Search - Tom Waits :: Asylum Years

TOM 'WAITS ' FOR NO ONE!!!!

brianolson@boogie.co.uk | 11/18/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"when i think of geniuses of the rock/pop idiom i guess i would plump for people like DYLAN,BRIAN WILSON,ZAPPA,LENNON/MCARTNEY
TODD RUNDGREN,LAURA NYRO etc.etc and i would not be shy of adding TOM WAITS name to the list.Composer,performer,actor(check out COPPOLA'S DRACULA and MYSTERY MEN)TOM is a human being of enourmous talent who also posseses unmistakeable vocal powers as this immaculate collection of his work for ASYLUM records demonstrates.Planet WAITS is populated by surreal characters in bizzare urban landscapes whose stories take the form of cool jazz/blues fuelled beat poems as in POTTERS FIELD,SMALL CHANGE
and THE GHOSTS OF SATURDAY NIGHT or gorgeous,moving masterpieces
such as TOM TRAUBERTS BLUES,MARTHA,RUBYS ARMS and the achingly sad KENTUCKY AVENUE.I dare you not to be moved by his rendition of SOMEWHERE from WEST SIDE STORY or completely charmed by his duet with BETTE MIDLER on I NEVER TALK TO STRANGERS and i defy you not to be completely spellbound by this extraordinary man on this fantastic 70 minute slice of his work.
Incidentally the track GRAPEFRUIT MOON was produced by JERRY YESTER who played in a band called THE LOVIN SPOONFUL which was captained by a certain MR JOHN SEBASTIAN which brings me back to geniuses."

Questionable selection

Pieter | 01/10/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a "best songs" collection from Tom Wait's early years: 'bout enough said. However, it's missing (my own personal) favorites such as Ol' 55, The Piano Has Been Drinking, and Heart Attack and Vine. That said, it's still probably more accessable to novice Tom Waits listeners than the new greatest hits collection, Used Songs."

GRAVEL VOICED STORY TELLER

Pieter | Johannesburg | 05/29/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I am always impressed by Tom Waits' descriptive ability - the way he paints vignettes of people and places and moods. His early work on the Asylum label is generally more accessible than later stuff like Bone Machine and here the listener finds Waits in a gentle frame of mind on a tasty selection of mainly soft ballads and jazzy numbers like Blue Valentines and the duet I Never Talk To Strangers. I prefer his country style ballads so Tom Traubert's Blues (Waltzing Matilda) and Ruby's Arms are my favourites. This is a good introduction to his bluesy musical vision contained in that gravely voice and his evocative story songs, but I think it would have been better if masterpieces like The Piano's Been Drinking (Not Me), I Hope That I Don't Fall In Love With You, Old 55 and Saving All My Love For You had been included. I also recommend his albums Heartattack And Vine and Swordfishtrombones."