Tom Waits: Burma Shave (Elektra, 1977)I was out the other night - out! imagine! - and, for reasons I can't quite remember we got to talking about Tom Waits. Now, I've loved TW for years and years and years, but he's one of those people who you know you love with such certainty that, often, you don't feel like you actually need you need to listen to them very often. Well, having got home I decided to change that and - a little unsteadily - made for Foreign Affairs. And then headed straight for this track, a total beauty recorded at the point where Waits was moving from the jazz-bum troubadour to the more eccentric character we now know (and some of us love). This track is utterly beautiful, so simply realised yet brilliantly delivered.
Thanks Tom...
11 comments:
Rob,
Great track. Obviously you will have to go out a lot more!
Quick question though re TW: has there ever been an musician as critically revered as he? One that music critics seem to unquestionly (is that a word?) praise as the real deal. While I have happily bought everything he released, it seems more and more to me that he is a one (or two) trick pony. Good but not that great.
Will I be shot for that?
Could it not have been that four 'points' of the black stuff in, you were fondly reminiscing about The Ghost Of Electricity's recent TW post, and on arriving back at Landcroft Towers(wobbly key in the door, SHHH! don't wake the missus or the kids, make some toast maybe, where's that CHEESE?)you put some Tom on and thought -'FECK it - I need to post summa that on me blog tomorra (SNORE)'?
The one thing that never gets picked up is that Tom waits whole "old rummy" act has been going on since he was 20 which was only in late 60's. He is the only man alive to still have friends called matilda! He seemed to pretend to be avant garde tramp and then went out to become one. I do like his songs but they can be a bit "rich" all at once. Lastly I can never entirely trust a jazzer.
Pad: I can't think of one - not one that's actually alive. And people bang on about his new stuff as much as his old stuff, which, again, is almost unheard of...
Davy: Oh God, you're absolutely right! Sorry - I knew that someone had jogged my memory and made me think about him all of a sudden and it was you!
bltp: he definitely pushed the drunk hobo thing to the point where it nearly killed him - he credits his wife for saving his life (though I'm sure she doesn't like to talk about it). But never trust a jazzer? Oh no, you're not getting me on that one.
a cracking track Rob, he's such a great songwriter. I've been listening to his earlier albums a lot again recently as well as watching lots of great youtube clips. The man is a legend...
hey MG: I've listened to it three times this morning already...
And what I meant to say was 'Thank you Rob, I haven't heard this track before and it is quite, quite lovely'.
You know you're very welcome...
I'm afraid I just can't get on with him. Jersey Girl is the only song I find vaguely accessible.
Kentucky Avenue (from Blue Valentine) has alway been my favourite. For what it's worth.
VS: Oh blimey - just the mention of Blue Valentine makes me think of $29.00 - what a tune...
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