Fretplay.com Tom Waits CD reviews Tom Waits guitar tabs Tom Waits CD reviews Tom Waits tabs Beautiful Maladies: The Island Years


Tom Waits - Beautiful Maladies: The Island Years Audio CD

A fair review of the Tom Waits "Beautiful Maladies: The Island Years" 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.

Tom Waits Band: Tom Waits
Title: Beautiful Maladies: The Island Years
Rating:
Release Date: 1998-06-16
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Hang on St. Christopher 2: Temptation 3: Clap Hands 4: Black Rider 5: Underground 6: Jockey Full of Bourbon 7: Earth Died Screaming 8: Innocent When You Dream (78) 9: Straight to the Top 10: Frank's Wild Years 11: Singapore 12: Shore Leave 13: Johnsburg, Illinois 14: Way Down in the Hole 15: Strange Weather [Live] 16: Cold Cold Ground [Live] 17: November 18: Downtown Train 19: 16 Shells from a Thirty-Ought Six 20: Jesus Gonna Be Here 21: Good Old World (Waltz) [Version] 22: I Don't Wanna Grow Up 23: Time

You need it for the live version of "Cold, Cold Ground"
Waits' singing on the live version of "Cold, Cold Ground" murders the studio one. Here's the question - Do I need this one if I already own verything from "Heartattack and Vine" on up?

The answer is "Yes". Murders it!

Not recommended as an introduction to the curious since there are a ton of songs in Tom's catalog that could put this collection to shame.

Then again, anything that has "16 Shells From A Thirty Ought-Six", "Clap Hands", "Jockey Full Of Bourbon", "Straight To The Top" and "Hang On St. Christopher" is no lightweight collection either.


Amazing, as always
This compilation spans the seven albums he recorded for Island. Tom Waits is a true original. This span of music, particularly in the beginning, accomplished his transformation from a gruff singer of fairly straightforward hard-luck ballads to a unique voice unlike anyone else on the musical scene ever. The way he tortures and contorts his voice and instruments makes for music that is by turns frightening, beautiful, and melancholy--and often all at once. There are some puzzling omissions from this set, but it's still loaded with great music.


Review for you: Whether you are obsessed with, or just curious about, Tom Waits
The question is: Is it worth buying a CD that duplicates songs you have, for the ones you don't have? As other reviewers confirm, this is a fine collection of the '83-'93 arc of music anchored by his popular 1985 Rain Dogs album (the music on the Down by Law soundtrack). If you're already a Tom Waits fan, a true believer (like I am), then you know all of the albums anthologized on this disc, and own half or more of them. To add to the Amazon listing, here are the songs on this CD broken down by the albums that this collection is drawn from -- to help you make the purchase tradeoff decision:

* Swordfishtrombones (1983)
Underground
Shore Leave
Johnsburg, Illinois
16 Shells From A Thirty-Ought Six
Frank's Wild Years

* Rain Dogs (1985)
Singapore
Clap Hands
Jockey Full Of Bourbon
Time
Downtown Train

* Frank's Wild Years (1987)
Hang On St. Christopher
Straight To The Top
Temptation
Way Down In The Hole
Innocent When You Dream

* Big Time (1988)
Cold, Cold Ground (Live)
Strange Weather (Live)

* Bone Machine (1992)
Earth Died Screaming
Jesus Gonna Be Here
I Don't Wanna Grow Up

* Night On Earth (1992)
Good Old World (Waltz)

* The Black Rider (1993)
The Black Rider
November

If you're not already a Tom Waits believer, but rather are shopping for a taste, this is the perfect mid-career starter set for an artist with a huge, long, and still-ongoing musical dance. It has a mix of approachable and challenging tracks, and captures the essence of Tom Waits at his best, summed up in the editorial review: "you know, the usual: love, death, failure, abject despair, existentialism--with a display of filthy irreverence and furious intellect. "
.


Good Starting Point
This collection comprises his Island years, the most fertile and iconoclastic of his career so far. Despite a voice that sounds like a chainsaw through concrete, Tom Waits (like Dylan before him) is the best interpreter of Tom Waits. Some might argue to just use Swordfishtrombones or Mule Variations as a starter, but this compilation gives a wider view of an already versatile artist. Whether bopping along to "Hang On St. Christopher" or tuning in to the chilling wastescapes of "November," this CD is a manic-depressive's joyride through the mind of a twisted genius. And then, when you get to a song like "Downtown Train" which is perfectly suited to the pop market, your mind really blows open.


Beautiful Maladies: The Island Years ~ Tom Waits
This compilation takes tracks from the time that he recorded for island records. Tom Waits is one odd and strange fellow. Waits has created some really strange and avantgarde music. It is not really blues, or rock and I to be honest I can not put my finger on it. Yet, it works and he is a quite accomplished lyricist and writes very escoteric yet functional lyrics. The cover for this compilation is very well done and the photo is very nice and the book-let is well done with easy to read font. His vocals are very unusual but for this kind of music (call it what you want), it works and Tom Waits is truly an eccentric genius that creates great music and writes some odd but effective lyrics.


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.

Search guitar tabs

#ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
[ Search tabs | Guitar tabs | Bass tabs |
Easy guitar tabs | Guitar solo tabs |
Acoustic guitar tabs | Guitar chords |
How to read guitar tabs ]
Forum topics
Music forums
- Bands and artists - Songwriting and lyrics - Tablature talk - Promote your band
Instrument forums
- Guitar basics - Gear & accessories - Bass guitar
Community
- The pit - Site Feedback - Reviews
[ User survey | About us | Privacy statement ]