Week: Sat 8th Apr to Fri 14th Apr
Format: iPod (MP3s)
Producer: Kathleen Brennan and Tom Waits
Track listing:
1. Big in Japan *
2. Lowside of the Road
3. Hold On *
4. Get Behind the Mule
5. House Where Nobody Lives
6. Cold Water
7. Pony
8. What's He Building? *
9. Black Market Baby
10. Eyeball Kid
11. Picture in a Frame *
12. Chocolate Jesus
13. Georgia Lee
14. Filipino Box Spring Hog
15. Take it With Me
16. Come on Up to the House *
TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 70:33
I got into Tom Waits quite late in life. It wasn't until I turned forty that I listened to a whole album of his. A couple of friends had suggested to me that leaping down this particular rabbit hole would be an interesting one, and not one I'd regret. How right they were. After being exposed to a couple of choice tracks via Spotify's Discover Weekly playlists, I sought help from a big fan. Let's call her Ang, because that's her name.
Ang likes music just as much as me, I reckon. She had made a Spotify playlist of her favourite Tom Waits tunes a while back, and I asked her for the link. Upon wading through a good whack of the list, I made a decision to start listening to albums in their entirety. After being particularly struck by Hold On from Ang's playlist, I turned to Mule Variations. So it was, one day in March last year I listened to a Tom Waits record for the first time.
While I didn't get through more than about eight or nine of his long players, I have become quite the Tom Waits fan. His delivery runs the gamut from melancholic mumbling to raucous rambling, but there's always heart there. Or a little grit, if nothing else. He certainly is an acquired taste, but I doubt it's one you would lose once you got it. I'll be digging through more of his work in the future, I have no doubt.
Now, Hold On was the bait on the hook, but I really enjoyed my first listen of Mule Variations. I've now come to see it as an astonishing set of songs that truly showcases Waits and what he does best. I've been listening to it quite a bit lately, and that's why it's my inaugural entry for this semi-regular Album of the Week blog thing.
One of my favourite ways to listen to music is while driving, and in particular on the way to a gig; or heading home from one. It's usually nighttime, the traffic is lighter and I'm thoroughly ensconced in what I'm hearing. During the packdown of a Wesley gig at The Saint recently, I spontaneously started spouting lyrics from Big In Japan, the opening track of Mule Variations. It's a fun song, and I decided right then that I would listen to the album on the drive home. As the record's running time was longer than my journey, the second half of the album served as my soundtrack on the way to a wedding gig up in Gnangara. Bizarrely, the reception was being put on in the big, beautiful backyard of the groom's parents' house, and the final track from Mule Variations, Come on Up to the House was nearing completion as I parked. I've listened to the album several more times during the week. It's just brilliant.
A good album will change its attack and bounce between moods as it unfolds. This one does exactly that. You get wailin', found-object romps and tender, poignant ballads. The rollickin' Filipino Box Spring Hog sits right next to the lovely Take it With Me; and after being lulled by Pony, you're hit with the eerie, spoken-word prose of What's He Building?. The only element missing from this album is his jazz leanings. So, didn't expect anything like Step Right Up from Small Change or Blue Valentine's wonderful $29.00.
As I continue this blog idea, I will mark my favourite songs in the track listing at the start with an asterisk. Not sure when (and if - let's face it) I'll do another album. Hey, anything can happen. But, let me strongly recommend Mule Variations to you. Even if you're not a Tom Waits fan, I'm sure you'll take something away from it.
2. Lowside of the Road
3. Hold On *
4. Get Behind the Mule
5. House Where Nobody Lives
6. Cold Water
7. Pony
8. What's He Building? *
9. Black Market Baby
10. Eyeball Kid
11. Picture in a Frame *
12. Chocolate Jesus
13. Georgia Lee
14. Filipino Box Spring Hog
15. Take it With Me
16. Come on Up to the House *
TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 70:33
I got into Tom Waits quite late in life. It wasn't until I turned forty that I listened to a whole album of his. A couple of friends had suggested to me that leaping down this particular rabbit hole would be an interesting one, and not one I'd regret. How right they were. After being exposed to a couple of choice tracks via Spotify's Discover Weekly playlists, I sought help from a big fan. Let's call her Ang, because that's her name.
Ang likes music just as much as me, I reckon. She had made a Spotify playlist of her favourite Tom Waits tunes a while back, and I asked her for the link. Upon wading through a good whack of the list, I made a decision to start listening to albums in their entirety. After being particularly struck by Hold On from Ang's playlist, I turned to Mule Variations. So it was, one day in March last year I listened to a Tom Waits record for the first time.While I didn't get through more than about eight or nine of his long players, I have become quite the Tom Waits fan. His delivery runs the gamut from melancholic mumbling to raucous rambling, but there's always heart there. Or a little grit, if nothing else. He certainly is an acquired taste, but I doubt it's one you would lose once you got it. I'll be digging through more of his work in the future, I have no doubt.
Now, Hold On was the bait on the hook, but I really enjoyed my first listen of Mule Variations. I've now come to see it as an astonishing set of songs that truly showcases Waits and what he does best. I've been listening to it quite a bit lately, and that's why it's my inaugural entry for this semi-regular Album of the Week blog thing.
One of my favourite ways to listen to music is while driving, and in particular on the way to a gig; or heading home from one. It's usually nighttime, the traffic is lighter and I'm thoroughly ensconced in what I'm hearing. During the packdown of a Wesley gig at The Saint recently, I spontaneously started spouting lyrics from Big In Japan, the opening track of Mule Variations. It's a fun song, and I decided right then that I would listen to the album on the drive home. As the record's running time was longer than my journey, the second half of the album served as my soundtrack on the way to a wedding gig up in Gnangara. Bizarrely, the reception was being put on in the big, beautiful backyard of the groom's parents' house, and the final track from Mule Variations, Come on Up to the House was nearing completion as I parked. I've listened to the album several more times during the week. It's just brilliant.
A good album will change its attack and bounce between moods as it unfolds. This one does exactly that. You get wailin', found-object romps and tender, poignant ballads. The rollickin' Filipino Box Spring Hog sits right next to the lovely Take it With Me; and after being lulled by Pony, you're hit with the eerie, spoken-word prose of What's He Building?. The only element missing from this album is his jazz leanings. So, didn't expect anything like Step Right Up from Small Change or Blue Valentine's wonderful $29.00.
As I continue this blog idea, I will mark my favourite songs in the track listing at the start with an asterisk. Not sure when (and if - let's face it) I'll do another album. Hey, anything can happen. But, let me strongly recommend Mule Variations to you. Even if you're not a Tom Waits fan, I'm sure you'll take something away from it.
