Tom Waits Closing Time 50th Anniversary

Yes folks, today marks the 50th Anniversary of the release of Tom’s first album!

https://tomwaits.cmail20.com/t/d-e-zhlhktt-jhgydyhdk-m/

 

Still gets a spin occasionally but I do not want to hear it polished up too much - I prefer the raw, unknown and uncertain sound of the young Tom.

 

Agreed, I particularly like many of the tracks on The Early Years Vol. 1 and Vol. 2.

 

See ya tomorrow, hey Frank can I borrow
A couple of bucks from you?

 

Listened to it last night, he was reasonably conventional in his early career.

 

A fabulous album, one of my toppest ten bestest ever.

 

What an album, what a guy. Saw him live in Dublin a few years ago, a real bucket list achievement and a great gig. He seems to have been quiet of late, hopefully enjoying his millions, rather than just going on tour after tour to fund alimony payments, like some of his cohort.

 

What's the best Red Book CD version?

 

Waits is interesting as even his fans can't agree on his best records. I've pretty much everything he'd released ( except, for some reason, Heart of the Saturday Night) but think the really good stuff started with Small Change and then there's that amazing run through to Alice / Blood Money . I like Closing Time but think its one of the weaker of his records.

That run is something else though - 12 albums over 25 years and every one more or less essential IMO. I've even come round the the view that Frank's Wild Years, which I struggled with when it was released, is a great record.

TBH I'm less of a fan of Real Gone and Bad Like Me - full of good things but lacking the sublime moments that connect the previous 12 but I do need to go back and give them another play.

 

The Elektra CDs of all the early Waits' albums are very good.

 

He has one of the great discographies. I do quite like Brawlers 3 CD set. He’s one of the few truly unique artists.