"Mule Variations" is a folk album, it's Tom's harmonica recording. It is a village-board and there is the story that they have recorded the songs in Toms shed. And on "Chocolate Jesus" even a rooster has smuggled into the receptacle. The crows as easy as rum. Tom is here far back to the roots of American music, the blues, the gospel, the Spiritual. Sometimes the sounds muffled blended music of "Mule Variations" like an old, dusty disk, which have been found on a corner of the attic under grandpa's old stuff.
The songs of this disc are about the tramps of the road, and they are full of strange declarations of love for women, animals and Jesus. "What's he building?" is a wonderfully observed sketch of village curiosity. "Eyeball Kid 'takes its place in the meantime already vast array of Toms songs about freaks. The hymn "Come on up to the house" in the output contains another blasphemous quip, as only Tom can think up ("Come down off the cross, we can use the wood"). Etc. There are really a lot to discover here.
The most amazing discovery Tom is perhaps itself. It rests audible in itself. Especially the soft ballads are filled with a warm autumn sun. "Picture in a Frame" and "Take it with me" are the songs of a man who has arrived. Tom starts here actually his standards radiate something like age clemency. In none of his plates, he was ever so laidback as here.
"Mule Variations" overruns therefore not a right the first time, it pushes a not in front of the head, as we have become accustomed to Tom. But it is gaining with every listen in depth, warmth and humanity.
The old cat is purring contentedly in the October sun, reveals the skin, warms the tired bones and can heal the scars. Lie still a bit to do so. "Mule Variations" takes the older the horrors. For a brief, eternal moment.
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This is the seventeenth part of my approach to the test Waits's canon. To predecessor please click here: "Alice". It continues with "Blood Money".
