Tom waits which album is the best

The album is probably best assessed as a bluesy jazz record. During this time, one would find Waits on stage waving his hands in mystical shapes while loosely holding a lit cigarette, mesmerizing nightclub audiences. Waits speaks plainly, but sophisticatedly. As a result, the album is remarkably long — the length of three.

Throughout the collection, however, Waits moves through not only some of his most elegant songwriting, but some of his most intriguing interpretation. As a full entity, however, it stands against any other studio effort Waits has ever put out, and deserves to be recognized as one of his best. Since its release in , Waits has been rooted in its folksy musings, but has also shifted dramatically in nearly every other direction.

Waits was aiming to record a jazz record, but ended up with a singer-songwriter staple. The raw simplicity of the album cannot be understated, however, and Waits is in his barest, most essential element on the record.

The album is the first record the man produced on his own, and his first effort on Island Records. The album is arguably a quintessentially American record because it harnesses folklore and sounds from every American immigrant culture. I highly recommend this album if you are a Tom Waits fan. Tom Waits is a creative legend. See more: Janis Joplin Albums Ranked. Tom Waits has found his voice, and if his entire repertoire, his entire history were to disappear from the Earth tomorrow, Mule Variations by itself would be enough to justify his place in music history.

This is the way that songwriting should be—no flash, no pretense, just honest vocals, heady lyrics, and a light backing band next to the lead instrument and voice. If you feel you have a need to understand what loneliness is—and there are many out there who probably do—put this album on when you are completely alone, both in mental and physical terms.

It also benefits from the contributions from some very good musicians. William Schimmel plays accordion on a few tracks and Keith Richards from the Rolling Stones plays guitar on a couple of numbers, and they both make telling contributions to the music. Skip to content. The noir-drenched tracks reflect a time after Waits had been touring relentlessly and his drinking habits had picked up significantly.

Thus the lyrical content is more personal than ever and offer a unique glimpse of the man behind the character. This was the album that cemented Waits as a key figure in American songwriting and has earnt its place amongst the pantheon of great albums. Skip to content. Features Tom Waits. Copied to clipboard. It's been over 50 years and we still don't understand this circle drawn by John Coltrane. Rating: 88 votes Comments: 1.

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