Where have you gone, Tom Waits?

[out_there]

Okay, yes, it's bad when a post vaguely related to a fandom refers to a fic in the subject line. But, I'm bored. I'm... lackluster. I can barely be bothered using capitals.

(heh. i'm not going to.)

should i know tom waits? seriously, is this a singer i should know? i'm checking my memory and it's coming up empty. i don't know him.

(Oh man, even when I'm the one eschewing the shift key, it still annoys the hell out of me. Back to capitals, people.)

The only reason I'm even curious about Tom Waits is Dan. The adorable way he almost cries when he's told he can't see Tom Waits play.

So, has Tom Waits sung anything famous? Anything I'd recognise? If not, any recommendations? I might see if I can download some music later this week.

I want to know what all the fuss is about.

Comments

[sinnylong.livejournal.com]

Oh man, where do I even start?

Tom Waits once said in an interview that Bob Dylan is the greatest living songwriter. Later, when told of the comment in a subsequent interview, Bob Dylan said, "That's funny, because Tom Waits is the world's greatest living songwriter."

A couple of songs you may know (that he's written, as covered by others - including the Waits album they appear on:)

Downtown Train (Rod Stewart) - Rain Dogs
Jersey Girl (Bruce Springsteen) - Heart Attack and Vine
Ol' 55 (The Eagles, Sarah McLachlan) - Closing Time
16 Shells from a Thirty Ought Six (Bob Seger) - Swordfishtrombones

And there are so many more. He's been covered so much, it's ridiculous.

Here's the thing: Tom Waits is arguably the most influential songwriter of the last thirty years. You really should know his work. Everyone should. He's been reinventing songwriting structure and tone and style since 1972 (Closing Time) and most recently released two albums on the same day (Alice and Blood Money, 2002). Alice is his version of the Wonderland story, while Blood Money is a straight album. He's also done other "musicals" (Franks Wild Years and The Black Rider). His early music is very dark alley nightclub jazz and blues. The middle years found him experimenting a lot with clanky percussion and pump organs and found sounds and pirate songs. His newest stuff is more dirt in your bones acoustic mixed with eerie forlorn love songs.

To start: pick up Rain Dogs, Franks Wild Years, and Blue Valentine. These will give you a solid start and showcase his stellar songwriting. If you must pick just one, I would recommend Franks Wild Years. It's an inspired album in every way and simply an essential for anyone who likes music at all.

There's so much more to say, but I don't want to bore you. Really, check him out. He's so very worth it.

Re:

[out-there.livejournal.com]

Well, I checked out Blue Valentine and Blood Money. I don't think he's quite my cup of tea, but it was interesting, and there are some tracks I'm saving to computer for future listening.

Just wanted to say thanks for the advice, and thanks for the enthusiasm.

Re:

[sinnylong.livejournal.com]

Cool that you could at least find some tracks that you enjoyed. Truly, though, as every album is very different, you might still want to look into Rain Dogs and/or Franks Wild Years, as both are far more accessible than Blood Money and not so 70's nightclub as Blue Valentine. I've found that people who tend to not really get into Tom Waits can still heartily enjoy those two picks (esp. Rain Dogs which I have used to win over the most difficult prospects). At very least, try to procure the song Gun Street Girl (from RD); it's my favorite Waits tune. Well, it at least sits in the top 3 songs, usually at number 1.

At any rate, you're welcome for the advice and the enthusiasm. He's been my favorite singer/songwriter since I was around sixteen, so it's easy for me to get excited about introducing him to new folks.