The return of the "What are you listening to now?" thread

[BrianAlDaveFan]

Tom Waits - Downtown Train:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TasEMeirmdQ

Tom Waits - Take One Last Look - on Dave last week:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKBFSU-LUw0

[halblaineisgood]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZId_7N9yG0

[halblaineisgood]

Jolson on Decca.
78's. His voice is so powerful without the no-noise that they use on the CD's.

[halblaineisgood]

Tom Waits - Downtown Train:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TasEMeirmdQ

Tom Waits - Take One Last Look - on Dave last week:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKBFSU-LUw0

I don't know about this guy.
It's weird to me. Especially all of us here being Beach Boys fans.
We like singing that is pretty. So it's odd that generally, I seem to notice people here enjoying tom waits, but not rapping.
Even the most obnoxious rapper is more melodic and tuneful than that Waits clown. HE's a good writer. But good god, his singing is like poison. It destroys ambition. MAkes you realize how good Randy NEwman is at approximating Fats Domino.
God, I hate Tom Waits. I'm sorry I ever heard of him. I'm not picking on anybody, I hope...

[halblaineisgood]

[Mike's Beard]

Tom Waits - Downtown Train:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TasEMeirmdQ

Tom Waits - Take One Last Look - on Dave last week:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKBFSU-LUw0

I don't know about this guy.
It's weird to me. Especially all of us here being Beach Boys fans.
We like singing that is pretty. So it's odd that generally, I seem to notice people here enjoying tom waits, but not rapping.
Even the most obnoxious rapper is more melodic and tuneful than that Waits clown. HE's a good writer. But good god, his singing is like poison. It destroys ambition. MAkes you realize how good Randy NEwman is at approximating Fats Domino.
God, I hate Tom Waits. I'm sorry I ever heard of him. I'm not picking on anybody, I hope...

Waits has a great storyteller voice which works for his songs, but as for actual conventional singing ability, the guy has none.

[BrianAlDaveFan]

Tom Waits - Downtown Train:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TasEMeirmdQ

Tom Waits - Take One Last Look - on Dave last week:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKBFSU-LUw0

I don't know about this guy.
It's weird to me. Especially all of us here being Beach Boys fans.
We like singing that is pretty. So it's odd that generally, I seem to notice people here enjoying tom waits, but not rapping.
Even the most obnoxious rapper is more melodic and tuneful than that Waits clown. HE's a good writer. But good god, his singing is like poison. It destroys ambition. MAkes you realize how good Randy NEwman is at approximating Fats Domino.
God, I hate Tom Waits. I'm sorry I ever heard of him. I'm not picking on anybody, I hope...

I like singers who have heart and emotion in their delivery. That's #1. Tom Waits has this. #2 is a good melody. Tom Waits has this. These two things are all I need...I have no preference if the sound is pretty or gritty. I like both styles of singing. But they have to sound sincere. Waits is as warm as anyone else in his delivery when he wants to be...

I just like honest music that's not made for money/commercialism, but for the sake of self expression and/or art.

(If it makes money, great...but if it feels as if it was made only to be commercial, I usually can't relate to it, as it lacks the honesty that reaches me. Most hit music, of all genres, has sounded much too slick for far too long, with no heart...and yes, I'd include hit rap tracks as well...and I'd add that I find that Tom Waits has a lot more melody than those rap tracks, too.)

I do respect your reasoning for not liking him so far...and I know you weren't trying to offend his fans...though perhaps you could have put it more gently, since Tom's not out to bother you - he's just doing his own thing! And that's what it's all about. Tom is different, which is another reason I like him so much.

I'd suggest you try his debut album and see if you like his early voice...here's his debut album:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lndL46jiEFQ

I hope it at least lessens your self confessed "hate" of Waits, if nothing else. There is heart and soul in the performances on this album, and yes, beauty in his VOICE! And to paraphrase the post before mine: His voice may be unconventional, but he sure can sing, and his songs are well written, and can be quite moving...

[wild neon sins]

Tom Jones  cd that claims to be the greatest hits but it's really a live comp & mostly covers, right now he's doing a Vegas as f*** version of McCartney's British 60s equivalent of sneering at Welfare mothers from a rich Beatle  aka Lady Madonna   (he's just done a version of I Write The Songs that actually wasn't terrible  )
fake edit: it's now gone into an oh so ironic cover of 9 to 5.

[JK]

[Cool Cool Water]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uL5UwlQqUz8

[halblaineisgood]

I take back any previous disparaging remarks . .  .

[undercover-m]

^^ Broken Bells! I love James Mercer. But I've always been more of a fan of the Shins myself

Anyway, I'm listening to In the City by Caveman.

[halblaineisgood]

live double...

[halblaineisgood]

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Tom Waits - Downtown Train:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TasEMeirmdQ

Tom Waits - Take One Last Look - on Dave last week:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKBFSU-LUw0

I don't know about this guy.
It's weird to me. Especially all of us here being Beach Boys fans.
We like singing that is pretty. So it's odd that generally, I seem to notice people here enjoying tom waits, but not rapping.
Even the most obnoxious rapper is more melodic and tuneful than that Waits clown. HE's a good writer. But good god, his singing is like poison. It destroys ambition. MAkes you realize how good Randy NEwman is at approximating Fats Domino.
God, I hate Tom Waits. I'm sorry I ever heard of him. I'm not picking on anybody, I hope...

I like singers who have heart and emotion in their delivery. That's #1. Tom Waits has this. #2 is a good melody. Tom Waits has this. These two things are all I need...I have no preference if the sound is pretty or gritty. I like both styles of singing. But they have to sound sincere. Waits is as warm as anyone else in his delivery when he wants to be...

I just like honest music that's not made for money/commercialism, but for the sake of self expression and/or art.

(If it makes money, great...but if it feels as if it was made only to be commercial, I usually can't relate to it, as it lacks the honesty that reaches me. Most hit music, of all genres, has sounded much too slick for far too long, with no heart...and yes, I'd include hit rap tracks as well...and I'd add that I find that Tom Waits has a lot more melody than those rap tracks, too.)

I do respect your reasoning for not liking him so far...and I know you weren't trying to offend his fans...though perhaps you could have put it more gently, since Tom's not out to bother you - he's just doing his own thing! And that's what it's all about. Tom is different, which is another reason I like him so much.

I'd suggest you try his debut album and see if you like his early voice...here's his debut album:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lndL46jiEFQ

I hope it at least lessens your self confessed "hate" of Waits, if nothing else. There is heart and soul in the performances on this album, and yes, beauty in his VOICE! And to paraphrase the post before mine: His voice may be unconventional, but he sure can sing, and his songs are well written, and can be quite moving...

Tom Waits is the MAN.

[Jay]

I've always liked this Tom Waits one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zu8mS5job10

[halblaineisgood]

Nice Rockwell hook: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hGAOnHazwo

fun song 2 listen 2  for when you feel like somone's watching you...mind gangsters....dad...murry...spector, whateveretc.

[BrianAlDaveFan]

I've always liked this Tom Waits one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zu8mS5job10

That's an absolutely beautiful one! Thank you so much for reminding me of it!

Wall Of Voodoo - Back In Flesh
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIiWtGa2TmU

And:

Go to the 53 second mark to get right to the following song:
Wall Of Voodoo - This Way Out
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yH1JJnZZ8r0

[alf wiedersehen]

I could listen to "Venus as a Boy" forever.

[halblaineisgood]

Maurice Chevalier

[Moon Dawg]

 50 WORLDWIDE GOLD AWARD HITS! Man, I used to scour the front and back to get the release dates, etc. The 1971 companion volume is good too. Most Elvis hits 1956-70.

  LET IT BLEED & THROUGH THE PAST, DARKLY

[JK]

Here in what for me is a more listenable, single-LP format:

Side One:
1. Overture
2. Amazing Journey
3. Sparks
4. The Hawker
5. Cousin Kevin
6. The Acid Queen

Side Two:
1. Pinball Wizard
2. Go To The Mirror
3. Tommy Can You Hear Me
4. Smash The Mirror
5. Sensation
6. I'm Free
7. We're Not Gonna Take It

Bonus track: Underture

[Moon Dawg]

I could listen to "Venus as a Boy" forever.

  For a second I thought this was a pic of late period Michael Jackson. Strong resemblance.

[JK]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kue6ycG3q_k

[Ovi]

First listen.

What did you think of it? I love it to death..

Hey Low, I gave it a few more listens and I like it. I still feel that I need more time with it - seems like one of those records with many details to absorb. At first I was a bit turned off by the sound cause it immediately made me think of all those insipid, post-2000 indie-rock bands it influenced. I love the lyrics on the first track, and the vocal on the last.

Glad to hear it! Keep at it, you'll love it sooner or later. Of course indie music is a totally different world today than it was 10 years ago when Funeral was released.. Arcade Fire were a different band, too. I don't care much for anything post Neon Bible..

Powe Out has become one of my all-time favourite songs. So much emotion in that one, and beautiful message too. And those guitar freak-outs. "And the power's out, in the heart of man/Take it from your heart, put it in your hand". Wow.