[zumaro]

As no one has said it yet, Orphans is a great place to start for Tom Waits as it covers so many of his styles and over a long time period as well. The music is uniformly excellent and the amazing thing is how coherent each disk feels.

 

[Dork Knight]

I've just finished listening to Orphans, I thoroughly enjoyed CD 1 and 2 and found CD 3 to be a mixed bag - The following tracks, I think I listed the correct ones, are from CD 3 which I didn't really enjoy that much;

2, 3, 4, 8, 11, 12, 13, 15, 19 & 20

This might be down to Tom Waits just talking and one or two annoyed me due to the quality, perhaps I should play CD 3 a few more times to see how I get on.

I'm glad that I picked up this album as the good tracks (IMO) far out weigh the ones that I don't seem to enjoy

 

[tjkurita]

Gotta pick Waits.

 

[illy2k]

Ca$h

 

[dehory]

Life would be incomplete without either.

 

[VicAjax]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dork Knight /img/forum/go_quote.gif This might be down to Tom Waits just talking and one or two annoyed me due to the quality...

i think you may be mistaking Waits' unusual recording tricks and techniques with poor quality. he likes to odd things with his vocals... sing through vintage guitar amps, stand at the back of the room singing through a bullhorn, re-record his vocals through a transistor radio, even re-record an entire song playing on a 78rpm record.

 

[Dork Knight]

I picked up Mule Variations today as it seemed a good price in store, perhaps I should have a quick read about Waits to see if I can understand his methods of recording.

 

[blessingx]

Mule Variations was the beginning of another turn for Waits. Arguably a combo of his lounge early and experimental late periods. Its one I can listen to over and over and maybe the most accessible studio album to glimpse the rest.

Although I prefer individual songs on various albums and listen to this less than some others, Franks Wild Years, is his best album IMO. possibly because it is a concept album (and I'm not always a fan of those) - "Un Operachi Romantico in Two Acts!" Then again maybe it's because I also like Frank Sinatra at least as much. It's Frank drunk on champagne with a very out of tune piano and a chest cold. Why does it get talked about so infrequently even while covering the same style? Is it considered too artsy?

And of course any intro to Waits should include the film Big Time.

Edit: Here's a Pitchfork interview you might want to read.

 

[VicAjax]

Quote:

Originally Posted by blessingx /img/forum/go_quote.gif Although I prefer individual songs on various albums and listen to this less than some others, Franks Wild Years, is his best album IMO.

i love Frank's Wild Years as well... and definitely have gone through long periods where it's been my favorite too. i've since given up on picking a favorite Waits album.

 

[Dork Knight]

Thanks for the Interview link blessingx, perhaps the following is what I heard on one or two tracks on Orphans;

Quote:

Pitchfork: Do you have a favorite sound? Tom Waits: Bacon. In a frying pan. If you record the sound of bacon in a frying pan and play it back it sounds like the pops and cracks on an old 33 1/3 recording. Almost exactly like that. You could substitute it for that sound.

And Mule Variations gets the Thumbs Up from me

 

[Geoff Rymer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dehory /img/forum/go_quote.gif Life would be incomplete without either.

Quoted because I don't think I've ever agreed with a statement on headfi more...

 

[mourges]

I listened to 'Franks Wild Years' for the first time today, and it is wonderful! Fantastic recording, beautiful tracks.

 

[imported_farmer_rob]

cmon now....

 

[exX08]

I like Cash.

 

[jjhatfield]

Joey Lawrence from Blossom.