Tom Waits

[epilogue]

Today I was admiring the way Rain Dogs so directly infuses the melodies, emotions, and playful whimsies of the past. There are so many direct lifts in there...musically, it runs from nursery rhymes (Clap Hands) to Disney songs (Diamonds and Gold) to folk ballads (Hang Down Your Head), and it is pretty unapologetic about grafting a deeper musical reality to its already playfully-reverential figure. Lyrically, Tom draws on historical slang, old stories, and far-reaching geographic reference points in a less 'dip of the hat and a wink' way than he does later on in his career. I think that it is the result of these sorts of choices...the sort of 'dipping the song into the edge of a much larger and long-running current,' that makes it stand out for me as being almost mystical.

Anyway, that was on my mind.

Great post.

And not to defuse any of that, but to me Rain Dogs is Tom's first musical. It isn't trying as hard nor is it wearing its own performance on its sleeve as some of the his later musical efforts. But I could absolutely see Rain Dogs as a stage musical. And I think a lot of the reason why is brought to the top with the foam in your post, McP.

[---]

update: haven't felt compelled to listen to anything Waits since the detour in the neil young thread

[epilogue]

I've listened to pretty much nothing but Tom Waits since that detour.

[Strat]

I've listened to pretty much nothing but Tom Waits since that detour.

*since i discovered tom waits

[epilogue]

I've listened to pretty much nothing but Tom Waits since that detour.

*since i discovered tom waits

Aw huh

[verb_to_trust]

bump

Filipino Box Spring Hog just slams on my hi fi, yo

[epilogue]

bump

Filipino Box Spring Hog just slams on my hi fi, yo

I wish I could put into words how much I love that song.

[Jorge]

I played that when I was manning the grill at my BBQ last week and it felt right.

I wasn't exactly cooking up a filipino box-spring hog, but still.

[Norah]

I play that song a lot on the juke box while shooting darts.

[epilogue]

Both appropriate scenarios for that song. I play it just walking down the street sometimes.

[Strat]

I play it while tugging on my penis.

[verb_to_trust]

I play it while tugging on my penis.

me too

[Strat]

Good mornin'!

[McParadigm]

Blood Money sounds alright on vinyl.

[Kevin Davis]

[McParadigm]

[epilogue]

Fuck 4 song leaks. I'm just gonna keep listening to this guy.

[VinylGuy]

Good idea...im going to spin something later.

[gems and rhinestones]

Tom Waits was the real Joker

[Self]

Tom sent me an email today. Said he was gonna do an acoustic set of 'Bad As Me' songs at the Bridge School benefit.