The Smiley Smile Message Board

I realize his music is an acquired taste, but I'm really starting to get into his music. His voice is initially off-putting, but I think that's part of its charm.   He has some truly great songs....what took me so long to discover it?

 :smokin

Totally. A few months ago I was listening to Rain Dogs constantly. He's very poetic in his odd beat way.

Not a huge fan but I've always liked the Rain Dogs album. Great front cover too.

Edit: Upon relistening right now, I realize I should probably check out some more albums of his after all. Love both "Cemetery Polka" and "Diamonds and Gold".

The most interesting living pop musician.

Unique figure. There are three great compilations: The Asylum Years, Used Cars, and Beautiful Maladies. All at budget price.

Oh... and 'Orphans' is a brilliant box, three CDs. It has even a cover of the Ramones' 'Jackie and Judy'.



 

People had been telling me to check him out for years before I finally caved and bought Bone Machine.  I instantly regretted putting it off for so long.  He is one cool cat.

I'd say Bone Machine is his best if it weren't for another 3-6 others that I rank just as highly. Seriously...almost unequalled in his catalogue. Remarkable.

He's "big in Japan". The only downside to Tom Waits catalog is that he's basically had the same character and plot since the '80s. That rusted out Americana he peddles can get a little tiresome after long enough. It's all great music, it's just that it could use a little diversification. That's why Tom Waits is an occasional on and off obsession for me as opposed to something I listen to all of the time. I love me some Waits, but I need to take breaks to make it sound fresh again. Except for "Top of the Hill". I can listen to that song every day.

I disagree: I think that there is a world of difference between, say, swordfishtrombones, Bone Machine, Alive, and Real Gone. I think he's been adding to his junkyard-palette pretty consistently since around the time of Blue Valentine without really ever dumping what he was doing before.

I agree Luther. Hell, the man's even added turntables & beatboxing to his music. Usually when an older artist starts adding more "modern" sounds, it sounds ridiculous. With Waits, it's like "oh wow...that's pretty damn cool".

Just discovered the guy via swordfishtrombones, consider me gobsmacked.

I'm a big time Tom Waits fan, absolutely one of my favorite songwriters of all time. The first album of his I bought was Rain Dogs, and what an incredible album that is. Swordfishtrombones is about equal. One of his two 2002 albums, Alice, is among his best work. Beautiful stuff.

I suppose I actually like much of his pre-Swordfishtrombones output from '73-'80 a little more, and I find I'm one of the very few who feels this way. The Heart of Saturday Night is my favorite Waits album, with 'San Diego Serenade' being my favorite song of his. Nighthawks At The Diner is hysterical and a joy to listen to and Small Change is a beautiful masterpiece.

I love all of Tom's eras, though and I still need to pick up several more albums.

Underrated album: Frank's Wild Years.

Yeah I've got to check out some more of this guy's stuff. I'm thinking of Beefheart but at the same time totally different.

You're right in your Beefheart connection. He used to make pretty subdued, jazzy, poetic piano ballads, but, even  then,  he would still make the off-beat "Step Right Up"-type song.

Then, sometime around 1980, his playwright wife introduced him to Trout Mask Replica and it completely changed how he made music. Then he started making weird, deformed blues music, similar to the way Beefheart would, but with weirder instrumentation.


I'm a pretty big Tom Waits fan, too. All of the albums I've heard from him are fantastic and really worth a listen. It's probably not everyone's bag, but there is some great music to be discovered in his albums. The great thing is, is that he's still releasing new music, and good music at that. His newest, Bad as Me, was a very good album.

OK I've just checked out some of Bone Machine and I think I'm going to become offically obsessed with this guy.

Bad as Me not only is a brilliant album but was also surprisingly commercially successful!

I know Rain Dogs and Swordfishtrombones are usually tossed around as his finest hour, but I have to admit that "Alice" is my favorite Waits album. "Fawn" is one of my all time favorite tracks by ANY ARTIST.