Tom Waits - Bad As Me

[LoathsomePete]

01. Chicago
02. Raised Right Men
03. Talking At the Same Time
04. Get Lost
05. Face To the Highway
06. Pay Me
07. Back in the Crowd
08. Bad As Me
09. Kiss Me
10. Satisfied
11. Last Leaf
12. Hell Broke Luce
13. New Year's Eve

[The Monkey]

Need to pick it up soon, it has been getting raving reviews. It will be the first album I actually payed for since I was about 13. I feel I owe Mr. Wait some money at this point.

[Janszoon]

I'm digging it a lot, especially the first few songs. I could do without a few of the draggy ballads in the middle of the album, but that's an ongoing disagreement Mr. Waits and I have been having for many, many years. It's also interesting to me that, after about a quarter century of progressively getting dirtier and dirtier sounding with each album, this one has the cleanest production since Swordfishtrombones. I was a little surprised by this but it actually sounds great.

[someonecompletelyrandom]

Heard it before it was released through the advanced streaming program they were doing and loved every minute of it. Definitely going to have to pay for this one.

Originally Posted by Janszoon

It's also interesting to me that, after about a quarter century of progressively getting dirtier and dirtier sounding with each album, this one has the cleanest production since Swordfishtrombones. I was a little surprised by this but it actually sounds great.

Interestingly, this is my only contention with the album. I love the dirty production of his albums, especially on Mule Variations, and it's absence here takes the album from Perfect to Great. The production still has that signature post-Swordfishtrombones Waits album sound though, and the songwriting is incredibly strong. I half agree about the ballads, but I've always liked the ballads of his post-James Taylor clone days. The ones on Mule Variations are his strongest, in my opinion.

[debaserr]

Originally Posted by Janszoon

I'm digging it a lot, especially the first few songs. I could do without a few of the draggy ballads in the middle of the album, but that's an ongoing disagreement Mr. Waits and I have been having for many, many years. It's also interesting to me that, after about a quarter century of progressively getting dirtier and dirtier sounding with each album, this one has the cleanest production since Swordfishtrombones. I was a little surprised by this but it actually sounds great.

I feel the same way about the ballads, but everything else is brilliant. AOTY contender for me.

[SATCHMO]

Y'know, I've always had this line drawn in the sand when it comes to the later works of Mr. Waits (and by later I mean post-Rain Dogs). I usually stick to his earliest of early works, but I'm thinking I might wanna give this a shot.

[Janszoon]

Originally Posted by Conan

Interestingly, this is my only contention with the album. I love the dirty production of his albums, especially on Mule Variations, and it's absence here takes the album from Perfect to Great. The production still has that signature post-Swordfishtrombones Waits album sound though, and the songwriting is incredibly strong.

I definitely can understand why you wouldn't like the production, dirtiness is such a key component of his style after all. Honestly, if you told me before listened to it that the album had clean production I would have predicted that I wouldn't like it, I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed that aspect though.

Originally Posted by Conan

I half agree about the ballads, but I've always liked the ballads of his post-James Taylor clone days. The ones on Mule Variations are his strongest, in my opinion.

I agree with you about the Mule Variations ballads, they are definitely a cut above, especially "Picture in a Frame" and "Take It With Me". Except for that album and a few other ballads here and there by him, I generally wish he steered clear of that style. Alice, for example, is my least favorite of his albums because it's almost entirely filled with ballads.

[someonecompletelyrandom]

Ah, you know I haven't heard Alice. I heard that it wasn't worth getting so I never did.

[Janszoon]

Originally Posted by Conan

Ah, you know I haven't heard Alice. I heard that it wasn't worth getting so I never did.

I suppose it's worth getting. I mean even a bad Tom Waits album has some redeeming features but Blood Money, which came out at the same time, is definitely the far superior album.

[someonecompletelyrandom]

Originally Posted by Janszoon

I suppose it's worth getting. I mean even a bad Tom Waits album has some redeeming features but Blood Money, which came out at the same time, is definitely the far superior album.

In general I think I've just avoided his material that was written for plays. I don't know why, I guess I assumed it wouldn't be as personal or quality, but listening to some of the songs on YouTube I think I've probably been missing out.