Clint09eastwood Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 What is the best album or best place to start? 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
isadorah Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 What is the best album or best place to start? I started with Real Gone; probably not the best one to start with. I've heard Mule Variations or Rain Dogs is the place to start. I am particular to Orphans though. (how's that for a convoluted answer) 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dondoboy Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 There's kind of two Tom Waits though. Before Swordfishtombones and after. I'd start with that or Rain Dogs. The before stuff is more jazzy singer piano stuff. Great stuff. The Heart of Saturday Night or Heart Attack and Vine maybe for that era. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RainDogToo Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 Being an enormous Waits fan, I think you can pretty much pick his career up anywhere and find something worthwhile. But if it means anything, this is the order in which I bought his albums: The Heart of Saturday NightBlue Valentines Small ChangeMule VariationsRain Dogs Real GoneFrank 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bigshoulders Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 I started with "Raindogs" and "Frank's Wild Years". You really can't go wrong with "Raindogs." As dondoboy alluded to, there are distinct phases of Waits' material. If you're hooked, you're hooked & you'll end up buying it all anyway. Yes, even "Foreign Affairs." As for my favorite, it's probably "Swordfishtrombones." If you're hesitant to fixate on just a single album, start with "Beautiful Maladies". It's a best-of of sorts. That is one that I don't own, actually, since I have all the releases. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
M. (hristine Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 1973 Closing Time 1974 The Heart of Saturday Night 1975 Nighthawks at the Diner (Recorded live in the studio over two nights for small audiences) 1976 Small Change 1977 Foreign Affairs1978 Blue Valentine 1980 Heartattack and Vine 1982 One from the Heart (With Crystal Gayle; soundtrack for the Francis Ford Coppola film The soundtrack was nominated for an Academy Award for Original Music Score) 1983 Swordfishtrombones 1985 Rain Dogs 1987 Franks Wild Years (Collaboration with Beno 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
myboyblue Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 Closing Time is absolutely my favorite Waits album. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
quarter23cd Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 Bone Machine was where I started in the mid-90s. Not sure if that's the place to start, or if there even IS one for Waits. He has very distinct styles and periods. You may or may not like them all, but (as mentioned above) if you do get hooked you'll probably end up checking them all out, anyway. Come to think of it, Nighthawks at the Diner is one that got me really hooked in the beginning because I liked the live and "conversational" feel of it. I found it refreshing after trying to make sense of some of his later records and I felt like it gave me a little more of a window into what this dude is going on about and made those other records go down smoother. He's a strange cat. Enjoy. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
M. (hristine Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 Closing Time is absolutely my favorite Waits album.Excellent suggestion!:headphone emoticon 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
M. (hristine Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 Excellent suggestion!:headphone emoticonWell my time went so quickly, I went lickety-splickly out to my old '55As I drove away slowly, feeling so holy, God knows, I was feeling alive. Now the sun's coming up, I'm riding with Lady Luck, freeway cars and trucks,Stars beginning to fade, and I lead the paradeJust a-wishing I'd stayed a little longer,Oh, Lord, let me tell you that the feeling's getting stronger. And it's six in the morning, gave me no warning; I had to be on my way.Well there's trucks all a-passing me, and the lights are all flashing,I'm on my way home from your place. And now the sun's coming up, I'm riding with Lady Luck, freeway cars and trucks,Stars beginning to fade, and I lead the paradeJust a-wishing I'd stayed a little longer,Oh, Lord, let me tell you that the feeling's getting stronger. And my time went so quickly, I went lickety-splickly out to my old '55As I pulled away slowly, feeling so holy, God knows, I was feeling alive. Now the sun's coming up, I'm riding with Lady Luck,Freeway cars and trucks, freeway cars and trucks, freeway cars and trucks... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 (edited) Wikipedia link 1973 Closing Time (the only one I ever bought) 1974 The Heart of Saturday Night 1975 Nighthawks at the Diner 1976 Small Change 1977 Foreign Affairs 1978 Blue Valentine 1980 Heartattack and Vine 1982 One from the Heart 1983 Swordfishtrombones 1985 Rain Dogs 1987 Franks Wild Years 1988 Big Time 1992 Night on Earth 1992 Bone Machine 1993 The Black Rider 1999 Mule Variations 2002 Blood Money 2002 Alice 2004 Real Gone 2006 Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards Compilations Bounced Checks (Asylum, 1981)Anthology of Tom Waits (Asylum, 1984)Asylum Years (Asylum, 1986)The Early Years, Volume One (Bizarre, 1991)The Early Years, Volume Two (Bizarre, 1993)Beautiful Maladies - The Island Years (Island, 1998)Used Songs 1973-1980 (Rhino, 2001) MC - I did not notice your list up there - sorry. Edited May 27, 2009 by Analogman Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mjpuczko Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 i prefer later period waits but the early stuff is damn good. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Hollinger. Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 If you're just now trying to get into him, I'd recommend Small Change and Closing Time to start with. It's alllll worth getting though. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mjpuczko Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 i believe i started w/ alice & blood money. i did NOT get into that right away. then i went back to the real early stuff & made my way forward. now i love alice & blood money. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 There used to be a great compilation of the Asylum stuff available, I would recommend that first and both Bone Music and Mule Variations are good examples of later Waits. For folks who have never heard the early years, those are both fine CDs. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
M. (hristine Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 Wikipedia link MC - I did not notice your list up there - sorry.I was just thinking that yours was much tidier. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 Wikipedia does not make it easy to copy sometimes. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dazzler Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 i def think it's easier to start early and work your way forward. Small Change, Nighthawks (great live Tom),then onto Swordfish and Rain Dogs. I'm a huge fan of Foreign Affairs - It's like a great LA film noir. Burma Shave is an incredible song, as is Jack and Neal, Potter's Field, and his duet w/ Bette Midler I Never Talk to Strangers. I actually didn't get into anything later than Rain Dogs until I heard some of the songs live. I you come across Tom's appearance on Austin City Limits in 99 grab it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RainDogToo Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 i def think it's easier to start early and work your way forward. Small Change, Nighthawks (great live Tom),then onto Swordfish and Rain Dogs. I'm a huge fan of Foreign Affairs - It's like a great LA film noir. Burma Shave is an incredible song, as is Jack and Neal, Potter's Field, and his duet w/ Bette Midler I Never Talk to Strangers. I actually didn't get into anything later than Rain Dogs until I heard some of the songs live. I you come across Tom's appearance on Austin City Limits in 99 grab it.Tom wasn't on ACL in 1999. His show aired in 1978. Though, he was on VH1 Storytellers in 1999. Don't know if that's what you meant. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bigshoulders Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 i def think it's easier to start early and work your way forward. Small Change, Nighthawks (great live Tom),then onto Swordfish and Rain Dogs. I'm a huge fan of Foreign Affairs - It's like a great LA film noir. Burma Shave is an incredible song, as is Jack and Neal, Potter's Field, and his duet w/ Bette Midler I Never Talk to Strangers. I actually didn't get into anything later than Rain Dogs until I heard some of the songs live. I you come across Tom's appearance on Austin City Limits in 99 grab it. "Burma Shave" didn't really come alive for me until I saw his Austin City Limits performance from 1978. And "Jack and Neal/California Here I Come" is quite possibly the best road trip song, ever. I think FA was one of the last of the back catalog that I picked up... and although I don't often reach for it, it still has some nuggets. I feel like we've probably overwhelmed the young chap that started this thread. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
isadorah Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 I feel like we've probably overwhelmed the young chap that started this thread. nah, we're still on page 1. __which of course showed up on page 2. go figure. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dazzler Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 Tom wasn't on ACL in 1999. His show aired in 1978. Though, he was on VH1 Storytellers in 1999. Don't know if that's what you meant. Thought it was ACL, but it was just Austin. 4/20/99 @ the Paramount Theatre Wolf Remaster vol 8 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mjpuczko Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 his storytellers is a definite download imo. i could listen to him talk for hours. i've only seen that ACL performance once (about 5 years ago). never been able to track it down since. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dazzler Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 his storytellers is a definite download imo. i could listen to him talk for hours. i've only seen that ACL performance once (about 5 years ago). never been able to track it down since. I have the audio recording, but i've never seen the video. A friend saw him on the Small Change tour and said it was a great theatrical performance. I'll have to track that Storyteller performance down. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mjpuczko Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 my sis saw the storyteller performance on vh1 when it originally aired. i've yet to track that down too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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