Guest Steven Dedalus Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 I recently picked up the 33 & 1/3 book on "Swordfishtrombones" and it really grabbed my attention, prompting me to dig out all my old Tom Waits albums (which get listened to fairly regularly, but not normally with this much intensity...).Irrespective of the fact that the book was about "Swordfishtrombones", I still believe it is my favourite of his albums. There's something about the ambience, and the way the songs hold together as a sort of loose narrative that really grabs me.I'll never forget buying it the old Fopp in McCombie's Court, and hopping on the bus back to Hillhead (this would have been 1999 and I was still a student, fresh outta Belfast), listening to it on my headphones as the rain bombarded the windows of the bus.Right from the opening honks and splutters of 'Underground', I was completely grabbed, initially seeing him as an American Nick Cave (how I cringe at that assessment now....), but then just getting off on the exotic timbres of the music.BY the time it had got to 'Frank's Wild Years', I was completely hooked, Wait's monologue having me burst out in laughter on the bus."Never could stand that dog..."So, it got me to check out loads of the other albums, and I found myself enjoying work from all stages of his career, but slightly losing interest in his more recent work (from "Alice" onwards, I can't help but think he's descending into parody, somewhat...).However, "Swordfishtrombones" and "Rain Dogs" have always held my interest, easily ranking in my top 20 albums I've ever heard.Anyone else a fan? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Humey Whilem Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 Yes, a fan here, funny, I have been listening to swordfishtrombones for weeks now.I like his later stuff too though, I love Orphans. I'll have to pick up some reading on the man soon, was there not some (auto)biography released recently too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Steven Dedalus Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 It wasn't quite an autobiography, if I remember correctly, but rather a collection of all his interviews.It was called "Innocent When I Dream."I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StewCat Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 affa big fan of tom waits. Holy Folks now and again pop out a Jockey full of Bourbon cover version.Tom Waits The Asylum Years cd currently spins round my cd player. I Never Talk To Strangers with Bette Midler is such a cute wee tune and Tom Traubert's Blues & Blue Valentines are classics!Rain Dogs is a good album but The Black Rider is my favourite - there is something so wonderful about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lepeep Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 massive fan....funny, as an old girlfriend tried to get me into him (when I was only into death metal...funny how you think you know everything when you are 21)...I hated it....till I heard he played with Primus (again, Steve....I sympathise with your cringe)...I've got all the LPs, and I don't think there is a bad one...if any, black riders is my least fave, but there are still some belters.I'd read the interviews book (innocent when I dream), it's a hoot...you can really tell when he's playing with the interviewers, some times he wants to spill the beans, chat and shoot the breeze, sometimes he becomes a cantancerous cartoon, refusing to answer questions seriously...there is one interview in the book, when he was on Oz tv, it's on you tube - and the interview is verbatim on page, read it first, then watch it, it changed my perspective of how it played out...(well...I was intereted!)I was lucky unough to see him when he last played at the hammersmith appollo...one of the best gigs I've seen, I just wish I was closer...that's the price of swithering to buy 2 of 4 tickets...he's my favourite recording artist, I think....you just know what you are going to get from him, in a good way, predictable, but exciting (if that makes sense).he's someone I selfishly want to never die...so he keeps making music. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Jack Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 Today, 11:34 - Mr Dedalus posts with "Tom Waits" and "ho ho ho!" in the subject...Today 12:14 - Mr Peep replies...OK, who had 40 minutes in the sweeper?...I would say I'm a fan, but quite a recent one, relatively speaking. Still got plenty to discover... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Steven Dedalus Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 I think that I've seen that interview on Austrialian tv!After one particularly boring Saturday afternoon in work, I think I've youtubed everything that's conceivably available... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bluesxman Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 I'm a huge fan, although I much prefer the post-'Heart Attack And Vine' stuff to the earlier albums. I got a free 4 track single from a magazine years ago that had 'Downtown Train' on it, loved his voice - 'Rain Dogs' was the first album I bought cos that was on it. My girlfriend of the time complained bitterly that it sounded like music from a Disney film when 'Clap Hands' came on....I love the fact that contrary to the norm he has got weirder and more experimental as his career has progressed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lepeep Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 Today, 11:34 - Mr Dedalus posts with "Tom Waits" and "ho ho ho!" in the subject...Today 12:14 - Mr Peep replies...OK, who had 40 minutes in the sweeper?...I would say I'm a fan, but quite a recent one, relatively speaking. Still got plenty to discover...ha ha. very funny.I tell thee....when the passion gets you...it gets you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigsby Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 I think I read somewhere that he's about to tour the UK... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Gold Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 I think I read somewhere that he's about to tour the UK...Oho... a scottish gig would be quite amazing.I can't remember how I discovered Tom Waits, but I bought Rain Dogs when I was 17 or something and got totally hooked on him for a year or so. Rain Dogs/Swordfishtrombones/Franks Wild Years trilogy can't be beat in my oppinion, although I do like his newer stuff.Funnily enough, after giving him a rest lately, I dug Rain Dogs out the other day after reading about some weird recording Tom Waits did in his bathroom in EELS Mark Oliver Everett's book. Good times! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lepeep Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 Funnily enough, after giving him a rest lately, I dug Rain Dogs out the other day after reading about some weird recording Tom Waits did in his bathroom in EELS Mark Oliver Everett's book. Good times!he talks about the recording "techniques" he loves in the book, he'd rather listen to a tune played form another room, with a window open, layering it with car / street noises...it just adds to his "story" he'd build around it.I'd reccomend it as a read, just some funny funny stories, as you could imagine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsen B Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 I have Swordfishtrombones, Bone Machine and Closing Time, although I've not been into him for a very long time. I cringe when I hear people talking about him like some genuine hobo/beatnik type character though, it's all artifice. That's what I like it about him. I didn't realise there was a Swordfishtrombones 33 1/3 book, I'll probably buy it now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Cynic Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 I liked the early stuff a lot ...my fave being 'Blue Valentine'. Think I probably got into him through Tim Buckley covering 'Martha'.I kind of lost interest after 'Swordfishtrombones' (I've got the promo of it with Tom chatting about the songs).....unlike Larsen B I wasn't so keen on him acting the role so much...plus I saw him on TV being a bit obnoxious, which put me off. However, recently I've been making the effort to get into more recent albums....and I'd been missing a load of excellent music, it seems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bifta23 Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 quite interested to hear scarlett johansson's waits cover album Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Cynic Posted March 20, 2008 Report Share Posted March 20, 2008 How about his 'added' vocals to Gavin Bryars' Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet' ?I thought it was fine without Tom thrown into the mix! The tramp's voice is very moving, and strangley innocent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Steven Dedalus Posted March 20, 2008 Report Share Posted March 20, 2008 How about his 'added' vocals to Gavin Bryars' Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet' ?I thought it was fine without Tom thrown into the mix! The tramp's voice is very moving, and strangley innocent.I have to agree with you there, sir!It adds nothing to the original, which was damn near perfect anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Stax Posted March 20, 2008 Report Share Posted March 20, 2008 Mule Variations re-introduced me to Tom and then I worked back through his back catalogue. Swordfishtrombones is a fave with Bone Machine catching up close. Real Gone was a little bit of a let down but only a little. Let it Rain from said album is a killer tune though. Brawlers was on loop for sometime and I found myself listening to Bastards a great deal for the quirk factor but Mule is a good all round tickle of all his styles though. and I great introduction album Big fan of a man in a league of his own! I wouldn't mind hearing him tackling social and political commentary as he did with Road To Peace! That tunes really pinches the strings and is quite subtle in it's scathing sentiment!Some great Youtube footage of him live! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-matthEw- Posted March 20, 2008 Report Share Posted March 20, 2008 Road to Peace is the best thing he's done imo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hog Posted March 21, 2008 Report Share Posted March 21, 2008 Tom Waits is a legend.Alice is my favourite album and I think it is quite overlooked IMHO.A poetic and lyric genius is Mr W Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Mulhern Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 Oho... a scottish gig would be quite amazing.Edinburgh 27/28 julyTom Waits to play Scotland - Two Edinburgh shows in July set to be singer's only UK dates | The List Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lepeep Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 fucking amazing min!well worth the 75 quid or so it'll cost ya.ANTI- Tom Waits plays the 'Glitter and Doom' tour through Europe this summer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Steven Dedalus Posted May 22, 2008 Report Share Posted May 22, 2008 I'm there. Tickets are extortionate, but this is a must see.The tickets for the Dublin gig are in the region of over 110.Sadly, I simply cannot afford that.I mean, he's the beans, and all, but it would cost me over 200 to see him! I mean, Tom! Fer chrissakes! What happened to the whole 'down and out on Saturday night' thing?Did you have a trust fund the whole time you were living rough? Is that why you went with so many prostitutes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bluesxman Posted May 22, 2008 Report Share Posted May 22, 2008 When he played London a couple years back tickets were winging off E Bay for around 300 quid or so....I'll be trying to get some for sure....one of those rare opportunities.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lepeep Posted May 22, 2008 Report Share Posted May 22, 2008 When he played London a couple years back tickets were winging off E Bay for around 300 quid or so....I'll be trying to get some for sure....one of those rare opportunities....I know, I was sitting next to some suckers who'd pay the 300 quid...i felt fine with my 65 tickets.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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