Tom Waits

[Greg Ashton]

Tom has a new triple album due for release. Check out the sample song on the Epitath website: Bottom of the World

http://www.epitaph.com/artists/album/502

Go to the bottom left of the page to stream it.

Sounds like a mandolin to me. Mandola?

In any case, it's a good song in the not-as-weird-as-some-of-it-has-been-lately category. I beleive you could almost play this one for your mother.

[Jim Garber]

Thanks for the heads up... Waits is a brilliant songwriter and performer. I am looking fwd to the new release.

Jim

[Martin Jonas]

Thanks indeed: I like Tom Waits a lot. For a recentish sort-of-melodic album, I strongly recommend "Alice", which has some seriously gorgeous tunes on it.

I see he's included "Two Sisters" on the album, which has always seemed to me a lost Tom Waits song anyway...

Martin

[Santiago]

My favorite Tom Waits song is "On the Nickel" from his old "Heart Attack and Vine" album. But for a really fun evening, go to MySpace and listen to his version of this song followed by Richard Thompson's version of "God Loves a Drunk." Together, they're enough to drive you to drink!

Serious, I've met a lot of famous musicians in my life, and always wanted to meet TW. Once I was in Frankfurt Germany, and I was excited because TW had a hit song in Europe, "Hang Your Head" and was touring. I though I might get a chance to catch his show but I didn't get the chance. So I'm late for my flight and I'm racing through the lobby to catch a bus to the airport, and he's racing through the lobby to catch his tour bus -- and WHAMMO!!! -- I ran right into him and knocked him over!

It was both of our faults, but I immediately appologized not knowing who he is. Waits gets up, looks at me, and in his inimmitable Waits gravel mouth calls me an F'ing A&%$#$@ and stomps off. So I not only got to meet the man (in a sense) but I came away with an amusing annecdote (despite a few bruises).

[halfamind]

I have loved Tom Waits since the late 70s, (don't get me started on my RT obsession) and have never had the chance to see him... I'd be honored if he called me a "F'ing A&%$#$@" http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

My son and I play Chocolate Jesus in our mando/bass duo... for that song alone, I want a banjolin.

Have any of ya'll had a chance to hear the John Hammond album Wicked Grin? Tom Waits meets Howlin' Wolf... great, great stuff, and I did get to see Hammond on that album's tour.

[fishdawg40]

It was both of our faults, but I immediately appologized not knowing who he is. Waits gets up, looks at me, and in his inimmitable Waits gravel mouth calls me an F'ing A&%$#$@ and stomps off. So I not only got to meet the man (in a sense) but I came away with an amusing annecdote (despite a few bruises).
That's great. Irony; you love the guys music and he calls you that! Beautiful...

I haven't listened to the clip but the Waits fans out there know that Tom uses a lot of banjo. It's mostly in those mysterious and haunting melodies of his. My ears are always open and I expect to hear the mandolin but it's always the banjo (come on Tom!). I think the mandolin could add much to the eerie effect.

I need to pick up more of his new stuff. I'm stuck in his earlier drunk Bukowski-esque years. I hear that his new stuff (2000 and on) is super. He actually toured, I think, 10 US cities last month. It was a surprise.

[BluegrassPhilfromFrance]

TOM WAITS IS A GENIUS ... and as the Zim' says : his secret hero !

http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/3336/megabouncepm1.gif (http://imageshack.us)

[BluegrassPhilfromFrance]

Here is the cover ... http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif

[Santiago]

Man! Did that guy swallow a porcupine or what? I mean I love Waits and the song will probably be really good once I get over the initial shock of hearing his vocal, but is he trying to sing or thow up? He sounds surprisingly like my son when a stomache flu gets the worst of him. Would a second take have killed him while sparing me?

[cgwilsonjr]

TW is a staggering original singer/songwriter. One of the all-time greats IMHO. Never heard any mando in his songs though...Chuck

[Santiago]

I love his songs, just not the particular vocal clip on Youtube.

[JEStanek]

I'm looking forward to this release as well. Frank's Wild Years is my favorite CD of his followed by Rain Dogs. Orphans got a great review on CBS Sunday Morning this week.

Jamie

[bush-man]

Waits is one of the gods...nuff said...

[dasspunk]

Oddly, number one on my list of musicians is not a 'Grasser... it is Mr. Waits himself. It's interesting to me to see so many of my fellow mandophiles also enjoy his stuff.

[bush-man]

reading this post made me just pick out the chords to o'l 55... I'm having fun struming it and trying to remember all the lyrics... don't send me a google link, I could do that...hehehhe just having some fun...

russell

[jasona]

Yea, a new Waits album! That definitely sounds like a mandolin there. The other cuts sound good too.

During my move last year, on the highway between LA nad San Francisco I literally "ran into" Tom and Kathleen Brennan. It took all of my restraint to keep from hauling my mandolin out of my car and playing "Old Shoes and Picture Postcards" that I had just worked up the week before (and was pretty raw). Instead I gave him his space, only breaking into his privacy to help him collar his dog.

[Santiago]

How many people caught Tom Waits playing piano in a bar in the animated film Shrek? I thought that was very cool.

[JEStanek]

That track alone makes the CD worth buying and bumped the movie up a big notch in my estimation. Check out his profile (composer / writer / actor) credits on IMDB.com (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001823/) Pretty impressive career!

Jamie

[Rayburn]

How many people caught Tom Waits playing piano in a bar in the animated film Shrek? I thought that was very cool.
That was actually a shared role with Nick Cave. Which is one of my secret fantasies to see them play together. They sound amazingly similar. They both are definitely on my all time favourite artist list though.