Tom Waits's Best Song

[Ferris]

Oh, and don't tell Mrs Kalowski, but I've just dropped £80 on an original vinyl copy of Bone Machine.

I won't bring it up but if she asks I'm not going to lie to her. Sorry.

[kalowski]

I won't bring it up but if she asks I'm not going to lie to her. Sorry.

Give me all of your grief
I have no use for the truth
Lie to me baby
(You got to) Lie to me baby
(You got to) Lie to me baby
(You got to) Lie to me baby - move on

[Ferris]

If buying unnecessary things is on the docket surely Step Right Up is your go-to.

[Pink Gregory]

Closing Time - (haven't heard any of it)
The Heart of Saturday Night - The Heart of Saturday Night
Nighthawks at the Diner - Better Off Without a Wife
Small Change - I Wish I Was in New Orleans
Foreign Affairs - Burma-Shave
Blue Valentine - Red Shoes by the Drugstore
Heartattack and Vine - On the Nickle
One From the Heart - (don't know it)

Swordfishtrombones - Shore Leave
Rain Dogs - Tango til They're Sore
Frank's Wild Years - Cold, Cold Ground

Bone Machine - Murder in the Red Barn
The Black Rider - November
Mule Variations - Come On Up to the House
Alice - Everything You Can Think
Blood Money - All the World is Green
Real Gone - Don't Go Into that Barn

Brawlers - Lucinda
Bawlers - You Can Never Hold Back Spring
Bastards - King King (Daniel Johnston cover)

Bad As Me - Raised Right Men

[kalowski]

I'll play
---
Closing Time - Martha
The Heart of Saturday Night - Fumblin' with the Blues
Nighthawks at the Diner - Eggs and Sausage

Small Change - Tom Traubert's Blues
Foreign Affairs - Burma-Shave
Blue Valentine - Kentucky Avenue
Heartattack and Vine - Ruby's Arms
One From the Heart - Picking Up After You

Swordfishtrombones - 16 Shells from a 30.06
Rain Dogs - Diamonds and Gold
Frank's Wild Years - Innocent When You Dream
Big Time - Falling Down

Bone Machine - A Little Rain
Night on Earth -  On the Other Side of the World
The Black Rider - Lucky Day

Mule Variations - Come On Up to the House
Alice - Reeperbahn
Blood Money - Coney Island Baby
Real Gone - Make it Rain

Brawlers - Sea of Love
Bawlers - The Fall of Troy
Bastards - Book of Moses

Bad As Me - Satisfied

[Dr Rock]

Best Tom Waits song that's not on any Tom Waits album

It's Alright With Me
https://youtu.be/2urqKTQAAbY

It's also the only one I can think of.

[Ferris]

A Sight For Sore Eyes is the one I always think of when seeing old friends.

[thugler]

Closing Time - Ol' 55
The Heart of Saturday Night -
Nighthawks at the Diner - Better Off Without a Wife
Small Change - Bad liver and a broken heart
Foreign Affairs - Burma-Shave
Blue Valentine - Christmas Card from a hooker in minneapolis
Heartattack and Vine - Heartattack and Vine
One From the Heart - *Don't know it at all*
Swordfishtrombones - Swordfishtrombone
Rain Dogs - Rain Dogs
Frank's Wild Years - Cold, Cold, Ground
Bone Machine - Dirt in the ground
The Black Rider - Lucky Day
Mule Variations - Picture in a frame
Alice - Alice
Blood Money - All the World is Green
Real Gone - Sins of my father
Brawlers - Rains on Me
Bawlers - Goodnight Irene
Bastards - Nirvana
Bad As Me - Chicago

[kalowski]

Real Gone - Make it Rain

I was right. Listening now. This is a brilliant song and wh6a great bit of Marc Ribot guitar.

[kalowski]

Just spotted this great lyric from Raised Right Men:
"A good woman can make a diamond out of a measly lump of coal."

I guess he's met Mrs Kalowski.

[Pink Gregory]

Just spotted this great lyric from Raised Right Men:
"A good woman can make a diamond out of a measly lump of coal."

I guess he's met Mrs Kalowski.

Love that he can just make whole characters out of names -

"Icepick Ed Newcombe was there in the morgue"
"Wish i was home in Evelyn's kitchen, with ol' Jep curled around my feet"
"Dined last night with scar-faced Ron, on tilapia fish cakes and fried black swan"

Incidentally he uses the phrase "Balancing a diamond on a blade of grass" at least twice but it is that good.

[kalowski]

I do think Bad As Me is a weaker effort, but it still has some great tracks, like the title track and Satisfaction ("Mr Jagger! And Mr Richards!")

Interesting that I wrote this recently, as I have very recently picked up the vinyl of Bad As Me and it's made me re-evaluate things. It's a great album, just as good as the rest of his late period work. Loads of Ribot on guitar!

[Garam]

16 Shells from a Thirty Ought Six is his best song by some margin

[Pink Gregory]

Interesting that I wrote this recently, as I have very recently picked up the vinyl of Bad As Me and it's made me re-evaluate things. It's a great album, just as good as the rest of his late period work. Loads of Ribot on guitar!

He's probably not going to make another record, and as an end-of-career record it's fairly perfect.  Especially having tunes as vital as Raised Right Men and Hell Broke Luce. 

[phantom_power]

I have nowhere near heard all of his output but he is someone I need to investigate more. From what I have heard my favourites are:

In the Neighbourhood
16 Shells from 30.06
The Earth Died Screaming

I think I like his early barfly stuff as well as his later bone-clanking hobo stuff. I haven't really heard any of his later albums though

[kalowski]

He's probably not going to make another record, and as an end-of-career record it's fairly perfect.  Especially having tunes as vital as Raised Right Men and Hell Broke Luce. 

Interview with Tom Waits' agent Paul Charles printed today in the Irish Examiner

"We all hope he will tour again. After he did the three nights in the Rat Cellar, he went home. He enjoyed the tour a lot, and the idea was to start writing. He did a bit of recording, and then he basically got distracted by the movie world for a while. The news is that he's started writing again. We've all got our fingers crossed for another return visit."

My emphasis.

[Catalogue Trousers]

Frank's Wild Years, Singapore, and The Piano Has Been Drinking.

[Pink Gregory]

Interview with Tom Waits' agent Paul Charles printed today in the Irish ExaminerMy emphasis.

ohhhh

to be honest I'm not expecting much if it does happen but I'm on board by default.

[Oosp]

Here you go:

[Pink Gregory]

God's Away on Business was the first TWaits song that I was ever made aware of

[kalowski]

All of the Island albums, from Swordfish to The Black Rider are being rereleased on vinyl! I almost spent £145 on an original Black Rider yesterday but will settle for a reissue.

[Pink Gregory]

Will it be worth it?  You would hope Island would do quality control but I'm not convinced, far as I know there's no remastering going on either.

[dontpaintyourteeth]

Call me a fucking prick or whatever but I'm fairly content with the CDs

Might be tempted if they put the big Orphans set out again on vinyl though (I think that's in print as separate albums though? I think.)

[Pink Gregory]

All I would improve from the CDs is that the Island albums are a little bit on the quiet side, other than that with the amount of songs and all the different textures you'd think that CDs would be much better suited.

Mule Variations is a 2LP album, it seems unnecessary.

[convulsivespace]

Some great responses on the old thread, but come on, no need to overthink it, "Time" is the man's best song.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Christmas Card / Martha

[Ferris]

I Never Talk To Strangers off of Foreign Affairs. It's got Bette Middler in it!

Anything from the Asylum years is good though. And the later stuff. Actually it's probably easier to note the bad Tom Waits stuff as it's pretty much uniformly great.

[kalowski]

Call me a fucking prick or whatever but I'm fairly content with the CDs

Might be tempted if they put the big Orphans set out again on vinyl though (I think that's in print as separate albums though? I think.)

You fucking prick or whatever...

Personally I like to own them on vinyl. I'm a collector but understand perfectly why you wouldn't want or need to buy them.

[Pink Gregory]

You fucking prick or whatever...

Personally I like to own them on vinyl. I'm a collector but understand perfectly why you wouldn't want or need to buy them.

Fair enough because the originals aren't *that* available but it's more that it's a way of selling them again for £30+ with very little altered.  That's just what new vinyl costs these days though.

[Neomod]

My introduction to Tom was a college pal back in 84 who was a mad Coppola fan and did me a tape containing various soundtrack excerpts.  The Outsiders, Rumblefish and One From the Heart. I immediately went out and bought the OST. Rain Dogs and Swordfish Trombones followed in 85.

I must admit to preferring the earlier troubadour material and haven't really explored the later grindier stuff, the Lazy shit that I am.

I Beg Your Pardon

Little Trip to Heaven

Please Call Me, Baby