TOM WAITS SURVIVOR: Round 17 - Franks Wild Years

[MrKnickerbocker]

I definitely understand that opinion. It took me a long, long time to appreciate this album in any capacity. Kerouac and the Beat stuff does absolutely nothing for me in any way, but I do find this movement in the Tom Waits journey to be quite interesting. It's easily my least favorite version of Waits, though.

I'll update tomorrow morning w/ Small Change!

 

[MrKnickerbocker]

ELIMINATED in Round 5:
Midnight Lullaby
Diamonds on My Windshield
Emotional Weather Report
Eggs and Sausage

PROMOTED:
Ol' 55
I Hope That I Don't Fall in Love With You
Martha
Better Off Without a Wife
Warm Beer and Cold Women
Nobody

Small Change (1976)

If Nighthawks at the Diner was Tom at his peak moment of Beatnik, Small Change is the night that follows. You couldn't get a boozier record unless you actually soaked your vinyl in whiskey. Touring, writing, recording, and the musician lifestyle started to get the better of Tom in the mid-70s and it shows in spades through his songwriting.

Small Change returns to Tom's more melodic side while also debuting the true sound of the "Waits voice" that we will come to know throughout the rest of his career. The instrumentation is both sparse and lush, some songs containing just Tom and his piano, others with sweeping string sections. The subject matter turns to the seedy aspects of inebriated nightlife once again, as Tom weaves tales of strippers and drunks over jazzy chords and slurry melodies.

Jim Hughart returns on upright bass, Bones Howe once again produces, and Jerry Yester (producer of Closing Time) arranges and conducts the strings. Many fans, and possibly even Tom, see this album as the crowning moment of his "beatnik-glory-meets-Hollywood-noir period".

Spoiler: Full concert from Köln, Germany in 1977

Spoiler: Tom on The Mike Douglas Show 1976

Spoiler: Tom on Fernwood Tonight 1977

Down in the Hole podcast, Episode 4 - Small Change

Tom Waits Song by Song podcast, playlist for Small Change

Spoiler: Photos

 

[Deus_Adrian]

Love this album and its hard to choose on this one...

Jitterbug
The One That Got Away

And Drunk On the Moon
Fumblin

 

[MrKnickerbocker]

Love this album and its hard to choose on this one...

Jitterbug
The One That Got Away

And Drunk On the Moon
Fumblin

But you didn't actually vote!

 

[Whooten]

Despite being home to several famous TW one liners (I don't have a drinking problem, except when I can't get a drink) I don't love Small Change as much as most of Waits' fans. Too much piano, too much late night booze. I tend to prefer the "jazzier" (for lack of a better term) arrangements of Heart of Saturday Night to this era, but my absolute favorite is the more cacophonous era that was launched in the early 80s. Still some beautiful sentiment and lines on here. Step Right Up is one of my all-time favorites though. The quality goes in before the name goes on!

 

[Mosh]

Wasn't sure how to feel about the Waits voice on this at first. I'm very familiar with Rain Dogs, but the music fits that style of singing really well. The musical style on this is still not that far removed from his previous albums, so the singing feels a bit put on and frankly kinda ridiculous. That being said, it didn't take long to win me over. By the end of the first song I was really into it.

Anyway, I thought this was great. It's really quite amazing how much can be accomplished with such basic arrangements and instrumentations. It has all the strengths of the previous album, but with more experimentation and greater emotional quality. There are a few tunes on here that put the focus on vocals and lyrics in a way that is reminsicent of Nighthawks more than anything else, which shows that Nighthawks was just as important to his musical development as anything else.

 

[MrKnickerbocker]

Despite being home to several famous TW one liners (I don't have a drinking problem, except when I can't get a drink) I don't love Small Change as much as most of Waits' fans. Too much piano, too much late night booze. I tend to prefer the "jazzier" (for lack of a better term) arrangements of Heart of Saturday Night to this era, but my absolute favorite is the more cacophonous era that was launched in the early 80s. Still some beautiful sentiment and lines on here. Step Right Up is one of my all-time favorites though. The quality goes in before the name goes on!

I definitely agree with this, although I still find a lot to like on this album. The first two tracks are stone cold classics and I truly enjoy a few others. Ultimately, I feel like the songs here tend to hit the same note too often.

Wasn't sure how to feel about the Waits voice on this at first. I'm very familiar with Rain Dogs, but the music fits that style of singing really well. The musical style on this is still not that far removed from his previous albums, so the singing feels a bit put on and frankly kinda ridiculous. That being said, it didn't take long to win me over. By the end of the first song I was really into it.

Absolutely! The voice with this style of song is so off-putting at first, but then you can't hear the song any other way. It's perfect.

Anyway, I thought this was great. It's really quite amazing how much can be accomplished with such basic arrangements and instrumentations. It has all the strengths of the previous album, but with more experimentation and greater emotional quality. There are a few tunes on here that put the focus on vocals and lyrics in a way that is reminsicent of Nighthawks more than anything else, which shows that Nighthawks was just as important to his musical development as anything else.

I feel like this is definitely taking the best parts of what Tom learned from the Nighthawks sessions (how to be entertaining, clever, and interesting all at once) while still managing to craft a tune into it (as he did on the earlier material). I don't think he's perfected that art yet, but it's a step in the right direction.

I'm gonna give this one more in-depth listen before voting!

 

[MrKnickerbocker]

This album starts really strong with Tom Traubert’s Blues and Step Right Up, I quite like Jitterbug Boy, and I also really like Invitation to the Blues. The rest range from alright (New Orleans, Got Away, Get Off Work) to bad (Pasties).

There is a definitive Nighthawks influence here: he takes a single musical theme and generally runs it into the ground. Most of the songs are just a collection of long, melodically repetitive verses with a tagline. Tom Traubert’s Blues is a great example of this done well, Bad Liver and a Broken Heart is a great example of this done poorly. I Can’t Wait to Get Off Work manages to change the ending melodic phrase just a bit each time to keep things interesting.

A lot of Waits fans view The Piano Has Been Drinking as a classic, but I find it tedious. As mentioned in one of the podcasts, it is interesting that the actual piano throughout the song is played wonderfully and thus emphasises the reality of an unreliable narrator. However, I once saw a stand up comedy set by David Koechner (mostly known for being in Anchorman) in which he used this song as a bit and added additional lyrics. The bit lasted over 15 minutes, it wasn’t funny, and it has forever tarnished my enjoyment of this song.

One note, the tenor sax on this album is out of this world!

Voting for:
San Diego Serenade
Drunk on the Moon
Piano Has Been Drinking
Pasties and a G-String
Bad Liver and a Broken Heart
Small Change
Can’t Wait to Get Off Work

Someone else still needs to vote here for this round to be worth it. Any takers?

 

[Deus_Adrian]

I love Cant Wait To Get Off Work.

Tom do this
Tom do that
Tom don't do that

 

[MrKnickerbocker]

Could definitely use some more votes here, @JudasMyGuide @Niall Kielt @Shadow !

 

[Deus_Adrian]

But you didn't actually vote!

I had voted but I did go back and add some things.

Im dialing up Foreign Affairs in anticipation for the next round. Its amazing how much Waits I’ve let slip by.

 

[MrKnickerbocker]

ELIMINATED in Round 6:
Drunk on the Moon
Pasties and a G-String
Bad Liver and a Broken Heart

We've still got a lot of songs, so let's cut 'em down before bringing in the next album!

 

[MrKnickerbocker]

Voting for:

San Diego + Fumblin' w/ the Blues

New Orleans, Piano, Got Away, Change, and Get Off Work

 

[MrKnickerbocker]

Calling @Mosh & @Whooten!

 

[MrKnickerbocker]

Welcome to the game, @desultory! I'll update this tomorrow AM

 

[Whooten]

Foreign Affairs here we come...

 

[MrKnickerbocker]

Eliminated after Round 7:
Fumblin' with The Blues
Jitterbug Boy
I Wish I Was in New Orleans
The One That Got Away

Foreign Affairs (1977)

Tom takes a deeper step into his self-imposed film noir world with his fourth studio album. Once again working with producer Bones Howe, Tom wanted this album to sound the way that a black and white movie looks. The decadent drunkenness of the previous two records takes a step back in favor of enhanced moodiness. The incomparable Jim Hughart returns for bass duties and there is even a hotly debated duet with Bette Midler.

Spoiler: Burma Shave live 1978

Spoiler: Live in Osaka 1978 audio

Down in the Hole podcast, Episode 5 - Foreign Affairs

Tom Waits Song by Song podcast, Foreign Affairs playlist

Spoiler: Photos

 

[MrKnickerbocker]

I never had fond memories of this album, but after revisiting it I can safely say this might be my least favorite Tom Waits record. It sounds like he's hit the dead end of this sound really hard (as will be evident by the next two records). Most of the tracks here lack structure or melody, and a few lack any of kind of inspiration.

Cinny's Waltz - A nice introduction to the album, I suppose, but it's too middling to have any lasting effect. Tom has better instrumentals on his later albums.

Muriel - Not a terrible song, but it lacks any of the sincerity or catchiness of songs like Martha (or even Rosie).

I Never Talk to Strangers - One of the weakest spots in the entire discography. The schmaltz is suffocating and Bette Midler's performance is terrible. It sounds like a bad skit in a local sketch comedy show that you have been dragged to by a friend of a friend.

Medley: Jack & Neal/California - This track doesn't make sense with the mood of the rest of the album. It sounds improvised like one of the weaker Nighthawks tracks. Also, the lyrics are super sexist and just don't sound like Tom. I'm glad this was an ode to Jack Kerouac and Neal Cassidy since it means he mostly got this out of his system.

A Sight for Sore Eyes - Is a decent, if (once again) devoid of a little sincerity. It sounds like a lot of other Tom Waits songs, but it's at least better than most of the album.

Potter's Field - I'll admit, this songs gets old real quick, but I have to give Tom points for trying something new. I suspect this tune was important in progressing his more avant-garde songs down the line. The lyrics sound like someone doing a Tom Waits-style mad lib and the song could be at least 4 minutes shorter, but hey, I've gotta save 3 songs per album, so it stays for now.

Burma-Shave - This song is great. I initially had no idea it was about until I researched it a bit online, but the story is incredibly interesting and beautiful. Essentially, it's based on the idea of a young man looking to get out of his home town and find adventure somewhere. He sees the Burma Shave ads on the highway (an old ad campaign for shaving cream from the 40s) and creates the idea of Burma-Shave as a town, not a product. Of course, things don't work out so well in the end, but it wouldn't be Tom otherwise.

Barber Shop - Sounds like a combination of Step Right Up and Ice Cream Man, and that's something I never asked for. Boring, trite, lame.

Foreign Affair - Again, not a terrible song. It actually has a lot of heart, but the lyrics really ruin the integrity of the message. Tom's cleverness is counting against him here as the words are just too verbose for the subject matter or melody.

Also voting for San Diego Serenade, Piano Has Been Drinking, Can't Wait to Get Off Work

 

[Whooten]

I can safely say this might be my least favorite Tom Waits record. It sounds like he's hit the dead end

I generally don't listen to much of the pre-80s Tom Waits. When I do it's either Used Songs or The Early Years. In hindsight, I am kind of amazed he was able to put out so many albums (often with diminishing returns) in this era and still be a somewhat popular niche/cult figure.

I agree with most of what you have to say on Foreign Affairs. Burma Shave is great and the only song that has a chance making it through a few rounds. A Sight for Sore Eyes which borrows Auld Lang Syne is solid and I find I Never Talk to Strangers slightly better than the others. Particularly Tom's voice which is headed in the direction of his 80s output ("guess you must've read my mail") and the pure randomness of Bette Midler.

 

[Mosh]

Will get to this over the weekend.