That's a great old clip. Coincidentally, I woke up with Tom's voice this morning.

The original recording of "The Piano has been drinking" here.

Sounds a hell of a lot better without a laugh track and Waits' piano playing is better too. (The deliberate mistakes ring truer.)

Interesting interview with Waits-- Tom Waits True Confessions

Sample:

Q: What is a gentleman?

A: A man who can play the accordion, but doesn't.


Q: Favorite Bucky Fuller quote?

A: "Fire is the sun unwinding itself from the wood".

Tommy the Cat as voiced by Tom Waits:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yn3uiLZY9Jg

My favorite Tom Waits song: Martha (new window)

I love watching whoever the f*cktard hosts are roll their eyes at Tom Waits and act like he's some kind of big joke that's on the show for comic relief. They're not realizing that they're the joke, and Tom is far cooler than they could ever dream of being.

My fave: Kentucky Avenue

FlyingPig: I love watching whoever the f*cktard hosts are roll their eyes at Tom Waits and act like he's some kind of big joke that's on the show for comic relief. They're not realizing that they're the joke, and Tom is far cooler than they could ever dream of being.

Maybe you're the joke. The hosts of Fernwood 2 Night, Barth Gimble and Jerry Hubbard, approached the subjects and figures of the day with erudition, insight and class, and a scroungy mongrel bar singer like Waits should be grateful that they deigned to allow him a few minutes in their presence. He probably left their beautiful set stinking of flop sweat, Brut and cigarettes. Pathetic.

The only two good Waits songs are
'Ol' 55' and 'All my friends are married' - which on his 'live' album has an intro that runs longer than the song.

Seriously, what is so great about this guy?
I'm a big Dylan fan so gravelly voices, crappy singing and obscure lyrics dont bother me but Waits appeal is lost on me.

And yeah, I still have the 'live' album in my collection.

mfaby: The only two good Waits songs are
'Ol' 55' and 'All my friends are married' - which on his 'live' album has an intro that runs longer than the song.

If you like those two songs, there are a huge numbers of his others you ought to like.

I think you're either just doing the "I don't get why he's so popular, ain't I cool" thing, or you haven't actually bothered listening to much Tom Waits.

Also:

I'm a big Dylan fan so gravelly voices, crappy singing and obscure lyrics dont bother me but Waits appeal is lost on me.

Dylan doesn't have a gravelly voice, and Waits is an excellent singer, so I have no idea what you're talking about here.

59?

He's looked 59 since about 1980.

One of my all-time favorite Waits tunes.

The only thing better than Tom Waits is Tom Waits and Fred Willard.

Saw him in Columbus this year, and it was the closest to religion I'll ever come. I love everything this man has committed to tape, musically or otherwise.

/On the Nickel is my favorite.
//Followed by Bad Liver and a Broken Heart.
///Genius, thy name is Tom Waits

Come on, even if you don't like his music, that was friggin' funny.

peachpicker: FlyingPig: I love watching whoever the f*cktard hosts are roll their eyes at Tom Waits and act like he's some kind of big joke that's on the show for comic relief. They're not realizing that they're the joke, and Tom is far cooler than they could ever dream of being.

Maybe you're the joke. The hosts of Fernwood 2 Night, Barth Gimble and Jerry Hubbard, approached the subjects and figures of the day with erudition, insight and class, and a scroungy mongrel bar singer like Waits should be grateful that they deigned to allow him a few minutes in their presence. He probably left their beautiful set stinking of flop sweat, Brut and cigarettes. Pathetic.

Ummm...I'm gonna go with 3/10. I feel like you're trying too hard. Next time throw in a "Waits isn't real music" or perhaps a "the man is a joke live" to let us know you really don't know what you're talking about. Get crazy with it.

/Looks over to the Russian judge...

afghanwhiggle: peachpicker: FlyingPig: I love watching whoever the f*cktard hosts are roll their eyes at Tom Waits and act like he's some kind of big joke that's on the show for comic relief. They're not realizing that they're the joke, and Tom is far cooler than they could ever dream of being.

Maybe you're the joke. The hosts of Fernwood 2 Night, Barth Gimble and Jerry Hubbard, approached the subjects and figures of the day with erudition, insight and class, and a scroungy mongrel bar singer like Waits should be grateful that they deigned to allow him a few minutes in their presence. He probably left their beautiful set stinking of flop sweat, Brut and cigarettes. Pathetic.

Ummm...I'm gonna go with 3/10. I feel like you're trying too hard. Next time throw in a "Waits isn't real music" or perhaps a "the man is a joke live" to let us know you really don't know what you're talking about. Get crazy with it.

/Looks over to the Russian judge...

*takes notes*

I was just heartily amused that FlyingPig essentially got trolled by a cheesy 30yo Martin Mull and Fred Willard satire, and thought I would nudge it along. For the record, I adore Tom Waits above all other musicians, and he is amazing live.

/Minneapolis '99
//four curtain calls

jerkobson: Saw him in Columbus this year, and it was the closest to religion I'll ever come. I love everything this man has committed to tape, musically or otherwise.

/On the Nickel is my favorite.
//Followed by Bad Liver and a Broken Heart.
///Genius, thy name is Tom Waits

Man, I wish he'd come to Europe. I don't know why we bother having laws, if Tom Waits' lack of European gigs is not against them.

/Tango till they're sore ftw.

Limbofark: jerkobson: Saw him in Columbus this year, and it was the closest to religion I'll ever come. I love everything this man has committed to tape, musically or otherwise.

/On the Nickel is my favorite.
//Followed by Bad Liver and a Broken Heart.
///Genius, thy name is Tom Waits

Man, I wish he'd come to Europe. I don't know why we bother having laws, if Tom Waits' lack of European gigs is not against them.

/Tango till they're sore ftw.

It seemed to me like he did more European dates as opposed to a more extensive US tour. Don't feel like looking it up, but I wish that the 'PEHDTSCKJMBA' trajectory went somewhere closer to NY.

Oh well, this NPR stream of his Atlanta show will have to do: Link

/Enjoy!

JesterJames: Limbofark: jerkobson: Saw him in Columbus this year, and it was the closest to religion I'll ever come. I love everything this man has committed to tape, musically or otherwise.

/On the Nickel is my favorite.
//Followed by Bad Liver and a Broken Heart.
///Genius, thy name is Tom Waits

Man, I wish he'd come to Europe. I don't know why we bother having laws, if Tom Waits' lack of European gigs is not against them.

/Tango till they're sore ftw.

It seemed to me like he did more European dates as opposed to a more extensive US tour. Don't feel like looking it up, but I wish that the 'PEHDTSCKJMBA' trajectory went somewhere closer to NY.

Oh well, this NPR stream of his Atlanta show will have to do: Link

/Enjoy!

Great link, thanks! Strictly speaking, you're probably right since he did several shows in the cities he visited - but they were all farking far away from Scandinavia, so my comment still stands.

Wookie Milson:

That's a great old clip. Coincidentally, I woke up with Tom's voice this morning.

Maybe some lozenges will help?

Blue Valentines (album) FTW!

oh, also: "swordfishtrombones", "rain dogs", "alice", "real gone", "brawlers..."

chickyraptor
Coincidentally, I woke up with Tom's voice this morning.

did you swallow rusty nails and gargle with Drano last night or something?

What the fark are they laughing at? This displays the stupidity of the average Americans taste in music. He is an acquired taste though.

deanis: What the fark are they laughing at? This displays the stupidity of the average Americans taste in music. He is an acquired taste though.

THIS, minus the American part. You're stupid for making a generalization like that. It's those two guys who are dumb.

Fernwood 2 Night (new window)

Seriously, are you all retarded?

Good god. You'd think people that come to Fark would have the ability to recognize humor, but time and again that assumption is proven wrong.

I'm definitely more into Waits' Asylum-era output. Though the evocative nature of his story-telling and great characters of the songs didn't change, the actual music of Bone Machine, Mule, Rain Dogs etc became a little too avante-garde, a bit too harsh for my tastes. But I can listen to Small Change, Closing Time, Heart of Saturday Night, etcoontil my own heart breaks. It's also an incredibly apt soundtrack when walking around a more interesting city in the middle of the night. Or trains. If you get on a long-distance train without any Tom Waits (and whiskey in a carry-on), you are unfit to live.

A seriously overlooked album? "One From the Heart," an example of a soundtrack being the only mitigating factor of an otherwise hideous film. It was sung with Crystal Gayle, of all people. Fantastic stuff.

The good Tom Waits stuff begins with Swordfishtrombones onward.
The highlight is Bone Machine.

Is there some commonality amongst Tom Waits fans that makes them too dull to understand satire? Oh, wait, I just figured it out.