Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of Waits' Most Haunting Tunes is Here.................., October 5, 2004
First off, I think this entire album is excellent, from the tormented "Tom Traubert's Blues" to the hysterical "The Piano Has Been Drinking" to the mellow "Jitterbug Boy." But even if abovementioned tunes did nothing for me, it would be made with the title track.
"Small Change" is one of the most chilling tunes I have ever heard. The combination of Waits' raspy voice, the instrumentals being a lone saxophone, and the bleak lyrics describing the crime scene and the gunned down gambler are more haunting than any ghost story you were told as a child. This is Tom Waits at his poetic best.
The bonus is that while this song steals the show, there is plenty to enjoy on the rest of the cd. The mood of the album gravitates toward the down & out pool hallers, hucksters, and all-around tormented souls. From heavy to humorous, this release has it all.
"Pasties and a G-String" is a hysterical salute to the old burlesque haunts, and the dancers and droolers that inhabit them. Like "Small Change," the focus is on one instrument, the drums, albeit in an entirely upbeat manner.
Other standout pieces are "Jitterbug Boy," a rare calming piano piece, singing the Jitterbug Boy's unlikely claims of places he's been and people he's met; "The One that Got Away," another hard-boiled hard-luck song showcasing some wicked saxophone, and "Invitation to the Blues."
This is easily one of Tom Waits' greatest efforts, though you can't go wrong with any of his earliest albums. Like I said, everything here is excellent, but "Small Change" alone is worth the money.
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20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Tom Terrific..., January 7, 2002
How much do I love this recording? Well, let's go back to the 70's. There was always someone at a party who would troll through the hosts' record collection and select some atmosphere killing LP by Steely Dan, or Zappa, or Todd Rundgren, and, get this, they'd want you to love it too.I always left for the kitchen when this happened, but one party I guess I was a little slow afoot and I got hooked into hearing a couple of cuts from this wonderful album.So I went out and got it for myself. The first and last time a party troll ever influenced any record purchase of mine. On this ,Tom's fourth release, he completely succeeds in melding the Barfly-Bukowsky-Boho-meets The Beats influences into a cohesive and focused (if a barfly's eyes can focus)piece of work that is unmistakably Tom's own. It's hilarious (The Piano Has Been Drinking), sentimental in a good way (Tom Traubert's Blues, a song so good even disco era Rod Stewart couldn't ruin it)and hip,or hep as the case may be (Step Right Up). Everything on here is wonderful and the small authentic bopster/cool combo headed by L.A. jazz drummer Shelly Manne keeps everything swinging madly.Tom Waits is by no means an idiot and he realized he couldn't keep going to this same well.He handed the keys to his Caddy to Rickie Lee Jones and set out to make "serious" music that certain of my egghead friends assure me is a wonderful mix of Kurt Weill, musique concrete and a whole bunch of modern classical composers.Hmm...okay. Me, I'd rather be rained on with my own .38 .So I'll stick to old fashioned Tom Waits straight up with a twist. That's how much I love this record.
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Takes me to another place, March 8, 2004
On this album Tom takes the listener to the same place "Notes from the Underground" takes the reader. It's a real world that daylight doesn't penetrate and heartbroken loners like Mr. Waits portrays wander the darkened streets alone. Anyone with a broken heart can relate to "Tom Taubert's Blues" and enjoy the fact that misery loves company and the singer is sharing a bench with you. In other words, this ain't no party cd. This is for listening and learning about another way of life.
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