Music Banter - View Single Post - Trollheart's Album Discography Reviews: Tom Waits
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Old 11-07-2021, 10:34 AM   #26 (permalink)
Trollheart
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Okay, well his voice is certainly an acquired taste (I think in one review I compared it to chewing gravel for breakfast?) but after the mid-1980s he adopted a much different tone, basically copying some fella called Van Vliet, not sure who he is. His voice then got by degrees more screechy and wild, though he would lapse back into "his" voice on certain tracks. I suppose it depends on whether or not you enjoy listening to the Captain sing (!) as to whether or not you would enjoy his later work. The music, too, became very experimental.

He's not for every one, but as I say in the intro, the chances are you'll have heard Springsteen, Stewart, Seger or someone else sing one of his songs as they've been covered so often. I personally don't have to "go there" to listen to his music: certainly the lyrical fare is usually downbeat, but I can listen to say "Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis" without needing to drown my sorrows, or "Cemetery Polka" without having to shoulder a shovel and grab a powerful torch.

Glad you're at least interested in the reviews, and who knows? We may make a Waits fan out of you yet.
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