CellarGhosts
11/25/08, 10:09 AM
Tom Waits - Heartattack and Vine
Record Label: Elektra / Asylum
Release Date: September 1980
Before he began to dabble in the world of bizarre experimentation on 1983's Swordfishtrombones, Tom Waits recorded Heartattack and Vine, an album that would prove to be his last as that proverbial urban poet leaning against a streetlight, flipping a coin and dragging on a Lucky Strike. And though this characteristic would indeed carry over into many of his later recordings, it was seen here strictly uninterrupted for the last time, and in its full form. So while some may just regard Heartattack and Vine as nothing more than a transitional point in Wait's storied career (not counting 1982's One From the Heart, a duet soundtrack with Crystal Gale written for a Francis Ford Coppola film of the same name), it is certainly much more than that. This sadly seems to be overlooked quite often when it's weighed against the albums that both followed and preceded it. While this is understandable, it's still not quite justified.
The record begins with the smoky, laid-back blues of the title track, a song that does a fine job of setting up the mood of the entire album. Waits' signature growl becomes more apparent here, and although it was indeed present as early as Small Change, it became a bit more defined this time around, and it lends well to the gruff, urban decay implied within the lyrics. What follows is a laid back instrumental cut, entitled "In Shades." With its fairly standard chord progression and rather traditional blues guitar soloing, it may not jump right out at the listener upon initial listening. However, it soon grows on you, and adds a nice, relaxed reprise to the album's overall bleak tone. The songs that follow, "Saving All My Love For You" and "Downtown," provide an interesting balance to one another, the former being a heartfelt, subdued ballad, the latter being an organ-driven blues-tinged tune with a bit of soul influence in the vocal department. "Jersey Girl" (which would find success later on when covered by Bruce Springsteen) is an earnest love song; considered by many to be a staple of Waits' career.
What could perhaps be the weakest point of the album is "'Til The Money Runs Out." Though it's not a bad song at all, it sounds a bit like filler material, something you want to steer clear of on an album that's only nine songs long. Fortunately, things pick back up immediately from there, with the album's crowning achievement, the gorgeous "On the Nickel." Clocking in a 6:20, this song is classic Waits; a somber tale of the downtrodden, a heartbreaking ode to "all the little boys who never comb their hair / they're lined up all around the block, on the nickel over there." Waits himself has described the song as a "hobo lullaby." It's a fitting description, and with its poetic lyrics and heart-wrenching vocal delivery, the song is sure to impact the listener hard upon first listen. It definitely did for me.
In traditional Waits fashion, the song to follow is a sleazy, sneering cut titled "Mr. Siegal," one last gravel-throated foray into the world of booze, beautiful women and bullets before ending the album on one more heartbreaker, the beautiful "Ruby's Arms." The song does a fine job of closing out a chapter in Waits' career, and leaves the listener feeling rather accomplished after the song fades out on its final lingering notes.
It's a shame so many people are so easily turned off by Wait's vocals, as the man has some truly wonderful music to offer, something he would continue to demonstrate on each album to follow.
Captain Beefheart; blues/jazz; Louis Armstrong; Bob Dylan
myspace.com/tomwaits (http://www.myspace.com/tomwaits)
Record Label: Elektra / Asylum
Release Date: September 1980
Before he began to dabble in the world of bizarre experimentation on 1983's Swordfishtrombones, Tom Waits recorded Heartattack and Vine, an album that would prove to be his last as that proverbial urban poet leaning against a streetlight, flipping a coin and dragging on a Lucky Strike. And though this characteristic would indeed carry over into many of his later recordings, it was seen here strictly uninterrupted for the last time, and in its full form. So while some may just regard Heartattack and Vine as nothing more than a transitional point in Wait's storied career (not counting 1982's One From the Heart, a duet soundtrack with Crystal Gale written for a Francis Ford Coppola film of the same name), it is certainly much more than that. This sadly seems to be overlooked quite often when it's weighed against the albums that both followed and preceded it. While this is understandable, it's still not quite justified.
The record begins with the smoky, laid-back blues of the title track, a song that does a fine job of setting up the mood of the entire album. Waits' signature growl becomes more apparent here, and although it was indeed present as early as Small Change, it became a bit more defined this time around, and it lends well to the gruff, urban decay implied within the lyrics. What follows is a laid back instrumental cut, entitled "In Shades." With its fairly standard chord progression and rather traditional blues guitar soloing, it may not jump right out at the listener upon initial listening. However, it soon grows on you, and adds a nice, relaxed reprise to the album's overall bleak tone. The songs that follow, "Saving All My Love For You" and "Downtown," provide an interesting balance to one another, the former being a heartfelt, subdued ballad, the latter being an organ-driven blues-tinged tune with a bit of soul influence in the vocal department. "Jersey Girl" (which would find success later on when covered by Bruce Springsteen) is an earnest love song; considered by many to be a staple of Waits' career.
What could perhaps be the weakest point of the album is "'Til The Money Runs Out." Though it's not a bad song at all, it sounds a bit like filler material, something you want to steer clear of on an album that's only nine songs long. Fortunately, things pick back up immediately from there, with the album's crowning achievement, the gorgeous "On the Nickel." Clocking in a 6:20, this song is classic Waits; a somber tale of the downtrodden, a heartbreaking ode to "all the little boys who never comb their hair / they're lined up all around the block, on the nickel over there." Waits himself has described the song as a "hobo lullaby." It's a fitting description, and with its poetic lyrics and heart-wrenching vocal delivery, the song is sure to impact the listener hard upon first listen. It definitely did for me.
In traditional Waits fashion, the song to follow is a sleazy, sneering cut titled "Mr. Siegal," one last gravel-throated foray into the world of booze, beautiful women and bullets before ending the album on one more heartbreaker, the beautiful "Ruby's Arms." The song does a fine job of closing out a chapter in Waits' career, and leaves the listener feeling rather accomplished after the song fades out on its final lingering notes.
It's a shame so many people are so easily turned off by Wait's vocals, as the man has some truly wonderful music to offer, something he would continue to demonstrate on each album to follow.
Captain Beefheart; blues/jazz; Louis Armstrong; Bob Dylan
myspace.com/tomwaits (http://www.myspace.com/tomwaits)