Tom Waits

Jerry Freeman · Post by **Jerry Freeman** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 11:07 am

Here's one of my favorite interviews of all time. Please do listen. I promise you'll be entertained (24 minutes):

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... yId=898645

Best wishes,
Jerry

Cathy Wilde · Post by **Cathy Wilde** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 11:11 am

#1 on my top three most brilliant songwriters of all time list -- and he once dated #2.

As an intro, I often recommend "Closing Time" -- his first album. That's more traditional/less scary for many, and after "Martha" brings a tear to your eye, "Grapefruit Moon" will break your heart.

Then it's on to fun stuff like "What's he building in there?"

But everything he does is genius. Freaking genuis.

All the best from the land where
'no one speaks English and everything's broken',

cat.

Tyler · Post by **Tyler** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 11:49 am

TW is great...
anyone heared Solas' version of Georgia Lee?(I think that's the name of the TW song they do, but I might be wrong...just checked the CD out from the library instead of buying it)

The Weekenders · Post by **The Weekenders** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 11:56 am

wow, more re-dos than I knew about. Thanks for tips!

dubhlinn · Post by **dubhlinn** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 12:02 pm

Cathy Wilde wrote:#1 on my top three most brilliant songwriters of all time list -- and he once dated #2.

As an intro, I often recommend "Closing Time" -- his first album. That's more traditional/less scary for many, and after "Martha" brings a tear to your eye, "Grapefruit Moon" will break your heart.

Then it's on to fun stuff like "What's he building in there?"

But everything he does is genius. Freaking genuis.

All the best from the land where
'no one speaks English and everything's broken',

cat.

Mmmm..he was married to number two a few minutes ago..
who is she..Ricki Lee?

Slan,
D.

Cynth · Post by **Cynth** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 12:46 pm

The Weekenders wrote:Whatever happened to Leon Redbone.

Leon Redbone is alive and drinking

. Drinking from his little tiny glass during performances, that is. I just saw him a few months ago. He continues to be very mysterious, hat always on, muttering away, humming,

. He has now a young pianist and a young cornet player performing with him. As odd as it sounds, they make an excellent trio. All three are really excellent musicians. The show is a bit short perhaps, but a lot of fun. He does a quite excellent imitation of a coloratura soprano with his hands by projecting their shadows on a screen. I think he has to conserve his voice a bit now.

Okay, back on topic. Sorry, folks.

Post by **Dale** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 1:41 pm

Ah, 2 of my faves. Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen.

There's a two-disc Leonard Cohen retrospective, "The Essential Leonard Cohen," I think, that's indispensable.

I love Tom Waits' work and I'm presently obsessed with the song "Make It Rain" from the most recent CD.

I DO understand how some don't get Tom. The voice can be....offputting.

Dale

The Weekenders · Post by **The Weekenders** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 2:56 pm

DaleWisely wrote:Ah, 2 of my faves. Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen.

There's a two-disc Leonard Cohen retrospective, "The Essential Leonard Cohen," I think, that's indispensable.

I love Tom Waits' work and I'm presently obsessed with the song "Make It Rain" from the most recent CD.

I DO understand how some don't get Tom. The voice can be....offputting.

Dale

Yeah, at my last job, a guy in the office played "The Essential.." quite a bit. At first, being completely oblivious to the guy, I winced and suffered, but after a while, started to approach at least the far outer boundaries of his world. And now, years later, at least one of his songs is quite the rage.

Bloomfield · Post by **Bloomfield** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 3:43 pm

I saw Randall Bays and Daithi Sproule do Grapefruit Moon live a couple of times. Great stuff.

herbivore12 · Post by **herbivore12** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 3:53 pm

Speak of the devil (advertisers, I mean):

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050915/ap_ ... ts_lawsuit

Guy's got integrity, seems like.

(Since seeing this thread, I haven't been able to shake from my head a scene from Jim Jarmusch's film "Down by Law" wherein Tom Waits, John Lurie, and Roberto Benigni(!) march around a jail cell shouting "I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!"

Or the episode of "Fishing with John", where Tom sits miserably seasick aboard a rusty boat, not catching fish, and later puts an unlucky fish inside his pants.

Guy's got weird, too.)

chas · Post by **chas** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 7:08 pm

Cathy Wilde wrote:#1 on my top three most brilliant songwriters of all time list -- and he once dated #2.

So, who's #2? He's been married for 20-someodd years, so it must be old news.

If y'all want another good introduction to Waits's personality, y'al might want to see a couple of his movies. I'd recommend Down by Law, an early Jim Jarmusch movie, or Ironweed, a depression-era movie in which he plays (can you believe it?) Jack Nicholson's drinking buddy. (He may have still been drinking then, although I don't think so.)

Here's a link to Letterman interviewing Waits about a year ago:

http://www.tomwaitsfan.com/vid/twinterview04.mov

Flyingcursor · Post by **Flyingcursor** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 8:00 am

I've got to get out more. The last time I listened to Tom Waits was in the early 80's. I remember a song about Whistling past the Gravyard, stepping on a crack.....

And Romeo is Bleeding. I suppose I better pick up a CD or so.

jmurray · Post by **jmurray** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 11:46 am

"Used Songs (1973-1980)" could be a good choice...