Tom Waits...

[gkoelling]

...Tom Waits...



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0GWl9GWawI&feature=related

[rhinocaster]

I remember a vinyl "Listening" party and a fiends house, and he put "Mule Variations" on. "What's he building" was my intro to the mans work.

Great stuff!

[jmcerlain]

My absolute favorite musician.

[JSeth]

I've been a strong fan of Tom Waits for 35 years... started with "The Heart of Saturday Night" and went back to "Closing Time"... wonderful wonderful songs, lyrics, patter... kind of lost touch with him until recently (last couple years) and he still has it! "Mule Variations" is great, some really odd stuff but "Hold On" is an incredible piece.

He is the genuine article, no doubt about it!

[SHM]

Big Tom Waits fan here. I´m in a tribute band playing only Waits material. Went to see him in Stockholm long time ago. one of the best concerts i´ve ever seen.

[gkoelling]

good morning mister snip, snip, snip. get your hair cut just as short as mine.

[greggorypeccary]

Nighthawks At The Diner was my introduction back in the 80's. He's been a favorite ever since.

[Chrome Dinette]

Great clip of Going Out West:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c046-gJ2SQA

[KRosser]

"Swordfishtrombones" remains one of my favorite records of all time, in any genre

And I had a chance to tell him so once - when I first moved to LA I got a day job driving a pickup around town doing errands for a community newspaper. One hot summer day when I was doing a pickup in the middle of East LA I pulled into a liquor store to buy myself a Coke, and when I turned around Tom Waits was behind me in line. All I could think of to say was, "Swordfishtrombones is the best record ever made" and he smiled and tipped his hat. As I turned around and walked out I heard him say to the clerk in his inimitable gruff mumble, "One carton of Pall Malls please".

Talk about a 'welcome to L.A.' moment....

[Alister]

"Swordfishtrombones" remains one of my favorite records of all time, in any genre

And I had a chance to tell him so once - when I first moved to LA I got a day job driving a pickup around town doing errands for a community newspaper. One hot summer day when I was doing a pickup in the middle of East LA I pulled into a liquor store to buy myself a Coke, and when I turned around Tom Waits was behind me in line. All I could think of to say was, "Swordfishtrombones is the best record ever made" and he smiled and tipped his hat. As I turned around and walked out I heard him say to the clerk in his inimitable gruff mumble, "One carton of Pall Malls please".

Talk about a 'welcome to L.A.' moment....

Boy, you were faster on your 'feet' than I would've been.
Fabulous story.

[johneeeveee]

LOVE Tom Waits. "Rain Dogs" is my personal fave, but there are so many great albums and songs.

I also love his taste in guitars. Little all mahogany vintage Martins, Harmony Stratotones, and assorted 50's and 60's Danelectros (Convertible model on that one).

Thanks for posting that clip - jv

[SamsDaddy]

Am I the only person in the world who doesn't get Tom Waits? I'm not trying to bash anyone's love for the guy, but I just don't see the attraction. What am I missing? I can't listen to any of these clips for more than 30 seconds before I have to turn them off.

[rhinocaster]

Am I the only person in the world who doesn't get Tom Waits? I'm not trying to bash anyone's love for the guy, but I just don't see the attraction. What am I missing? I can't listen to any of these clips for more than 30 seconds before I have to turn them off.

Then he's just not for you right now. Maybe at some point he'll make sense to you, and maybe not. There's no right or wrong.

[Frankee]

What can I say?......Tom rules.

[Trandy]

Am I the only person in the world who doesn't get Tom Waits? I'm not trying to bash anyone's love for the guy, but I just don't see the attraction. What am I missing? I can't listen to any of these clips for more than 30 seconds before I have to turn them off.


The word is soul. :)

He is to music what Bukowksi was to literature.

[Alister]

The word is soul. :)

He is to music what Bukowksi was to literature.

Great analogy; well put.

[yucatown]

Saw him live last year. Amazing. His music is greasy, tribal and poetic all at once.

[Mickey Shane]

fave is "Blue Valentines".

[GuitarsFromMars]

"Swordfishtrombones" remains one of my favorite records of all time, in any genre

And I had a chance to tell him so once - when I first moved to LA I got a day job driving a pickup around town doing errands for a community newspaper. One hot summer day when I was doing a pickup in the middle of East LA I pulled into a liquor store to buy myself a Coke, and when I turned around Tom Waits was behind me in line. All I could think of to say was, "Swordfishtrombones is the best record ever made" and he smiled and tipped his hat. As I turned around and walked out I heard him say to the clerk in his inimitable gruff mumble, "One carton of Pall Malls please".

Talk about a 'welcome to L.A.' moment....

extremely fast on your tootsies,KR...

[clemduolian]

A consummate song writer and musical artist. His first two albums may be the best first two albums by any songwriter ever. And he just keeps getting better.

[blues junkie]

The first time I heard "Heart of a Saturday Night" I was floored. Tom Waits paints a picture with his lyrics so vivid it makes you feel like your there.

[tonefordays]

Then he's just not for you right now. Maybe at some point he'll make sense to you, and maybe not. There's no right or wrong.

This is the perfect response. When I was younger a lot of my friends loved Waits, but the music just didn't appeal to me. Flash a few years later and I nearly shat myself when I went back and gave his stuff a listen.

This is music that has a tendency to sneak up on you and turn into an obsession. I believe when I got the bug I bought nearly all his records in just a couple weeks. The Bukowski reference is spot on. To me, he's a national treasure.

[908SSP]

Based on album collections I own TW is right there in that I own nearly everything he has put out along with the Beatles and LZ. Terrific artist just love his stuff. I only wish he would put out some DVDs. I have Burma Shave well worth getting and one European boot leg but I have seen him live only once and it was one of the most moving concerts I have ever seen.

TW 12 CDs
Beatles 22 CDs
LZ 26 CDs
Jimi 13 CDs

[decay-o-caster]

I wanna be Tom Waits when I grow up. He's a god.

[jbp]

The word is soul. :)

He is to music what Bukowksi was to literature.

I'll take it a step further...

Waits is to music what Flannery O'Connor is to literature. This rings more true to me than the Bukowski comparison, if only for the characters that Waits and O'Connor create.

[musicofanatic5]

Big Tom Waits fan here. I´m in a tribute band playing only Waits material. Went to see him in Stockholm long time ago. one of the best concerts i´ve ever seen.

A Waits tribute band?!?!?!?! Wow, you must have a heavy front-man!
I used to see Waits in clubs (Troubador, etc) and small concert venues in the seveties in LA, either as a solo or with a jazz combo. Too much!!! And as great as his original stuff is, as a a solo, he always brought down the house with Red Solvine's "Big Joe and Phantom 309". Powerful!

[Woozy]

Am I the only person in the world who doesn't get Tom Waits?

While I've spent almost 20 years in deep admiration of Tom Waits,
my luck introducing him to other people has been sketchy.

I've visited a neighborhood near you though... it's called Frank Zappa alley.
Great personality and intellect, but musically, I just don't get it.

Maybe in ten years we'll meet at a Zappa/Waits festival.
I'll be in a Zappa tee and you'll be Tom's understudy.

[RedRock]

He is a unique combination of great theater and soulful music. One of my absolute
favorites. Anyone see him some years back on Austin City Limits?

[GuitarsFromMars]

A Waits tribute band?!?!?!?! Wow, you must have a heavy front-man!
I used to see Waits in clubs (Troubador, etc) and small concert venues in the seveties in LA, either as a solo or with a jazz combo. Too much!!! And as great as his original stuff is, as a a solo, he always brought down the house with Red Solvine's "Big Joe and Phantom 309". Powerful!

'Phantom 309' is a killer song.

[cram]

I dig it.
I'm not sure on the literary methaphores.
Unless those artists are as easy to appreciate as Tom.
I just like it all.
I wondered prior to seeing my first tomw show if I'd grow tired of listening to him for 1+hr. I was left wanting more and listenned to tracks on the ride home.
very cool artist.
unmistakable.

[bluesbreaker59]

I listen to Mule Variations here at work sometimes, and people usually think I'm crazy for listening to it. I also have the Bastards, Brawlers and Bawlers cd.

Is there any discs that would be a "essential" or "must have"???

I'm not always into the really weird, industrial sounds on some of his stuff, but I love his voice, and lyrical content.

[908SSP]

His earliest stuff was folk influenced Small Change is great example of this I wish I was in New Orleans is a song you'll swear you have heard.

Rain Dogs has so many great songs, Down Town Train covered by Rod Stewart. Really so many great songs.

Heartattack and Vine, You will find Jersey Girl covered by Bruce Springsteen, On the Nickel and Rubies Arms make me cry every time I hear them.

[Unabender]

The word is soul. :)

He is to music what Bukowksi was to literature.

I find his books also have slightly misplaced characters :)

[KRosser]

While I've spent almost 20 years in deep admiration of Tom Waits,
my luck introducing him to other people has been sketchy.

I've visited a neighborhood near you though... it's called Frank Zappa alley.
Great personality and intellect, but musically, I just don't get it.

Maybe in ten years we'll meet at a Zappa/Waits festival.
I'll be in a Zappa tee and you'll be Tom's understudy.

In the late 60's & 70's Waits and Zappa shared a manager, Herb Cohen. He set them up on package tours. The Mothers of Invention that I know told me many stories about Tom Waits playing solo opening for them and how much Frank dug it.

Also interesting to note the connection when you consider the decidedly Beefheart-esque turn Waits' music took on "Swordfishtrombones" in 1983

[mr.mattphisto]

..is the man. I love the simple tones he gets and the emotion he puts into his songs.

Come on Up to the House is a fun uplifting tune.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GugzLSbOQE

[musicofanatic5]

I listen to Mule Variations here at work sometimes, and people usually think I'm crazy for listening to it. I also have the Bastards, Brawlers and Bawlers cd.

Is there any discs that would be a "essential" or "must have"???

I'm not always into the really weird, industrial sounds on some of his stuff, but I love his voice, and lyrical content.

You "must have" Nighthawks at the Diner for a live taste of his earlier period. Also Swordfishtrombones.

[Woozy]

In the late 60's & 70's Waits and Zappa shared a manager, Herb Cohen. He set them up on package tours. The Mothers of Invention that I know told me many stories about Tom Waits playing solo opening for them and how much Frank dug it.

Also interesting to note the connection when you consider the decidedly Beefheart-esque turn Waits' music took on "Swordfishtrombones" in 1983

Cool story, thanks!

You're totally right about the turn on Swordfishtrombones...
Kind of went from great piano-bar stuff to "16 Shells from a Thirty-Ought Six".
Probably my fav song of his...

[wstsidela]

I love every era of TW but the early stuff is drilled into my soul. Songs like Martha, & Tom Traubert's Blues... I tear up just thinking about them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZmqbcBsTAw

[Neer]

I don't believe Tom fully came into his own until his wife, Kathleen Brennan, started working with him. There's a lot of Randy Newman in early Tom and Captain Beefheart in later Tom.

I'm of the opinion that Bone Machine and Rain Dogs are his best, in that order. I play gigs in NYC with his drummer from recent years.

[decay-o-caster]

I was on a motorcycle trip from hell a few years ago. I was sick as a dog, I couldn't hold food down, and all I wanted was to get from New Orleans to the Maryland 'burbs of DC so I could die at home instead of on the road. I made it in two days, and about the only thing that pierced through the fog in my head was singing 16 Shells and Whistle Down the Wind the whole way. For some reason those were the songs that kept me going.

[gkoelling]

I'm going to bump this because there appears to be renewed interest in the Lounge for Mr. Waits.

[Jamie_Mitchell]

I dig it.
I'm not sure on the literary methaphores.

Well the Bukoswki thing is spot on, IMO.
Tom Waits even said so something like "I've never met another man I'd rather be."

[armando]

Am I the only person in the world who doesn't get Tom Waits? I'm not trying to bash anyone's love for the guy, but I just don't see the attraction. What am I missing? I can't listen to any of these clips for more than 30 seconds before I have to turn them off.


You can't like everything

[Chrome Dinette]

Here is a great clip from the Arsenio Hall Show:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDMnuvb8FEY

I think Joe Gore is playing guitar. I wish the interview from that appearance was online somewhere. It is one of the funniest things I have ever seen.