Customer Reviews

Tom Waits: Mule Variations

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The scariest thing about buying a songbook is wondering how well it matches the actual music - beginners don't want anything too complex, but serious musicians want the legitimate scores. Personally, I was very pleased to find that this songbook matched exactly what was on the album, but it isn't unapproachable for beginners.

A lot of the songs really aren't that hard to figure out, and so if you have a decent ear you might not have much of a use for this book. It is helpful for the trickier bits though, on songs like Take It With Me and Black Market Baby, and the chords are always dead on if you just feel like being lazy. Also, as anyone who has studied Tom's piano playing knows, there are a lot of songs in less common keys (like Eb, Db, Ab, etc.). Most songbooks seem to cater to guitar players by charting the chords in capo'd format, which is damn obnoxious to piano players, or else to piano players by using the proper chords, which is damn obnoxious to guitar players. This book, however, utilises both the proper chords and capo'd chords ( A7 / Bb7 for instance), which is helpful for playing together with a few friends.

There is no tablature here, so don't go looking for guitar solos or fills. And songs like Cold Water take a little experience and intuition to get right. Some music is so outdated that it will be difficult for beginners to play, but it's not because anything is lacking from the book. Overall I would definitely recommend getting this if you have been considering it, no matter your skill level. Some songs will be very easy (like Hold On or Picture In A Frame) but others will be a real [...] if you don't have much experience.

This is the real cream. The real core of what music has, a substance that creeps into your space and engulfs you in the moment. Lush moods and wicked worlds set apart from the mundane. All of Toms heart is worn weary on this playlist....come inside and experience the unbelievable.

Thanks!

If you're a fan of the album and a musician (or at least pretend to try and be), this songbook is a must-have. The blow-ups of the album artwork are great!