last updated 06.21.00
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"Tom Waits? who the hell is that?," is the just about the only
response that I get when ever I am talking to someone about music. Of
course my reaction would have been the same about two years ago. I didn't
even hear of Tom Waits until the fall of my senior year in high school. Me
and the most of the other senior guy's were waiting in the head prefect,
Adrian's room. He puts on the nighthawks at the dinner cd and we all start
to listen to it and laugh. Just about everyone was impressed. Especially
two of us, me and Isaiha, we are now avid Tom waits fanatics and have
bought multiple cd's. At school we had a school radio that was becoming
pretty popular and so one night when we were sure that all the femenists
and the headmaster of the school were listening, we played "pasties and a
g-string". It wasn't that it was illegal to play but there had already
been discussionat my school about playing inappropriate music on the radio.
I know there isn't really anythi
ing bad in the song, but since people were listening for anything of the
sort to get there hands one, this caused a little bit of a stir among the
teachers. Kinda lame story, I know, but it brought all of those tom waits
fans present closer together. We even found one teacher, granted that he
was only 23 and quite liberal and cultured, that was a big tom waits fan.
And ever since I haven't ran into anybody that knows who tom waits is even
though there is a huge selection of his music at the music store......no email address
you've asked for a favorite album....,i can'nt say that i can
agree with the idea of the need for the catagory period. all of the mans
works as a whole can'nt be seen that way. mr. waits i salute you!
......earnest.weymouth@gte.net
So I'm reading responses and it's sounding to me like Tom invented music
and lyrics.
Everyone out there who loves Tom needs to know that there is music other
than Tom. I'm being unfair to four or five of you, I know, and to them I
apologize. To the rest of you:
Leonard Cohen. First guy that comes to mind, because thee is a very
strong vocal resemblance. Not as experimental musically, but a stronger
and more versatile lyricist/poet.
Lyle Lovett. Calling him a country singer is like calling
Swordfishtrombones a blues album. His 15 minutes of fame expired with the
marriage, but the music is still there. He does some damn funny stuff
which unfortunately leads people to dismiss him as a joke.
John Cale. First man to hook a violin to an amp deserves mention in a
Waits fan site. He chronicles the down and hopeless as well as Tom does,
but he doesn't stay in the 20th century. (Tom doesn't usually go further
back than WWI)
Frank Zappa. Of course. If you've never seen Zappa in concert, it's too
late now, but you can listen.
Violent Femmes. If Tom Waits had been trapped in Junior High for his
entire life, he would be Gordon Gecko.
Sonia Dada. Yet another blend of eclectic musical styles and surprising
lyrics. The difference is that this group is fronted by three guys who can
sing - gospel, blues, soul, the good stuff. Unlike most guys who can
really sing, they have real lyrics to work with as well.......davpar@ix.netcom.com
TOM WAITS IS A GOD. HE IS THE ONLY TRULY CREDIBLE ARTIST OUT
THERE RIGHT NOW. TOM IF YOU READ THIS, GET YOUR ASS BACK OUT TO SAN DIEGO
AND GIVE US A FUCKING SHOW!!!!!!!!.......MIKEBOVA
The bourbon tastes sweeter, the smoke becomes sublime and your
shadow becomes your best friend whenever Tom Waits sings. Good to see I'm
not the only one who stays up all night drinking, smoking and listening........binky10@hotmail.com
My first exposure to Tom Waits came quite by accident. I was
channel surfing and happened across a PBS show out of California. Two then
popular musicians brought him out on stage a virtual unknown - this was
very early in his career. Waits did a couple of songs from Nighthawks at
the Dinner. I was absolutely floored. There hasn't been a better
songwriter since then. I am a fan forever. Wish I could recall the name
TV show........gtb@home.com
Where to begin...
My first experience with Tom Waits was getting to hear Night on Earth from
an old hipster roomie (hey to Phil) who had picked it up for, I think, the
cool cover. Like most people, my first reaction was, "what the hell is
this? I can't even understand him." I distinctly remember the first time I
_got_ Tom Waits. I was listening to The Briar and The Rose and it was, to
quote Eric Clapton, like being struck by a bolt of lightning. I since have
played Waits at my wedding, (I'll Shoot the Moon. I think I took 5 years
off my mother in law's life when she saw her daughter singing it) and will
probably play it at my wake. Tom is all the tiny spaces inside a teardrop
and the eternity of a heart breaking. He's also the crescendo of joy at
getting away free and clear. Kudos to you for the site and the creativity
of the photos. Everyone feel free to drop me a line. And remember, God is a
little guy........justina@primenet.com
first heard tom when i was about tenormaybeeleven (i'm not sure i was
suffering from a now-corrected mental condition which is not to say
everything's better now but i digress) i was living in vieuxmontreal down
by the iberville wharf(before it was a tourist trap - at the time it was
just a slightly crappy neighborhood) - we had just gotten stolen cable for
the first time in my life - needless to say muchmusic (the Canadian MTV)
was on 24/7 - and his special, BIG TIME came on... goodevenin'... when he
told me about frank and that damn dog - the innocent can filled with
HI-TEST - I laughed and didn't know why. when he played "hang on
st.christopher" i ran around and danced and threw myself against the couch
- i was a little scared - i was enjoying it a lot - and i didn't remember
him or have any clear recollection of him for some time.
I wanted to be Tom Waits when I grew up. The Tom Waits that could
wear three days of stubble, a black pinstripe suit, a red Quiana shirt,
four watches and a pair of roachkillers - and three foot hair - and git
away with it - who could say, dismissively, "aaawww
there'snothingwrongwitherthata hunnerdollars wouldn't fix"-- that could say
"No, I mean the elevator to Hell..." that could set the Thames on fire.
but i was only tenormaybeeleven. So it didn't take.
And then. Moved to Ottawa. A couple of years passed. Got a VCR again.
Rented "Big Time" video. easing into it again, y'unnerstand. Memories
flooding back. Almost killed me. I remembered things that I didn't
remember remembering... like "Used Erotica" and "train song" which still
makes me choke up a little and laugh it off - i bought the cd i stole Rain
Dogs off a frield i found Closing Time (and don't listen to it all that
often) i used to have Bone Machine but my girlfriend flang it off the
balcony along with some other stuff (I guess she'd seen Down By Law and
wanted to make the movie mean something to me when I saw it a year later -
it did - thanks babe) - got a pirate tape of Black Rider and it was sweet
as a peach that's just starting to turn.
Tom's good when you're drunk. When you're depressed. When you're feeling
like Byron's trying to claw his way out of your chest. When you want to
kill a head of state and GOD DAMMIT a senator just won't do this time.
Tom's just good. As a comedian, he's Bill Hicks and George Carlin and
Stephen Wright. As a singer, he's Screamin' Jay Hawkins and Howlin' Wolf
and John Lee Hooker and Chet Atkins, mostly because of the way Chet looks
on the cover of The Guitar Genius (RCA, 1963) clutchin that hollowbody with
that gnarled smiling face. And yeah, he's Harry Partch. And if he never
releases another album I'll still die happy.........srandall@chat.carleton.ca
i really love his music,it keeps me goin`.........lumis@koti.tpo.fi
I fuckin love Zeppelin...and Waits is really good also......no email address
I got into Tom Waits listening to his early ballads but my tastes seem to
have evolved with his career.
I became a fan around 1989 and have spent the last decade collecting his
back catalogue.
I now enjoy his more experiemental phases, the weirder the better for me.
Furthermore, as an opponent of the "Cult of Celebrity", Waits is one of
the few artists that I'm interested personally and generally I like his
turns in films.
A round for the homosexuuuaaals at the end of the bar indeed!........FiW@aol.com
Well ....i think maybe inside it will be Susan Malolango.......jorge@ox.lis.ulusiada.pt
god i miss kait........ace@mediasoft.net
Unique & Excellent
that«s all I can say........Michael.Huber@t-online.de
I'm afraid I'm a relative newcomer to Mr. Waits' music.
I first heard of him through Moxy Fruvous, everyone's
favorite acoustic/electric folk rock eclecticism
specialists. Anyone who hasn't heard their cover of
"Jockey Full of Bourbon" must run out and buy their
"Live Noise" album. "Rain Dogs" was recommended to me
by Dave Matheson, Fruvous' Singer/Guitarist/Accordianist,
when I inquired about the origins of "Jockey". I got the
album, and have been a Tom Waits fanatic ever since.
Mr. Waits' music is like nothing I've ever heard, and
his poetic lyrics are amazing. Every song (on "Rain
Dogs", at least) conjures up incredibly vivid images
of tragic, twisted figures living in a world of dingy
alleys and back rooms, a world unaffected by the goings
on of mainstream society, a world where nothing ever
changes and the inhabitants do all they can to try and
escape, only to be caught even deeper in its web. Mr.
Waits truly is a master of his craft.
If you happen to read this, Mr. Matheson, let me say
this: "Thanks, Dave-o!"........tanner_the_jedi_master@yahoo.com
I first dicovered Tom Waits through a the Blue Valentine track which my
brother had a scratchy old tape recording of. I'd just been through a
rough time with a girl and it just seemed the right tune to listen to at 3
a.m. whilst pinning after her. I was in some finnacial trouble at the time
so I turned to rooting around second hand vinyl shops and buying cheap
french beer( I know bourbon would have been better but they had this
special offer on in Safeways). Armed with these weapons I ploughed through
many a morning listen to tunes like Cold Cold Ground, Ruby's Arms, Jersey
Girl, Kentucy Avenue, Time, I hope I Don't Fall In Love With You and
perhaps the one that spoke to me most is Martha(God save me from the cover
versions). These songs complete with all their jumps and scratches managed
to sum up everything I didn't have the words to say. Then when i finally
lightend up I found a huge selection of just damn fine tunes like Earth
died screaming. heartattack and vine and !
jockey full of bourbon. But whenever I feel down and need consolidating I
always return to those rambling, melodic laments. However, my flatmats
have banned me from playing Waits in the Kitchen on the basis that he is "a
weird, depressing somewhat tuneless old man whose got to learn to at least
sing before you can play those bastard records in here!!!!!!!!!!). What to
do with the uneducated eh?
Cai Strachan
22 Chapel Lane
Conisbrough
South Yorkshire
ENGLAND
DN12 2BW
P.S. does anyone want to give me some free bootlegs????? ......no email address
Could he be God?????........lillefjant@hotmail.com
I admire Mr. Waits and his music/lyrics. I haven't listened to him for
such a very long time but I already love it.
He's got the most amazing voice that cuts through your soul like an
unsharpened breadknife with the power of a razorblade.
Well, that's it.
Mattias and Torkel........lillefjant@hotmail.com
I've been listening to Tom Waits on and off (mostly off) for 15 years.
I guess I was put off by his singing at first, but slowly, it grew on me. I
guess the Elektra anthology finally won me over. I had of course heard the
cover songs over the years. But there was something about his singing and
writing that hit a nerve one day. I think it had a lot to do with the
deaths of Burroughs and Ginsberg that did it.
I had moved from New York to San Diego, and live in Chula Vista,
which neighbors National City. I only recently found out that Tom grew up
there. Weird world. I hope that the city will give Tom some sort of
recognition as they do Jewel, Eddie Vedder, and Jim Croce. (anyone know if
Tom knew Jim?) I wonder if he went to his HS reunion here... doubt it. I
can see where the roots of his songs came from, living so close to the Navy
bars, hearing the sea stories for so many years. One could picture him
sneaking in to the bars in his teens going shot for shot with the sailors
fresh from a Westpac near 32nd st (I wonder if the Trophy Lounge was around
then) and going to Tijuana for the cheap booze and women. San Diego was
definitely a different place then, and his songs are a reminder of what is
no longer.
I hope that the Rock Hall in Cleveland will give the man recognition
as well, for the influence he's had over songwriters everywhere, without
compromise. A lot of today's musicians should learn from what he's done and
do their own thing. For he is one of the few true "alternative"artists.
*footnote-on Henry Rollins' Talking from the Box, Rollins talks about
his encounter of meeting Mr. Waits, who was hanging out with Janes
Addiction, of all bands! Kind of a funny thing to picture... anyways, I'll
be waiting for the new one in '99, and hopefully... a tour!........dalsh327@hotmail.com
I'm 44,and have been listening to and playing music since I was 15.
Unfortunately, that's the side-line, my real job is something altogether
different. I saw Tom first maybe 15 years ago on a video clip, but I'm not
sure what happened - I think it went over my head - or maybe I was doing
something else at the time. But anyway, I decided to buy a second-hand copy
of "Bounced Checks" about ten years ago - don't know why - just seemed like
a good idea at the time. That was it, I was hooked, and I've now got the
lot on CD. It's hard to find words to adequately describe Tom, unless you
are Tom, and have that mastery of simile, so I won't even try. I like to
think of Tom as the 'Minstrel of the Metropolis', telling it like it is,
warts, fungi, and all. No amount of listening wears away my admiration, and
I live in hope that one day he'll need a bass player, and give me a call.
Best wishes, and keep the page growing........capias@ozemail.com.au
Well what can I say about the man. Mr. Waits is the best of the best. True
poetry defies definition just like Tom Waits. The imagery and imagination
he shows will forever be in the back of my mind just like his songs i find
myself humming. First experience with the music was from the dead man
walking soundtrack. From there my fate was sealed. If a man cant end the
day with a few drinks and a couple of tracks from Waits then i dont want to
be a man. There was a lot of rotan furniture, what can I say, its physics.
Great site! One of the best I have seen yet, please keep it up.
Im not going to pick ONE.
.......ddent.capral@bigpond.com
I always think that the Suzanne Vega song Tom's Diner is about
Tom Waits........nnnrmn@hotmail.com
i adore tom waits,and i just want to know when the new record arrives.
i've been waiting a few years for it.
please send me a mail when the release becomes official.......barbaelsimio@hotmail.com
Maybe it's true that Tom is the quintessential loser, but it seems more to
me like he is the quintessential genius.
Listening to _Closing Time_, you can even hear the innocence in his voice.
He just couldn't know that the pop machine
would brand him a songwriter, and not an artist. But he rose above it
all, writing songs that are uniquely beautiful,
and equally un-coverable. It is his resilience that has kept him
creating, after an early part of his career where it
was unclear just what kind of audience he would ever be able to gather.
Through the middle to the present part of
his career, Tom has surpassed the expectations of the critics, his
contemporaries, his friends, and even Kathleen Brennan,
by making music that has no place in contemporary music, but instead has a
welcome place in the hearts of many. There is
no length I wouldn't go, and nothing I wouldn't do, to keep him creating
for all of us. I would give him my own guitar
with a smile, just to hear him play it once. He is as unique as any of
the characters in his songs, and as important,
though you will never see him at the top of the Billboard charts. Tom is
as much one of us as anyone else, and that's what
makes his magic all the more special........goon@ccs.neu.edu
I Am A Victim of Tom Waits Envy... If I were born a man, Mr. Waits is who
I would hope to be... He is... He is... no words.... I need to see him live
before I leave this earth.......csholman@naz.edu.com
He«s simply the best. Then I«m in a bad mood, he sure know how
to keep that way. In a good mood, he sure damm well to keep it that as well.
......csholman@naz.edu.com
I first "discovered Tom about ten years ago, with "Swordfishtrombones" and
I confess I only bought the "vinyl" because it had a language caution on
the front!!
Have not looked back and must sat that its real hard to pick my favourites.
Here goes though
"Swordfishtrombones"
"Night hawks at the diner"
"Franks wild years"
"Heart Attack and Vine"
We are all WAITING in australia for a Tom Waits Tour!!!!!!!!
Also I am interested if anyone can suggest a place to purchase Big time
the video?......stunik@vicnet.net.au
there is soemthing about tom's songs that make you become
totally entranced i don't know how many times i've listened to his cds but
i'm waiting for them to fall apart from over use
......Deadlysinl@aol.com
you'r colossal!......raindog54@hotmail.com
I first heard of Tom Waits about 1979, when BBC2 English TV station)
started off a new music series called "Tonight In Person" with the 'blues
singer and poet, (their words) Tom Waits'. It was on about midnight, which
is about right I think. I watched it all the way through, and found that it
disturbed me profoundly, but in a good, not a bad way. I also decided that
he wasn't a blues singer at all, and I still believe that, though he would
sing great blues if he wanted to. Shortly after I bought "heart of Saturday
Night", which is still my favourite, and then "Closing Time". In 1981 I
travelled to Manchester one night after work to see him in concert. It was
a truly magical experience. He had the ability, which I believe is very
rare, to make you feel as though he was singing only for you, although
there must have been over a thousand at the concert. He didn't play
anything from Heart or Closing time, which was disappointing, but it didn't
really matter.
For the lastr four years I have been playing guitar in a pub in Hull,
England every Saturday night. At the end of the evening we often do some
Tom Waits songs. An amazing amount of people have ended up going out and
buying Tom CDs simply through hearing them second hand through me and my
playing partner.
Great site, cool graphics.
All the best, Dave M.
......metcalfe@globalnet.co.uk
I'm 18 and have been a fan for a few years.
I have all his albums. I also like Elvis Costello,
Nick Cave, Shane MacGowan, Leonard Cohen and others.
My favourite Waits album seems to fluxuate on a monthly
basis. Often between My Blue Valentine and Raindogs.
I heard Primus was helping out with his new album to
be released sometime in 99.
I heard The Black Rider got a half hour standing ovation
after it's premier in Germany.
You don't wanna know what I'd do to get to see Him in
concert. I own the movie Big Time and used to watch it
constantly.
Actually, to be honest, I haven't listened to Waits in
weeks. It seems to go in cycles.
I can seem to meet anyone who like's him as much as I do.
Maybe I shop at the wrong grocery store.
I turned a couple of my friends on to him,
but they don't seem to have the same passion
about him that I do.
I guess searching for Tom Waits fans in Kansas City
is like searching for wigs and novelty stores in
Indiana, I'm about ready to hang it up, buddy.
......DemianBalthazar@worldnet.att.net
My first contact with Tom Waits was with the album "Bone Machine".
Since then , his music have enlighted my soul and fed my mind.
......cesc@caixaterrassa.es
MY FIRST ALBUM WAS THE HEART OF SATURDAY NIGHT. I ONLY BOUGHT
IT BECAUSE OF THE WRITING CREDIT GIVEN TO HIM FOR JERSEY GIRL IN THE BRUCE
SPRINGSTEEN BOX SET. AT FIRST I REALLY DID NOT LIKE IT, BUT A FEW MONTHS
LATER, I TOOK IT OUT AGAIN AND I WAS INSTANTLY HOOKED. SINCE THEN , I HAVE
BEEN A DEDICATED AND LOYAL FAN OF TOM'S. PLEASE SEND ME ANY INFORMATION ON
HOW TO E-MAIL HIM AND HIS NEW ALBUM. THANX, FRANKOBRIEN AKA TOM MCH20
......frankobrien@yahoo.com
I am a 22 year old Tom Waits Fanatic. Somebody please help me: I have
heard about a recording by--apparently--a hobo singing on the side of the
street. The song is called "Jesus' Blood Hasn't Failed Me Yet". Now, this
is enough to catch my interest, but to further my need, Tom Waits starts
singing along at the end.
Does anyone know anything more about this? Please tell me what it is, and
how to get it (CD or LP preferably).
--Mike Stafford
......marcel_gonsalves@hotmail.com
I first heard Tom Waits on the VH1 "100 Greatest Rock and Roll
Artists." It was a clip was of him singing "Cold, Cold Ground" live and
even though it was a just few seconds long, I was hooked. Nine Cd's later,
he's become one of my all time favorites. From his Barroom crooning in
"Closing Time" and "Heart of Saturday Night" to his growling howls in "Bone
Machine" and "The Black Rider", nothing and nobody beats him.
......Sigurdhr@aol.com
He is my personal hero.
......bte111@psu.edu
I am sending this to you because I cannot post it on your page for some
reason.Thanx Sincerely, Chris Cominetto aka
team_terrapin@hotmail.com
The first time I heard Tom was on the radio(remember free form
radio?) in New Jersey. Vince Scelsa played "Invitation to the Blues" and I
was mesmorized. I would yank myself out of a deep sleep if I heard it
playing on the radio at night. My next big experience was the release of
"Raindogs" By now I had played my LP of "Small Change" to death and stole my
sister's copy of "Nighthawks at the Diner". I bought it never having heard
it anywhere before and it grew on me like no other album has since.
Home recorded compilations of these 3 albums would keep me company
on many a long night's truck drive through rural N.Y. state, and hearing Tom
on the radio almost seems like a forbidden treat,like the tooth fairy
leaving you a Hersey bar or a $20 bill. I remember being out on the road for
my birthday in a broken down little Pennsylvania town with nothing to do but
watch the tube.Like some kind of cosmic birthday present I was lucky enough
to see Tom on the David Letterman Show. It made a lonely night a little more
bearable.
I recently found "Night on Earth" in Florida while Iwas on a
'family vacation'(how's that for an oxymoron?)It was at the dollar store. I
bought it immediately. That night I left Mom and the kids at the hotel while
I ran an errand or 2, just to listen to the tape uninterrupted. Another
little present.
I am looking forward to his next recording.
My favorite album is "Raindogs".
......Chris.L.Cominetto@BetzDearborn.com
Hi everybody my name is Brian Michel.Coul anybody send me or
write in this page 'Fumbling whit the blues'lyric.Thanks.
......jmongarde@nexo.es
mr Waits is a credit to the human race. A loser with a heart a gold.
He really hits home.
......smithdu@river.it.gvsu.edu
It's got to be Nighthawks at the Diner,
as there is no better story than "Big Joe and Phantom 309"
But so far, I've only heard three albums, and I am feinding for more.
I like to take his music to the streets of Milwaukee with my boombox.
I'll sit on the sidewalk and watch people walk by, listening to Tom Waits.
Does he still perform live?
Or was I born too late?
......mpaul@theonion.com
A gorgeously brillliant hipster with the intelligence,
integrity and savy to re-present daily lives to
us in savage, sometimes brutal, often loney but
always magnificent, terms. A wonderful eccentric - and
there ain't many left.
......steve_2972@hotmail.com
I grew up in South Dakota. Almost every evening,
a couple of crazy friends of mine would get a
bottle of Jameson Whiskey and we would sit around and listen to Tom.
The first ablbum I heard was Blue Valentine and I was
forever hooked.
You see, Tom is a natural and he loves what he does and it
shows.
Just recently, I participated in Surprisa (a Dutch Christmas
tradition) and received a autographed Tom Waits poster!
Tom Waits and Nina Simone will probably always top my
list of the most fascinating musicians ever....no email address
He is the best
......grastasu@EUnet.yu
Hello ! my name is Pawel Jankowski. I'm radio dj in Torun (Poland).
Tom Waits is my favourite artist. I know his music from
"Swordfishtrombones" Album.
I've got all his official records and now I try and collect bootlegs. Tom Wait's music is everything I like. I want to write something more about Tom but my English is bad. Sorry !
......redmuz@radiotorun.pl
raw as fuck and cut to the quick, an organic grind of clanking
machine music and a throat full of gravel tackling the raw sinew of the
tuff gnarl blues, singing of death, sex and the apocolypse...the only
things worth singing about!!!!! Tom Waits vision is an awe inspiring thing...
......johnrobb1@compuserve.com
Better Than Meatloaf....no email address
Tom Waits is the bomb.This site is the first place I
heard about the new album.Maybe now He'll tour Australia.
The first album i heard was Blue Valentine.It's probably
still my favourite,but it's so damn hard to choose.
Tom is the best lyricist I've ever heard.Nice site.
....no email address
man...hmmmmmm...well, now-uh...
ain't nobody understand the downside and that fine line between pathos and
bathos like my good ol' uncle tom do! i was introduced to him via a girl i
fell in love with during my eary years as a poor starving acting student in
a small miami art college-she was a dancer who ultimately stepped on my
heart and squashed it into the cheap beige carpet that covered the floor in
my dorm room. thank god for her, anyway. an' if i saw her today, all i
could say is "ouch, baby".
......sgenn99@yahoo.com
if tom waits were 20- i'd hunt him down. what a hot guy. and
his music is just the thing for me sometimes. wow. what would i do without
my waits.
......redav3@yahoo.com
what can one say? the man is so true, so intens, he plays the piano like
noone else.. he's got personality, a big one... a nice one, and the
personality shows off on all of his albums... and his voice is like a
smooth tongue rubbing down your neck... (believe it or not! :) )
>he is one of the very best artists ever!
......mskogstad@usa.net
I worked at a record store - 20 and an idiot. One night,
bored with all the lame ass 1990 record industry output, I rummaged through
the ol' stack of promo LPs from the eighties my 40-something manager had
stuck in a box. RAIN DOGS -- great cover...I'll try this one. A four hour
shift and nearly 7 spins later, I took the record home and played it three
more times. Within a week I had the whole catalog. In 1996, I thanked the
man on one of my own albums (one of 7.) I don't sound anything like Tom,
but who could? But from that listen, I started to take so many chances
with atmospheres and compositions that he will forever be a favorite.-
Darren Callahan (of TRAVEL, TELEGRAPH, and OO OO WA.)
......superspy5@juno.com
My first exposure to Tom Waits was "It's alright with me" on
the Red, Hot, and Blue special (of all things.) it was around two one
night when i was having trouble sleeping, flipping through channels and
came across this strange looking man singing a cole porter tune. it was
love at first note. In my book, no one else but billie holliday can
express so much emotion in their voice.
......chazzy32@aol.com
tom waits has an awful voice... his songs are twisted
sentimentality at their best... and jumbled depression at their worst...
and I wouldn't listen to anything else....no email address
I recently "discovered" Tom Waits. I knew his name of course and I had an
idea about his music.I was lucky enough that one of my friends had two of
his c.d.'s: Closing time and Small Change. When I listened to these c.d.'s
I immediately fell in love with Tom Waits, well at least with his voice,
his music, his lyrics... Last week I bught his c.d. The heart of Saturday
night and my love for his music became even more intense!
I have no other way to describe it, I feel sorry that I did not get to
know his music sooner than now, but maybe this was the right time for me to
hear it!
I am going to collect all his albums and I porbably will not be listening
to many other music these days because i am totally addicted to that man's
music! It is sad and humorous at the same time, a combination that I love!
(I love cynicism!)
Well I could go on for some more time like this but you will probably all
feel the same way about Tom Waits, so I will not bore you any longer! Cheers!
......jeanninebolink@hotmail.com
small change- first time i ever got drunk i was listening to
this last time it was black rider: good goddamn drinking music. best
drinking album: heartattack & vine.
......jjscum@hotmail.com
I first became interested in Tom Waits after I saw a review of Rain Dogs in
Rolling Stone's "Top 100 Albums of the 1980's" issue. I went out and got
the CD since it was ranked so high in the listing. My exact reaction was,
"Oh God, that was awful...I need to listen to it again." I have never sat
and listened to an entire album from start to finish two times in a row.
Not before and not since. I can't tell if this is a common reaction to a
persons "first time" with Tom Waits' music or not, but I have been a huge
fan ever since. Needless to say, Rain Dogs is my fave. After initially
cursing that Rolling Stone feature for ranking that album so highly, I have
to think that maybe it should have been even closer to #1. Hang Down Your
Head is a beautiful pop song, Singapore and Clap Hands could scare small
children and Time has some of the greatest lyrics ever. Hearattack and Vine
is another great album. I like the mood it sets. Speaking of moods, Bone
Machine is pretty cool to play at Halloween when handing out candy. Freaks
out the trick-or-treaters and a lot of the grown ups too. Like everyone
else has said, check them all out because each album has its own rewards.
Aron D. Polasek
11970 Jollyville Rd., Apt. 209
Austin, TX 78759
......zimmy@onr.com
Originally, wonderful. I'm coming.
......0yeah@usa.net
Tom Waits in three words: refreshing, vulgar, GENIUS!!
......cafelitto@juno.com
MARTHA ................................
......stephan.schann@medecine.u-stra
Boy, have I got a crazy story for you: I was in L.A. once in about 1982 on
a business trip, and I hit the bar scene after work to loosen up. On my way
downtown, I passed a couple of buskers: A lanky, black saxophone player, a
guitar & harmonica hippie who was just awful, and a weird-looking guy on a
street corner strumming a beat-up Guild guitar. He wasn't singing, wasn't
playing any real song, just strumming and changing chords. He looked like
he had been awake for about 80 hours or so...
About this time, my favorite album in the whole world was the Heart of
Saturday Night. While I was waiting for the light to change, I leaned over
and asked him if he knew the San Diego Serenade by Tom Waits. He never
looked straight at me, just mubled something like "yeah, but I can't sing."
I said that Waits couldn't sing either, and that didn't stop him. He told
me he didn't know the words. I offered him the first line, to which he
replied "oh, yeah, yeah," and hacked out three chords before opening h
"Never saw the morning," he sang, and I knew it was him. Hearing it
banged out on a street corner, I think, was the way he had meant it to be
heard. He finished the line and said "there, izzat enough to convince you?"
I nodded and smiled, and crossed the street as the light changed, which in
retrospect was about the stupidest thing I could have done.
It was around this time, I think, that Tom stopped doing live
concerts. I have never seen him onstage, and I think if he had had a hand
in it, he would have liked it that way.....no email address
>First I should say: I'm German, so I'm sorry for my bad English. I
discovered Tom Waits half a year ago. The first tune I heard was
"Underground" and was once fascinated. When you are every day confronted
with that commercial noise it feels good when you hear his music: so real,
so true, so filled with emotion, not nice but really as life is. I'm
looking forward to his next CD in 1999.
>
>By the way: I have a homepage about TOM WAITS. Please visit it at
http://TomWaits.IsCool.net. Thanx.
.....LupusX@gmx.net
Well, he maddog's my tilt-a-whirl. He is the screw of my
driver. I love him more than blood and whiskey.
.....raindog87@aol.com
Although I possess a mere two (2) of Tom Waits albums (Small
Change, The Heart of Saturday Night), I must say that this man is most
certainly the apothogenesis of fabricious manifestation. I would like to
find out where I may purchase such other breakthrough albums as
Swordfichtrombones, Bone Machine, and Heart Attack on Vine. Tom Waits is a
godsend. Furthermore I will say that if all people in the world could only
witness the miracle that is Tom Waits then there would be no need for war,
misery, suffering, or heaven at all anymore.
.....jspires103.aol.com
Like his first albums... his first song I heard was "Ol '55",
and having played that, started to take some interest in his later music,
even though his voice sounded awful. Bought "The Early Years vol 2" and I
enjoy listening to "Shiver Me Timbers" and "Old Shoes" then decided to
brave a later album. "Raindogs" is very interesting. "Downtown Train" is
probably my favourite and "Singapore" is highly original, dare I say
amusing. More recently heard some of his material from the later 70s.
"Small Change" has some fine songs on. Maybe would prefer it if his voice
was a little better, but songs like "Singapore" suits it. Tom is about the
most original singer I've listened to, more so than David Bowie even.
.....darcy@gil.com.au
Amazing music, has really helped me thru some hard times,. The
only musician I never get sick of hearing, yet convincing friends how great
he is remains a futile exercise.
.....mortlock@es.co.nz
Good evening! I did not comer prepared to say a lot, I was however very
excited to find your site. Tom Waits is a gigantic musical hero of mine.
I even got to do covers of several of his songs (and faithfully, I even
took up heavy smoking to help get that gravel!) with a blues band that I
played with for a few years.
Favorite album? Sorry, can't say . . . I really like 'em all! But, I
have had a hard-on for "Hang On Saint Christopher" for the longest time.
If I choose only one Waits song to play, that one is it. Other favorites
are "Goin' Out West", "Murder In The Red Barn", "Waltzing Matilda", "Burma
Shave" and "Kentucky Avenue".
So go ahead, get behind the wheel of a muscle car with a reconditioned
tape deck and bad speakers, point the wheel towards Reno on a rainy night
and slap in "Hang On Saint Christopher". Crank the volume (not so high it
distorts, but up there), pedal to the metal, and see what I mean. Number 1
driving song in my book!
And hey, I would'nt mind a little Waits chat so if yer so inclined e-mail
me sometime.
Ah-reet,
Michael Moon Bear
moonbear_@msn.com
.....moonbear_@msn.com
I got into TW with Raindogs after "Downtown Train" was given away with
an NME freebie single. Thought the song was brilliant, and still do!
Then it was "Swordfishtrombones" and then what I think is
one of the most wonderful records ever made, the sound track to "One From
The Heart". I loved the film and as soon as I heard the music I searched
the record
shops in Dublin 'till I found a copy( it wasn't a well known TW album here).
Went back into the catalog and have come to appreciate the guys talents
for both the obscure
wayward melodies and intuitive lyrics. He's a once off, let's appreciate
him while he, and we are
here!!....g'luck y'all......
.....chris_carry@3com.com
tom waits is probably one of the most gifted, talented,
inspirational, truthful and amazing muscian - ever. you either love him or
hate him, but noone can deny his passion and influence
.....owenp@stevenmichael.com
Hi!
Short and to the point:
Do you know if there's a special story behind Tom Traubert's Blues?
It's kind of late here in Europe...so Good Night - Jette
.....bankalon@hotmail.com
I'm a fairly new listener, and being 15, I am surrounded by
people who have never heard or seen the great Tom Waits. They mostly listen
to rap and other music that is corporation made. Not Tom Waits, he is a
true American artist. I just wish him luck with the new album. Tom 4 ever
.....fooflghtr@aol.com
>I first was corrupted by Tom Waits at the impressionable age of 15, when I
heard songs from "SWORDFISHTROMBONES" on college radio, and then saw him
perform on that amazing 1985 David Letterman appearance. I bought
"RAINDOGS" when I could scrape up the scratch and I've been a fan ever
since. I've since collected all of his CD's, and I'm looking to start
getting some live/interview/whatever tapes...I don't have anything as yet,
so if someone wants to contact me, maybe we could trade...I also collect
Sinatra and Jam/Style Council/Paul Weller tapes. Certainly, there's no
better lyricist on the planet at this time than Mr. Waits. Can't wait for
that new record, it's been way too damn long.
>Christopher Caruso
.....popamstyle@yahoo.com
I first was played some Tom Waits my freshman year in college
at Indiana University, by my roommate who hailed from Green Bay, Wisconsin.
He thought it was second-nature to appreciate Tom Waits on that we didn't
agree. First, it was the voice that upset me. I felt it was a parody of
the Aristotelian idea of vocals: that sweetness should be conveyed sweetly,
and so on. Obviously I had a lot to learn. (Sidescript: I was a big fan
of blues at the time, and I had never heard jazz.) The mixture of elements
- the voice, the literate, Beat-influenced lyrics, the music that ranged
from prototypical Americana to Brechtian existentialism - was a bit too
much to digest, especially since my roommate played CDs at top volume. The
next year I finally did it: bought a Tom Waits CD, for about 7 bucks at a
local record shop. "Small Change" was the name, and it was my proverbial
big toe in the cold water. What changed my mind? It wasn't the musical
inventiveness, not even
the densely intelligent lyrics. believe it or not, I was really touched
by the sincerity and flexibility underneath the rasp of Waits' vocals.
Fairly heavily involved with local bands and with music in general at that
time (one of my majors was ethnomusicology) I knew the real deal when it
came around. Tom Waits was real.
.....archaeopderyk@webtv.net
I first heard Tom Waits when I was over in Trondheim, Norway, as an
exchange student in '95-96. I checked out the Beat Generation box set from
the library. It had a couple Waits' songs. My host brother asked me if I
liked Waits. I thought he was talking about Tom Jones (hey, give me a
break, I was new to the name). I said no. I then realized I did like Tom,
a lot. I then checked out his early years compilation CD. I loved him now.
When I got back to the states, Waits was the first CD I bought (followed
by a couple Ken Nordine ones). My first purchase was of Heart of Saturday
Night. I also checked out Frank's Wild Years and Rain Dogs from the
library. My brother's friend had a Night On Earth and Bone Machine CD
which I copied (hey, I plan on buying my own soon). I then bought Closing
Time. Since then I've got Nighthawk's At the Diner, Small Change, Foreign
Affairs, Blue Valentine, and I just bought Swordfishtrombones today. I
love them all, and can't wait to get the rest.
.....Thoreson_C@harvey.bakeru.edu
today cool is only really found in a coupla places...Tom Waits
is on nook...Beck be another...at times neil young gets there (when he
separates himself from pear jam)...i aspire to be 1/10 as coooool as mr.
waits!
......no email address
I am new to the world of Tom Waits. I recently bought
"Closing Time" and I like the album very much. Only certain artists have
the power to move people, and based on that album, I believe Tom Waits is
one of them......dmarullo@bu.edu
his music is great when you are too depressed to get
out of bed or if you are driving late at night by yourself
hell he is great all around
......kingspecht@hotmail.com
i am smack dab in the middle of another tom waits
marathon..."rain dogs" should be considered the best rock or jazz or pop or
heavy metal or country or rap album of all time...not to take anything away
from "Franks Wild Years", "Bone Machine" or any other Waits album...i don't
think i have ever listened to "Gun street girl" just once...i always repeat
it a minimum of 3 times...same with "hang down your head", "innocent when
you dream" and "jitterbug boy"...i think i have gushed enuff...i do soooo
hope with the new album he tours a bit...can't imagine how great that would
be...any idea when the album is due?...
.....mybrozeb@neca.com
tom waits is one of the greatest poets of the 20th
century...and as far as the music business goes one of the only people who
never compromised his musical integrity for the sake of success...a hero
for our times...the charles bukowski of rock.
.....puppyfarm@hotmail.com
I'm damn lucky to be on planet earth at the same time as this
incredible genius. (What are the odds?) Hope he brings a follow up to
franks wild years to stage. Loved him in Short Cuts, and hope he gets more
of these good opportunities. I don't understand why Jarmus didn't use him
in Mystery Train. Stay visible tom! We don't deserve, but we appreciate...
.....psembach@compuserve.com
Tom Waits...His music and I have spent
many drunken nights together, sometimes laughing with
freinds, sometimes counting cracks on the ceiling.
He has wit, humor, and more heart than a cardiac ward.
without a doubt one of the greatest music makers alive.
.....xspeedyx@hotmail.com
Tom is like a virus, or an addictive drug. I find myself thinking about
movies he is in and songs of his all of the time. I quote him with out
realizing it. A close friend of mine shared this problem with me, but now
I have moved away. I need someone to share my in my addiction (my
girlfriend thinks I'm crazy). Do you live in Humboldt Co.? Please e-mail
me, I need help...
I could not pick one favorite album Small Change is my first love, but
Black Rider is going to have to be "The One".
.....my_addressis@hotmail.com
Tom Waits is a great artist. A modern-day troubadour making
keen social observations, turning life into Art.
.....cbanner@wayne.edu
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