A scarecrow stuffed with manure in Chula's closet.

Look at that gun bouncing around. Hold that ****er correctly and you might hit your target.

Hunting Hawks.

One From the Heart OST - Tom Waits and Crystal Gayle

This was pretty good and generally unobjectionable in my opinion except the girl, Crystal, didn't do much for me. It would be three stars if there was more Tom Waits and less Crystal Gayle.

Two and a half stars.

When I first heard of this album I was dubious. Waits and country songstress Crystal Gayle? I mean, I like Gayle, but the fit didn't sound right. But then, Waits seldom duets or shares the limelight with anyone, so if he felt Crystal would complement his music then who was I to say no? This album marks a very significant period in Waits's life, as he met his future wife Kathleen Brennan on the set of the movie for which this is the soundtrack. Not only that, but she introduced him to the music of Captain Beefheart, and thus his whole sound and approach to music changed with his very next album, Swordfishtrombones. This, then, stands as the “intermediate” album between Waits's previous sound and his later, more experimental music. It's a clear demarcation, and without this album it might never have happened. This is one of my top ten Waits albums now.

1. What were your VERY FIRST impressions on listening to the album, say from the first five minutes in?

n/a

2. What did you think of the opening track?

I love the montage. If you have seen the movie, it sets the scene perfectly, with the sound of traffic and crowds, which then segues into Tom's lone vocal which is then joined by that of Crystal, and the piece ends again on the sound of traffic and street sounds. Perfect intro.

3. What did you think of the next track?

I love the fact that Crystal takes some of the songs solo, and this for me is one of the four best tracks on the album. The idea of a woman being trapped in, what she had expected to have been a fairytale, which is now crashing down around her ears: the idea of “escaping from the dream”, rather than the nightmare, is, I feel, very clever writing on Waits's behalf, though no more than I would at this point expect from him. I love Crystal's voice; so clear and yet so yearning. A real legend in the country scene, it's nice to see she can adapt to blues/jazz so well.

4. Did you like the vocalist? Hate him/her? Any impressions? (see note 1)

I love Waits, of course, and I also love Crystal, so there's your answer. I feel both give stellar performances, and the rest of you haters can all just **** off.

5. Did the music (only) generally appeal to you, or not? (see note 2)

Yeah, it did. I'm not a fan of jazz but this was smoky, down and dirty at times and very evocative of a relationship falling apart.

6. Did the album get better or worse as you listened to it (first time)?

n/a


7. What did you think of the lyrical content?

I love all of Waits's lyrics, and I think just about everything here is perfect. I particularly like the sentiments in “You Can't Unring a Bell” (even though it's not my favourite) and I am in awe of his lyrical prowess on “Broken Bicycles”.

8. Did you like the instrumental parts? (see note 3)

Very much so, fits in with the overall feel of the album.

9. What did you think of the production?

Insert answer here

10. Did you know of this artiste prior to listening to the album, and if so, did that foreknowledge colour your perception of this album?

Of course, and yes, though I did worry (needlessly, as it turned out), about the inclusion of Crystal Gayle.

11. Is this, generally, the kind of music you listen to or not?

Jazz? No. Waits? Absolutely.

12. Assuming you listened to the album more than once, on repeated listens, did you find you liked the album more, or less?

n/a

13. What would you class as your favourite track(s), if you have any?

The Holy Quartet: “Is There Any Way Out of This Dream?”, “Old Boyfriends”, “Broken Bicycles” and “Picking Up After You”.

14. And the one(s) you liked least?

Nothing really, though “Take Me Home” is a little twee, and I could have done without the instrumental version at the end, right after it.

15. If the album in question is a debut, did that fact allow it, in your mind, any leeway, and if so, was that decision justified or vindicated? (see note 4)

n/a

16. Are you now looking forward to hearing more from this artiste, if you have not heard any of their other material?

Always

17. Were you surprised by your reaction - positive or negative - to the album?

n/a

18. Did the album end well?

I would say no. See question (14) above

19. Do you see any way the album could have been improved?

A better closing track.


20. Do you think the album hung together well, ie was a fully cohesive unit, or was it a bit hit-and-miss?

Hung together very well.

You can all screw yourselves. This gets a 9.5/10 from me.

Thank. God.

I really think I would enjoy the music if I was watching the movie. On it's own, I'm not really feeling drawn into it.

Don't know if the movie is any good.

Despite being directed by FFC, it's pretty **** to be honest.

I'll probably give it a go sooner or later. Coppola is pretty hit and miss, but sometimes he hits it spot on. Like Sofia Coppola. She's as uneven as her father.

When it started off I thought I was listening to the Charlie Brown Christmas special. Not too original if you're ripping off Vince Guaraldi's Charlie Brown Christmas special soundtrack. Kinda sad if you ask me. Then a few seconds in he drops a slug or a washer, probably too cheap to use a real quarter. Wow, how hipster of him do that! But seriously is he bouncing a "supposed" quarter on a bar top as a tip? ... or did he flip a coin in the air and it fell to the floor? ... or was he too drunk to put a quarter in the jukebox. Kinda leaves you wondering why. Then he started singing and I had enough. Never cared for him to begin with and this didn't change my mind.

I looked at the songs on the album. Looks like he was starved for ideas and began ripping off song ideas from other artists, like Joe South's song Rose Garden which is commonly know by the chorus "I Beg Your Pardon..." Joe South's song was a hit for Lynn Anderson (see video below). So I checked the song just to see if it was the same song, and I was creeped out by the way he sang "scarecrow." I had to stop the song there. He also almost rips off Leo Kottke's song title "Busted Bicycle" with "Broken Bicycle" - that I just consider that a half-rip-off, not a full fledged rip off. "Take Me Home" by Phil Collins is another one. :rolleyes: Tom must be a Phil Collins fan. Kudos to you Tom if you are. Then I guess he takes Anita Ward "Ring My Bell" and he just reverses the idea in "You Can't Unring a Bell." Whatever Tom. :rolleyes:

Lynn Anderson - I Beg Your Pardon

This video is probably the kitschiest thing I ever saw in my life. However I can tolerate this throw-away pop song much, much more than any thing I heard from Tom Waits.

In the end I had a bunch of ear worms of songs that either had the same song title or almost same song title as on this album.

Not much to see here.
Rating: 0