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The man made more albums than I had women and still Polo never ever has heard that raspy voice . I wonder if all these people ever watched MTV , or did all these reactors live under the ground . Sorry , but I cannot believe this anymore .BTW Waits is ffing brilliant .
Polo, your parody comment is so insightfully meta-accurate, it beggars belief! There's no way to perform 1 of his songs (I've tried), w/o sounding like a COMPLETE impersonator. His entire career is a "performance" - yet, he inhabits that character completely! You HAVE to watch his live, mid-80s performance on YT ("Tom Waits The Tube") in which he gives himself over to that persona completely - capturing his raspy-voiced, vaudevillian persona to the NTH degree! It must be seen to be believed!
Grammys and the Rock’n Roll Hall of Fame and not a number one hit because he’s just Tom Waits. Even his acceptance speech was a classic. So Tom. He’s a Hall of Famer.
Don’t shortchange him. He’s also an actor. Anyone remember the engineer who barters with Denzel Washington to charge his Ipod in “The Book of Eli”? He was also the engineer who got our heroes on track in “Mystery Men”. Strong although mostly background characters.
My favorite line is the end of the speech at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction when Tom Waits said, "Thank you. This has been very encouraging." Ha ha
Tom's passion is so palpable because he singing about his soon to be wife Kathleen Brennan who helped get him right when things could of gone south . Stilled married 40 years later , a rare thing these days . A 'keeper' as we use to say .
Was he or was he not a one time married to Ricky Lee Jones? I have loved him for years. "Nighthawks at The Diner" one of my favs. The album and song. "Mule Variations" another great one. The list just goes on. Loved his Viceroys and bourbon. Saw him live in "76" back when he was a lot more shall I say beatnik type personality. Also a pretty good actor. Better than a lot who claim to be actors. Pretty talented all around.
@@roadhog19 Tom Waits is brillant, and always has been. He and Rickie Lee Jones were "together" for a while, just before she got her first record. Her writing and life and the way they were living then had a big influence on his early work. Her Chuck E's In Love song is written about their mutual friend Chuck E Weiss, Tom's best friend then. They hung out as a threesome. I think she credits him as being her first big love, a very important person, and he has said that her lifestyle was a bit too wild for him. They're both beautiful, honest artists and people, who've never stopped creating in their unique ways. Nobody is like either of them.
Tom Waits: as authentic and original as an artist can possibly be...more so than many can handle, but definitely in my wheelhouse. Can't play enough Tom Waits for me.
That is such a beautifully sad song. My intro to Tom was a friend playing a video of one of his Letterman appearances. Then I got Swordfish Trombones. So a couple months later when I decided to buy Closing Time I was in for a complete shock when I heard the early era Tom voice. I personally prefer the later years, but lyrically, his first few albums are all spectacular. One of my five favorite artists and also in my top ten favorite actors.
Tom's album Raindogs is a masterclass in lyric as storytelling....it's amazing. He's got such a "vibe". He's great at describing the ugly, mundane and seedy as beautiful with verse and metaphor. He's magical. This song is actually very tame for Waits. He specializes in "seedy, drunk and dark." The underbelly of society.
I had an old Mercedes with the best tape deck I ever had in a car, but only a few tapes. During the 8 years I drove this car I heard always one tape (one side swordfish trombones, other side raindogs) I love Tom Waits since the late 80s 🥰
@@marithibaut7868 I've gotta ask...have you ever heard his Heigh Ho? I'm still surprised Disney let him contribute that to the multi-artist celebration of Disney songs, a long time ago. There's a lot of great stuff on there, particularly Suzanne Vega and Sinead O'Conner but the song from Snow White...dwarves mining jewels deep underground...I'm still hypnotized by that rendering, pun intended. TW is the voice of those endless tunnels. He made a masterpiece.
I am a 63 year old English man who has been a singer / songwriter since I was a teenager. Tom Waits is / has always been my favourite songwriter and my greatest influence. Although I sound nothing like Tom, I have, forever, endeavoured to capture something of a similar, poetic, heart felt, personal essence in the way I write. If I have, somehow, succeeded ... even in the most minuscule of ways, I will be the most satisfied of artists. Tom is a total " one off " NOBODY is like him nor comes anywhere close to him, in my opinion. Songwriting is like painting. Tom has so many more colours to his audible palette than anyone out there. A TOTAL MUSICAL GENIUS who can never fit into any pigeonhole .... other than TOM WAITS MUSIC 🙏
Every single time I hear Tom Waits I think to myself “I really need to listen to more Tom Waits”. And then I forget until the next time I hear something by him. I’ve been doing this since the late 80s. But I have never heard anything by him I didn’t like. Just so much raw emotion, heart, soul in everything.
My aunt gave me his double album Nighthawks at the Diner on my 16th birthday in 1990. She got it for her 16th birthday and passed it to me. His songwriting, acting, everything has been an obsession since. He is indeed the true meaning of an artist. Fearless. Unapologetically him. One of the most authentic artists of all time. Thanks for doing this one.
@@laurieburnside5300 "Tom Traubert's Blues (Waltzing Matilda)" is by Tom Waits, "Waltzing Matilda" is an Australian folk song that is referenced in it.
@@laurieburnside5300As an Aussie I find your your comment just a little off base 😂 but seriously “Tom Traubert’s Blues” is a great song but Waltzing Matilda is definitely ours 😊
But Tom Trauberts Blues is not Waltzing Matilda. A part of Waltzing Matilda was incorporated into Tom Trauberts Blues. It's his song. To say that his usage of these 7 words make it a rendition of the Australian song instead of a Waits original is wrong.@@NebraskaGonvilleJones
Lucky! Everyone commenting loves Tom Waits, so this might be common knowledge, but his performance on the 1978 Austin City Limits show is legendary and a must-see. th-cam.com/video/JbKNrdlXHLY/w-d-xo.htmlsi=uUZOjXSQkrNs9LmT There is a good backstory behind it as well. I think Franks Wild Years is my favorite, but his catalog is so huge that I feel like a novice and may get laughed at that choice by the more seasoned. Bottom-line. Check out this hour-long 1978 Austin City Limits on PBS performance. Put it on after a big night of revelry when you aren't quite ready to go to bed and want to have a couple more. It was a dream-like and unforgettable experience the first time I saw it, and I go back to it occasionally. I hear the trumpet crying and Tom growling now as I write this... Glad you liked this Polo. I wasn't sure you would but that is so cool it made the 4Runner.
About 20 years ago my dad stopped in at a bar while on a busniss trip. Shortly after a man came in and sat at the bar and lit up a cigarette. Ordered a drink and whispered something to the bartender. The man grabbed his drink and walked over to the piano. The bartender announced to the whole bar, "Ladies and gentleman, we have little surprise. Mr Tom Waits is here and wants to play a few songs on the piano for tonights entertainment." That was my dads introduction to Tom Waits. He played Blue Valentines and Hell Broke Luce.
Polo --- so glad you gave Tom Waits a listen. He is one of the best songwriters of our time. His personal life and his musical path are extraordinary. He encompasses the American desperation and hopes and fears and love in a way that no other singer songwriter does. He is under appreciated by the average person. He is on a level with greats like Hank Williams SR., Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Van Morrison, and Bob Dylan.
Tom Waits is my second favorite artist after Dylan, you should know he has two distinct careers, from 72 to 84 he was a singer songwriter in a piano blues style, from 84 on became more of an avant garde artist. He is also a great actor and had appeared in many films most recently The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.
Musician,Singer Songwriter Poet ,theater,films conceptual artist. Been loving his work for 4 decades ❤ Tom has kept my dark side company,never bringing me down just great company
There are great musicians who are not super-famous but are widely revered by other musicians, and Tom Waits is one of them. His songs have been covered by The Ramones, Rod Stewart, Willie Nelson, Tori Amos, Johnny Cash, Bob Seger, and Joan Baez. For many musicians, and for people who can appreciate soul music with a side of heartfelt grit, Tom Waits is a hero.
I first encountered Waits at age 15 when he was in his very avant-garde stage of his career. I’d never heard anything like him.. my best friend and I were stunned to learn someone let him make 10 albums. 😂 I fell in love w his music though. He is one of the great American poets of the 20th century. He writes romantic songs about ppl on the streets - ppl who can’t quite get to the American dream- at least in the first half of his career. These were the ppl from my grandmother’s neighborhood. I can’t imagine the empty space my life would’ve had without his music- and I’ve never said that about any artist. Start with his romantic period - first 3 albums - before venturing into his songs from the 80s. Ruby’s Arms (also from Heart Attack & Vine - which Jersey Girl is from) is so beautiful. Always look at lyrics- they’re incredible but his voice can sometimes hide them. I hope you’ll listen to more Waits - he’s well worth getting to know. ❤❤🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Love Tom waites. Beautifully melancholy voice ..gritt and substance.Also gifted piano player .He does an incredible version of a very well-known folk poem,song. unofficial national anthem to Australia. Waltzing Matilda , his version always makes me cry.
It's not a version of the Australian song, though, it just borrows the chorus. Tom Waits' song is called 'Tom Traubert's Blues (Four Sheets To The Wind In Copenhagen)', and it's partly inspired by a night out with a Danish folk singer and violinist called Mathilde, whom he met and played with while touring in Denmark.
They don't make them like tom Waits any more. He is overlooked by so many but He is one of the best. Very genuine to his art. My favorite is the duet with Crystal Gale-Take me Home.
My introduction to that beautiful duet was via Kathy Bates singing it on “Harry’s Law”. Her version intrigued me so much that I needed to watch Tom and Crystal sing it. 😊 Perfection!
Tom makes me happy.... been my favourite artist for 30 years his songs are beautiful, dark, comedic, sad, life affirming, poetic and stunning have every album and each is full of delights
Before Tom Waits developed his distinctive growl, his first two albums have a much softer singing voice, the albums "Heart of Saturday Night" and "Closing Time" are very different listens. The song you chose was off the album "Heartattack and Vine" which is a phenomenal album from start to finish, every song is a killer. His later works get more avant garde and experimental. You have an incredible journey with Tom Waits! Enjoy!
Tom can tear your heart out, make you laugh and he can be real strange. You want to feel it in your heart, listen to "Georgia Lee". If you want to laugh, try "The Piano Has Been Drinking". If you are looking for something strange, try "What's He Building in There??".
I had a similar reaction when I first began listening to him in earnest around twenty years or so ago. I later realized I had heard him in the soundtrack to the movie "Night on Earth" and in some films by an independent director whose name slips my mind. You can find videos online of the several appearances he made on Dave Letterman's show. Letterman was clearly an admirer. But, other than that, Waits has, in relative terms, kind of flown a bit under the radar. He's not a big stadium performer like, say, Springsteen. And, despite the many offers he's had, Waits has always refused to allow his songs or performances to appear in commercials.
All I can say, pal, is catch up and hold on tight cuz you’re in for one helluva ride. I suggest starting at the beginning of his discography and working your way through in order, album by album-just the evolution of his artistry is fascinating. As for the songs themselves , I have yet to listen to a Waits song that I didn’t love. Enjoy!
When Jon Stewart, who is a HUGE Tom Waits fan, had him for the first and only time on the Daily Show, he told him something along the lines of “If I were lying dying in a ditch, your music would be the soundtrack.”
Nice one. I've seen Bruce Sprinsteen do this live a couple times. You can image how it suits him. Wait's album "Closing Time" is killer. I wore it out. My favorite is "Martha." Thanks so much for sharing. Love you vibe, Polo.
Tom Waits wrote and recorded the song Jersey Girl, which was made famous by Springsteen. Tom's version is well, the real one. And he wrote Ol' 55, also recorded, and covered by The Eagles and a huge hit for them.
I just asked if he wrote “Jersey Girl” and I guess he did, great song and Ol’ 55” is one of my favorite songs! Great job Tom Waits! Always like Tom, but now I like him even more, very talented guy!!
You have no idea how happy this makes me. No one reacts to Tom Waits! He's been one of my favorite artists since I was a teen (which was many a year ago). I have some of his lyrics tattooed on my wrist. He is a genre in and of himself. I'd love for you to react to more from him. Some suggestions and I'll try to keep the list short: Just the Right Bullets, Black Wings, San Diego Serenade, Hold On, Tango Til They're Sore, Step Right Up, Soldier's Things, the Piano Has Been Drinking, God's Away on Business...I better stop now or I'll keep going forever lol
The soundtrack to my life beginning in the early 70’s. You could spend weeks going through his archive. Glad you began with an audio. Tom Waits is one of the best performances artist EVER! Concerts and all created video singles are stunning. Even his interviews are fabulous, especially on Letterman. Dive in!
It's so funny, I just wrote in the comments about Tom's calibur of writing being in league with about six amazing singer songwriters and Dylan and Van Morrison were on my list as well. Neil Young I also agree with you on that choice. I almost listed Jackson Brown but I'm not sure if he's on level with Hank Williams SR., Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Dylan and Van Morrison and Neil Young.
I was lucky enough to see this live in 1999 - there is no one like Tom Waits and he has such a massive, varied catalogue I don't even know where to start. Romeo Is Bleeding would be awesome.
The most famous quote about Tom Waits' singing voice: Waits’ voice was described by music critic Daniel Durchholz as “sounding like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car.” He didn't sound like that on his first album. I think the growl started out as affectation, and you can actually hear it in this song, since there are portions of the chorus where he doesn't growl. (He recorded this song pretty early in his career.) However, if you do that to your voice for long enough, it will stay for the duration. He has written and recorded many fine songs. My suggestions: "Swordfishtrombone," "A Soldier's Things," "Chocolate Jesus," "Gun Street Girl," "Jockey Full of Bourbon."
Tom Waits is a performance artist. He's been playing a middle-aged drunkard since was a teenager. Back in the 80s he was in a film with Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep named 'Ironweed' and he was the one you watched when they were on the screen together
The great thing about him (well, one of many) is that he’s a very smart writer, capable of great sarcasm and wit, and knows exactly what he’s saying, but he’s never afraid to be fully sincere and even sentimental if it’s what he feels.
Tom Waits is an absolute spark in a damp cold alley. He's cynical, wholesome, witty, funny, weird, smooth, rough, and beautiful. Love his "whiskey and cigarettes" style and his weirdo carefree vibe. Always has been a favorite and loved him since my dad introduced me to him.
I adore Tom Waits. Did you ever watch The Wire? The intro song “Way down in the Hole” is his. I love so many i can’t even think but I’d recommend something from his later albums when things get a little more out there. Hoist That Rag was my ring tone in University.
Heart of Saturday Night /// Hold ON /// Saving All My Love for You /// Step Right Up /// Frank's Wild Years /// Nighthalks at the Diner ///. Tom PAINTS A PICTURE in your mind, his melodies are priceless, his lyrics impeccable -- it goes on and on!! WELCOME TO TOM WAITS!!!!
Tom Waits is as deep, interesting, & varied a music dive as Tool, but with some stark differences. There will be songs that you'll like, some you hate, and some that will change your life. Tom (& his wife/songwriting partner Kathleen Brennan) are true artists in every sense of the word. Your comment about the "Ultimate Drunk Song" is funny, since he has a song from his more humorous era called "The Piano Has Been Drinking". Give it a try, and yes, it's the same man.
Hey Polo, I've been watching you're reactions for a while now. You're a seeker like I am, Sir. Always looking for a snapshot of what fits. Whether it's for a mood, place in time or just because. I've spent most of my life listening. There is a love of music that is implied in your clips. I definitely appreciate it, from one inquisitive soul to another. Every song adds to the pantheon of bards and virtuoso's that have been or will be. Peace!
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Try piano has been drinking or step right up
The man made more albums than I had women and still Polo never ever has heard that raspy voice . I wonder if all these people ever watched MTV , or did all these reactors live under the ground . Sorry , but I cannot believe this anymore .BTW Waits is ffing brilliant .
Polo, your parody comment is so insightfully meta-accurate, it beggars belief! There's no way to perform 1 of his songs (I've tried), w/o sounding like a COMPLETE impersonator. His entire career is a "performance" - yet, he inhabits that character completely!
You HAVE to watch his live, mid-80s performance on YT ("Tom Waits The Tube") in which he gives himself over to that persona completely - capturing his raspy-voiced, vaudevillian persona to the NTH degree! It must be seen to be believed!
Tom is one of the rare true artists and geniuses in music and one of the greatest American songwriters.
Get a load of "Mr. Siegal" or "Heart Attack and Vine".
Tom Waits is a national treasure. Seriously. Original. A poet. A musician.
FACTS!!
i got a bone to pick w tom.whether hes m40ft or 1000 miles away whenever i hear him that cigarette smoke somehow gets in my eyes
Grammys and the Rock’n Roll Hall of Fame and not a number one hit because he’s just Tom Waits. Even his acceptance speech was a classic. So Tom. He’s a Hall of Famer.
Don’t shortchange him. He’s also an actor. Anyone remember the engineer who barters with Denzel Washington to charge his Ipod in “The Book of Eli”? He was also the engineer who got our heroes on track in “Mystery Men”. Strong although mostly background characters.
@@slypperyfox add The Dead Don't Die & Coffee and Cigarettes to list of underrated Tom Waits performances
"they say I don't have any hits and I'm difficult to work with..... and they say that like it's a bad thing." Tom Waits' Hall of Fame induction speech
My favorite line is the end of the speech at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction when Tom Waits said, "Thank you. This has been very encouraging." Ha ha
Hilarious!
Legend
@@scottprice8994that is so good lol
Tom's passion is so palpable because he singing about his soon to be wife
Kathleen Brennan who helped get him right when things could of gone
south . Stilled married 40 years later , a rare thing these days . A 'keeper'
as we use to say .
and his songwriting partner! we owe just as much to kathleen as we do tom
@@normaleehi I've performed some of their songs at Open Mic Nights, and I always name both of them as the authors in my introductions.
Was he or was he not a one time married to Ricky Lee Jones? I have loved him for years. "Nighthawks at The Diner" one of my favs. The album and song. "Mule Variations" another great one. The list just goes on. Loved his Viceroys and bourbon. Saw him live in "76" back when he was a lot more shall I say beatnik type personality. Also a pretty good actor. Better than a lot who claim to be actors. Pretty talented all around.
@@roadhog19Nighthawks is such an incredible album! I love it dearly
@@roadhog19 Tom Waits is brillant, and always has been. He and Rickie Lee Jones were "together" for a while, just before she got her first record. Her writing and life and the way they were living then had a big influence on his early work. Her Chuck E's In Love song is written about their mutual friend Chuck E Weiss, Tom's best friend then. They hung out as a threesome. I think she credits him as being her first big love, a very important person, and he has said that her lifestyle was a bit too wild for him. They're both beautiful, honest artists and people, who've never stopped creating in their unique ways. Nobody is like either of them.
He's written a whole library of music, he's a master songwriter
...and he's Big In Japan.
His wife, kathleen brennan, co-wrote a lot of his stuff. They been married for like 50years.
He's your favorite songwriter's favorite songwriter. His voice may take a while to get through but it's worth the time investment to dig deeper.
And a damn good prospector.
@@TheBigburcie "We got to dig dig dig, far as we could go" (Sorry, I couldn't resist.)
Tom Waits: as authentic and original as an artist can possibly be...more so than many can handle, but definitely in my wheelhouse. Can't play enough Tom Waits for me.
I played his library for four days straight twelve years ago and my roommates threatened to kill me.
The piano has been drinking, not me
BEST!!
He performed it on Fernwood tonight
I remember seeing him perform this one on an episode of SNL. The audience sat there stunned. They had no idea what was going on.
You can’t find your waitress
With a Geiger counter
She hates you and your friends
But you can’t get served without her
@@frankhoulihanfh4972
Best lyrics ever!
I Hope I Don't Fall In Love With You is awesome by Tom Waits!!❤❤
My daughter who is now 29 heard that song when she was about 15 and she emedietly fall in love.
That is such a beautifully sad song. My intro to Tom was a friend playing a video of one of his Letterman appearances. Then I got Swordfish Trombones. So a couple months later when I decided to buy Closing Time I was in for a complete shock when I heard the early era Tom voice. I personally prefer the later years, but lyrically, his first few albums are all spectacular. One of my five favorite artists and also in my top ten favorite actors.
Tom's album Raindogs is a masterclass in lyric as storytelling....it's amazing. He's got such a "vibe". He's great at describing the ugly, mundane and seedy as beautiful with verse and metaphor. He's magical. This song is actually very tame for Waits. He specializes in "seedy, drunk and dark." The underbelly of society.
Gun Street Girl and Clap Hands are like religious experiences for me. Iconic.
I had an old Mercedes with the best tape deck I ever had in a car, but only a few tapes. During the 8 years I drove this car I heard always one tape (one side swordfish trombones, other side raindogs) I love Tom Waits since the late 80s 🥰
@@marithibaut7868 Old Mercs are wonderful; they just float along. And if you had only one tape, that is not a bad choice.
@@realityjunky I had 4 tapes, but Tom Waits was the best, but you’re right, this one would have been enough 😂
@@marithibaut7868 I've gotta ask...have you ever heard his Heigh Ho? I'm still surprised Disney let him contribute that to the multi-artist celebration of Disney songs, a long time ago. There's a lot of great stuff on there, particularly Suzanne Vega and Sinead O'Conner but the song from Snow White...dwarves mining jewels deep underground...I'm still hypnotized by that rendering, pun intended. TW is the voice of those endless tunnels. He made a masterpiece.
Heart Attack and Vine, Downtown Train, The Heart of Saturday Night, Jockey Full of Bourbon… so many great songs
Yesterday is here, downtown train, rain dogs, all the world is green...
I am a 63 year old English man who has been a singer / songwriter since I was a teenager. Tom Waits is / has always been my favourite songwriter and my greatest influence. Although I sound nothing like Tom, I have, forever, endeavoured to capture something of a similar, poetic, heart felt, personal essence in the way I write. If I have, somehow, succeeded ... even in the most minuscule of ways, I will be the most satisfied of artists. Tom is a total " one off " NOBODY is like him nor comes anywhere close to him, in my opinion. Songwriting is like painting. Tom has so many more colours to his audible palette than anyone out there. A TOTAL MUSICAL GENIUS who can never fit into any pigeonhole .... other than TOM WAITS MUSIC 🙏
Well said my friend 💜
Every single time I hear Tom Waits I think to myself “I really need to listen to more Tom Waits”.
And then I forget until the next time I hear something by him. I’ve been doing this since the late 80s.
But I have never heard anything by him I didn’t like. Just so much raw emotion, heart, soul in everything.
You really need to listen to more Tom Waits. Make a playlist *today*
I cherished several cassettes I had of him and one night they were all stolen.😢
@@Chris.Davis.2 ...and two days later the thiefs girlfriend moved out.😆
I think it's the intensity: you HAVE to actually stop and listen: background music it ain't.
Compare Wairs version of this song to anyone else’s, and you know WHY you like him - or why you don’t.
OMG, I love Tom Waits. So different and so unique.
My aunt gave me his double album Nighthawks at the Diner on my 16th birthday in 1990. She got it for her 16th birthday and passed it to me. His songwriting, acting, everything has been an obsession since. He is indeed the true meaning of an artist. Fearless. Unapologetically him. One of the most authentic artists of all time. Thanks for doing this one.
I love his rendition of Waltzing Matilda.
His is not a rendition. It's his song.
@@laurieburnside5300 "Tom Traubert's Blues (Waltzing Matilda)" is by Tom Waits, "Waltzing Matilda" is an Australian folk song that is referenced in it.
@@laurieburnside5300As an Aussie I find your your comment just a little off base 😂 but seriously “Tom Traubert’s Blues” is a great song but Waltzing Matilda is definitely ours 😊
But Tom Trauberts Blues is not Waltzing Matilda. A part of Waltzing Matilda was incorporated into Tom Trauberts Blues. It's his song. To say that his usage of these 7 words make it a rendition of the Australian song instead of a Waits original is wrong.@@NebraskaGonvilleJones
I suggested Tom Waits! Thanks for checking him out! I'm excited to see what you thought
I have a short list of national treasures. He is definitely on the list. Thank you for the suggestion
One of the great American songwriters and an incredible performer. Had the pleasure of seeing him many times.
Lucky! Everyone commenting loves Tom Waits, so this might be common knowledge, but his performance on the 1978 Austin City Limits show is legendary and a must-see.
th-cam.com/video/JbKNrdlXHLY/w-d-xo.htmlsi=uUZOjXSQkrNs9LmT
There is a good backstory behind it as well. I think Franks Wild Years is my favorite, but his catalog is so huge that I feel like a novice and may get laughed at that choice by the more seasoned.
Bottom-line. Check out this hour-long 1978 Austin City Limits on PBS performance. Put it on after a big night of revelry when you aren't quite ready to go to bed and want to have a couple more. It was a dream-like and unforgettable experience the first time I saw it, and I go back to it occasionally. I hear the trumpet crying and Tom growling now as I write this...
Glad you liked this Polo. I wasn't sure you would but that is so cool it made the 4Runner.
What's he building?
@@brianmcmeat1306 Polo might have to work up to that one...!
I challenge anyone to listen to Tom Trauberts Blues and not shed a tear! Magnificent story teller and musician!
About 20 years ago my dad stopped in at a bar while on a busniss trip. Shortly after a man came in and sat at the bar and lit up a cigarette. Ordered a drink and whispered something to the bartender. The man grabbed his drink and walked over to the piano. The bartender announced to the whole bar, "Ladies and gentleman, we have little surprise. Mr Tom Waits is here and wants to play a few songs on the piano for tonights entertainment."
That was my dads introduction to Tom Waits. He played Blue Valentines and Hell Broke Luce.
❤❤❤
Polo --- so glad you gave Tom Waits a listen.
He is one of the best songwriters of our time. His personal life and his musical path are extraordinary. He encompasses the American desperation and hopes and fears and love in a way that no other singer songwriter does.
He is under appreciated by the average person.
He is on a level with greats like Hank Williams SR., Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Van Morrison, and Bob Dylan.
100% ❤❤❤
So glad you got to tom. He's a musical chameleon. Sounds like whiskey and sawdust. Genius.
At around 5:30, Polo says "This guy's amazing. He sings like he's singing a parody of himself. And it still sounds good."
Tom Waits is about as peak as you can get when it comes to songwriting.
Van Morrison level genius.
God’s Away on Business lives rent free in my head
Lucky bastard. It charges me $8.50 a night.
I'm addicted to Chocolate Jesusses.
Especially when he sings it through Cookie Monster! Love the song!
Tom Waits is my second favorite artist after Dylan, you should know he has two distinct careers, from 72 to 84 he was a singer songwriter in a piano blues style, from 84 on became more of an avant garde artist. He is also a great actor and had appeared in many films most recently The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.
Oh my gosh, we might be soulmates! 😂
Hi there soulmate good to meet you
He's somewhere in my top five with The Beatles, The Grateful Dead, David Bowls and Gram Parsons.
If this is your first Tom Waits, you got a great journey of discovery ahead of you.
One of the deepest rabbit holes. Endless masterpieces.
Musician,Singer Songwriter Poet ,theater,films conceptual artist. Been loving his work for 4 decades ❤ Tom has kept my dark side company,never bringing me down just great company
When I'm down, I always have his song 'Hold On' in my head.
Ol 55” is a favorite song by him but alas, he has so many soul crunching songs, “closing time” is another must listen
The long way home, Hold on, Muriel, Walk away, All the world is green. just so many great songs
I love Tom Waits. His music is some highly advanced listening. Very few casual listeners would find its beauty. Hope you're enjoying it
Hes an incredible poet of music!, and not a bad actor either
"He sings like he's a parody of himself and it still sounds good."
Great comment, Polo, I like that.
This man has an incredible catalogue.
Been a fan since I heard "Nighthawks at the Diner" in 1976. A highly underrated musician and song writer.
Mt sister bought me the album when it came out. Birthday, I think. I've been hooked ever since.
Same
Christmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis - the live version. It's so good.
Sooooooo good!
@@heatherhobbit2931 It makes me laugh and cry every single time!
@@SmittenKitten. Right? It wouldn't be Christmas without it. And it's so relatable.
@@heatherhobbit2931 Yes, exactly! So poignant and heartbreaking for so many reasons.
Greatest Christmas song.
He's different, but oh, so talented and influential. Enjoy!
There are great musicians who are not super-famous but are widely revered by other musicians, and Tom Waits is one of them. His songs have been covered by The Ramones, Rod Stewart, Willie Nelson, Tori Amos, Johnny Cash, Bob Seger, and Joan Baez.
For many musicians, and for people who can appreciate soul music with a side of heartfelt grit, Tom Waits is a hero.
.... The Eagles, Bruce Springsteen, Frank Black, Rickie Lee Jones, Nanci Griffith.....
… Norah Jones, although maybe that was more a case of him writing a song for her and then recording it himself.
Scarlet Johansson's first album is all Tom Waits stuff
I first encountered Waits at age 15 when he was in his very avant-garde stage of his career. I’d never heard anything like him.. my best friend and I were stunned to learn someone let him make 10 albums. 😂 I fell in love w his music though. He is one of the great American poets of the 20th century. He writes romantic songs about ppl on the streets - ppl who can’t quite get to the American dream- at least in the first half of his career. These were the ppl from my grandmother’s neighborhood. I can’t imagine the empty space my life would’ve had without his music- and I’ve never said that about any artist. Start with his romantic period - first 3 albums - before venturing into his songs from the 80s. Ruby’s Arms (also from Heart Attack & Vine - which Jersey Girl is from) is so beautiful. Always look at lyrics- they’re incredible but his voice can sometimes hide them. I hope you’ll listen to more Waits - he’s well worth getting to know. ❤❤🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Love Tom waites. Beautifully melancholy voice ..gritt and substance.Also gifted piano player .He does an incredible version of a very well-known folk poem,song. unofficial national anthem to Australia. Waltzing Matilda , his version always makes me cry.
It's not a version of the Australian song, though, it just borrows the chorus.
Tom Waits' song is called 'Tom Traubert's Blues (Four Sheets To The Wind In Copenhagen)', and it's partly inspired by a night out with a Danish folk singer and violinist called Mathilde, whom he met and played with while touring in Denmark.
They don't make them like tom Waits any more. He is overlooked by so many but He is one of the best. Very genuine to his art. My favorite is the duet with Crystal Gale-Take me Home.
My introduction to that beautiful duet was via Kathy Bates singing it on “Harry’s Law”. Her version intrigued me so much that I needed to watch Tom and Crystal sing it. 😊 Perfection!
Oh, hell yeah! Please do more Tom Waits. You're in for a ride!
My favorite song of his would be The house where nobody lives❤
The piano has been drinking by tom is just genius. A must listen❤️🤘
Tom Waits is a genius. Try “Hang On Saint Christopher” to see his range.
Tom makes me happy.... been my favourite artist for 30 years his songs are beautiful, dark, comedic, sad, life affirming, poetic and stunning have every album and each is full of delights
Tom Waits - on a totally different level. Also a great actor! Made a great Renfield!
Love me some Tom Waits.
One of the best 🎶 rabbit holes in existence. Keep going ❤
The man and his music are exquisite.
A true troubadour, marvelous storyteller, I cant imagine a world without Tom.
Fun fact ; He was the gold prospector in the movie The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs.
He was also Renfield in Dracula.
He was also Rudy in Ironweed. A banger movie.
@@DrStrangelove3891
I thought the character’s name was Renfrew…
Pretty sure he was the devil in the Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus also
He answers the door at the bar after Johnny kills the Soc in The Outsiders.
Yay Tom Waits!
Check out Heart of Saturday Night. So good.
Tom Waits is a legend. Great reaction
You just reached my favorite living artist. I couldn't even chose my top twenty songs for you to react to!
You have to react to Step Right Up. So many other amazing songs of this lyrical genius, but that song will open your eyes to what he's capable of.
Tom Waits is a true genius one of a kind original. Incredible catalogue
"I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy" What a guy.
Before Tom Waits developed his distinctive growl, his first two albums have a much softer singing voice, the albums "Heart of Saturday Night" and "Closing Time" are very different listens. The song you chose was off the album "Heartattack and Vine" which is a phenomenal album from start to finish, every song is a killer. His later works get more avant garde and experimental. You have an incredible journey with Tom Waits! Enjoy!
Tom can tear your heart out, make you laugh and he can be real strange. You want to feel it in your heart, listen to
"Georgia Lee". If you want to laugh, try "The Piano Has Been Drinking". If you are looking for something strange, try "What's He Building in There??".
Tom Waits!!. Classic. Great actor too ❤️😀
Embarrassed to say, never heard him or the song. Amazing real, authentic, genuine talent! Where have I been???
You’re not the only one who hasn’t heard of Tom Waits, but I’m quite sure he’s glad to make your acquaintance. I love Tom Waits!
I had a similar reaction when I first began listening to him in earnest around twenty years or so ago. I later realized I had heard him in the soundtrack to the movie "Night on Earth" and in some films by an independent director whose name slips my mind. You can find videos online of the several appearances he made on Dave Letterman's show. Letterman was clearly an admirer. But, other than that, Waits has, in relative terms, kind of flown a bit under the radar. He's not a big stadium performer like, say, Springsteen. And, despite the many offers he's had, Waits has always refused to allow his songs or performances to appear in commercials.
All I can say, pal, is catch up and hold on tight cuz you’re in for one helluva ride. I suggest starting at the beginning of his discography and working your way through in order, album by album-just the evolution of his artistry is fascinating. As for the songs themselves , I have yet to listen to a Waits song that I didn’t love. Enjoy!
When Jon Stewart, who is a HUGE Tom Waits fan, had him for the first and only time on the Daily Show, he told him something along the lines of “If I were lying dying in a ditch, your music would be the soundtrack.”
LOL....From the placating I've seen by Stewart lately, I'd put his ear buds in for him and turn it up to 11.
Nice one. I've seen Bruce Sprinsteen do this live a couple times. You can image how it suits him.
Wait's album "Closing Time" is killer. I wore it out. My favorite is "Martha."
Thanks so much for sharing. Love you vibe, Polo.
Tom Waits wrote and recorded the song Jersey Girl, which was made famous by Springsteen. Tom's version is well, the real one. And he wrote Ol' 55, also recorded, and covered by The Eagles and a huge hit for them.
Tom Waits original version of Ol' 55 is the only version of that song that matters. The Eagles ruined it with their take.
I just asked if he wrote “Jersey Girl” and I guess he did, great song and Ol’ 55” is one of my favorite songs! Great job Tom Waits! Always like Tom, but now I like him even more, very talented guy!!
@@eznixSarah McLachlan does a great version. She's a big fan.
agreed. @@eznix
my friend had the album when it first came out and we listened to Jersey Girl :) @@Antor9192
Thankyou for your deeply insightful comments. Tom waits will surely love your reaction if he sees this.
Xxx
Tom has one of the most unique voices in the industry. His lyrics and passion are iconic.
You have no idea how happy this makes me. No one reacts to Tom Waits! He's been one of my favorite artists since I was a teen (which was many a year ago). I have some of his lyrics tattooed on my wrist. He is a genre in and of himself. I'd love for you to react to more from him. Some suggestions and I'll try to keep the list short: Just the Right Bullets, Black Wings, San Diego Serenade, Hold On, Tango Til They're Sore, Step Right Up, Soldier's Things, the Piano Has Been Drinking, God's Away on Business...I better stop now or I'll keep going forever lol
Love Step Right Up! Still so relevant today! Been listening for almost 50 years…love Tom Waits.
I love Tom Waits so much. If you loved Neil Young’s Harvest Moon you must listen to Tom Waits sing Grapefruit Moon. Beautiful.
Closing Time will change you life.
🙄
Enjoying reminiscing one of the Treasures of the Legendary Tom Waits ✋❤🤗🥰💯
Love Tom Waits!
The soundtrack to my life beginning in the early 70’s. You could spend weeks going through his archive. Glad you began with an audio. Tom Waits is one of the best performances artist EVER! Concerts and all created video singles are stunning. Even his interviews are fabulous, especially on Letterman. Dive in!
A playlist of Tom Watts, Van Morrison, Bob Dylan & Neil Young is perfect on a Sunday to sip whiskey with
It's so funny, I just wrote in the comments about Tom's calibur of writing being in league with about six amazing singer songwriters and Dylan and Van Morrison were on my list as well. Neil Young I also agree with you on that choice. I almost listed Jackson Brown but I'm not sure if he's on level with Hank Williams SR., Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Dylan and Van Morrison and Neil Young.
What, no Travelling Wilburys?
You gotta listen to downtown train as well... love tom wait
Tom Waits is an artist you either get, or you don't. Incredibly poetic, sometimes very strange, always interesting
Tom is a musicians musician. He's one that all the grammy winners listen to. You need to watch any of his concert videos. He is a premier storyteller.
I was lucky enough to see this live in 1999 - there is no one like Tom Waits and he has such a massive, varied catalogue I don't even know where to start. Romeo Is Bleeding would be awesome.
If you like storytelling in a song, you have found a master.
Tom Waits is a vocal musical and lyrical genius
The most famous quote about Tom Waits' singing voice:
Waits’ voice was described by music critic Daniel Durchholz as “sounding like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car.”
He didn't sound like that on his first album. I think the growl started out as affectation, and you can actually hear it in this song, since there are portions of the chorus where he doesn't growl. (He recorded this song pretty early in his career.) However, if you do that to your voice for long enough, it will stay for the duration.
He has written and recorded many fine songs. My suggestions: "Swordfishtrombone," "A Soldier's Things," "Chocolate Jesus," "Gun Street Girl," "Jockey Full of Bourbon."
No one can tell a story like Waits. Every single song he's done is an unique experience.
"Chocolate Jesus," live on Letterman, one of the most unusual performances ever.
Tom Waits is a performance artist. He's been playing a middle-aged drunkard since was a teenager. Back in the 80s he was in a film with Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep named 'Ironweed' and he was the one you watched when they were on the screen together
The man is a poet. He paints such vivid pictures with music and words.
This is fire???? He has about 200 more that are straight fire. One of a kind is an understatement. Great reaction
The great thing about him (well, one of many) is that he’s a very smart writer, capable of great sarcasm and wit, and knows exactly what he’s saying, but he’s never afraid to be fully sincere and even sentimental if it’s what he feels.
“Singing like a parody of himself and still sounds good” is pretty spot on. I love Tom’s vocals on a lot of tracks
Tom Waits is an absolute spark in a damp cold alley. He's cynical, wholesome, witty, funny, weird, smooth, rough, and beautiful. Love his "whiskey and cigarettes" style and his weirdo carefree vibe. Always has been a favorite and loved him since my dad introduced me to him.
Tom Waits is a Universe unto himself. A brilliant, wonderful, broad unique universe. A master.
the whole "rain dogs" album
A masterpiece!
I adore Tom Waits. Did you ever watch The Wire? The intro song “Way down in the Hole” is his. I love so many i can’t even think but I’d recommend something from his later albums when things get a little more out there.
Hoist That Rag was my ring tone in University.
Heart of Saturday Night /// Hold ON /// Saving All My Love for You /// Step Right Up /// Frank's Wild Years /// Nighthalks at the Diner ///. Tom PAINTS A PICTURE in your mind, his melodies are priceless, his lyrics impeccable -- it goes on and on!! WELCOME TO TOM WAITS!!!!
Oh, now you're getting into some serious stuff! I'm going to enjoy watching you discover an amazing musician, poet, artist and national treasure.
My favorite of his is I Hope I Don't Fall In Love With You
Tom Waits.....actor from one of my favorite movies. The Book of Eli
Tom Waits is a legendary song writer, 'down in the hole', and 'heart of Saturday night' are two of my all tome favourites.
Clap hands is so good…so many great tunes from this genius.
Tom Waits is as deep, interesting, & varied a music dive as Tool, but with some stark differences. There will be songs that you'll like, some you hate, and some that will change your life. Tom (& his wife/songwriting partner Kathleen Brennan) are true artists in every sense of the word.
Your comment about the "Ultimate Drunk Song" is funny, since he has a song from his more humorous era called "The Piano Has Been Drinking". Give it a try, and yes, it's the same man.
I love Tom since 18. And if you say something nice about him, you get certified subscriber.
Hey Polo, I've been watching you're reactions for a while now. You're a seeker like I am, Sir. Always looking for a snapshot of what fits. Whether it's for a mood, place in time or just because. I've spent most of my life listening. There is a love of music that is implied in your clips. I definitely appreciate it, from one inquisitive soul to another. Every song adds to the pantheon of bards and virtuoso's that have been or will be.
Peace!
The best compliment I’ve ever received was that I sounded like Tom Waits