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The Early Years, Vol. 1

Tom Waits - The Early Years, Vol. 1 Audio CD

A fair review of the Tom Waits "The Early Years, Vol. 1" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Tom Waits reviews here, or go back to the Tom Waits tabs.

Band: Tom Waits
Title: The Early Years, Vol. 1
Rating:

Release Date: 1995-06-06
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Goin' Down Slow 2: Poncho's Lament 3: I'm Your Late Night Evening Prostitute 4: Had Me a Girl 5: Ice Cream Man 6: Rockin' Chair 7: Virginia Avenue 8: Midnight Lullaby 9: When You Ain't Got Nobody 10: Little Trip to Heaven (On the Wings of Your Love) 11: Frank's Song 12: Looks Like I'm up Shit Creek Again 13: So Long I'll See Ya

Tom, Back In The Days
The scorching literary sketches of the rich and famous and the skid row bums provided by the late "Gonzo" journalist Doctor Hunter Thompson, accompanied by the renderings of the artist Ralph Steadman. The inner lives of the denizens of that late night diner in the famous painting by the American realist artist Edward Hopper, "Nighthawks" (1942). The jingle-jangle high side lyrics of the legendary folk musician Bob Dylan of the "Blood On The Tracks" period. The reach into the far side of the part of the psyche exhibited by those down at the base of American society in an earlier period by the novelist Nelson Algren in "Walk On The Wild Side". And that same reach later by the man of the "mean" Los Angeles streets, Charles Bukowski. Wrap them all up in a whiskey-soaked, cigarette-scarred, gravelly, rasping voice and you have the idiosyncratic musician Tom Waits. Placed in that same company as above? Yes, by all means. Not a bad place to be, right?

Although I have been listening to the music of one Tom Waits for decades, every since I heard Jerry Jeff Walker do a cover of his classic song of loneliness, longing and reaching for the elusive promise of Saturday night dreams in "Looking For The Heart Of Saturday Night", I am not familiar with his biography. All I know is that aside from his own far-reaching musical endeavors, as expressed in numerous albums over the years, he has acted in some motion pictures, most notably as a skid row philosopher of sorts in the movie version of William Kennedy's "Ironweed" (a natural, right?) and has provided the soundtrack music to many movies, most notably the Al Pacino-starring "Sea Of Love". That Waits soundtrack version of the late 1950's, early 1960's classic teenage anthem to longing and love is just the right example of what Brother Waits means musically to this reviewer. Taking that simple song of teenage longing, Waits' husky-voiced rendition reaches back and turns it into something almost primordial, something that goes back beyond time to our first understandings that we are `alone' in the universe. Enough said.

But so much for all of that because what I really want to mention is the "Waits effect". Every once in a while I `need' to listen to words and sounds that express the dark, misbegotten side of the human experience. You know, sagas of Gun Street girls, guys talking "Spanish in the halls", people lost out there on the edge of society and the like. Is there anyone today who can musically put it better? If you need to hear about hope, dope, the rope. Wine, women and song or no wine, no women or no song. About whiskey-caked barroom floors, floozies, boozies, flotsam, jetsam, stale motel rooms, cigarette-infested hotels, wrong gees, jokers, smokers and ten-cent croakers. Drifters, grifters, no good midnight sifters. Life on the fast lane, nowhere lane, some back street alley, perhaps, out in the valley. This, my friends is you address. Listen up. Professor Waits is at the lectern.

Good picks here are "I'm Your Late Night Evening Prostitute" and "When You Ain't Got Nobody". This compilation shows more of Tom's lounge act style and is a little more jazzy than some of his later work. Just the right mood sometimes, right?.

Very pleased
I discovered Tom Waits only accidentally. Ha! this is some singing. It happened so that I wanted to know the man who created "tom traubert's blues" after listning to Rod Stewart's version. I am no pop/slow rock fan and knew that the creator was no pop/slow rock artist either but more deeply rooted with a close reach to vintage folk and blues as I fell in love with the melody instantly. How can I describe his voice and singing? A cross between Dylan and Cohen. Perhaps early Dylan and early Cohen to put it absolutely right. This guy to me is something so special and his piano & guitar playing just right. He fills my ears and makes me think. . . . . yes, mostly about the years gone by, .

danggoodrecord!!
They thankfully lack the Eagles-esque polish of "Closing Time" and the formulaic LouisArmstrong-goes-hobo shtick of "Blue Valentine". These barebones demos are far superior to other 'official' early albums. The songs are simple and charming, I would even call them elegant if they weren't so raunchy. For diehard Waits fans, these two discs are worth it just to hear the man's voice sound so clean and untarnished by the years of abuse that had surely already started. But never mind the diehards, these are just solid records that should be listened to.

Back in the day...
Granted, these songs are all well-written and performed; yet they lack something of the latter work. This album consists of demo songs, some of which have never previously seen the light of day, taken from Tom Waits's early years (duh), before he become the musical genius that he's considered today. Nevermind, though; THE EARLY YEARS, VOLUME 1 serves as a good introduction to the pre-SWORDFISHTROMBONES years of Waits career, and is also a fine addition to already-exististing Waits collections. The sparse arrangements offer a sense of intimacy; some of the recordings, such as "Little Trip to Heaven," are even better than the versions that made the record.

More "Closing Time" please....
At first listen I enjoyed it, but thought that it's just a little more Closing Time material. This compilation of early Tom Waits songs/demos, are very interesting to me. And true 4 of the 13 songs are early versions of songs on Closing Time. But a few more listens gave me a much deeper appreciation. I really get into the first half of the album especially, the first two tracks might be my favorite, but what's unique about this album is how minimal it is. Most songs are just Tom's voice and his guitar, or his piano, with virtually no accompaniment; this with his very heart-warming sounding early 70's voice (before the growl) make this "album" sound very personal.
Mostly, I feel that this "album" should be pursued by those who are interested in Tom Waits, and already have the "staples" of his collection, especially Closing Time. I can't see someone outside of fans really seeing the significance of these recordings.
Lastly, I find it almost weird listening to it, because he felt so strongly about not releasing these recordings, I almost feel like I am invading his privacy. But it's released, so I try not to feel too bad.

You can see a complete list of all Tom Waits discography, or go back to the Tom Waits tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.