Tom Waits

My all-time favorite songwriter/musician.

Blue Valentine is a holiday staple 'round the old Ryan mansion, mostly due to this song:

 

Was there really no Tom Waits thread?!?

Blue Valentine is great. I’ve recently been listening to Closing Time a lot. It’s always been near the bottom of the stack for me when it comes to Waits, but I’ve recently found a new appreciation for it for whatever reason.

Did you check out his performance in the Ballad of Buster Scruggs on Netflix? His performance/story was easily my favorite part.

 

Blasphemy, I know.

Closing Time is probably my least favorite Waits album (not counting the soundtracks), but there's still a lot to like about it. "Ol' 55" and "Grapefruit Moon" are great songs.

And I haven't yet! Definitely need to check that out.

Also, happy holidays, man!

 

This is one of the greatest things I've ever seen:

 

I wonder if we'll ever get a new album...

 

Happy holidays to you as well!

And I hope every year is the year we get a new album, but I’m like you, I’m beginning to wonder if it will ever happen again.

 

I think we will get a new album eventually, i’m definitely not expecting it at any point but when it comes we shall rejoice. I liked Bad As Me but I don’t want that to be his last album.

Franks Wild Years is easily one of my favorite albums of all time.

 

Seeing Tom Waits live has been and will continue to be the number 1 thing on my bucket list. At this point I’ve pretty much accepted it will never happen :(

 

Not familiar with Waits outside of Heart of Saturday Night but I listened to Rain Dogs and absolutely loved it, Swordfishtrombones is pretty awesome so far as well. Damn! Constantly sleeping on things

 

Same.

I listened to his VH1 Storytellers set earlier -- pretty much my ideal Waits show, in terms of setting. The guy is a world class entertainer.

The full thing is up on YouTube, if anyone hasn't heard it:

 

I love this version of "Train Song" from Big Time:

 

Closing Time is actually my favourite of his just because his singing voice works more for me on that one, lol. His gruffer vocals have grown on me a lot though, I used to hate his music because I couldn't deal with the vocals.

 

I remember a friend showing me some songs of his when we were in grade 10, and I completely did not enjoy it at all and I'm going back now and just... kind of falling in love with his stuff.

 

I agree with Joey Diaz on a lot of things...but not Tom Waits

really hope we get at least one more album

 

My favourite songwriter. Thanks for starting the thread.
PS I have recently decided San Diego Serenade might be his best song.

 

My favorite Waits song has always been and will likely always be Day After Tomorrow.

 

One of my favorite musicians. Hang Down Your Head is my favorite song of all time.

 

Man, the Real Gone remaster is just terrible.

They completely nuked the whole "transistor radio with bad reception" aesthetic the original album had, and stripped out all of the magic and mystery of it in the process.

It's the only version available on Apple Music, too. Which is a huge bummer.

 

ah shit that’s the only way i’ve listened to it, gotta download the original. Love that album!

 

I’ve heard all the Asylum albums that got remastered this year were awful too. I actually picked up a copy of Closing Time from Vinyl Me Please, but have been in no hurry to listen to it bc of all the crap I’ve read about how awful it is. Pretty disappointing.

 

That's super disappointing to hear. I would never want a Bone Machine remaster. That album is recorded PERFECTLY.

 

So a while back I tried making a top 100 Tom Waits playlist, in order of my favourite to 100th favourite... I jotted down my top 50. Just found it:

1 San Diego Serenade
2 Tom Traubert's Blues
3 Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis
4 Time
5 Jersey Girl
6 Downtown Train
7 Anywhere I Lay My Head
8 Who Are You
9 Ol' 55
10 Hold On
11 Cold, Cold Ground
12 Blind Love
13 16 Shells from a 30.6
14 The Heart of Saturday Night
15 Hang Down Your Head
16 Come on Up to the House
17 Train Song
18 Dirt In The Ground
19 Tango Till They're Sore
20 I Hope That I Don't Fall In Love With You
21 Make It Rain
22 Bottom of the World
23 Goin Out West
24 Alice
25 Shiver Me Timbers
26 Hoist That Rag
27 Way Down in the Hole
28 Innocent When You Dream
29 Earth Died Screaming
30 Lucky Day
31 Invitation To The Blues
32 Jesus Gonna Be Here
33 Take It With Me
34 I Don't Wanna Grow Up
35 Jockey Full of Bourbon
36 Martha
37 Walking Spanish
38 A Little Rain
39 Whistle Down The Wind
40 Kentucky Avenue
41 On the Nickel
42 Hell Broke Luce
43 Clap Hands
44 Johnsburgh Illinois
45 Step Right Up
46 Yesterday Is Here
47 The Day After Tomorrow
48 Shore Leave
49 Rain Dogs
50 Swordfishtrombone

 

Same here. Closing Time is actually one of my favorite records of all time. Nothing else have ever really stuck for me.

 

I would recommend giving the later records another go (Waits is an acquired taste, and it can take some time for him to really click) but if nothing else you should definitely check out The Heart of Saturday Night if you haven't already, especially if it's the voice that's the dealbreaker for you.

A couple samples:

 

This song’s great! It’s weird, I’ve listened to a few Waits albums (and own Rain Dogs) but have never gotten deep into his music.