Tom Waits' Orphans debuted recently, and I, being the obsessive Tom Waits fan that I am (a promo poster for “Downtown Train” hangs over my bed, and I went through a phase where I was dressing like said idol, which, on a girl, is not especially sexy) was frothing to own it. But, like a character on The Heart of Saturday Night, there’s nothing in my pockets except for small change. Forty-nine bucks is a little out of my price range, Tom.
So, hands shoved deep in the empty pockets of my trousers, I moped my way down to Oneonta’s Hipster Paradise, Maxwell’s, hoping to at least catch a listen of Waits’ musical miscreants. Sure enough, the Guy Behind the Counter (who bore an uncanny resemblance to Rick Ocasek, if Rick decided to stop showering for a week or so) had Orphans blaring from the scratchy speakers.
I asked him which one of the three discs (Brawlers, Bawlers and Bastards) we were listening to. We were listening to Brawlers. Good stuff. Generally I tend to stay towards the earlier end of the Tom Waits spectrum (The Heart of Saturday Night gets my pick as the second greatest album ever, lagging only behind The Who’s immortal Tommy) and end my listening around the Swordfishtrombones era. I like Alice (which, although released in 2000, is very obviously from earlier recordings) and own Blood Money. Mule Variations is a good borrow-listen-return, but Real Gone was just too hipster-friendly—that is, clanging banging nonsense that every wank-job reading this is shaking his flippy-haired head and saying, “She doesn’t know anything about Tom Waits.” I understand what he’s trying to do in later albums and it’s freakin’ awesome how he’s stretching the bounds of what we consider music, but it’s just not appealing to me—I feel like Real Gone lacks any sort of truth to it, like it’s just a manic man’s ramblings, and simply being crazy as hell doesn’t make a genius of a man. “Dead and Lovely” is a unique track in the same vein as Alice, but “Day After Tomorrow” while a sweet sentiment, sounds like something John Mayer might write on a good day.
Article comments
1 - Dave
That's funny; I was just talking about this subject today with a guy at work when we discovered that we both liked TW, but when I mentioned that I thought that the good stuff started with Swordfishtrombones, and he said that was exactly the opposite of most people's opinion.
2 - Vern Halen
I'mm a Swordfishtrombones kinda guy myself. I think it's kinda the same thing as with Coltrane some like his 50's stuff, some prefer his Impulse! recordings that started to go all squirrelly (I mean that in a good way). Of course, count me in for Ascension over Giant Steps.
3 - MightyTiny
I really enjoy the Waits of all eras; the early bar-stool poet era, the wonderful swordfishtrombones-raindogs re-invention of Waits, The out-there-experimental-yet-oddly-appealing Black Rider, and the brilliant Bone Machine. Alice was a beauty, and Blood Money wonderfully Kurt Weilish. Real Gone took a little getting used to, but it has some real gems on it; It is, I think, among the least accessible of Waits' material though, so I understand why someone might not enjoy listening to it.
Orphans however... I REALLY recommend you save up for it, or drop a hint to someone looking to buy you a Christmass present. I think Orphans ranks among Waits' all time best. And I think, from what you describe liking of Waits, you'd be in heaven listening to the "Bawlers" disc. :)
I've been listening to Orphans daily now for a few weeks, and I can't seem to get enough of it. It was WELL worth the money.
4 - Retro Music Chick
Of course I'll get Orphans! I'll probably end up with six copies of it, since it's what I told everybody I wanted for Christmas! :)
5 - Michael
You can download Orphans from emusic.com for cheap (and yes it is a legal site).