Tom Waits

The "Small change" album might be a good starting point for the first time listener.
It was my first introduction to the man and his music, and I've been a fan ever since.
 
And avoid becoming a media whore he has. I've never seen someone go after a company so aggressively as when some idiot uses his music in a TV commercial. I think that was the first point of respect I had for him, and is actually what convinced me to check him out a bit further. I have a similar distaste in aRAB, and I am always a bit depressed when a band I like allows their music to be used in one.

Tom Waits has gotten by, in my opinion, on shear talent and will. He isn't everyone's cup of tea and he knows it, but he doesn't change for anyone.
 
Rain Dogs is probably my favorite, but Bone Machine, Mule Variations, Black Rider, Blue Valentine and Frank's Wild Years are all great too. He really hasn't made a bad album, though his stuff from the 70s is a bit more conventional sounding.
 
Nice one, Fasho! Another Waits convert! :)
In response to the Horned One (!) :), yes I know what you mean, and by mainstream I didn't for a moment mean that any of Waits's music is ordinary, just that the albums mentioned would be easier for a noob coming fresh to Waits's unique sound to appreciate and get into, rather than starting with something like, say, Bone MAchine or Alice, or even the Black Rider.
Mainstream is definitely NOT a word I would associate with Waits, and is used here only in the context of accessibility for those trying him out for the first time...
 
Excellent guy, but I don't think he's the best musician on the planet, the same way I think there's no best musician in an absolute way.

I like his albums rain dogs, beautiful maladies, and black rider
 
Yeah, I'm still figuring out where to upload through as well. Pobodys has sent me files through mediafire, I think it is? I'm still very unfamiliar with this whole trading music scene. I downloaded my first yesterday. And **** yes on the discography review. Thanks for the intro to BM. I'm thinking it's the next one I pick up.
 
Uh well if you people only saw what I edited out of my casual posts, you probably wouldn't ask my opinion on anything Waits. I'm not sure what you mean by "I really enjoy it, but there seems to be a lacking of interest."

You mean you are lacking an interest, or you feel he's disenfranchised with some of the songs...like he's half-assing it.



DepenRAB what type of music you're into. Ethan might know your taste better than I would, and he might be able to recommend something to you, but I'll help if you want to PM me what (and more importantly, why) you like.

I guess my responses without further knowledge would be:

@ Lips: Grab Mule Variations, its rootsy and eclectic. Theres some heavy experimentation at times and occasionally it could have come from 1895.

@ Roses: Rain Dog's is a disjointed masterpiece. I feel as if the first 6 trackers aren't the same as the last 6. And neither group is like the middle. I get the idea often enough to conclude its my opinion that this was written in three separate time perioRAB.

The standout tracks, if you're really not getting hit by it, are likely Time, Tango till their Sore*, Downtown Train, and Anywhere I lay my head.

Nothing is bad, those are just better. But certainly tell me what you're into and I'll try and get you something you might like, even if its on another album.


*let that one marinate.
 
Thanks for the recco and welcome here Psy-Fi.

It might seem like bad form to tap up the newbs, but you wouldn't have a link for that *wuddya buddy? :D

*fake American accent
 
It's a very transitional album. There are old school waits fans that dig the croony singer/songwriter and the new school fans who like the rhythmic performance poetry oriented portion of his later repetoire. Nighhawks kinda' has one foot in each pair of gulashes
 
Yeah, I just have this nagging "proper-ness" I guess about listening to whole album whenever I put it in. And it's taking some effort to stay attentive through the unfathomably depressing sounding tunes on there. "..Traubert's Blues" is the kind of song I have to read the lyrics while it plays or I just tune out. Then "Step Right Up" gets my attention a little more. And then it slows down again. I think I just need some more time with it.
 
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