Tom Waits - Bad As Me

Posted by: Klout10 on 03 November 2011

Anybody had a chance to hear the latest Tom Waits album?

 

Opinions are welcome!

 


Regards,

Michel

Posted on: 03 November 2011 by Rosewind

It's on my Birthday list for Nov. 11. So I haven't heard it yet, but I am looking forward to doing it.

I think that it was offered as a free listen on Tom Waits' website. I didn't check it out though.

 

Best wishes, Peter

Posted on: 03 November 2011 by Lontano

Sure have. I have to say I like it. My wife does not.

Posted on: 03 November 2011 by graham halliwell

I'm disappointed.  some nice ballads, but nothing that really wants to make me go back and listen time and again.  it also suffers from a compressed MP3/DAB radio sound quality in the worse sense.  I guess those familiar with recent Waits will appreciate his imaginative use of 'lo fi' sound, but this to my ears is just messy, too much surface and not enough detail.  and to me it's the detail in Wait's music and records that makes him stand out from the crowd.

 

shame, as there is really some nice guitar playing from Mark Ribot.

 

I wish he'd return to recording at home.  this record sounds sterile rather than lived in.

Posted on: 03 November 2011 by Madhatter

I have only played it once so far and it will take several listens to really get into it but first impressions are that he is on top form.

 

My favourite of his albums is Mule Variations and this seems up there with that. There is some great guitar work from Keith Richards, Mark Ribot and David Hidalgo (from Los Lobos) and, as always, some really wonderful lyrics.

 

If you are a Tom Waits fan I don’t think you will be disappointed. I love it and so does my wife. Ok, I’d rather it was a bit less lo-fi but that is his thing and you have to go with it. He is a total original.

 

Chris

Posted on: 05 November 2011 by aht

To me it's a solid effort, but not really up to his best (my favorite is SwordfishTrombones--now almost 30 years old!).  I agree entirely about the sound.  The vinyl edition comes with a free CD, so you can compare.  Even the vinyl sounds like a low-res MP3.

Posted on: 05 November 2011 by cto007
This new record of his comes off sounding like a greatest hits album - except all the songs are new. He revisits many styles across his career. The best part of the LP presentation is the full size, multiple insert with lyrics and photos. Sonically, however, the album sounds like its on the wrong side of the loudness wars. Some songs are produced to sound deliberately lowfi with imitation vinyl surface noise added for retro effect on one track. In fact, it's the sound of chicken sizzling on a BBQ grill that they recorded to double as surface noise (from his promo interview on Fresh Air). I wish he'd return to his Mule Variations period with regard to sonic production quality. Although, unlike many musicians I listen to, I'll take some new Tom anyway I can.
Posted on: 06 November 2011 by Klout10
Originally Posted by cto007:
Although, unlike many musicians I listen to, I'll take some new Tom anyway I can.


Thank you all for your replies, that's the way I look at it, got to order my copy!

 

Regards,

Michel

Posted on: 29 November 2011 by Mike Hughes
Half a dozen listens and took it back. Appallingly mastered and fatiguing with too many songs lacking dynamics and subtlety. Worse still it took a whole to register but at least half the songs appear to be two chord affairs. The lyrics, as they have for years now, left me completely unmoved. The new Joe Henry - that's the shizzle.
Posted on: 01 December 2011 by madasafish

No.1 daughter already promised this for my Xmas box (or no lunch for her).