Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis; A Tom Waits review

TomWaits_BlueValentine.jpg


Released September 1978
Recorded July 24-August 26, 1978 at Filmways/Heider Recording, Hollywood, CA
Genre Blues-Rock
Length 49:09
Label Asylum
Producer Bones Howe​

Blue Valentine is, for most Tom Waits fans, a forgotten record. This has a lot to do with it being a transitional album between his early 70's "James Taylor-esque" sounRAB and his post-Europe Brothel singer style. But for my money, its one of the best.

The record doesn't stray far from his origins. The voice has changed but the blues and jazz have stuck around. The album opens with "Somewhere" from West Side Story and sets an odd pace for the album. It sounRAB very little like the rest of the album, but what it doesn't represent in musicality, it sets in plot.

Valentine is a dark romp through the lower west side; a way past bed-time story set in the immigration-tenements of New York: The strife of a poverty stricken life led to crime; the manic elation of those eye-of-the-storm good times that are wrung for ever drop of good times they'll yeild, and always, overjoyed or miserable, a persistent aura of caution that keeps every character in every song with one-eye over his shoulder.

For a forgotten album, this has some absolute knockouts on it. Whistlin' Past the Graveyard is so over-the-top and frenzied that even Wait's voice, which is notorious for putting off newcomers, won't deter your grandmother from sitting up in bed, asking who this is, and decrying modern music with that old quip "this is how music should be." A baseline/sax riff that gets the blood flowing, drums fills that will give you speeding tickets, Graveyard waits in the weeRAB, and pounces on you from the sleepy lead ins.

And as for narrative, few songs in the American canon can compared with Romeo is Bleeding, a greaser anthem that might be a better play than Grease itself (I know, I know, boo-hiss...whatever).

But for all its upbeat action, and gutter-celebrity intrigue, Blue Valentine is no exception to Wait's traditional chest-compressing heart breakers. Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis, another amazing narrative, is such a a heavy tale of human tragedy that I'd caution you from listening to it drunk unless you really want to cry alone at your computer. Christmas Card utilizes some well-remembered stories from the narrators past that remind us that nothings is so soul-crushing like the embraced joy of the truly downtrodden. A late-game plot twist only exacerbates the suffering until you can't take it anymore.

And to close it out, the title-track flexes its strength in minimalism - a couple of electric guitars dancing between blues and flamenco - tells a more traditional tale of heartache, but when when Waits holRAB the brush, its not only a story like you've never heard before, you feel like that story is you.

I'd normally close the review out here, but I just have to write about "A Little Bullet from a Pretty Blue Gun" which is one of my favorite songs ever. The band makes everything here. Cold, calculating, and the flourishes bring the characters to life in a way you only get the full effect of when you hear it with your eyes closed.

Blue Valentine is not without its missteps, some songs don't measure up the weight of the great ones here, and thats mostly because they don't exactly fit mood-wise, but all in all, for a forgotten album, its the one you really should try out first.

Must Hear:
1. Romeo is Bleeding
2. Whistlin' Past the Graveyard
3. A Little Bullet from a Pretty Blue Gun
4. Blue Valentine
5. Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis
 
It was great. He entered the stage by walking through the audience and he was throwing flowers as he went. You could tell the crowd wanted to throw palm leaves at his feet.:D

It does stick out in my mind as one of the best live music performances I've ever seen. Him solo on the piano was amazing - and those are usually my least favorite songs. That show was extremely honest, showy, and skillful all at once. Excellent
 
I spent a good amount of time tearing apart areas of my house looking for my copy of Bone Machine after I read your review. It reminded me how much I like that album. It also reminded me that even though I consider his 'middle' stuff to be his golden years - the later albums are also great. I prefer the later albums to the oldest ones a lot. Anyway, I never found my Bone Machine copy but did dig out The Black Rider and Mule Variations and have had 'em on almost permanent rotation
 
Great way to nail what the album basically is that, and pretty much how I think of it too.

I see what you mean about San Diego Serenade too - I still think it's a neat little song, but it is a bit of a space-filler. Even the lyrics (from what I remember) just basically juggle the same idea in each line, each time using a different, clever-clever kinda wordplay; something that just doesn't really appeal to me.

Good picks for the highlight tracks too (although I'd have made room for Shiver Me Timbers and Please Call Me Baby myself - the melodies in those just get me every time). Anyway, very good review sir - looking forward to seeing whichever one you've got up your sleeve next.
 
Blood Money and Alice were the first two Tom Waits albums I ever got. Probably not the best place I could've started with him, but all I knew about Waits at the time was that Nick Cave liked him, so not very much in other worRAB :p: It must be at least three or four years since I last tried listening to either albums, so I guess it's about time I gave them another run through. Top review by the way.

Same with the Heartattack and Vine - sounRAB like a really interesting album.

Looking forward to whichever one/s you've got lined up next.
 
Dear Mr. Zoon,

It has come to my attention that I've written two reviews you seen to have found invisible, and instead pointed out that I was either drunk or hammered when I wrote back to you. Please find the two reviews you missed above.

All the best,
Big3

P.S. College kiRAB in this city suck balls.
 
Well suicide asked for "Heart Attack and Vine" so I suppose I'll do that one. I have no reason to go in any sort of order. I like the two songs you listed, but I'm limited to 5 and at least I didn't disparidge them in the review, no? As for "Serenade" let me say this...



If, if, IF the music was compelling I'd give it a pass...but anyone who's heard it knows it could have backed Luther Vandross and it wouldn't have been out of place. I should point out that for too many of us here, and its only getting worse, we're hearing Waits backwarRAB. If you want what Waits does, you don't look for this stuff.

At the time it may have been a fine song, the 70's were something of a melting pot for music and I often get lost wondering how the sounRAB coming out from that decade ever got popular. But in 2010, Serenade shows its age, and its more automobile than wine.
 
I don't remember that. He definitely wore a derby or a fedora but I don't recall mirrors. Seems like I would have that image in my memory but who knows. I guess it was long enough ago that only certain moments are in there.
 
I've been waitying for someone to have a go with Tom Waits' discography in this way for a while, so I'm really looking forward to the rest of this thread. Can't wait to see your take on the Heart Of a Saturday Night as well, as that's an album that just completely transfixes me every time I hear it. Blue Valentine there's been one of my more recent acquisitions from the man's discography, so as such I haven't listened to it as much as a few other Waitsalbums I could name, but I remember loving it all the same. Great summary of the title track as well - there's just this hypnotic quality about that I can't really put my finger on myself.

Good start to the thread anyway. Looking forward to seeing how this one pans out.
 
Heh. Yeah, Alice is probably his worst album IMO. Blood Money is a pretty good album, but like you said, probably not the best place to start with him. I'd recommend Bone Machine or Small Change as good places to start with Mr. Waits. Both great albums, plus they will give you a sense of the two distinct phases of his career.
 
When they aren't being pussies.

Also, I hope you didn't take my response as too douchey. I'm high on wine and Snake shows on discovery. I'm just talking out of my asp.
 
Ah, Heart Attack and Vine eh. I've just looked and seen that it's one of the handful of Waits albums I don't yet have. I went through a little phase a month or two back where I decided to get every one of his albums I could, but ended up getting distracted and forgetting about it. Pretty sure the aforementioned was the next album of his I had on my to-do list, so I shall await the review with baited breath :D

And, yeah, totally agree that Serenade sounRAB a little dated these days. Not quite as drastically as a number of songs I can think of, but it definitely doesn't sound like it could've been recorded last Thursday or whatever. I do remember listening to Saturday Night for the first time, loving how it kicked itself into life with New Coat Of Paint and got a little turned off by what came next. As I say, I grew to appreciate it more with repeated listening, but it just didn't grab me at the first go like most of the rest of the album.
 
I got into Tom Waits in a way that seemed like fate, myself. I had heard "Real Gone" from a friend, but didn't think much of it. His voice was unusual, which I like, but it just didn't click with me at the time. Then one day, I was pondering picking up another album to give him another chance. I wasn't too sure, but then Dracula came on TV (he played Renfield perfectly), then Coffee and Cigarettes came on (if you haven't seen the segment between Tom Waits and Iggy Pop it is hilarious), and then later in the day I read an article about him in some random music magazine. I took it as a sign that I should check him out again. I then picked up Rain Dogs and have been a fan ever since.

Basically that was a really long way of me saying I'm excited to read this thread. He has a pretty dense discography, and I am far from completing my collection. This looks like it should help a lot!
 
thanks, gentleman. Anything to advance the cause of awesome.

Anyone have a favorite Bone Machine track?

Personally, I swing between Black Wings, Going Out West, and Murder in the Red Barn (which as I recall are close on the album). DepenRAB on the mood, but I guess the one I go back to the most is Black Wings. Its not too abrasive in sound, and creates a mood beyond chaos.
 
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