give a well rounded approach to his music, just choosing 2 each from different stages in his career

Early:
The Heart of Saturday Night - This shows his 70's songwriting mixed with jazz influences
Nighthawks At The Diner - This was recorded live in studio in front of an audience of about 100 people, his 70's persona as a freewheeling jazz/singer songwriter is really captured here.

Mid:
Heart Attack & Vine - this is the bridge album between his past and future
Rain Dogs - considered his peak album and defined Tom Waits of the 80's

Later:
Mule Variations - classic album, really well rounded and all-encompassing of his music
Real Gone - Dark, grim album and first to not feature a piano composition

If you like all of those, you'll end up buying his whole catalogue

brianlux · June 2013

mookeywrench wrote:

brianlux wrote:

Having just seen (twice in two days!) Tom Waits in the Jim Jarmusch film "Down By Law" (I'm a big fan of Jarmusch and utterly confounded by the fact that I'd somehow missed this movie all these years until now) I'm led to ask you Waits fan this- where to start with Waits' music? I don't have any of his albums (and there are a lot of them!) and not sure where to start.

these good starting points that give a well rounded approach to his music, just choosing 2 each from different stages in his career

Early:
The Heart of Saturday Night - This shows his 70's songwriting mixed with jazz influences
Nighthawks At The Diner - This was recorded live in studio in front of an audience of about 100 people, his 70's persona as a freewheeling jazz/singer songwriter is really captured here.

Mid:
Heart Attack & Vine - this is the bridge album between his past and future
Rain Dogs - considered his peak album and defined Tom Waits of the 80's

Later:
Mule Variations - classic album, really well rounded and all-encompassing of his music
Real Gone - Dark, grim album and first to not feature a piano composition

If you like all of those, you'll end up buying his whole catalogue

Thanks, mookeywrench!

Digital Twilight · June 2013

mookeywrench wrote:

brianlux wrote:

Having just seen (twice in two days!) Tom Waits in the Jim Jarmusch film "Down By Law" (I'm a big fan of Jarmusch and utterly confounded by the fact that I'd somehow missed this movie all these years until now) I'm led to ask you Waits fan this- where to start with Waits' music? I don't have any of his albums (and there are a lot of them!) and not sure where to start.

these good starting points that give a well rounded approach to his music, just choosing 2 each from different stages in his career

Early:
The Heart of Saturday Night - This shows his 70's songwriting mixed with jazz influences
Nighthawks At The Diner - This was recorded live in studio in front of an audience of about 100 people, his 70's persona as a freewheeling jazz/singer songwriter is really captured here.

Mid:
Heart Attack & Vine - this is the bridge album between his past and future
Rain Dogs - considered his peak album and defined Tom Waits of the 80's

Later:
Mule Variations - classic album, really well rounded and all-encompassing of his music
Real Gone - Dark, grim album and first to not feature a piano composition

If you like all of those, you'll end up buying his whole catalogue

I agree with all those suggestions. Heart of Saturday Night was my first Waits album followed by Rain Dogs. Mule Variations is quite accessable and showcases a good range of Tom Waits' song writing ability. I think it was Heart Attack & Vine that pushed me over the edge with Tom.

Pap · June 2013

brianlux wrote:

Where to start with Waits' music?

1) Rain Dogs
2) Franks Wild Years
3) Bone Machine
4) Mule Variations
5) Real Gone
6) Bad as Me

brianlux · June 2013

Looks like "Rain Dogs" is a good place for me to start.

Descriptions of "Bone Machine" have me intrigued as well but probably not as a starting point.

Mango · June 2013

Small Change, his third album, was the first I had heard of him. Its an album that set me off in a different direction and I couldn't get over how one guy could pour his heart out like that. You can smell the cigarettes and whisky when you hear those songs. Its pure genius and I adore it. If Small Change doesn't do it for you...

Loulou · June 2013

Mango wrote:

You can smell the cigarettes and whisky when you hear those songs

So true!

I love all of his music but I really do have a soft spot for Bone Machine, being a little harder. Also adore Rain Dogs and Alice.

dcfaithful · June 2013

For those of you who haven't heard Tom Waits' 1978 performance on Austin City Limits, the whole show, in seperate videos for each number, can be found on YouTube. However, I wanted to share this because I find it to be one of the most gripping performances I've heard.

I love how Tom enters into his actual singing voice when the narrator reads the line in the letter "Charlie, I almost went crazy..."

Spectacular performance of "Christmas Card From A Hooker In Minneapolis": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1ZcxsHKBW4

One of the best ACL performances I know of.

Popmartijn · June 2013

Don't forget Swordfishtrombones. That's also a brilliant album. Even better than Rain Dogs, IMO.

Pap · September 2013

Tom Waits Joins Bridge School Benefit Line Up Sunday Oct 27th.

Last Minute Tom will perform a full acoustic set featuring songs from his album BAD AS ME with his band (David Hidalgo guitar; Les Claypool bass; Casey Waits, drums; and more).

Waits, who has not toured since 2008 and has no plans to tour, says "I had every good intention to stay home and work on my JD Salinger Halloween mask, but when Neil told me yesterday he was serving burnt cow's eyes on a flat tire and it's all gluten free, I invited myself!"