DumpJack Listens to Tom Waits' Discography

DumpJack · **Posted:** Thu Apr 08, 2010 11:14 am

So I'm browsing usenet last night and find everything Tom Waits has recorded and then some. Despite my stated hatred of this particular artist, I've admittedly only heard a very small portion of his music and since it's all free, why not download the whole thing and listen to it. I did it for Beefheart, the least I could do is Waits. I'm going to do one a day so I don't reach semantic satiation too quickly.

I'm going chronological on this one.

Quote:

Tom Waits' debut album is a minor-key masterpiece filled with songs of late-night loneliness. Within the apparently narrow range of the cocktail bar pianistics and muttered vocals, Waits and producer Jerry Yester manage a surprisingly broad collection of styles, from the jazzy "Virginia Avenue" to the up-tempo funk of "Ice Cream Man" and from the acoustic guitar folkiness of "I Hope That I Don't Fall in Love With You" to the saloon song "Midnight Lullaby," which would have been a perfect addition to the repertoires of Frank Sinatra or Tony Bennett. Waits' entire musical approach is stylized, of course, and at times derivative — "Lonely" borrows a little too much from Randy Newman's "I Think It's Going to Rain Today" — and his lovelorn lyrics can be sentimental without being penetrating. But he also has a gift for gently rolling pop melodies, and he can come up with striking, original scenarios, as on the best songs, "Ol' 55" and "Martha," which Yester discreetly augments with strings. Closing Time announces the arrival of a talented songwriter whose self-conscious melancholy can be surprisingly moving.

Code:

http://moourl.com/wi5wq

Kingfish · **Posted:** Thu Apr 08, 2010 11:15 am

Awesome project DJ. I'll try participate as much as possible.

Cap'n Squirrgle · **Posted:** Thu Apr 08, 2010 11:18 am

Re: Closing Time, might be the only one of his albums I've heard. A girl I worked with in college used to put it on the stereo as we closed the place up.

Radcliffe · **Posted:** Thu Apr 08, 2010 11:31 am

Great idea for a project. If I can find the time I'll join along.

I don't think I've ever heard Closing Time in its entirety. I've got some Waits early years comp on vinyl that sufficed. "Ol' 55" and "Martha" are okay, but sound to me like he was still finding his way.

two guns holla · **Posted:** Thu Apr 08, 2010 11:35 am

I really like Closing Time, but its definitely sappy.

discostu · **Posted:** Thu Apr 08, 2010 11:46 am

I've always been pretty indifferent about Waits and have never quite understood the legendary status. I mean to some, he's their Dylan, Neil or Beatles. I'll join along on this as well.

TEH MACHINE spit out a good idea...

Cap'n Squirrgle · **Posted:** Thu Apr 08, 2010 11:50 am

Patton Oswalt Wrote:

And the saaaaaad old magician... and the one-armed man...

Prince of Darkness · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 11:41 am **Posts:** 11048

I haven't looked forward to a thread this much since the beatles discography thread.

Z · **Joined:** Sat Oct 23, 2004 1:38 pm **Posts:** 7979

i also spent many years with complete indifference to tom waits based on admittedly cursory listens. but some years ago i bought a record collection that included the heart of saturday night and enjoyed it far more than i thought i would. a few months later, i picked up closing time and also liked that quite a bit. so i thought, "well, i'm a tom waits fan now." but that orphans compilation doesn't do much for me at all.

Dick Meatwood · **Posted:** Thu Apr 08, 2010 12:15 pm

Great idea.

I'd love to do this, too, but I doubt I'd be able to keep up. I've also never really listened to most of his pre-Swordfishtrombones albums in their entirety, aside from Small Change.

Z, Orphans is sort of a leftovers comp and is better tackled after you've gone through all of his other stuff from the past three decades.

shaMoxie · **Posted:** Thu Apr 08, 2010 12:42 pm

well done. i think you're going to love heart of saturday night.

Rick Derris · **Posted:** Thu Apr 08, 2010 12:50 pm

Perfect artist to do this with IMO. He has such defined "periods" in his career.

"Closing Time" is certainly part of that late night solitary drinking and seedy side of life era. But, not without optimism and sentimentality.

Goes great with whisky and loneliness.

The Island years are much more theatric and experimental.

Not a guy I pull out much but I like him as an artist and if I don't like all he's done I certainly respect it.

jsh · **Posted:** Thu Apr 08, 2010 12:57 pm

agreeing with derris.

i love closing time, probably my favourite album of his. i can't always stomach his more strident stuff, and the vastness/inconsistency/breadth of his catalog has kept me away for a while... but i'm happy to come along for this ride and learn some things.

DumpJack · **Posted:** Thu Apr 08, 2010 2:15 pm

Closing Time is really great. I can't muster up even a qualified 'but...'. In fact after the first listen, I just hit the repeat button and let it play all morning, even during a meeting I had in my office (I should add that my office is actually a reasonable setting to play this album as I keep the room in a perpetual incandescent dim). It's definitely introspective, staring at the glass kind of music, but I'd also agree with Derris in that it's not maudlin either, but has a I'll live to see the sun up vibe. I really dig 'I Hope I Don't Fall in Love with You'.

Definitely interested to hear what happens next with The Heart of Saturday Night.

rogneeb · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 1:07 pm **Posts:** 12618

ive been meaning to check out waits more for years, good idea for a thread.

Sex, Drugs, and Dave · **Posted:** Thu Apr 08, 2010 2:35 pm

Great Idea...I'm in...I'm pretty half and half with him...I actually prefer some of his recent output, though I can rarely get through a whole album in one listen.

billy g · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 1:41 pm **Posts:** 9020

DumpJack Wrote:

Closing Time is really great. I can't muster up even a qualified 'but...'. In fact after the first listen, I just hit the repeat button and let it play all morning, even during a meeting I had in my office (I should add that my office is actually a reasonable setting to play this album as I keep the room in a perpetual incandescent dim). It's definitely introspective, staring at the glass kind of music, but I'd also agree with Derris in that it's not maudlin either, but has a I'll live to see the sun up vibe. I really dig 'I Hope I Don't Fall in Love with You'.

Definitely interested to hear what happens next with The Heart of Saturday Night.

I predict that you'll like these two, small change and nighthawks at the diner. Whether you like any of the others or not, I have no idea.

Good idea though. Wish I had closing time with me. I'll have to play catch up.

billy g · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 1:41 pm **Posts:** 9020

DumpJack Wrote:

Closing Time is really great. I can't muster up even a qualified 'but...'. In fact after the first listen, I just hit the repeat button and let it play all morning, even during a meeting I had in my office (I should add that my office is actually a reasonable setting to play this album as I keep the room in a perpetual incandescent dim). It's definitely introspective, staring at the glass kind of music, but I'd also agree with Derris in that it's not maudlin either, but has a I'll live to see the sun up vibe. I really dig 'I Hope I Don't Fall in Love with You'.

Definitely interested to hear what happens next with The Heart of Saturday Night.

I predict that you'll like these two, small change and nighthawks at the diner. Whether you like any of the others or not, I have no idea.

Good idea though. Wish I had closing time with me. I'll have to play catch up.

shiv · **Posted:** Thu Apr 08, 2010 3:14 pm

discostu Wrote:

I've always been pretty indifferent about Waits and have never quite understood the legendary status. I mean to some, he's their Dylan, Neil or Beatles. I'll join along on this as well.

pretty much how i feel as well. a girl i went out with tried to get me into him and lended me blue valentine, which she said is her favorite album by him. there were a few decent songs but some of the music sounded like it should be in a levitra commercial or something. i bought closing time a couple months ago and enjoyed it a lot more than that other album but it's nothing i think i'll pull out with any regularity.

Dick Meatwood · **Posted:** Thu Apr 08, 2010 3:18 pm

I've never been able to listen to Blue Valentine. That's a weird one to recommend.

TheTheory · **Posted:** Thu Apr 08, 2010 3:42 pm

I've never even HEARD of Blue Valentine.

This thread made me check my iPod and realize that I only have 1 Tom Waits album loaded. Weird because I own almost all of the post-Swordfishtrombones and a handful of pre-Swordfish as well. I should probably look into completing my collection, especially since I've been more drawn to the older stuff in recent years.

catswilleatyou · **Posted:** Thu Apr 08, 2010 4:05 pm

awesome thread. i love waits. especially everything from swordfishtrombones on. looking forward to revisiting the earlier stuff i don't check out as often.

Radcliffe · **Posted:** Thu Apr 08, 2010 4:10 pm

Blue Valentine is my favorite of the early years. Heartattack & Vine is right up there as well.

Edit: just listened to Closing Time. Just doesn't do anything for me. Like I said earlier, songs like "Martha" and "Ol' 55" are okay, but they sound so derivative and overly earnest that I just can't get into them. That chorus alone on "Ol' 55" makes me want to punt my speakers onto the front lawn. I guess lyrics weren't his forte at this point. The precious Americana of the instrumentation doesn't help matters much either. Good enough for the Eagles, not good enough for me.

FT · **Posted:** Thu Apr 08, 2010 5:11 pm

shaMoxie Wrote:

well done. i think you're going to love heart of saturday night.

definitely my favorite of his

Dalen · **Posted:** Thu Apr 08, 2010 5:17 pm

Rick Derris Wrote:

Goes great with whisky and loneliness.

spot on.

DumpJack Listens to Tom Waits' Discography

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