Other seller
Shipping was not as fast as an Amazon purchase. This was my 1st time using another seller for a used item (CD box set) and even if one of the cd is showing finger prints they are playing ok.
Fascinating
One can relive those days vicariously through the artist's catalogue for Elektra/Asylum (plus the soundtrack to Francis Ford Coppola's ONE FROM THE HEART), but Waits has rigorously steered away from that previous incarnation since then, recording some of the most willfully idiosynchratic music since Captain Beefheart hung up his skates, as well as some of the most heartfelt songs--you know, with verses and choruses--anyone's ever written. The old version of Tom Waits, with the jazzy backdrop, lush orchestrations and tales of down-and-out losers and hookers in the dark bowels of the barroom night, seems assuredly gone forever at this point. ORPHANS has a lot of both, being a compilation of songs leftover from the sessions for his albums, contributions to tribute albums and soundtracks, fully-realized Waits versions of songs he's written for other artists, and a bunch of brand-new music in the bargain as well. Waits has helpfully sequenced this collection into a CD of loud 'n raucous stuff ("Brawlers"), a CD of ballads ("Bawlers") and a CD of completely unclassifiable material("B**tards), and a lot of it is great. The things that aren't you can skip over effortlessly, because there are enough gems to choose from on each disc, and, in a strange way, the collection serves as a good distillation of how Waits has morphed as an artist from 1983's SWORDFISHTROMBONES onwards. Even if you can't listen to the whole thing in one sitting (at least I can't), ORPHANS is as rewarding as any of Tom Waits' regular-issue albums, postcards from somewhere over the edge. . . . or maybe just around the block. Real good.
Its Tom Waits, and lots of it
Grizzled sea shanties, blues rockers, jungle warbles, garbles of chewed up tape, gourds as xylophones. Tom Waits has had a great last decade gaining a wide audience of people from all walks of music (this guy is insanely popular with people into death metal as well as people into blues but not the other etc) and ages. This is pretty much what you would expect from the Tom Waits as of recently, only instead of a concentrated choice of cuts it appears everything recorded was released as a whole. It seems incomplete ideas and filler get left in, but thats not a bad thing at all . I must say for a guy that has spent the best half of his career mimicking Captain Beefheart (who was mimicking Howlin Wolf) he is making steady progression in sound while still being the same dirty old hat.
Could easily pass for a career retrospective...
. . not so much because the music reflects every single phase of Tom Waits' distinguished history (it doesn't really have anything that sounds like his first few albums), but because it's very hard to believe that such a massive and diverse collection of songs could simply be Waits' latest release. Sure, some of these tracks are reissued from the last ten years (soundtracks and other compilations), but for the most part this three-disc collection shows that Tom Waits has apparently got an inexhaustable muse.
"Orphans" is an ideal purchase for both the long-term, diehard Waits fan AND the curious newcomer looking to find out about him. There are so many great songs it's pointless to discuss them all, but I think "Tell It To Me" might be the prettiest tune Waits has ever written. Meanwhile, "Lie To Me," "2:19" and his cover of "The Return of Jackie and Judy" (one of two Ramones covers here) rock as hard as anything he ever did. And for your more wigged-out moods, try "First Kiss" or "The Pontiac" on for size. There's something for everyone!
Special mention goes to "Sea of Love" - Waits turns the original (a fairly formulaic love song fit for high-school dances c. 1962) into a spooky, bluesy moaner, with a brilliant lyrical twist in the chorus.
For an artist to come up with this much new and worthwhile music 35 years into his career is an absolute inspiration.
great album - must buy
. tom waits is one of the best and this album is further proof of his excellentness.
You can see a complete list of all Tom Waits discography, or go back to the Tom Waits tabs
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