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Tom Waits fans?


Bang

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Any Tom Waits fans here?

I love his music. What a storyteller. He never fails to move me.

I'm all excited because i just found some of his music that he's released as 'podsafe' or able to be played without license. I'm going to put it in my next music hour.

If you've never heard him, he's definitely one to check out. He can be an acquired taste, however, so don't be put off by the first things you might hear.. he has a style that is indeed all his own. He's more a performance artist.

For those who do like him, here's a classic appearance on the old "fernwood 2night" spoof show that Martin Mull and Fred willard did in the 70s.

Great stuff I found tripping around youtube earlier..

~Bang

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Bang, glad I caught this thread. Guess it's just me and you. :laugh:

I'm a big Waits fan, I first heard Rain Dogs at 18 and have been following him ever since. That album probably remains my favorite, but Bone Machine isn't far behind.

I'd put Tom in the top 3 lyricists of the 20th century, probably behind only Dylan. I'm a fan of the offbeat spoken word pieces like Frank's Wild Years and 9th & Hennepin, and Watch Her Disappear.

Rain Dogs and Bone Machine in particular just evoke such vivid, twisted imagery...There's no one quite like Tom Waits, he is truly brilliant. The fact that he's been consistently amazing since the early '70s and is still putting out amazing work in the fourth decade of his career vaults him ahead of Dylan in my mind...Bob blazed brighter at the peaks of his career, but he's had some long dry spells. Tom is just a well that doesn't dry up.

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Waits is brilliant, and very underrated. Amazing lyricist, and truely spectacular performer. If any of you raindogs have the time, check out his performance of "On the Nickel" from the Don Lane show in 1979. This turned me into a lifelong fan. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqPsIMI2lOs

I actually just recently found a mint vinyl copy of "Swordfishtrombones" Very exciting!

I have access to a really good Waits FTP site that has tons of old archived footage. If anybody is interested in the address, PM me!

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  • 3 months later...

I didn't want to miss out on commenting in this thread, so BUMP

I found Tom on vinyl about in the 70's "Heart of Sat Night" , Anyway his music transends all other performers. Even my 20 year old son likes him, all be it his newer stuff over his early years. He is a great talent, but you definatley have to aquire a taste for him.

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I'm also a Waits fan. I picked up a few of his CDs at the Soundgarden place in Bmore. His voice is amazing and DEFINITELY unique and his music will never get old to me.

YouTube is a great place to check out clips of him playing live. I remember seeing one of him joking around with the talk show host, but I can't recall what exactly it was. :( I'm no help, haha. Glad to see there are other fans too.

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Waits certainly is timeless. I found that record also, wysknz1. Its a great listen.

rachievegas, you might be thinking of the Don Lane show in Australia. He was on there a few times, and its one of my favorite segments with Waits.

If anybody is interested, I know of an FTP with a mound of cool waits videos, live concerts, pictures, etc.

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Friday left me fumblin' with the blues

And it's hard to win when you always lose

'Cause the nightspots spend your spirit

Beat your head against the wall

Two dead ends and you still got to choose

You know the bartenders

They all know my name

And they catch me when I'm pullin' up lame

I'm a pull shootin shimmy shyster shakin' my head

When I should be livin' clean instead

You know the ladies I been seein' off an on

Well they spend your love and then they're gone

You can't be lovin' someone who is savage and cruel

They take your love and they leave on outta town

No they do

Well now fallin' in love is such a breeze

But it's standin' up that's so hard for me

I wanna squeeze you but I'm scared to death

I'll break your back and you know your perfume

Well it won't let me be

And you know the bartenders

All know my name

And they catch me when I'm pullin' up lame

I'm a pull shootin shimmy shyster shakin' my head

When I should be livin' clean instead

Come on baby

Let your love light shine

You gotta bury me inside of your fire

Because your love's enough to blind me

You're like lookin' at the sun

You gotta whisper baby I'm the One

Come on and whisper tell me I'm the One

You gotta whisper tell me I'm

The One

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Well these diamonds on my windshield

And these tears from heaven

Well I'm pulling into town on the Interstate

I got a steel train in the rain

And the wind bites my cheek through the wing

And it's these late nights and this freeway flying

It always makes me sing

There's a Duster tryin' to change my tune

He's pulling up fast on the right

Rolling restlessly by a twenty-four hour moon

And a Wisconsin hiker with a cue-ball head

He's wishing he was home in a Wisconsin bed

But there's fifteen feet of snow in the East

and it's colder then a welldigger's ass

And it's colder than a welldigger's ass

Oceanside it ends the ride with San Clemente coming up

Those Sunday desperadoes slip by and cruise with a dry back

And the orange drive-in the neon billin'

And the theatre's fillin' to the brim

With slave girls and a hot spurn bucket full of sin

Metropolitan area with interchange and connections

Fly-by-nights from Riverside

And out of state plates running a little late

But the sailors jockey for the fast lane

So 101 don't miss it

There's rolling hills and concrete fields

And the broken line's on your mind

The eights go east and the fives go north

And the merging nexus back and forth

You see your sign, cross the line, signalling with a blink

And the radio's gone off the air

Gives you time to think

And you hear the rumble

As you fumble for a cigarette

And blazing through this midnight jungle

Remember someone that you met

And one more block; the engine talks

Whispers 'home at last'

It whispers 'home at last'

Whispers 'home at last'

It whispers 'home at last'

Whispers 'home at last'

And there are diamonds on my windshield

And these tears from heaven

Well I'm pulling into town on the Interstate

I got me a steel train in the rain

And the wind bites my cheek through the wing

Late nights and freeway flying

Always makes me sing

It always makes me sing

(Hey look here Jack, ok)

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Real Gone, his latest studio work, is outstanding.

"Green Grass"

Lay your head where my heart used to be

Hold the earth above me

Lay down in the green grass

Remember when you loved me

Come closer don't be shy

Stand beneath a rainy sky

The moon is over the rise

Think of me as a train goes by

Clear the thistles and brambles

Whistle 'Didn't He Ramble'

Now there's a bubble of me

And it's floating in thee

Stand in the shade of me

Things are now made of me

The weather vane will say...

It smells like rain today

God took the stars and he tossed 'em

Can't tell the birds from the blossoms

You'll never be free of me

He'll make a tree from me

Don't say good bye to me

Describe the sky to me

And if the sky falls, mark my words

We'll catch mocking birds

Lay your head where my heart used to be

Hold the earth above me

Lay down in the green grass

Remember when you loved me

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