What is the best Tom Waits album

[Bleedin Thumb]

Just pondering.. just listened to Small Change again.. also own Blue Valentine, Frankies wild years, Swordfish Trombone, Mule Variations


I can't decide they're all good...guess I should have asked whats your favourite?

[mic-d]

G'day bleedin. Iv'e only got mule variartions so I can't compare, but I do think it's very good.

Cheers
Michael

G'day bleedin. Iv'e only got mule variartions so I can't compare, but I do think it's very good.

Cheers
Michael - I thought I would respond to both posts in one go :U

[Lignum]

Impossible to answer, as they are all first class.

Allot depends on the mood.

3 crackers you dont have there are, The Heart of Saturday night, Nighthawks at the Dinner and probbably my favourite (along with Blue Valentine) is Heart Attack and Vine. Those 2 were back to back and were very special. They Oooooozed cool:cool:

Also on Swordfish Trombone, the song "Town with no Cheer" is about his trip from Melbourne to Mildura on the old "Overlander" and how Vic-Rail closed the canteen at Serviceton. Great stuff.

And Mic-d:- I have all his albums and Mule Variations is my least liked. Just couldnt get into it.



Franks wild years, great song. Never could stand that dog:wink:

[Lignum]

You could almost start an entire thread on "Classic" Tom Waits lines:)

[mic-d]

Impossible to answer, as they are all first class.

And Mic-d:- I have all his albums and Mule Variations is my least liked. Just couldnt get into it.



Well thst's good isn't it, I shouldn't be disappointed with the other ones then eh? Unless your music taste is in your asre.:U

Cheers
Michael

[Bleedin Thumb]

And Mic-d:- I have all his albums and Mule Variations is my least liked. Just couldnt get into it.






You have to love "what is he building in there" surely... just from a ww perspective!

Lig I thought of your comment about Patti Smiths rendition of Gloria not being "original" listening to Mr Waits "waltzing matilda" great song where its he only uses the chorus of the original.

I can't recall ever hearing the other 3 albums you mentioned..pitty you can't post mp3's on this forum.:rolleyes:

[HappyHammer]

Who's Tom Waits?:?

HH.

[Lignum]

You have to love "what is he building in there" surely... just from a ww perspective!


Yep:) Its the only song i realy like on the album.

Back in the 90`s a TV show called "Homicide life on the street". had an episode where one of the Cops was doing his first night shift in years, and would come home around 8am with a few beers to relax.

In the apartment next door his neighbor was cutting and banging away all day. The copper was very, very cranky.

After the 3rd morning when he got home and the banging was still going on, he said to himself (with an expletive) "Whats he building in there" So he bashes on the door to have a go at him, and it turnes out his neighbor was a nice but very lonely and depressed bloke who was just finishing making his own coffin. They shared the beers and had a laugh.

The next morning he turned up, there was no noise and he knocked but no answer.
Next day he turned up and (as cops do) got a bit suspicious, so he forced his way in, only to find the bloke lying in his coffin dead.

It was an increadable bit of telly (even by Seppo standards) and it has always stuck in my mind, and when i heard the Tom Waits song, i always wondered if that episode was his inspiration for the song.

[Lignum]

Who's Tom Waits?:?

HH.

If you have to ask, you wont like him:wink:

And for those who are interested in his take on Waltzing Matilda (Brilliant version on the Old Grey Whistle Test)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9M_cOkVJ5Y

Bleedin, here is 'The Heart of Saturday night" i always had the feel Cold Chisel had this in the back of there heads when the wrote "Saturday night"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZYYwfR2xuc&mode=related&search=

And the title of "Heart attack and Vine"

One of the comments below summed him up " He is one f*%@$%' cool cat...and a true poet."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C49H3aWdiK8

I can feel a big night of Tom Waits listening comming up:rolleyes:

[Bleedin Thumb]

That Heart Attack & Vine clip says it all..he is one f*%^en cool cat.:)


How many packs of camels to get a voice like that eh?


EDIT damn you Lignum and your bandwidth eating youtube links!:D

[TermiMonster]

The heart of saturday night...get's (or got) me out there......
TM

[Andy Mac]

[quote=Lignum;559002]Blue Valentine..&...Heart Attack and Vine. Those 2 were back to back and were very special. They Oooooozed cool:cool:[quote]

Yep, you got me there, they are amazing good albums.:2tsup:

Cheers,

[namtrak]

I cut my teeth on Closing Time and Small Change, both of which I was introduced after seeing Rumblefish.

[Lignum]

Small Change got rained on with his own .38 :cool:

[Bleedin Thumb]

I cut my teeth on Closing Time and Small Change, both of which I was introduced after seeing Rumblefish.


Rumblefish was a good one, haven't seen it for a while. Its a pity its got Mickey Rourke in it ....bloody tosser :D

On Small Change besides the title track I also really like The Piano Has Been Drinking and Invitation To The Blues

[namtrak]

Yep, the Piano has been Drinking was my fave

[Lignum]

Here yu go Bleedin:wink:

At first i wasnt to sure of him because of the similar sound to the great one, but it didnt take long to be a Puglsy convert:2tsup:

http://www.pugsleybuzzard.com/

Let the site load and their are some great tracks to listen to

[Clinton1]

Dunno about the best album... didn't really like Tom Waits till Reeves came along and tuned me in a little more. thanks mate!

Best song... maybe "Diamonds on my windscreen", or "Martha".... maybe "Jesus gonna be here"...."Midnight Lullaby" always good..... or .... !

.... nup, don't think I could pick an album..... which is actually a good thing. :)

[mattocks]

i have been having a big tom waits session over the last few weeks, listening to 3 disc set orphans,: Brawlers bawlers and bastards, as well as his last live album called glitter and doom. it also has a second disc of him just telling his crazy stories he comes up with when performing. very funny. always been a big fan, in the neighbourhood is my all time favourite video
cheers
frank

[derekh]

Wow, I'm impressed to see so many Tom Waits fans here :) Most of my TW is on vinyl so hasn't been played in a long time. Blue Valentine's "Red Shoes" for me. I remember him appearing on the Paul Hogan show and people complained the he look drunk and stoned, Paul explained that Tom always looks that way :)

[Lignum]

Wow, I'm impressed to see so many Tom Waits fans here :) Most of my TW is on vinyl so hasn't been played in a long time. Blue Valentine's "Red Shoes" for me. I remember him appearing on the Paul Hogan show and people complained the he look drunk and stoned, Paul explained that Tom always looks that way :)

Wow, thats something i cant remember. I remember him on either Don Lane or the Midday show with Ray Martin. Would love to get some video clips of any.

I do have a very old vid from the Palis in StKilda where he was so he kept falling off the piano stool... lol. But the best bit was the drunker he got the better he performed.

[underfoot]

Old thread re-visiting...Blue valentines is up there with my all time faves...I used to think his version of 'west side story's.."somewhere" was the greatest love song ever sung...I just listened again....yep....it still is...

[Ball Peen]

For a Tom Waits variation try John Hammond - Wicked Grin. All TW covers.

"you gotta get behind the mule.....and plow"

[Jonzjob]

Just found this thread.

Another 2 fans here. Both me and SWMBO!! Not sure where our CDs are at the mo and haven't listened for a while, but great stuff.

This is worth a 10 min break Where Heath Ledger got his inspiration for the joker... ? - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MQQA2yIXgA)

The interviewer was really good.

[Humphrey9999]

Now I've found it too. :D

For me, it was 'Small Change', for the song 'Bad Liver and a Broken Heart'.
Loved the line: 'I don't have a drinking problem 'cept when I can't get a drink.'

[Ball Peen]

I just finished reading " Lowside Of The Road " , A life Of Tom Waits by Barney Hoskyns
A very through accounting of every recorded song and every tour and every
muso he ever worked with. Some of his early life when he wanted to be.

[cadas]

That brings it back.... Heart Attack and Vine or Swordfish Trombone, maybe.

But for memories, I used to work at a very cool and trendy wine bar, and would put Closing Time on when the last person left and I was mopping out and putting chairs on tables. Slightly more commercial album but to tone was just right for me as a student closing a bar.

The 'piano has been drinking', up there on my favorite songs of all time. In the same way I have 'I love this bar' by Toby Keith on there.

[Ball Peen]

I just remembered a quote from the book......" to gen y Waits is more Dylan than Dylan ", such is his regard.