30th September - Tom Waits' Rain Dogs

Artist – Album: Tom Waits – Rain Dogs

Released:  30^th September 1985

Sounds Like: Off-centre dreams from New York City

Tom Waits is like olives - nobody likes him when they’re a kid, but pretty much everyone who’s reached a certain age is a fan. Or maybe he’s a bit more like a strong beer – you might have to force it down the first few dozen tries, but, man, is it worth it once you’ve learned to love him. Me, I first knowingly saw him in 1999’s pleasingly naff comedy Mystery Men, and the eccentric inventor that he played, a recluse that lives in a fun fair and creates non-violent gadget weapons, equipped me with a suitably weird image of the singer when I went on to sample his peculiar brand of rock-and-roll-meets-Ripley’s-Believe-It-or-Not.

Rain Dogs, along with its predecessor Swordfishtrombones, is the most decorated album of Waits’ hailed career, although even here it’s not hard to see why it’s an acquired taste. By this point he’d moved on from the lounge singer act of his earlier records to a wholly unique new sound, with the albums of his "Island trilogy" – of which this is the second – being made up of eclectic sketches of dark city life. The more recognisable genres include adult-orientated rock on ‘Downtown Train’ (ruined by Rod Stewart five years later), country on ‘Blind Love’ and tender balladry on ‘Time’, but most occupy a realm where conventional genres and instrumentation are thrown out of the window. ‘Jockey Full of Bourbon’ (chosen as the theme music to the brilliant British comedy Black Books a couple of decades down the line), ‘Big Black Mariah’ and ‘Cemetery Polka’ are three of the best oddities.

I like coffee (sometimes), champagne (sort of), caviar (yes, I’ve had caviar!) and strong cheeses, but, blergh, I balk at Marmite. I love Tom Waits. 

Albumaday... rating: 9/10

1.       Singapore – 2:46

2.       Clap Hands – 3:47

3.       Cemetery Polka – 1:51

4.       Jockey Full of Bourbon – 2:45

5.       Tango Till They’re Sore – 2:49

6.       Big Black Mariah – 2:44

7.       Diamonds & Gold – 2:31

8.       Hang Down Your Head – 2:32

9.       Time – 3:55

10.   Rain Dogs – 2:56

11.   Midtown – 1:00

12.   9^th & Hennepin – 1:58

13.   Gun Street Girl – 4:37

14.   Union Square – 2:24

15.   Blind Love – 4:18

16.   Walking Spanish – 3:05

17.   Downtown Train – 3:53

18.   Bride of Rain Dog – 1:07

19.   Anywhere I Lay My Head – 2:48

Listen to ‘Cemetery Polka’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iuuv_1TPYo

Also released on 30^th September:

1982: Bruce Springsteen - Nebraska

Also released on 30^th September:

1997: Bob Dylan – Time Out of Mind

16th April - Tom Waits' Mule Variations

Artist – Album: Tom Waits – Mule Variations

Released:  16^th April 1999

Sounds Like:  The piano has been drinking (and me)

This blog is clearly in danger of being posted on the wrong day, so I’m going to have to make it a quick one...

Few people can compare to Tom Waits in ways of acclaim vs sales. Sure, this project has mostly been populated by acts that have garnered a load of praise but have hardly set the world alight, but seriously. It seems that everyone, from discerning, gig-going youngsters to their red wine guzzling, dinner party attending parents, loves Tom Waits (check out ‘Big in Japan’ and ‘Eyeball Kid’ for the reasons why) and yet I don't actually know anyone who has bought one of his records. Mule Variations was by far his greatest hit, scoring a number 9 (he managed to break the top 10 people) in the UK charts.

I'll admit, I myself know Waits best for his role as the M-like Doc Heller character in early 00’s movie flop Mystery Men. As much as his wonderful gravelly voice was well picked up by the boom guys of Hollywood, this failed to transcribe into huge theatrical success, and so he was forced to rely on his rarely-below-exceptional music to see him through. I also knew him for a couple of his older songs – ‘The Piano Has Been Drinking’, a song not especially different to ‘Get Behind the Mule’, and ‘Downtown Train’, the song that would go on to be covered by Rod Stewart (but please don’t let that put you off) and best represented here by ‘Hold On’.

‘Lowside of the Road’, ‘Cold Water’, ‘Pony’ – these are all great songs that help to add to the legacy of Mr Waits. 'Picture in a Frame' is the most beautiful tune to be heard here; a delicate love song which reminded me of an old Randy Newman ballad called 'Marie'. The album never really disappoints, regularly contacting standard Waits’ touchstones, although it also surprised me that it’s relatively recent at only 14 years old. I guess that’s because it never really builds upon the general awesomeness of other, earlier albums from the guy.

In summation, this is a good Tom Waits album, nothing more. Which means that it’s a great album by anyone else's standards.

Albumaday... rating: 8/10

1.       Big in Japan – 4:05

2.       Lowside of the Road – 2:59

3.       Hold On – 5:33

4.       Get Behind the Mule – 6:52

5.       House Where Nobody Lives – 4:14

6.       Cold Water – 5:23

7.       Pony – 4:32

8.       What’s He Building? – 3:20

9.       Black Market Baby – 5:02

10.   Eyeball Kid – 4:25

11.   Picture in a Frame – 3:39

12.   Chocolate Jesus – 3:55

13.   Georgia Lee – 4:24

14.   Filipino Box Spring Hog – 3:09

15.   Take It with Me – 4:24

16.   Come on Up to the House – 4:36

Listen to ‘Picture in a Frame‘: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pwxD8quPCg 

Also released on the 16^th April:

1964: The Rolling Stones – The Rolling Stones

Also released on the 16^th April:

1996: Modest Mouse – This is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About