Waits No 9: Rain birds and Swordfish Trombones in the neighborhood

1983, ten years after his debut with "Closing Time" and nine albums later, Tom has reached the artistic Olympus. "Swordfishtrombones" will go down in music history. The panel is one of the most influential publications of the 80s at all, countless important musicians of the decade she lists among her models on. It's hard, the one that best identify with Toms plates. But when it comes to the make out monolythischste and important for his work, the choice is very clear on "Swordfishtrombones". Never before, he was so radical in its artistic means. And later, he will only get two more times on this point, with "Black Rider" and with "Bone Machine".

To this album, entwines the story that they showed him the door at Asylum, when he showed up with the first shots. The shock was too great. It had indeed on recent albums already indicated that Tom had no more desire on giving the bar piano Beatnik. But with some derartigem simply did not deal with the old record company. Glad Records Iceland grade stood at the door.

The fifteen songs on "Swordfishtrombones" are crooked by the bank, askew, hunchbacked. It crunches in the joints. Toms whimpering, howling, barking voice does the rest to do so. And also instrumental happening a lot. The electric guitar takes a back seat. The Piano anyway. The basslines of Greg Cohen are becoming increasingly important. And in the songs, the Schlagwerk- and percussion department creeps: Buschtrommel, marimba, conga, snare drum, a set of wine glasses, various bells. Amongst other things. Finally, the increasingly important wind. But no longer the old saxophone, but trumpets and trombones. The miracle of this song is now that every single one despite these Moved unit is beautiful.

Individual songs from this Gesamtkunstwerk lift? Where each is a carved in stone sanctuary? Is of course not really. But there is of course his favorites. Direct the opening with "Underground" and "Shore Leave" succession is great. My favorite beginning of a disk at all. "In the neighborhood" is a great popular tune, which seems down with a full marching band, the main road to come. And then of course "Swordfishtrombones" itself! What a song! Alone because of the bassline from Greg Cohen must possess this plate. Not to mention the incredible good Lyriks. The following "Down, down, down" passes in the final third a the harder guitar numbers. "Soldiers Things" is brilliant texts in connection with melancholischster instrumentation. And to wind down there with "Rainbirds" Toms finest instrumental for "Closing Time", with which he ran his first-round off a decade ago.

What a long way we have since laid back! But for this target stages, each step has been worthwhile. Incidentally, also for Tom privately: In the credits of "Swordfishtrombones" the newlyweds thanked his wife Kathleen. And with "Johnsburg, Illinois" he has her equal banned an eternal oath of allegiance in the form of love song on the record - because as it comes forth. And of course, this little ditty is a bit wrong at the end. Straight others are doing to satisfy.

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This is the ninth part of my approach to the test Waits's canon. The predecessor can be found here: "One from the Heart". It continues with "Rain Dogs".