Tom Waits (metal, rock, albums, career, quote)

Trollheart · 12-20-2008, 03:38 PM

OK, Waits fans, just listened to "Wrong side of the road", and there's a very UN-seasonal line in it that I just had to share with yaz!

"Strangle all the Christmas carollers
Scratch out all their prayers
Tie 'em up with barbed wire
And push 'em down the stairs."

Ha ha! Bah humbug indeed!

Piss Me Off · 12-20-2008, 03:40 PM

He does a brilliantly growly version of Silent Night though.

Bulldog · 12-20-2008, 03:46 PM

Aha, I knew there'd be a Tom Waits thread somewhere. Gotta love the guy really. He's a real personality, a terrific writer and is responsible a very very large, very very eclectic and unique discography (of which I've only really skimmed the surface, being the proud owner of a mere six of his albums). I'd go with Rain Dogs and Mule Variations as my favourites.

sweet_nothing · 12-20-2008, 06:16 PM

I feel bad for not being able to get into him, his voice just puts me off.

Trollheart · 12-20-2008, 06:22 PM

To try to answer Big3's question as to why we love Waits, I think I know why I do anyway, and it can be summed up in five simple words: he couldn't give a sh!t!
Basically, for me, Waits never set out to make his music popular. He never wanted, or got, a hit single (though his music has made hits for many, many other artistes). He knew he was an acquired taste, and if people weren't bothered to make the effort to get to know him, then f**k them. He built up a solid fanbase of people who were, in the main, sick of the wallpaper music and MTV pop being purveyed as music, he appealed to people who wanted something more, something different, something off the wall. True, his followers would be most likely eclectic themselves, but that was no bad thing.
Waits would have been as happy playing small jazz clubs or dime-a-dozen joints in the heart of Jersey as he would be selling out stadia and arenas. He's probably happiest in the studio, giving birth to screaming new affronts to the mainstream, unleashing wild new sounds and learning to play the navajo nosepipe and the Outer Mongolian beadboard. A more wild version of Paul Simon --- well, no, there are similarities, but Waits would kick Simon's ass. A crazed Mike Oldfield or Vangelis on steroids? Hmm. Not really.
Hard to jam Waits into any sort of pigeonhole: he just sits there tinkling piano and downing whiskeys, refusing to be made into something he's not.
In the end, Waits is comparable only to one person, and that is Waits.
He's unique, he's uncompromising, and he doesn't give a pair of fetid dingo's kindneys if you like him or don't. He ain't in it for the money --- he's there for the music.
And that, I think, is why we love the guy.

Alkajazz · 12-20-2008, 08:27 PM

Tom Waits is dope.

Alfred · 12-20-2008, 08:40 PM

I have Swordfishtrombones, Closing Time, and In The Heart Of Saturday Night. I love In The Heart Of Saturday Night, but can't get into Swordfishtrombones.

I need another album by him.

simplephysics · 12-20-2008, 09:04 PM

I really liked Bone Machine.

Trollheart · 12-21-2008, 02:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alfred

I have Swordfishtrombones, Closing Time, and In The Heart Of Saturday Night. I love In The Heart Of Saturday Night, but can't get into Swordfishtrombones.

I need another album by him.

OK that's understandable. You moved too quickly. ST is more quirky Waits, CT and HOSN are more "mainstream". I'd suggst trying Small Change (some quirky, off-beat stuff but mostly Waits mainstream), or perhaps Blue Valentines, or maybe even Heartattack and Vine. You could also try The EarlyYears, or bathe in the luxury of the live Nighthawks at the Diner.
Try Swordfishtrombones when you've sampled one, or all, of these albums and see if you're ready to make the leap...

Alfred · 12-21-2008, 10:56 AM

Thanks a lot!

12-20-2008, 03:38 PM	#231 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,971	OK, Waits fans, just listened to "Wrong side of the road", and there's a very UN-seasonal line in it that I just had to share with yaz! "Strangle all the Christmas carollers Scratch out all their prayers Tie 'em up with barbed wire And push 'em down the stairs." Ha ha! Bah humbug indeed! __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

12-20-2008, 03:40 PM	#232 (permalink)
Piss Me Off Moodswings n' Roundabouts Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: At the corner of Dude and Catastrophe Posts: 4,512	He does a brilliantly growly version of Silent Night though. __________________ Last FM Rate Yr Music Muxtape

12-20-2008, 06:22 PM	#235 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,971	To try to answer Big3's question as to why we love Waits, I think I know why I do anyway, and it can be summed up in five simple words: he couldn't give a sh!t! Basically, for me, Waits never set out to make his music popular. He never wanted, or got, a hit single (though his music has made hits for many, many other artistes). He knew he was an acquired taste, and if people weren't bothered to make the effort to get to know him, then f*k them. He built up a solid fanbase of people who were, in the main, sick of the wallpaper music and MTV pop being purveyed as music, he appealed to people who wanted something more, something different, something off the wall. True, his followers would be most likely eclectic themselves, but that was no bad thing. Waits would have been as happy playing small jazz clubs or dime-a-dozen joints in the heart of Jersey as he would be selling out stadia and arenas. He's probably happiest in the studio, giving birth to screaming new affronts to the mainstream, unleashing wild new sounds and learning to play the navajo nosepipe and the Outer Mongolian beadboard. A more wild version of Paul Simon --- well, no, there are similarities, but Waits would kick Simon's ass. A crazed Mike Oldfield or Vangelis on steroids? Hmm. Not really. Hard to jam Waits into any sort of pigeonhole: he just sits there tinkling piano and downing whiskeys, refusing to be made into something he's not. In the end, Waits is comparable only to one person, and that is Waits. He's unique, he's uncompromising, and he doesn't give a pair of fetid dingo's kindneys if you like him or don't. He ain't in it for the money --- he's there for the music. And that, I think, is why we love the guy. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018*

12-20-2008, 08:40 PM	#237 (permalink)
Alfred one big soul Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Canada Posts: 5,096	I have Swordfishtrombones, Closing Time, and In The Heart Of Saturday Night. I love In The Heart Of Saturday Night, but can't get into Swordfishtrombones. I need another album by him. __________________ LAST.FM / VINYL COLLECTION / RYM

12-21-2008, 10:56 AM	#240 (permalink)
Alfred one big soul Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Canada Posts: 5,096	Thanks a lot! __________________ LAST.FM / VINYL COLLECTION / RYM

12-20-2008, 03:46 PM	#233 (permalink)
Bulldog why bother? Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: UK Posts: 4,840	Aha, I knew there'd be a Tom Waits thread somewhere. Gotta love the guy really. He's a real personality, a terrific writer and is responsible a very very large, very very eclectic and unique discography (of which I've only really skimmed the surface, being the proud owner of a mere six of his albums). I'd go with Rain Dogs and Mule Variations as my favourites.

12-20-2008, 08:27 PM	#236 (permalink)
Alkajazz Music Addict Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: OKAYSEA Posts: 50	Tom Waits is dope.