Finally I’m going to review my first Tom Waits album. That gruff voice can never get old to listen to. There were a few albums that I was considering (Nighthawks at the Diner, Rain Dogs, Mule Vibrations, The Heart of a Saturday Night) but I thought it would be appropriate to review his debut. Tom did not let anyone down with this album, usually debut albums are a little less than desired but Tom hit this one out of the park. Waits has got to be one of my top five artists, if I really had to choose, up there with Neil Young, Son House, Beatles and Leadbelly. I just couldn’t wait to review one of his albums.
Ol’ 55 starts off the record. Now this song has been covered numerous artists, most famously by The Eagles on their One Of These Nights album. The Eagles made it famous but Tom sang it the best ( too much harmony for such a down song). From the first line “well my time went so quickly, I went lickety splitley out to my ol’ 55”, the line just rolls off the tongue. It’s one of the great driving songs of all time, a story about just getting away and throwing caution to the wind. The song actually has a funny story behind it. Tom had a friend that needed some gas money go drive the date he was out with back home. He was in an old 55 Buick. The car could only drive in reverse so his friend drove all the way home in reverse, hence the line “Now there's trucks all a passin’ me, And the lights all a flashing”. Amazing song, one of my favorite Waits songs.
Next we have a sweet melancholy song called I Hope That I Don’t Fall In Love With You. It’s a song about Tom finding a girl in a bar (of course) and wanting to pick her up and sleep with her, but he’s afraid that he will fall in love and have his heart broken. He keeps mowing over in his mind about how to pick her up but just can’t figure out the right way. He finally grabs a seat next to her and orders a stout. Of course he falls in love in the end.
Virginia Avenue comes in next. Bringing in a jazzy feel to the album. The song just oozes cool. After a hard night drinking at a club there’s nowhere to go so he just walks down random streets contemplating on skipping town and hitting up another club with a later closing time. The last line “The blues I leave behind, keeps catching up on me” just says it all.
In comes a country feel to the album, Old Shoes (& Postcards). This song is about a breaking up and getting back together. The vicious circle of a bad relationship. It’s all there in the song, written out so clear. Cheating, lies, love, lust, this song has it all.
Toms jazzy lullaby flows on in with Midnight Lullaby. His attempt at a cute sweet song is failed, with quotes in them as “you can burn the midnight oil with me” and “Sing a song of six pence, pocket full of rye”. It just means that Tom’s not meant to write a cute sweet adorable song. Nor does he need to.
To round out side two it’s the first of two solo songs done on piano. Martha, Martha was a long lost love of Tom’s in the song. Who knows if she was real or not but in this song it’s as real as it gets. He gets a little teary eyed while calling her up on the phone. Even though its been over 40 years since they last had contact he has never forgotten her. She was his perfect mate, between laughing and sharing poetry. At the end of the song it turns out it was never meant to be so they go their separate ways. He still loves her and can’t seem to forget the nights of trembling close to her. Let’s leave it at that.
Side two starts with Rosie, yet another song about a woman. A late night thinking about Rosie and how could he win her heart. Beautiful piano and pedal steel guitar flows well together through this song.
The second solo song on this album is Lonely. It’s the only disappointment to me on this album, a little too strange and dragged out without making much sense. Not my favorite, its why I always skip pass this song and listening to it again I remember why.
Ice Cream Man drives on in next. It has a 50’s be bop beat to it that makes you want to get up and dance around the room wishing you had a root beer float in one hand and your sweetie pie in your other. The happiest song on this album since the others are kind of gloomy and about heartache. I love the celeste bells at the end of the song, well done Tom.
Little Trip To Heaven sounds like Sinatra; Tom was the new age Rat Pack. Booze, drugs and women all wraped in one skinny little kid. I’m sure if sure if the original Rat Pack heard this song they would be proud. Maybe even cover it, everyone else covered Toms songs. He even throws in the Shoobedopapada in at the end. Sweet!!
Another song that I’m kind of on the fence about is Grapefruit Moon. The string arrangement in the background goes very well with Toms piano. A tune can breaks his heart and the only thing that can fix it is a grapefruit moon and one star shining. I’m still a little confused about the whole lyrics in a whole. It’s hard to comprehend but that’s what makes Tom Waits, obscure.
The last tune is a instrumental that consists of piano, cello, bass and trumpet. Beautiful sounding. Tom pounds at the piano while the trumpet comes in and out . Tom on his debut shows everyone he can cover any genre of music, be it country, jazz, rock, 50s be bop, his diversity shines through on every album. Some artist are diverse from album to album covering different genres. Tom can do it on one. Well done.
p.s. Classic Rock named Tom Waits’ Closing Time as one of the greatest debuts off all time. I know why. Listen to the whole album and you’ll know why as well. Congrats on getting nominated to the rock and roll hall of fame.
Ol’ 55 starts off the record. Now this song has been covered numerous artists, most famously by The Eagles on their One Of These Nights album. The Eagles made it famous but Tom sang it the best ( too much harmony for such a down song). From the first line “well my time went so quickly, I went lickety splitley out to my ol’ 55”, the line just rolls off the tongue. It’s one of the great driving songs of all time, a story about just getting away and throwing caution to the wind. The song actually has a funny story behind it. Tom had a friend that needed some gas money go drive the date he was out with back home. He was in an old 55 Buick. The car could only drive in reverse so his friend drove all the way home in reverse, hence the line “Now there's trucks all a passin’ me, And the lights all a flashing”. Amazing song, one of my favorite Waits songs.
Next we have a sweet melancholy song called I Hope That I Don’t Fall In Love With You. It’s a song about Tom finding a girl in a bar (of course) and wanting to pick her up and sleep with her, but he’s afraid that he will fall in love and have his heart broken. He keeps mowing over in his mind about how to pick her up but just can’t figure out the right way. He finally grabs a seat next to her and orders a stout. Of course he falls in love in the end.
Virginia Avenue comes in next. Bringing in a jazzy feel to the album. The song just oozes cool. After a hard night drinking at a club there’s nowhere to go so he just walks down random streets contemplating on skipping town and hitting up another club with a later closing time. The last line “The blues I leave behind, keeps catching up on me” just says it all.
In comes a country feel to the album, Old Shoes (& Postcards). This song is about a breaking up and getting back together. The vicious circle of a bad relationship. It’s all there in the song, written out so clear. Cheating, lies, love, lust, this song has it all.
Toms jazzy lullaby flows on in with Midnight Lullaby. His attempt at a cute sweet song is failed, with quotes in them as “you can burn the midnight oil with me” and “Sing a song of six pence, pocket full of rye”. It just means that Tom’s not meant to write a cute sweet adorable song. Nor does he need to.
To round out side two it’s the first of two solo songs done on piano. Martha, Martha was a long lost love of Tom’s in the song. Who knows if she was real or not but in this song it’s as real as it gets. He gets a little teary eyed while calling her up on the phone. Even though its been over 40 years since they last had contact he has never forgotten her. She was his perfect mate, between laughing and sharing poetry. At the end of the song it turns out it was never meant to be so they go their separate ways. He still loves her and can’t seem to forget the nights of trembling close to her. Let’s leave it at that.
Side two starts with Rosie, yet another song about a woman. A late night thinking about Rosie and how could he win her heart. Beautiful piano and pedal steel guitar flows well together through this song.
The second solo song on this album is Lonely. It’s the only disappointment to me on this album, a little too strange and dragged out without making much sense. Not my favorite, its why I always skip pass this song and listening to it again I remember why.
Ice Cream Man drives on in next. It has a 50’s be bop beat to it that makes you want to get up and dance around the room wishing you had a root beer float in one hand and your sweetie pie in your other. The happiest song on this album since the others are kind of gloomy and about heartache. I love the celeste bells at the end of the song, well done Tom.
Little Trip To Heaven sounds like Sinatra; Tom was the new age Rat Pack. Booze, drugs and women all wraped in one skinny little kid. I’m sure if sure if the original Rat Pack heard this song they would be proud. Maybe even cover it, everyone else covered Toms songs. He even throws in the Shoobedopapada in at the end. Sweet!!
Another song that I’m kind of on the fence about is Grapefruit Moon. The string arrangement in the background goes very well with Toms piano. A tune can breaks his heart and the only thing that can fix it is a grapefruit moon and one star shining. I’m still a little confused about the whole lyrics in a whole. It’s hard to comprehend but that’s what makes Tom Waits, obscure.
The last tune is a instrumental that consists of piano, cello, bass and trumpet. Beautiful sounding. Tom pounds at the piano while the trumpet comes in and out . Tom on his debut shows everyone he can cover any genre of music, be it country, jazz, rock, 50s be bop, his diversity shines through on every album. Some artist are diverse from album to album covering different genres. Tom can do it on one. Well done.
p.s. Classic Rock named Tom Waits’ Closing Time as one of the greatest debuts off all time. I know why. Listen to the whole album and you’ll know why as well. Congrats on getting nominated to the rock and roll hall of fame.
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