[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ymBaAsSqDE&feature=related]Thread music[/url]
[img]http://www.clashmusic.com/files/imagecache/big_node_view/files/images/Tom-waits.jpg[/img]
Tom Waits is a 61 year old American man who writes some beautiful music.
He's most well known because of his distinctive growl. I remember thinking to myself, when I first heard him, that his music must surely just be a novelty, but quickly learned to appreciate his music more than any music since. He was really inspired by music theatre and as a result his lyrical style is very much about telling stories which I fucking love.
[b]the 70s[/b]
When he started releasing music in the 70s it was very folky and jazzy and pretty easy-going. I haven't listened to this era nearly as much as the others, except the Heart of Saturday Night, which is easily one of my favourite albums. Think dimly lit jazz clubs and Waits chain-smoking over the piano. He pretty much epitomises what it means to be cool. At the start of the decade his voice is distinctly not-growly but around 75 his voice seemed to begin its descent into what it is now.
Watch [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRHgE2Yi3To]Step Right Up[/url] in 77 and try telling me this man isn't cool.
Or listen to [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=107dADrIVBk]New Coat of Paint[/url] from the Heart of Saturday Night for some relatively silky vocals and a sexy as fuck jazz piano.
[b]the 80s[/b]
Moving on to the 80s... This is when he met his wife, Kathleen Brennan and introduced him to all kinds of weird music and encouraged him to write the album Swordfishtrombones, an album critics fucking love because it's taking music in such a weird direction. He changed producers for this album because he wanted to drop the heavily orchestrated, synthetic flavour in favour of something that more closely resembles an ensemble of cupboards being destroyed with hammers (which he supposedly did). This is where Waits really becomes someone you'll love or hate, now that his growl is really coming into form. The album Rain Dogs is fucking unmissable if you like this era, and everyone ought to listen to it at some point.
[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVaEPx_VyXs]Rain Dogs[/url] is an especially bizarre song but it's literally drowning in character.
[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRw-d4aNZsM&feature=related]Telephone from Istanbul[/url] is one of my favourite songs from the 80s too. Notice how his music couldn't be fucking further from the usual absolute crock of shit the 80s is notorious for. Fucking hell I hate typical 80s music.
[b]the 90s[/b]
Compared to the leaps he's made in his musical direction since, from the 90s onwards he seems to be going in roughly the same direction. The main difference from the 90s is that his style feels so much more refined and at least a little more listenable (except maybe the Black Rider which was weiiiiiiiiiiiiird). His album Mule Variations was award-winningly awesome, and Chocolate Jesus was the first song I heard from him, and enough to hook me for good.
[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27LLPANAgzw]Goin' Out West[/url] is probably one of the most badass songs ever written ever.
[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wfamPW3Eaw]Chocolate Jesus[/url] sums up everything there is to love about the man.
[b]2000 onwards[/b]
2000-2010 was very much in line with the 90s stuff, in my opinion, but with a lot more ballady, piano style songs thrown in the mix. In 2002 he released 2 albums (on the same day), the one with his badass rhythmic style (Blood Money) and the other with a much more melancholy, subdued tone (Alice). Then he went and released Real Gone, which has to be the best album ever written. It's consistent in style, and seems to be merging blues, folk and industrial into one sexy, glorious ubergenre. And then finally he released Orphans, Brawlers, Bawlers and Bastards which is a 3 CD album, with 3 distinct styles. CD 1 is bluesy, rhythmic and catchy, 2 is mostly ballads and 3 is storytelling.
[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rF3YQ5WajJk]Make It Rain[/url] is my favourite song from the era. Dripping with angst (in a good way).
[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ6ln7NhVfc&feature=related]2:19[/url] is a deliciously catchy, bluesy number that I think you'd find difficult not to like.
[b]TOM WAITS IS IN THE STUDIO WRITING A NEW ALBUM.[/b]
So the moral of the story is, listen to those tracks I recommended, enjoy them, then find the albums on spotify/amazon/whatever. I'd recommend Real Gone, Blood Money and Orphans CD1 for an easy route in.
Already a thread on him, but yes.... he is awesomeness.
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UR9-MI34tL8[/media]
A number of threads, even, including my one. :v: Definitely the best OP we've had so far, though, nice work. Let's hope this thread doesn't die out as fast as the other ones!
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbNg5_Jtd8k[/media]
Tom Waits is probably one of my favorite singers.
I wanna start smoking and drinking excessively just so I can sound just like him.
My favorite Waits.
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9Mse62NFl4[/media]
He actually lives close to my grandparents, about a 20 minute drive from me.
[QUOTE=PwnNoobsFtw;28390785]Relevant:
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4OhIU-PmB8[/media][/QUOTE]
Tune! The 2nd song I heard with him in it. :h:
[QUOTE=PwnNoobsFtw;28390785]Relevant:
[URL="http://www.facepunch.com/"]View YouTUBE video[/URL]
[URL]http://youtube.com/watch?v=r4OhIU-PmB8[/URL]
[/QUOTE]
That's funny you posted that right after me because Les Claypool of Primus also lives in the same small town my grandparents and Waits live in.
I would give quite a bit of money to meet this man face to face.
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSh2a3sfm_E[/media]
My favourite by far. I was only recently introduced to Tom Waits. And by god is he glorious.
Love "Chocolate Jesus" & "Time" :)
I'm going to bump this thread because I think more people should get to know him.
Last week I got my first taste of him, on TV they showed this, one of the most hairy-chested bad ass songs I've ever heard.
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27LLPANAgzw[/media]
I was like, :psyduck: who the fuck is that guy and why haven't I heard him before, dad said it was Tom waits and I recognized his name.
Went trough our records and found Rain Dogs on vinyl, awesome record but really digging Bone Machine (bicycling drunk trough a forest at 3 Am with "In the Colosseum" on my MP3 is on of the most surreal things I've experienced.
Also this is one of the most beautiful songs I've heard:
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jm3LEmFFj2g[/media]
Can't let the thread die. I won't let another Tom Waits thread die!
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PV7bxC0UVMM[/media]
Okay... is it weird that the last 3 movies I saw directed by Francis Ford Coppola, had Tom Waits in them?
They were awesome too :smug:
Tonight's a good night for him, he's being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
The carpet needs a haircut.
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gwUtEEjZJ8[/media]
(best video)
My favourite; no one can play the piano drunk like he can
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2Tn8w1w2_Y[/media]
Rain Dogs is amazing.
[QUOTE=Kolpian;28603847]The carpet needs a haircut.
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gwUtEEjZJ8[/media]
(best video)[/QUOTE]
Damn that's awesome.
This thread needed a bump so i give you Clap Hands.
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvMy1xOh6cw[/media]
Been in my head for days, it just flows so nice.
I know I am bumping an old thread but.
A. Its motherfucking Tom Waits.
B. You need to see this:
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFxC7esdIi4[/media]
New album coming out, can't wait for the new material. :woop:
[img]http://i.cubeupload.com/7a3cmK.jpg[/img]
Posted on his Facebook a while ago. Lyrics from his new album! :pcgaming:
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=107dADrIVBk[/media]
Celebration music.
[QUOTE=OctopusGuy;30762732][img]http://i.cubeupload.com/7a3cmK.jpg[/img]
Posted on his Facebook a while ago. Lyrics from his new album! :pcgaming:
[/QUOTE]
About a month ago? :smug:
[QUOTE=AK'z;30762767]About a month ago? :smug:[/QUOTE]
There was no thread to post in ;_;
Heard Franks Wild Years the other day, good album.
Blood Money is awesome too, like a much darker, seedier version of Wild Years.
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