Tom Waits documentary on the Beeb.

Moribund? Not sure what that means, if it's "I don't like Tom" then thats correct. I can't hear why any body would have signed him.

To keep a sense of fair play I might try to watch it, you never know.....

I simply hadn't heard about it.  Thanks for the heads up, will check it out.

Sloop, thanks. Will try to find it. If you are still yet to bond with TW, do try Heart attack and Vine. Then Small Change. His best years I reckon. H and Vine is pretty easy going and not a bad track there.

Dave 

I've got it recorded, plan to watch it while having a drink with the piano.

Too bad I can't watch this due to territorial restrictions. Tom Waits is among the few artists whose complete output I have.

SJB, you can easily categorize his albums into three distinct groups. The first are the early ones on Asylum and Manifesto records. The second is his only CBS record "One from the heart", the third group everything afterwards. His early work is a sort of Bar Jazz, Closing Time is a fine one, most people seem to like Blue Valentine best. One from the Heart is unique and maybe the most accessible album. Some hardcore fans have put it down as a pop record, but this is too superficial to me. The later stuff is the most difficult, but contains many gems. I like "The Black Rider" very much. But in the end, get them all, they are great .

Bodger posted:

Sloop, thanks. Will try to find it. If you are still yet to bond with TW, do try Heart attack and Vine. Then Small Change. His best years I reckon. H and Vine is pretty easy going and not a bad track there.

Dave 

I'm sure that Heart attack was an album he knocked out to fulfill label obligations. It's ok, but of the earlier stuff Blue Valentines and Foreign Affairs are my favourites. His version of Somewhere on the former is just fantastic. His Bawlers, Brawlers and Bastards triple album is a great place to start on the later stuff. I must search out the documentary. 

HH ... agreed,  Somewhere, is brilliant , good to know i know someone who thinks its terrific

Had the privelidge of seeing TW in London in the 80's... Remarkable. 

Bob F

An interesting programme. Having just watched it I find I would prefer listening to his records to his live performance (very unusual for a Deadhead!). His stage/interview persona is so overdone as to be borderline unwatchable but his music is (mostly) brilliant and he is a real one off.

Wouldn't want to be without Downtown Train, Time, Jersey Girl, Innocent When You Dream, Tom Traubert's Blues, House Where Nobody Lives and Down in the Hole.

Interesting documentary. He can sing fine(ish) and doesn't really need to put that ghastly voice on. Learned something about him but probably won't listen to his stuff.

Sloop,

Watching this, I this I realised I had pretty much all of his albums.  Whilst overall, I probably prefer the earlier stuff, you cannot deny that he has never stood still and is always arresting.  At one point he said something along the lines of "I've never had a hit and I'm difficult to work with".  Try getting a ticket for one of his infrequent tours and you realise that there are a lot of people who seem to like him.

Regards

Nic

Always been a fan of TW; even heard one of his songs played at a funeral; how melancholy is that. He has the sensitivity in lyrics (often) if not in voice (seldom). Didn't know about the programme but will watch this in preference to the rubbish which is normally portrayed as music on the box. 

For those wanting to dip into the mysterious and varied world of Tom :

Early Asylum Years - Blue Valentine.

Virgin/Charisma 80's period - Rain Dogs.

Later Anti years - Mule Variations.

Hi Guys

I am a first time poster here, I watched the Tom Waits program thought it was really good. I like his music especially Closing Time Heart attack & vine Swordfish but also his later stuff like Mule, he's a great storyteller you really get a sense of the sleazy side of life in his music.

Welcome Martins66, plenty of sleazy sounding music from Mr Waites.  Check out "Nighthawks at the Diner" and get the real feel of sticking to the carpet.  Also "One from the Heart" for some fantastic duets with Crystal Gayle, but basically hard to go wrong with TW.

Regards

Nic

love Nighthawks at the Diner. must try and find this broadcast on i player

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/e...om-a-cracked-jukebox

.sjb

I recently pulled out Nighthawks at the Diner on vinyl.   One of my favorite albums of all time.  Imagine yourself in 1970's West Hollywood with session guys out of the Tonight Show orchestra.   Just really cool.

We played it on 45, just like we used to do as a gag in our college dorm.  It still sounds perfectly acceptable at 45 and maybe even better that way.   Try it yourself and see.

You should also try Wicked Grin by John Hammond, playing many of TW's greatest hits,  I think, using a couple of personnel from Tom Waits' band, with Waits as producer.  This is very good, more of a Tom Waits Lite.  I would love to see them do a sequel.

Finally, you can try the originalist compilation of Tom Waits Jukebox, of original artists that are said to have inspired TW.  This is also fun to listen to.

Another Tom Waits fan here. There's not much of his music I don't like, but I accept some of it isn't terribly accessible. "One From The Heart" with Crystal Gayle is pretty easy going, and "The Heart Of Saturday Night" is my recommendation for those not accustomed to deepest Waitsland.