Heartattack And Vine

Witty lyrics are the highlight of Heartattack And Vine, an album I’d classify as more indigo than blues. Tom Waits cuts to the chase in the opening title track with lines like “Don’t you know there ain’t no devil / There’s just God when he’s drunk.” The record proceeds to sample the entire emotional spectrum through a variety of settings, from the Mexican whorehouse in “Mr. Siegal” to the dark and desolate streets in “On The Nickel” to the bottom of a liquor bottle in “Til The Money Runs Out.” In addition to the lyrics, the album cover is worth a deeper look. From the misspelled song titles to the July 4th time stamp to the variety of US cities scattered around the front page, surely only Waits himself has any idea what’s behind all this madness. Tom Waits sounds like Randy Newman with a frog stuck in his throat, and while I don’t hate the gravelly voice, I can’t help but think it’s an acquired taste. Heartattack And Vine may not have the tempo to make me dance with women three times my age, but if this cat strolled into the Big Easy and gave us his best, his tip jar may just see a Lincoln or two courtesy of yours truly and my empty Red Stripe.

Playing catch up here. Mostly enjoyed this one, especially the ballads. Agree that “Ruby’s Arms” was a terrific closer. I could do with a whole album’s worth of similar songs to that one. Enjoyed “Jersey Girl,” too. The song, not the movie. Did I even see the movie? Even if I didn’t, it’s no Chasing Amy.

Fine

Tom Waits has such a characteristic voice that works well for some things and less for others. This album is a mix of the above. While the songs themselves are rather nice, his voice does not suit a lot of them. Your enjoyment of this album will depend entirely on how you feel about Waits' gritty mumbling voice.

Got a late appreciation of this guy after 'Down in the Hole' themed 'The Wire'.

Alright and indifferent until Ruby's Arms

Nobody creates a story through music quite like Waits does. You can smell the stale beers and cigarette smoke. The album opener is a doozy, nothing else on here is quite as good, Waits jokes and one liners curiously absent. There are other Waits albums I lean towards over this.

So forgettable: I'm not going to have much to say for this one bc it was just plain mid. I didn't hear anything that I was like "OML IT'S GOOD" or anything utter shit. Purely just meh

Certainly one of the most listenable Tom Waits adventures.

It was alright. It definitely had its gems, but overall I didn't feel like the album was particularly inspired. Favorite song: Mr. Siegel.

I'll just repeat what I wrote about the other two Tom Waits albums we've had: It sounds like a Disney movie gruffian rambling on and on with light jazz accompaniment. It was a bit better than the last TW album we had just two weeks ago. But definitely not great and hoping this is the last one.

Ce n'est pas tellement mon genre de musique ce blues avec la voix très rauque qui fait un peu stéréotypé road house. Mais c'est définitivement supérieur à tout ce que j'ai entendu dans ce style. Waits a vraiment une bonne plume et un côté unique à son style. 7/10

Jazzy, growly, I can hear Waits moving towards Bone Machine in this album. Big fan

The instrumentation is so good, the groove is so nice, the kind of thing worth listening to, even if Tom Waits interrupts it, and poorly at that. Tom Waits is the villain in this album.

This is what my girlfriend will sound like in 20 years once the drunk cigs finally catch up to her.

Tom Waits peut revenir tant qu'il veut, nous l'attendons toujours avec ce qui est désormais appelé le "plafond des trois étoiles". Peu importe la qualité de la performance, des textes, des instruments, le style globalement naze de Tom Waits est un tel handicap qu'il est pour lui inenvisageable de viser plus haut.

Une seule question est sur toutes les lèvres concernant l'illustre Tom Waits: pourquoi?

3.5 stars. Experimental jazzy blues. Liked his deep almost ominous voice. Slow and sometimes dark but overall enjoyed this.

My first listen to this album (I'm more familiar with the later initial run of post-Asylum albums). I did not care for the opening 3 tracks, nor the strings that feel bolted on to some of the songs, nor 'Jersey Girl' (which sounds so much like a Springsteen song that the latter ended up covering it live). But at its best - 'Downtown', ''Til the Money Runs Out' - it transcends the bar room blues and hooker references. Worth noting that I would have hated this when it came out in 1980 (if I'd heard it).

My opinion on Tom hasn't changed too much since we had a record of his last week. While it's not really for me, I won't turn away from anyone making a case for him. Jersey Girl is a great song that forgives some of the less-than-stellar tracks here.

The barking bard, with his rock tumbler voice and a head full of sleaze, leads us on a tour of dank alleyways, hazy cabarets, and bars where everybody knows your game.

Le blues est une valeur sûre, la voix de Waits toujours aussi prenante, mais dans l'ensemble me semble moins inventif.

i liked jersey girl a lot.

I honestly don't get the Tom Waits hype. Some cool songs here and there, and he's a fun presence in general, but I cannot listen to a whole album of this. I feel so uncool for this opinion.

Liked the voice, but the actual songs were fine. Would listen again

Bra!

Interesting. Not sure if I'll listen again, but didn't dislike it.

When you're so far gone in the liquor you think even the rain is a beverage. Anyway, it doesn't take much imagination to understand the implications of the album title, an obvious reference to Hollywood and Vine in Los Angeles, the very heart of the rise of cinema and all its attendant lures into the corruption of innocence. This album is certainly more blues guitar-driven that his six previous recordings, bringing with it even sexier grit (that seems to be obsessed with prostitutes). Like pretty much all his other music, these songs are snapshots into the lives of seedy people who live in the quiet, dark, lonely hours between the closing of the bar and the opening of the circus. This is the final Asylum record, and Waits was contractually-obligated to write it since he owed the label seven albums. You might know Springsteen's cover of Waits' "Jersey Girl"... and I can't help but wonder if the "sha la la la la la las" are indicative of Waits' fatigue with his label.

Sounds like he smoked a whole pack of cigs in one sitting

Pretty good - certainly very listenable. But not reach-for-it good.

3.5

cool blues, listen again to see if something stands out.

Not my favorite Waits album

Possibly the most enjoyable Waits album so far with groovy blues and trademark ballads. Still ridiculously quirky, but without the weird instrumentation and noises that appear later in the 1980s.

I may have heard too many parodies before hearing the real thing…also he has the kind of voice that makes cough to clear their throat. Not a huge fan.

Not a huge fan of this album, I liked some Tom Waits songs in the past but this hasn't wowed me. Saved tracks: Heartattack And Vine, Downtown

It’s definitely interesting but it’s not an album I’d likely listen to again. I wouldn’t, however, flee a cafe where it was being played.

His singing voice grew on me as I listened, but it still makes me a little uncomfortable.

Very interesting....I may have to re-listen to his stuff to truly 'get' it. I wasn't a fan of Bjork's voice and now I love her so we'll see.

The second Tom Waits record I've come across so far after the surprise gem 'Bone Machine', but this one is unfortunately inferior to his later work in almost every way. It's an inconsistent agglomeration of rootsy, bar room blues and quasi-Sondheim ballads. The latter are the nadir of Tom Waits' catalogue - his iconic (though polarising) raspy vocals on 'Bone Machine' were utilised to perfection, illustrating a ravaged, anguished despair that never took itself too seriously. Here he sounds like a barfly doing karaoke after his 10th whiskey. The blues interlude doesn't end soon enough, and while Waits' does introduce the odd crumb of genius - 'There ain't no devil, just God when he's drunk' - it's just not enough. It's been called a transitional record for Waits, and you can see he was moving towards more interesting musical plains.

Took me a while to get an understanding of this one so I gave it 3 listens. I feel like I need to spend a bit more time with Tom Waits but for this release I liked the title track, Downtown, On The Nickel, and Ruby's Arms is a nice closer.

thought this was going to be insane as other tom waits offerings are but in fact this is not as fucked. at times it can get a bit samey but overall enjoyable. I love his voice over basically anything. best tracks: On the nickel, heart attack and vine, Mr siegel

I was having a hard time pinning this one down. One minute, marveling at Waits' stranglehold on his very own musical genre, then feeling physically uncomfortable at how painful it must feel to sing like this — Jesus, man, take it easy. Then wondering if I really enjoy this music, then impressed with how sweet and vulnerable he sounds. Then "Jersey Girl" comes on and I realize, I'm pretty sure I knew he wrote this, but I don't recall ever hearing this version. How did Springsteen hear this and say, "now there's a song I ought to cover"? How do you assign a number to all this?

Yeah this is cool and all, but the whole alcohol-soaked Bukowsi thing gets a little old. I prefer the later, weirder, moodier Waits albums. But all in all, if this is your vibe, there's good stuff here.

Think I liked Rain Dogs better, he was sleazier on that

This is my first time hearing a Tom Waits album and I’m not sure what to make of it. Obviously that caricature of a voice is the first thing you notice… I think it suits the gritty, bluesy songs better but the slower ones have a bit a Fairytale of New York thing about them which sort of works? He’s probably a taste I still haven't fully acquired but I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt for now.

Is there a more distinctive voice in music? I don't think so. Tom Waits grows through a pretty solid list of blues numbers, like a less poetic version of Nick Cave at times. Solid offering if you've already started on the bourbon and the sun is still up.

Totally not what I expected going into this. Really good listen. Just realized I gave the first album I listened to of his a 1. Bone Machine. Hearattack and Vine is def a step in the right direction for me. 3. T3B 1. Downtown 2. Mr. Siegal 3. Heartattack and Vine

I’m back baby!! Who better to come back to than Tom Waits? I know Tom Waits only because my beloved roommates play him on our warped record player in the living room at strange times of day. Hearing his voice not distorted by the record player is only slightly different. My favorite song on the album is Jersey Girl, with its Christmas like jingle jangles. I’d like to hear Bruce sing this one. Tom Waits has a very strange voice, very muppet-inspired. But who can fault him for that? I love the muppets. 3/5 for me.

Roller-coaster of emotions

Conjures some very strong imagery of a seedy new York jazz club in middle of winter

Not sure I'll ever get Tom Waits

Good follow up to the french pianist. Had some similarities but Tom out here doing his own thing. Definitely heard of him before but was happy to finally have an introduction to him

I like Tom Waits, but this one was just okay for me.

i like tom waits a lot. this isnt his best album. hints at things to come. a little too loungey for me but that first track is experimental, dark, dirty waits. thats what i want. i dont want his sappy, love song sounding dirt tracks. but they are still executed incredibly. tom waits bangs and pianos like a king. still a good album. just little misses, i suppose.

is there a reason it goes sad xmas song - blues - sad xmas song - blues the whole album, to be honest the sad ones are really beautiful and moving but as a whole… we’ll idk maybe i’m missing smth but it feels like he’s j tryna pull you between two vibes and it j doesn’t work

Heartattack and Vine is the 7th album by American singer/songwriter Tom Waits. Musically this album is inspired by jazz, blues, and rock, while Tom's deep gravelly voice sings about the morbid, and unpleasant parts of society. This album was unique and charming, but also not my cup of tea. Average album alert.

More Tom Waits weirdness. By all accounts, his gruff voice makes for a memorable performance, it just isn't for everyone. I think the bluesy tone of the album is a good fit. The long and short of it is that this is not quite for me. Waits would find a much better sound on Rain Dogs about 5 years later.

fyllegubbe represent

Enjoyed the first track, didn't quite get me with the rest but will have a look at other albums.

Dudes got a gnarly voice

Enjoyed this. Didn't know he wrote Jersey Girl. Sounds like he's swallowed glass.

I don’t know, I think I should appreciate Tom Waits more than I do. I’ve got time, though…

One thing I certainly appreciate about Tom Waits is that everything he creates sounds touched by darkness and maybe a bit of dirtiness and seediness. I make this point regardless of his voice -- his voice just adds to this! This genre continues to not really be a favorite of mine, though. I think I like Waits in a bit of a more experimental environment, but that's just me. 2.5 rounded to 3.

Yeah, I get it. His voice is not for me 3/5

One of his best.

Interesting. Generally liked, though a little depressing.

This is by far the only Tom Waits album I can listen to.

I liked the bluesy bits, but they meandered sometimes and got boring at other times. Guitar work is good, and I liked that. Tom Waits is someone I won't listen to often, but if in the right mood, I can see putting this one on again.

Good music, can't say i really like his voice all that much.

Not for me thanks, just not very interesting. Also his voice is bizarre, not even in a good way.

The title track, along with the two gorgeous ballads "Jersey Girl" and "Ruby's Arms" are worth your time. About the latter, rarely has Tom Waits sounded this moving, either before or after 1980. Unfortunately, everything else is very, *very* secondary compared to those three highlights. All the other songs are decently crafted so as to channel the American singer's usual persona as a poetic drunkard / beautiful loser / raucous film noir protagonist, but the jazz / blues / cabaret-like music is far from being spectacular here. There are indeed far better cuts to be found elsewhere in Waits' long and convoluted discography, from the early seventies to the late naughts. And when it comes to albums (a format where Waits can in turn be either extremely tiring or, conversely, struck by sudden genius), *Heartattack And Vine* is certainly one or two notches under *Closing Time*, *Swordfishtrombones*, *Rain Dogs* or *Bone Machine*. Number of albums left to review: 759 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 120 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 58 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 64 (including this one)

I appreciate the blues; I appreciate Waits; The marriage is less than satisfactory with the latter trying to some degree Song. Still strange and sweet. Smoky but less theatrical in that.

A bit tough, this rock

Gotta admit, I thought for sure I’d hate this because I don’t really care for super esoteric music, but it wasn’t too bad! I liked the dichotomy between the sleazy guitar songs and the heartfelt piano ballads. Bonus points for “Jersey Girl”.

Not my style. I liked the music though

Rock, blues, Jazz

Yeah ok. Some grimy Waits love here. Not as oddly sentimental as I’d like but it scratches the itch. I really liked Jersey Girl.

It's a fine, if somewhat middling, effort from Tom Waits. But with so many other albums he has released that I think are more important, this one just seems average.

Me gusta Tom Waits y este disco no esta nada de mal.

Strong Sopranos soundtrack and Springsteen vibes, but without all of the hookiness. Simple bluesy instrumentation, dark and sad vocals. Worth another listen for sure, but will not be put into my regular rotation. This is my first experience listening to Tom Waits.

Good musician and lyricist. It's tough getting used to his raspy voice though.

Huh, so I CAN like Tom Waits. I was convinced after we got Bone Machine that I did not like Tom Waits, not no way, not no how. But somehow his voice works better on this slower album? Based on Jersey Girl, where he seems to slip in and out of his growl, it appears the gravel is a CHOICE. My throat hurts just from listening but this is an album that I may come back to when I need a good wallow.

This album is definitely better than bone collector. There were nuggets I enjoyed on that album, which were songs for which Tom Waits’s haunting, but terrible, voice fits. I would say his voice fits the songs on this album much better overall. I just wish for his sake he could have extracted the gravel from his throat. It is probably very uncomfortable.

Before Waits entered his experimental phase, he was writing bluesy ballads in the setting and style of a jazz nightclub. He's a talented artist, the production sounds good, it's coherent yet full of diverse approaches, and there are a few highlights. However, I think a lot of it is quite underwhelming. The most popular track "Jersey Girl" has some emotion, but is otherwise a pretty lame ballad. Not even the worst ballad on here. Also, the songs are way too long, and most of them should be cut almost in half, even the ones I liked. I do like the personality he shows in his vaudeville songs, which work really well with his rough voice and blend rock and jazz well. Favorites: Heartattack and Vine, Downtown, Mr. Siegal

I’m a huge fan of Tom Waits’ work around the more experimental Swordfish Trombones/Rain Dogs era. This album shows his before he began to self produce more experimental dark cabaret music that explores the darker side of the human experience. Heart attack and Vine definitely has the seeds of that layer work and features Waits’ incisive songwriting. Some of his musical ideas hinted at what was to come but ultimately were not successful. I still really enjoyed this look into the career of an artist I really admire.

I saw another Tom Waits album and was dreading the inevitable. I hated his first album as it was unlistenable. This one was way, way better. His voice was actually bearable and the music was listenable. It actually worked together as an album.

Was pretty good. I'm sure I'd heard some of the songs before but never listened to him much. Raspy voice songs reminded me of Elvis style rock. Slightly more polished blues.

I respect him and his music, but the genre isn’t my favorite. He’s one of the best in his space.

voice like rusty nails, bourbon soaked rusty nails

Kuulosti aika perus pubitompalta ilman sen kieroutuneita elementtejä. Ei huono mutta ei myöskään parasta Tomppaa! 3/5

Simppelimpi Waits ja toimii. Tämäkin 3/5.

Songwriting was interesting but not quite the range I was looking for.

I liked to listen to this bluesy album with some depressed punk attitude. Waits' vocal delivery is impressive, too. For me, the only problem is the repetitiveness of the album. I was a bit bored with his songs at the last song.

Tom Waits voice legitimately sounds like he's dying. Sometimes it's grating, and sometimes its great! Best Songs: Heart Attack and Vine, Downtown, , Mr. Siegal, Til' the Money Runs Out Worst Songs: On the Nickel

an interesting listen. the gravely voiced storyteller has some strong points with the title track and ruby's arms, though much of the rest is consistent with his style without particularly standing out.

Not quite at the level of Rain Dogs or Swordfishtrombones to me but a solid Tom awaits album.

Easy listening- I like the low key grimey mood. Enough variety to keep me interested.

The second Tom Waits album within one week... As usual, Waits mixes Jazz with Blues to produce his trademark "down low" sound. And it works. Waits is one of the few white men playing the Blues that can sound authentic while doing so. Sadly, many of the songs are not that memorable per se, but it's the underlying mood which manages to sell them. The album gets really good in the ballads, most of which are quite beautiful - Saving All My Love For You, On The Nickel and Ruby's Arms are the high points here. The other songs would have benefitted from that level of songwrighting, too. 3/5

Always been a big fan of Mr. Waits! Love his earlier works, but he has released some great albums throughout his career. Heartattack and Vine is a solid and transitional record that is a very interesting and sometimes challenging listen. Not one of my favourite Tom Waits's albums, but still one of his better efforts.

Good album but I know he has better ones so I kinda was like meeeehhhh

Hat mir nicht so gut gefallen wie die Rain Dogs. Schlechte drei.

While I generally prefer the work that came after this, so many of those seeds were sown with this album. Tom's unique voice really shows here.

Ruby's Arms was a sweet surprise

Bob Dylan a une plus belle voix

Rating: 6/10

Another one I missed on the initial run through; given that I'm not keen on Waits generally, Heartattack and Vine is loads better than I thought it would be. It's bluesy, it's soulful, it makes proper use of his unique voice, it works. It's solid to good 3/5.

This is cool. Not 5/5, but I think a solid 3, pushing a 4. His voice is obviously really weird, but I do like it, and there's a really nice variety in the song mix, from blues to full on crooner. All with a lovely helping of gravel.

You know what actually pretty ok.

very cool sound...surprised I haven't listened to more Tom Waits in my time

Pretty decent but the title track is the best one by far, which ends up underselling the rest of the album.

that's absolutely crazy but I'm not into the whole raspy voice thing

i started off thinking this was the best tom waits album we've had, but i couldn't work it out after about 6 songs in because i got bored of the shtick. nice to listen to one or two songs, but an album is a slog.

Apparently we need to put more effort into this. Nice one Nigel. Can't be arsed today though.

The unwritten story behind the album: A heartattack induced by a sighting of SHACK, Clinging to a vine as he rips out your spine. Damn, this poetry malarkey isn't as easy as Nigel made it look.

Klinkt als een plaat die ik nog veel meer ga waarderen als ik 'm meer draai... Vraag is altijd of dat lukt.

Geen groot fan, maar dit vond ik goed te pruimen

Ik hou niet van dat zware brommende Tom Waits geluid, maar op deze plaat staan heel wat nummers waar hij veel meer zingt en niet klinkt als die beer uit de Muppets Show. Positief verrast door dit album!

Ik zag er een beetje tegenop maar werd aangenaam verrast want Tom zingt daadwerkelijk op dit album!

3.5

<3

Waits' voice is certainly unique, and it works better on some songs than others. On the whole it's a pleasant accompaniment to his tales of losers and woe, but it's sometimes a bit grating and I don't think I could listen to it all day long. That's also pretty much how I felt about the album overall: it has a couple of great songs ("Mr. Siegal" might be my favorite) and enough filler to keep me from putting the whole album on repeat. P.S. I didn't realize that "Jersey Girl" wasn't a Springsteen original!

This is the third Tom Waits album that has been generated for me. The first one felt striking, different, and interesting, but is having 5 on this list really necessary? This may be the best of the three so far, but the law of diminishing returns means it struggles to hold the interest as well as the first one did. 3/5.

3.5/5

Pretty okay-- this album transports me to a dark and smoky lounge, where I'm listening to the man at the piano sing and reminisce while I'm sipping on a Manhattan or martini.

Pretty dark - enjoyable all the same.

Some wonderful lyrics and music and whilst his voice can be challenging to listen to, it was worth the effort and some tracks were really good

A vine effort

Visar på vad som komma ska

6/10

62 Heartattack & Vine - Tom Waits 9 tracks What a punchy start to this album.Clapping hands sign The title track grabs you by the nads & demands your attention but is unable to hold those heights throughout. It's still brilliant in places & a real roller-coaster with such variety. 3/5

3/5 it's folk, bob dylan-esque.

not bad

Heerlijke zware blues stem met een stevige folk sound

Un poco voceón y con voz chamuscada

Always a pleasure hearing a new Tom Waits album. I liked it as always, it doesn't stand out especially against his other bluesy ones though

Eh. I appreciate the idea of Tom Waits, but a full album of his is a bit much.

Low key and generally inoffensive, but not going to revisit ever. 3.5

I've been looking forward to a Waits album showing up and was excited to listen to one I hadn't heard before, but this didn't quite hit as much as I hoped. The Waits I know and love is later than this, where the instrumentation is more eclectic, the mood and style more varied, the songwriting darker and more abstract. This was fun to listen to, but for me it didn't scale the heights of his later work collaborating with Kathleen Brennan. After the first couple of tracks (an ominous, moody opener setting the tone with the repeated proclamation "there ain't no devil, there's just God when he's drunk"), the album settles into alternating lush chamber ballads with menacing, prowling blues. Something that's remained consistent throughout his career, and stood out here, are the strength of the ballads. "On the Nickel" is almost heartachingly beautiful, and "Jersey Girl" - the one I'd heard before- has a strong, daringly sing-along refrain for Waits. In other places, this felt like lounge music from the end of the world, presented by Wait's fried grizzled howl. A lot of the songs felt a shade too long and didn't expand much beyond the first minute or two, and the instrumental "In Shades" was fine but completely inconsequential. Honourable mention to "'Til the Money Runs Out" for making me want to strut through a burning building.

This album features a meth’d out Tom Waits doing Bruce Springsteen impression singing b-sides from Greetings From Asbury Park

okay sound to me...deep voice.

Хороший классический блюз

Pretty good. 6-7/10

3.5 / 5

Pretty good album. A couple of excellent songs but a little slow. 3 stars

Voz profunda y grave de cantautor norteamericano. No es un timbre de voz que me guste especialmente. Las canciones no son malas, pero no es mi estilo. Quizás un tanto depresivo

something about this I sorta loved but at the same time sorta hated. 3.5

I like about half of this album. Songs like "Heart attack and Vine" and "Downtown" are great but I really don't like the songs with the string arrangements.

I don‘t like the way he sings on that album

3.5, glad I listened, but not gonna put it on again

Ballads and blues from the gutter. Nobody can visualize the moment that you are in a pub at closing time drunk enough to kiss someone you would try to avoid at daytime like Tom Waits can.

Average

Hmmmmm. He's got a great voice no doubt, but it's used too much as the USP. The songs could be good without such an overbearing voice and in some places it detracts from a good song. None the less he is a very prominent musical figure and has influenced a lot of great stuff.

Impressive voice, but got a bit repetitive for me. Aware of the impact he's had on modern music though

Drunk voice.

I get the point and the musicality of the album, but Tom Waits is just not the singer for me, unfortunately.

Nice Blues album, Enjoyable listen but not something I personally would go to.

Bit too slow for me. Love his gravelly voice and will check out the rest of the discography

Meh

Sometimes I think that I want to like Tom Waits more. I've heard a few individual tracks from Waits, but never a close listen and never a full album. I'm still not sure if I do or should like Waits. The interesting bassline in "'Til the Money Runs Out" might be the track that keeps this album well into the 3-star range. "Downtown" and "Jersey Girl" weren't bad for my first listen either.

I dig the music and instrumentals. Perhaps it's heresy but his iconic voice gets to be a bit much when listening to a whole album.

Como que o sujeito canta assim sem estragar a garganta toda gente.

Some wonderful lyrics and music and whilst his voice can be challenging to listen to, it was worth the effort and some tracks were really good

This one sits in an awkward spot between Waits' early beat-crooner phase and his later tinpan-circus-in-a-gutter phase. Small Change or Blue Valentine do this same thing way, way better imo.

Deep husky vocals. Good lyrics and a good listen. Could have been tempted to go 4 star.

Very deep sound

Excellent, bluesy,gravelly voice. Better than I anticipated although he has a stellar reputation. ***

damn i do not like his voice, its so gravelly without being warm or rich at all. the slow burners are pretty unbearable but the songwriting isn't too bad overall, i guess i see why people like it. 5

What a weird album. Idk how I feel, pretty groovy but also kinda boring. 6?

3/5

Some are good, others are like he's taking a difficult shit

Music ended up pretty good but his voice was quite bad. Overall 6ish

There are a lot of things I like about Tom Waits but his voice is too gritty for my musical taste. There is one song on this album where he doesn't use his gritty voice- I wish he would do that more.

The voice always throws me off, its so gravel. Couple nice songs, don't like ballads

Good blues and other beautiful arrangements. Vocals are guttural almost to the point of comical. Got me interested in other Tom Waits' music, which brought up some good tunes. Highlights: -On The Nickel

Interesting sound

What a voice

Two Tom Waits album in one week. Oh, the nostalgia. Sends me back to being a kid in the 90s just chilling with my dad while he works when I wasn’t at school. Some of these songs are melodies to me as sacred as the Beatles or Rolling Stones are to the general public.

I guess now is the time to confess that I don't really get Bob Dylan. I like several of his songs, I've seen him live, I've listened to multiple albums multiple times; it's not as if I hate Bob Dylan. I just don't really get him. Like, why do people revere him so much? He's good, but I've never understood why he's great. That being said, this was probably the most I've ever liked a Bob Dylan album. It's got a nice feel to it, and it's consistent without being too samey. Starts out very strong with Tangled Up in Blue, and finishes strong as well. His poetry is great throughout and is highly accessible as well. Maybe I just hate harmonicas? 4/5

Er hat eine bemerkenswerte Stimme und die Musik ist gut. Etwas zu abwechslungsreich. Der Rock gefiel mir meistens ganz gut, aber die Balladen waren mir zu unspektakulär und das warme Gefühl im Herzen blieb bei mir vermutlich schon auf Grund seiner Stimme aus. Bin ich wohl nicht die Zielgruppe.

Quite interesting and unique, very deep voice but somewhat soothing piano play

Lidt irriterende med den stemme på nogle fede numre

I don't think I'll adjust to Tom Waits' voice anytime soon, but it's growing on me. Musically, it was pretty great. The vocals did throw me off, though.

I love Tom Waits, he might just be my favorite singer-songwriter of all time. I consider this a transitional album, last album of his asylum years and that is why some of the songs do not hit as hard and the album feels a little disjointed. He would go ahead to make swordfishtrombones and if this album was his launching point to that I respect the hell out of it. 3.5/5

I struggled with this. Not a pleasant listen, boy does Tom need a cough and some lemsip. Nice elements of honky-tonk here and there, but a bit raw for me.

das andere war besser

Unfortunately, it almost sounds like a parody now. So many jokes have been made about his distinct style reducing it to its most cliched and simple form. And this album sounds like that. It’s when he started really becoming the genius that he is. But this… still had some growing to do.

Top bops: Jersey Girl- thought Springsteen wrote this! On the nickel Ruby’s arms Preferred the slower stuff but the faster bluesy tunes weren’t bad either!

Interesting voice you have Mr Waits. Very distinct laid back style. OK, but not something I would ordinarily choose

meh

While I can do the occasional single, a whole album is a lot Tom comes across as the scary Uncle you would keep the kids away from at a family BBQ That singing style, while quite incredible, is tough on the ears Ultimately, Tom is not a regular on my playlists

Jazz pop, rock.

2/5 - Vieux rock, voix très grave, pas fan

This really does sound like a drunk muppet. I’m giving it a two ONLY because of “Jersey Girl,” which is the only song on this entire list so far that has actually made me physically laugh out loud.

Someone give this man some honey and lemon tea

i like the baroque poppy songs here but i cant stand him when hes trying to be bluesy. high 2/5, and i don't really hear anything here that's good enough to warrant 5 albums from this guy so maybe cut this one

Oh no, really not. I like some Tom Waits albums, but "Heartattack and Vine" isn't one of them. It's been years since I last listened to it. Listening to it again now hasn't changed my opinion. I don't like the album. We can talk about "Swordfishbone" or "Rain Dogs," but not "Heartattack." I just don't think the music and voice work together. The voice is flat, the music, the instruments... well, I don't know. Let the critics think what they want, it's not for me. Tom Waits is a great musician, but not every attempt is a hit.

again, another Tom Waits album they are trying to shove down our throats. like i said in an earlier Waits album review, that he is one of those artists that critics say they love so they can sound important. it's garbage.

Nowhere near as good as the other album we listened to by him. This wasn't funny and rather boring. His voice was annoying instead of endearing. And the songs just weren't that great. There was no charm, just almost depressing songs. Not for me.

Musically, it’s actually decent and the musicianship is there, which is why a track like "Shades" is my favourite by far. But man, I just find Tom Waits’ voice completely unlistenable. It completely ruins the tunes and takes away any enjoyment for me. Plus, some of the lyrics are pure cringe. It’s a shame because the instruments are fine, but the vocals are just too grating to get past. He's definitely a love-it-or-hate-it artist, and unfortunately, it’s a massive miss for me.

dont like the singing, musically fun

seriously there is n reason that there are so many albums of this guy in this list.

Every song felt so close to me liking them, but just barely not good enough for my likings. Maybe I was wishing Bob Dylan

I always find myself torn when it comes to Tomathan. There are songs that I can genuinely get into and others that actually piss me off and its always the presentation of his voice. Lets take a look at these songs in order: Heartattack and Vine - nice! I actually like this, his voice isnt overbearing the positive qualities of the song. In Shades - though I am not a fan of the organ sound this is nice, bluesy atmosphere. No vocals! Saving All My Love for You - Vocal delivery ruins what would be a fantastic song. He really leaned into the cartoon grown on this and it blows. The string arrangement is beautiful. If the vocal aim was to sound like a bullfrog being unwillingly sodomized it has been achieved, good god. Downtown - Unless youre Booker T just stop with the god damn organ. Jersey Girl - This feels like a Bruce Springsteen parody. 'Tilll the Money Runs Out - Much like a large portion of Toms discography, this would work great in a small snippet for the opening of a gritty crime show. On the Nickel - Jesus... Mr. Siegal - Christ... Ruby's Arms - Well its worlds better than the last two. Just like the rest of his catalogue I always come out wishing he wrote all these songs for someone else to perform. This could be a 3 or 4 start album with anyone else on earth singing these songs, but its not.

Ei kyllä Tomin parhaimmistoa mun kirjoissa, vähän väsynyttä settiä varsinkin jälkipuoliskolla ollaan jo ihan unessa. Tylsä levy!

Not my Jam... Sounds so desperate

cant take the voice, gonna pass

Second Tom Waits release, though this is technically my fourth album of his. I've been working my way down the remaining albums of this list by order of descending runtime when I'm not busy assembling reviews for the albums I've pulled in the present. As a result, I've listened to both Rain Dogs and Bone Machine recently, both of which I thought were fucking terrible. I'm generally favourable to quirky, offbeat music, but not when the vocalist is shitting the bed in the most aggressive way possible or when it's paired with boring, uninspired blues music. I've no clue what Waits' regular speaking voice sounds like, though I can't imagine his voice is impaired to the point where he's delivering the sludgy vocals found on those aforementioned albums. He's not even trying to be melodic or entertaining, which is what really bugs me. Anyways, I've just found my inner zen and am prepared to enter this album with an open mind, though I must admit that the cards are firmly stacked against this album. Here gooooeeeeeesssss. Hmm. This was better than the previous two albums of his that I've listened to. I suppose I'm used to Waits' eccentricities at this point, though Stockholm syndrome ain't much in the way of praise. I mean, what's there to remark about this album? It's the same as every other Waits album I've listened to. You have the drab, droning, somewhat muffled blues instrumentals underscoring Waits' bleating vocals. You have your strange, sentimental ballads that take themselves much too seriously and make me question what the intent of Waits' persona is. You have your admittedly competent vocal hooks at points. Huh. That's new, though I have absolutely nothing else to remark about this album that I haven't said before. I might give this album a relisten sometime in the future to try and figure out what Waits' deal is, though I won't count on it anytime soon. For the time being, this was a dull listen with intermittent moments of competence. Book time. A pivotal release in Waits' career that was overlooked at the time of release. The album marked the beginning of Waits' transition from his sad sappy barfly image to whatever his remaining discography is meant to be. "...one of the strongest sets of his early period." The "...dirty guitar[s]" which feature on this album apparently defined his later career. Bruce Springsteen has performed "Jersey Girl" at some of his live shows, notably being immortalised on his "Live 1975 - 1985" album. Waits was dropped from his record label after this album failed to perform, though Swordfishtrombones would mark his comeback. Wikipedia says that the critics were favourable, if mildly polarised by this album. It peaked at No. 96 in the US and No. 31 in Australia, but charted nowhere else. Hmm. This seems like a more noteworthy release than "Nighthawks at the Diner", though I've sadly already listened to that album and let it onto the list. We need to cut Waits down to size. Five list albums is frankly ludicrous when considering the fact that his music is the same fucking thing every time. Three albums would seem to be about right for Waits given how heralded his discography is by the critics and how surprisingly successful his albums have been on the charts. I'm willing to throw this album under the bus to get across that line, so that's just what I'll do. See yaaaaa. In place of this album, I humbly submit "Turn on the Bright Lights" by Interpol. Admittedly, I've never listened to the album, though I have seen it around while perusing the Internet and I do know that it's a key player in early-2000s indie rock.

There’s something about this one which reminds me of a dirty city during the winter, where the snow is melting but still prevalent, and blackened by soot and sludge. I’m not a fan of Tom Waits, and this didn’t sway me, but it’s also not the worst (I got Slipknot to listen to yesterday). Under those conditions, well…

Listening to this one with a sore throat was a mistake

I know he's known for this, but dammit I cannot stand his voice

1.5 / 5 for this album. There's actually some really beautiful music on this album, but then Tom Waits starts singing and ruins it. I don't understand what record producer heard this guy sing and said, "Yeah, that's the voice of an angel!". I like Springsteen's version of Jersey Girl 10000x better. Make Tom Waits go away forever please.

I’ve heard some Tom Waits before and found it enjoyable. This album, however, is gonna be a pass.

At times, I couldn't tell whether or not Mr. Waits vocal delivery was meant to be ironic.

It may have been a break through internally, but this is seemingly the last time ever Tom sounded uninspired

I can't believe that this guy has FIVE albums in this book. He's a good song writer with a unique voice. He's more like Randy Newman than Neil Young. This guy and Nick Cave represent this world of music that just doesn't appeal to me. I would never put this on.

Veers between sublime and annoying in the same bar. Bars being somewhere that Tom spent a lot of time in. The sort of things he growls about don't tend to occur in the pubs I frequent, where the most exciting thing to happen is the weekly changing of the guest ale. It must be very different in the USA.

I don't understand the music industry's love for Tom Waits. I find his vocals unnecessarily gruff and they don't make sense to me. He's a talented musician in other aspects, but I don't listen to him because of his singing style.

I do like Tom Waits, but I struggled with this album, almost like he was trying too hard?

The way my heart dropped when he showed up again. He's all about the lyrics. Admittedly, they're very good lyrics. Some of them are just "I'm 14 and this is deep" aphorisms about the human condition, but most of it is fine. It's just the vehicle in which the lyrics are delivered are plodding, uninteresting, basic, bland, and just not very fun to listen to. I mean that in the sense of musicianship and vocals. He dwells in this affected, kitschy, seedy little ramshackle drunk downtrodden barfly persona for everything he does and it gets old really quickly. The vocals he chooses for this persona are kind of grating and annoying. I find characters that artists play to be quite hit or miss, it's very obvious that they're performing a character in some instances and that comes across as contrived and inauthentic to me, which I find off-putting. I just feel with some of these "oh you gotta listen to those lyrics, man" type of artists, that maybe they should stick to the written word, as usually the musical backing and vocals that they employ are quite shoddily put together and overpower the words with their complete meh-ness. The Billy Bragg effect. In short - good lyrics, boring songs, guy performing an asinine character. The thing is, I actually like Tom Waits, I think he's an interesting, cool guy, I just think most of his music is crap.

This really wore on me and was very tiring by the end.

Unique voice. Sometimes a little repetitive. It’s a good album it just was not my cup of tea

After a promising start the album went downhill. Disappointing.

Pretty nice instrumentals. Not the right kind of singer for it imo. I wouldn’t have thought this came out in the 80s either. 4/10

не люблю мужской хриплый вокал тут он чуть ли не булькает кошмар а музыка неплохая чисто для придорожных кафе линча

1. Heartattack And Vine (★★★★☆) 2. In Shades (★★★★☆) 3. Saving All My Love For You (★★★⯨☆) 4. Downtown (★★★⯨☆) 5. Jersey Girl (★★⯨☆☆) 6. 'Til The Money Runs Out (★★★⯨☆) 7. On The Nickel (★★⯨☆☆) 8. Mr. Siegal (★★★☆☆) 9. Ruby's Arms (★★⯨☆☆) -TOTAL = ★★★⯨☆ (3,2) -Debería ser un 3, pero no lo es subjetivamente hablando, porque se sintió vacío, artificial, caricaturesco, casi como un álbum cantado por el youtuber recientemente póstumo "gaspi"... Es un 2.

Had to listen in pieces cause his voice gave me a headache so that sums up how I feel about this album

Too normal for a Tom Waits fan to enjoy, too weird for a normal person to enjoy. I'm disappointed. I have to agree with the top review as I write, it's like listening to a drunk Muppet singing in a musical set in a bar.

Van Morrison after gargling with sulphuric acid. Some good instrumental but christ that voice.

I just can’t listen to his singing, his voice isn’t what annoys me, it’s the way he sings. The musicality of the album is good, just abysmal singing.

So - this is where Bruce Springsteen stole his sound from huh? Too bad both Tim Waits and Bruce’s sound is annoying and grating.

Un caramelito de miel para Tom. Igual estuvo bien.

Yet another Tom Waits album from the generator. And probably the one I liked the least? Not bad, just didn't have any "wow" moments for me 2/5

It's like if RFK Jr made a record..

Alright, five Tom Waits albums is pretty ridiculous. Another Dimmery over-representation when the dude is pretty much has one sound.

1. vine - 2 2. zhadez - 2 3. love - 1 4. douuntouun - 2 5. jerzey - 1 6. money - 1 7. nickel - 2 8. ziegel - 2 9. ruby - 2

Didn’t like his voice.

The title song is great. The rest did nothing for me.

Not my jam.

Sounded like Bruce Springsteen needed to clear his throat

lowk his voice bothered me

Damn, I didn’t know Cookie Monster from Sesame Street had released an album featured in this list. In all seriousness, the novelty wore off about two songs in, and the rest became more of an endurance test against the voice of Mr. Waits. I couldn’t really focus on the lyrics either, as most of my energy went into simply making it to the end. Some of the instrumentals were moody in the right way, though, and I did enjoy the bluesy guitar work. Still, I don’t think I’ll be revisiting it. The one song I liked was "In Shades".

I can take some blues rasp, but this guy sounds like he thinks growling out lyrics makes them more “artistic”.

His voice makes me want to strangle somebody, really can't stand it. Instrumentals were good though.

Further on the record of I do not care for this man's music

Some good guitar work but spoilt by that voice. 2/5 3/5/26

Soms vibey ma meer storend dan vibey

This project has really worn me out on Tom Waits. Something about the way he sings seems so forced and fake (sorry if that is his real voice) that it just turns me off of him. He just seems like he is trying so hard and trying to be so amazing. I liked the bluesy jazzy sounds but his voice and my previous reviews of him just sour it.

This would be so much better if you removed his singing completely from the album. The music is actually really decent with lots of range, but you have some warbling, gruff drunkard slurring over the top of it. On some songs it works well, actually, but the rest of the album is not great. It follows a similar pattern to other albums of his, where there’s much to admire, but it’s only in pockets, and the rest is just weird and a bit irritating. 2.5 rounded down.

A 5/10. Honestly, this just isn’t really my style. I can respect the character, the roughness, and the whole smoky bar kind of vibe… but it doesn’t fully connect with me.

oh brother, not this guy again. "I paid fifteen dollars for a prostitute with too much makeup and a broken shoe" sorry to tell you Drunken Tom but that was probably a dude. Better instrumentals than the last album from him but I'm gonna credit literally anyone else than Tom and his shitty voice. Clear your throat one single time

first 5 minutes hell yea last however long hell no

Wanted to like it, but his voice. 2.5

No lo recomiendo mientras manejas.

His voice just cannot be real

Some nice melodies, and good lyrics, but his voice truly is a lot.

Parodie? aeinige Lieder waren cool, aber dieser Gesangstyle ...

An album that certainly has it's moments, but is quite full of itself. It gets a bit much.

3/10

Det här är egentligen en rätt tråkig bluesskiva. Tack vare två patenterade Waits-ballader blir det ändå okej nog för en tvåa. Övrigt konstaterande: Waits har fem album i boken, men inget av dem är Closing time. Hur är det möjligt?

Try as I might I can’t really handle Tom Waits 90% of the time. RYM: N Saved a song: N

Why is Austin Butler on the cover? He sounds like Sylvester the cat with his lisp I liked the parts where he wasn't singing

Not great for me to listen too.

Garten, Gerstetten, Deutschland. Mh, naja - not my cup of tea.

Upon seeing Tom Waits today my heart sank, only hearing the abysmal ‘Nighthawks’ album before, but this album was so much better than that. Still not a fan of the vocals, but at least this focused on the songs. Overall 2.5/5 rounding down, not super excited seeing I still have another 3 of his albums to go..

interesante album pero no mi tipo 2.4 estrellas

*Some cool blue stuff but I find Waits' voice too abrasive and some of his slow stuff boring

Blind album, know the artist. Too slow, too raspy, too much.

can't drink enough whiskey to listen to more than one song

It's not for me. I get he's highly regarded, but maybe I just haven't heard the right combination yet.

loved the drunk mupped comparison hahahah

Musically great.

Man, I get it. Just not my jam

Better than I thought it was going to be. 2.7 for me

I really like his music but his voice grates on me and ruins it for me. 2

A 2 star album

This is some gritty, grimy, kinda-blues, kinda-rock, kinda just ballads stuff. Waits's voice is crazy. I liked the music itself, but the vocals are definitely an acquired taste. Standout tracks on this listen were "Heartattack and Vine" "In Shades" "'Til the Money Runs Out" I think this is not for me. I wouldn't revisit any of it and my favorite track was the instrumental. 2/5 for me.

It has some nice songs untill the vocals start.

Tom Waits is hit or miss for me and this was mostly a miss. Sounded like a shitty Bruce Springsteen album mixed with the blues (BLEH)

I hate his voice in all songs except two.

Not bad, interested to check out more of his music

Couldn’t get past his voice

Felt like listening to raven who was ravening.

Sorry, but he sounds like SpongeBob singing while delivering Krusty Krab pizza and that's all I hear 😂

Crossover between Nick Cave and a drunk Santa Claus Music was okey… sometimes

That was a weird experience, definitely will not hear this one again, On the nickel was a hard one to get through, but I understand the idea and soul behind it, the instrumental and the lyrics was phenomenal, but the vocals and melody? not my style. But sure a pretty good album. Today´s bird: Shoebill Stork

give this guy a drink

heart attack on vine? this guy was ahead of his time

meh 2/5

It’s sooooooooo boring oh my god

Nope.

just really didn’t like this one, i can’t even really put into words why, guess i just don’t like tom waits’ voice here that much… although i did like the sheer anguish you can hear come through at times. also feel the need to highlight that a few hours after i listened to this, a friend of mine messaged me to ask if i was alright because he was “bedazzled” to see me listening to this. sorry tom waits i’m sure your other stuff is good.

My god, the phlegm. It's so horrible to listen, I actively wished it to stop. The non-phlegmy stuff is pretty good though.

I've liked the Tom Waits so far on this list, but this one that comes and goes without much of anything interesting. "Nighthawks at the Diner" had a fun live boozey club setting, "Bone Machine" had cool production and percussion. This one doesn't have much going for it. The vocals can get comedic here, which is a given for any Waits album, but it happened quite often. The songs weren't all that strong.

it’s time to put the cigarettes DOWN tom

2/5

Kinda sad. Not my vibe.

Awful. Very nearly a one star

I struggled to get into this honestly. The vibe and sound was just... nope.

i literally burst out laughing when he started singing