Nighthawks At The Diner

tá, é melhor do que eu achei que fosse ser? 100% beatnik de barzinho, o que ainda não é bom vou dar absurdas 3 estrelas aqui pela ambientação, mas continuo não gostando do tom waits

a voz dele me irrita e o album eh mei longo mas a ambientação é maneirinha. e eh bem puxadinho prum jazz com spokenword, só falano besteira. é o melhorzinho dele até agora. genuinamente gostei de warm beer and cold women. mas ainda nao eh mto pro meu bico nao

en otro momento lo intentaré escuchar entero y mejor pero me estaba poniendo tensa y todo.... creo que no es mi estilo musical. me lo escuché porque salía en Somos lo Miller y me hizo gracia

I thought this was a list about music and I got a (really bad) audiobook with some standard jazz as background music. Absolute sh*t 1/5.

How many of his albums do we have to listen to in this list? 2

Unique and interesting but this man’s voice is so grating you’ll grow tired of it by the end of the album.

I'd heard the name Tom Waits before, but this was not what I was expecting. I didn't think I would like the more spoken word parts as much as I did. He's a hell of a storyteller and that gravelly voice mixed with the soft blues in the background really kept my attention.

Absolutely phenomenonal album. Waits is really funny on MC, the music is incredible, and I love the atmosphere. Makes me want to sit in a poorly lit, smoky jazz club, sip a cocktail, and hear this live.

What did I do to deserve two Waits albums in three days. Less actively unpleasant than the last one but kind of just annoying. RYM: N Saved a song: N

If I’ve learned anything from this list it’s that I’ll hate this. … As expected, I did not like this. HOWEVER, for the first time I could actually understand why others might. Shockingly, I did not actively hate it.

Não sei, não curti muito o conceito

If I could, I would give the bass player three or four stars. But I need to judge the whole thing together. The fake nightclub setting in a studio shtick doesn’t work for me. It feels disingenuous. And the bad jokes only get responses because of the falseness of the setting and that makes it feel all the more false. Which just undermines the whole persona of Mr Waits to me. And his voice is dogshit. The whole thing is dogshit. Except the bass player because he lays down a sweet grove the whole time.

Review - not his best work. There are some good songs and he's a good performer, but I don't like that it's recorded in a fake jazz club. Something really bothers me about the fakeness of it all. It becomes a bit of a self parody after a while, a not quite jazz singer, singing his not quite jazz songs in a pretend jazz club atmosphere. I just don't like it. Rating - 5.5/10 Need to hear? YES

I'm so done with Tom waits

Five albums of this guy... Five!!!! One more to go I guess. Anyways, despite the "fake live crowd" laughing at his terrible lyrics this is the least miserable album I've suffered through so far.

Tom Waits seems to be quite a polarizing figure in music. I previously reviewed Swordfishtrombones, and absolutely loved it. Checking other reviews, I found that most people despise Tom’s music. I don’t understand why. It’s evocative, clever, atmospheric: almost everything you could ask for in a record. Nighthawks is no different. We find ourselves on a cigar smoke laden, whiskey soaked night at a seedy lounge where Tom is the piano man that puts Billy Joel to shame. I just don’t know how anyone can hate this music. 4 stars (4.5 really)

Dit is zo een pretentieuze bullshit. Hij mompelt een beetje op een bas en wat getjingeltjangel maar komt eigenlijk nergens.

Day 236 Quite liked it at first but it got old really quickly and unlikely I’ll ever return to it, glad I heard it though. Highlights On a Foggy Night Eggs and Sausage

A rollicking night at the diner w a true vagabond poet

My favourite Waits album, even if it's largely an exercise in style. Waits nails the persona, and the tight backing band and faux-nightclub atmosphere do a lot of the heavy lifting as well.

Aaaaaaaaaaargh osti qu’il me gosse ce mec à la noix, c’est le même problème que Nick le Cave, vieux con au piano. Pis c’est quoi, son 8e albums sur la liste? Ça n’a pas d’allure! Au moins, ma délivrance s’approche

Tom Waits is really his own genre, and this album is a perfect way to showcase what he does best. He’s surrounded by a bunch of terrific musicians on this album, including, on piano and electric piano, Mike Melvoin, a member of The Wrecking Crew and the father of Wendy Melvoin of Prince’s Revolution and Wendy & Lisa.

The club‑night vibe is cool in theory, but the talk‑sing delivery keeps me at a distance.

Nails the atmosphere, funny as heck, and the jazz so smooth

There definitely is a time and a place for this sort of music. That scenario that one reviewer described is probably perfect for it. But for me, the idea of getting people in to essentially laugh at you whilst you ramble on doesn't sit right. If it was a live album it'd feel more authentic, but otherwise it feels quite a bit tinpot. I can definitely see myself going to some old fashioned diner, or a smoky jazz bar, with a giant bottle of whiskey in the middle of the table, chain smoking with friends, but the reality is that this sort of atmosphere just doesn't exist - at least not anymore. Makes the album feel quite performative. Therefore, for home listening the rambling between songs becomes too long, especially for 75 minute album. But the actual songs I can enjoy at certain moods. The music behind Tom was good too - the bass player I liked and the piano player even more. My listening experience as of right now probably warrants a 1, but there are times - and more specifically, places - where I can definitely enjoy this, so I deem a 1 too harsh, albeit these times to be rare.

Absolute blast of a jazzy conversational album with a sprinkle of political/social/slice of life commentary. Lot of fun

I feel like this is one of two things that a v specific type of person imagines when they hear the word jazz. They either think of a really inaccurate version of free jazz where musicians are playing any note all the time with no interaction with each other or a loose form, or they think of this type of thing. Some guy doing a gravely not-quite-Louis Armstrong voice and reciting beatnik poetry over congas. In fairness, the congas aren't present and are replaced with a legitimately solid band. Like that one top comment said, Jim Hughart is putting his foot in it here. In fact, every member of the band seems to have an extensive career spanning decades with the greats of the medium. The band is solid. Tom Waits' strange attempt at amalgamating the culture surrounding jazz music by throwing on a voice and doing poetry over top the band while the audience applauds every now and then is not as solid. As I go on I've got a major chip here with this album. Why is it that this kind of interpretation always sees jazz wholly as a sleazy, seedy world full of only smoke-filled dive bars and rambling drunks on the corner? Oh you feel like you've happily stumbled into the "wrong side of town", huh? From "cross the tracks"? That's the extent of how you see the whole of this kind of music? Weird. I don't think jazz should be in a stuffy museum for the rest of time, reprising the 40s-60s. It should grow and evolve, which I think thankfully it has done and continues to do through all kinds of music. But I dunno if that was a goal here. This record feels more like it wants to evoke the most basic derivative image of the art, and that makes me feel like it's being made fun of somehow. Band saves the album from a 1.

I tried to deny Waits’ character and presence, but as the album went on I once again found myself enraptured in this theater of the mind album. The imagery excellence starts on “Intro To Eggs And Sausage”, which rolls so nicely into the melody of its following song. Waits is at his best a few songs later on “Better Off Without A Wife”. I sense breaks in his bravado and persona, that this one isn’t just a story to be told, it’s a peak into his heart. It’s like watching a kid stub his toe and try to convince you he’s fine even though you can see he’s holding back tears. “Nighthawk Postcards” had me enraptured in the picture he was painting around 5:30 into the song. Lastly, “Big Joe And Phantom 309” was an endearing story that, much like the unfolding of this album, felt a little slow at the beginning, but by its ending I was hooked. I have two small issues with this project worth pointing out. One, as I mentioned just now, it’s a little slow to develop. I can’t blame listeners for wanting to turn it off early. Two, Tom Waits sings almost purely from the throat for this whole record. On Heartattack & Vine, he finds a more appeasing, full voice that comes from his gut. I liked that a lot more. I don’t think there needs to be this many Tom Waits albums on this list but damn I just can’t deny how he set himself up for success here. Light 4/5

It's Tom Waits. My opinions on him remain unchanged no matter how many of his mumbling, grumbling, beat poetry tracks I listen to.

Tom Waits confuses me. I dislike "singers" like Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Lou Reed because, well, they can't sing very well. But Tom Waits "sings" like a man who's been drinking bourbon by the gallon, smoking a carton a day, and gargling gravel for 50+ years...and I love it. Maybe it's because he's an absolutely peerless lyricist, or that his delivery is perfect on every line, or that he absolutely embraces the, er, uniqueness of his voice rather than trying to mask it in any way. This is a set recorded live with a veteran jazz quartet, and shows Waits in full showman mode. It's not his best work, even from this era (that would be Small Change), but it will definitely let you know which side of the love it/hate it Tom Waits divide you're on.

SO good.

This is more like stand-up with songs. It's enjoyable? But I don't find Tom Waits voice enjoyable. More of an entertainment experience than an album. Cool in concept, would be better in person. Wouldn't listen to it again though.

Immaculate vibes. I feel like I'm there. I can vividly see the painting in my kind that Waits is giving with his lyrics. The band is perfect. Might be my favorite Tom Waits record, it's such a treat to listen to

back to tom since the very first album and i can say i havent been missing him. it does nothing for me and it's more just talking but like talking to a drunk uncle and you sadly don't have a beer

Guess you need to be a fan, terrible

Splendid stories of 'emotional landscapes' and strange patty melts all across the board. I think the bassist is chained up somewhere (I don't know what he meant by that but it paints a vivid picture in my head so it stood out). I love this album for cleaning, it is one of the most perfect chore albums.

3/29 Interesting. Can't describe it any other way

I get that it perfectly sets a mood, but Tom Waits has better efforts

I’d never listened to Nighthawks, so a self-punishing part of myself was curious and excited when this prompt showed up. I knew about the jazz club kitsch, and I knew I’d have to listen to this someday. A part of me hoped this would unlock for me the secret element of joy that people find in Tom Wait’s unceasing pain. Having listened to most of Tom Wait’s other albums, and knowing the import of Nighthawks, yes, it was time. But, god, I hated this. Tom Waits for no man to get his jokes, they come at such a rapid clip. If the jokes were good, I could appreciate that talent. Instead, I was brought into the crusty late-night feeling of a greasy diner, sitting beside a grit-throated crass man who can’t stop bitching. This truck driver bullshit is not for me. This world is not one I’d ever wish for anyone, so why celebrate it? Perhaps this is for those who glorify the freedom of the lonesome life that allows you to sleep in until noon and then end the night at such places. For a time in my life, my friends and I collected at The Anchor Grill in Kentucky at three in the morning. There was an irony to hanging out there. None of us seriously enjoyed the spot at that hour beyond the kitsch of it. Waits is one who seems not to have understood the joke and latched onto the painful life for nourishment, as that’s all he knows. I’ve noticed the ratings for Nighthawks and for other Tom Waits albums are split between ones and fives. You either love this guy or you hate him. I want to love him, yes I do, but I simply can’t. His schtick irritates the hell out of me. When I meet people like this Nighthawks character in real life, I inevitably create as much space between them and myself as possible, as if their curse is a spreadable contagion that I’d rather avoid. The musical version is no different. Please no more Tom Waits.

I can't entirely decide if I like this or not

It feels like lounge music with some annoying person talking in the table next to me.

Punishing. This is a brutally boring record that in one of my co-workers who was listening along as I played it, was emotionally triggered by memories of hearing Tom Waits the first time. The expressed emotion? Absolute and unequivocal loathing. This really is truly just a steaming pile of crap. Why? Because Tom’s introductions to each so called are as fake as the so-called audience. References to Los Angeles nightlife are a dead giveaway. This is LA and everyone who lives here knows that there is no nightlife here and certainly not in fucking Whittier where Tom is from. I get this is supposed to be a vibe but this familiar with Tom’s work know that there is absolutely no connection between the talk-singing and the music accompanying this mess. Plus it’s really fucking long, the lyrics not sharp or witty and definitely not insightful. This is lengthy verbal noodling and this album is a waste of vinyl and frankly time. Find something else to do such as bark at parked cars, count the threads on a fringed carpet, create toilet paper figurines. Any of these activities is far more exciting and enjoyable than this fucking boring record. Oh, it’s a great sounding recording so it gets a 1/10

not one of the better I Think You Should Leave skits.

Tom Waits is the mustard seed from which the tree of cheuginess sprung, 30 years later.

I'm gonna say yes.

I never got Tom waits. This doesn’t help. I admit I might be harsh. But I don’t see what all the fuss is about. And even if there is fuss one is enough. And it’s won’t be this one.

Well, easily the silliest thing on this list thus far, and that is saying something. This is Dr Teeth and The Electric Mayhem, with Zoot blowing his horn. Tom needs to delete the back catalogue and pretend his career started in the bathtub with a tuba on Swordfishtrombones.

I am a big Tom Waits fan, but was not familiar with Nighthawks at the Diner. It's an album you just don't see around very often. And now I know why.... It's an interesting model of recording, setting up a ersatz night club in the studio with a small but enthusiastic audience to listen to Tom Waits, backed by a small capable band of veteran jazzbos, riff on his Bukowski-esque barfly persona. The songs are actually pretty weak; Tom Waits has written a bunch of much-covered songs that are modern standards, but none of them are here. This is more like stand-up comedy or a one-man show than an album of songs. It's an interesting experiment, and I can tolerate it better as a spoken word album. It's where Waits starts his character-driven work -- I prefer his later demented carny hobo persona to this -- and really leans into the gravel speak-sing thing. But frankly, I don't need to sit through this again.

Really interesting hearing his jazziest album. Feels like this record is a turning point from his straight bar fly/singer songwriter schtick of his first few record but pre his really experimental stuff in the swordfishtrombones -> mule variations era.

Bordering on “fuck this guy” but for some reason his thanking the crowd for coming out pulled him outta that territory. I just really don’t get it.

If I ever see Tom Waits in person, I'm gonna kick him in the nuts

This thing hit me at the right time, I guess. It felt a little like a randy newman album where you need to imagine yourself as part of the crowd/audience. The split between monologue and song is great for playback and wow were some of those long Some duds, aged jokes and yes his voice gets annoying, but damn, some of the banter is really funny and there are a few good tunes. I really liked Better Off Without A Wife. Im at a 3.5 and rounding up because the experience was super unique.

Guy needs a voice coach. Don’t understand the appeal and never will

Been on the record of I don't enjoy

didn't mind the parts where i couldn't hear his fucking voice

I see Tom and it's a 5.

While I tend to prefer the barbed wire gargles of Swordfishtrombones and later, this one is absolutely a 5. No better storyteller in music.

Es como estar cerca de un borracho que te da la tabarra en un karaoke.

244/1089 emotional weather report is a cool concept, but this type of raspy jazz talking isn’t something i love. That said, i’m doing this challenge to hear music i wouldn’t listen to otherwise and this is exactly that. Though i did just discover Tom has 5 albums on this list… okay if nothing else, i liked Eggs and Sausage I think this album and genre deserves to be on the list and i’m glad i’ve heard it, however i don’t really like it beyond the provenance 22/100

I don't know how he didn't ruin his voice with vocal fry. Overall, a very enjoyable album, though it was hard to listen to while doing other things. I can see this being a good one on a road trip.

Opening a set by talking about being horny enough to screw the crack of dawn certainly creates a tone! The storytelling and comedic asides made the jazz feel more accessible and entertaining. I’m starting to see what all the fuss around Tom Waits is about.

This comedy club style album mostly falls flat, but the relaxed jazz is good enough to have on in the background.

I definitely do not like tom Waits. I always forget.

When I saw (yet another) Tom Waits, I grimaced. But this setting, the smoky bar with the whisky-soaked audience laughing at every joke … this is what he was made for. My only regret was not being there for the recording.

I don't think I would listen to this on a regular basis, but its a very fun album!

86/100. Some genuinely funny stuff on this record. It perfectly captures that smoky jazz bar, Friday night atmosphere. I loved this, it’s clever, charming, and full of character.

Primer álbum en directo para Tom, y no de cualquier manera: Michael Melvoin al piano, Jim Hughart al contrabajo, Bill Goodwin a la batería, y Pete Christlieb al saxofón. Era una sección rítmica completamente de jazz. Como público un montón de amigos, un bar, patatas en las mesas y dos conciertos completos, el 30 y el 31 de julio de 1975. Al comienzo había una stríper. Después entró Waits y cantó "Emotional Weather Report". Luego se encaró a la banda y leyó los anuncios clasificados de la prensa mientras tocaban... Impresionante Better Off Without a Wife, con su intro, su melodía (recuerda a Martha de su debut Closing Time apenas 2 años antes) y su romántico final. Una experiencia que no se debe perder.

next

DNF

Not my favourite Tom Waits album. Because of all the comedy and spoken word and because it focuses on mood rather than songs, "Nighthawks at the Diner" isn't an album I would listen to again and again.

This isn’t an album it’s more like spoken word. This was a bad album. Tom waits sounded like the black ghost in Big Mouth

⭐️ might be one of the most obnoxious releases i've heard from Tom Waits on this list. the singing, the "joke" deliveries, the crowd hooting and hollering over said "jokes" and it's over an HOUR LONG... i'm somehow both bored and overstimulated in the end realistically this would maybe get 2 stars, but Mr. Waits is unfortunately catching me in a piss-poor mood

Tough listen.

I tip my hat to this gentleman, but I ain't vibing with this stuff.

Feels like we are in the club with tom, cozy jazz with fun vibes. Like how he brings up the wedding march theme by mendelssohn in the track "better off without a wife" :-) Favorite track: eggs and sausage other picks: emotional weather report, better off without a wife, warm beer and cold women

Spoken word/sung jazz style brings the feel of a small jazz club to life. Relaxing and hilarious, Tom Waits nails his characterization. Would have loved to hear the recording with those in the audience. 0 songs added to playlist, but added album to favorites. It should be listened to as an album.

There’s some good music in here but preferably without the street poetry.

--(Opening Intro) --Emotional Weather Report...definitely seems like a fun hang --(Intro) --On a Foggy Night...sounds like he just got punched in the throat but it's still so silky smooth. how? --(Intro) --Eggs and Sausage (In a Cadillac with Susan Michelson)...dammit now I'm hungry --(Intro) --Better Off Without a Wife...elegant and sweet. and funny! --Nighthawk Postcards (From Easy Street)...I'm having fun with this but it's very committed to a particular vibe. not sure the second LP is going to be able to keep my interest. we'll see! --(Intro) --Warm Beer and Cold Women...something a little more serious. not a total vibe change but it adds another flavor --(Intro) --Putnam County...7.5 minutes is long for what sounds like an inside joke --Spare Parts I (A Nocturnal Emission)...we up the tempo a bit. still a fun hang but it's getting long in the tooth. honestly this would've been a solid closer but then the second side of the LP would be blank. can't have that! --Nobody...very nice but the lack of variation continues --(Intro) --Big Joe and Phantom 309...we drop the piano for a while and it creates something more intimate. I have complaints about the length and the lack of variation in the production but this does have just enough surprises to keep things interesting --Spare Parts II and Closing...thank you and good night

5/10

4 Ok, that's a good time

Wowowowoowow I LOOOOVE this!! The jazz club atmosphere feels so authentic and I love love love this concept oh my god. Easy 5/5 this is so fun, feels like I’m hanging out with a drink by the piano right from my office chair. Musicians are excellent, it’s funny, it’s witty, it’s heartfelt. Love it

Went in with no expectations - left with a favorite album

I enjoy some of his stuff and please no one get mad but I don't understand why this album is on this list. wtf is going on here? he's just chattin and bein all weird. idk. obviously it's not awful but this album is literally only here bc of his name

This album is everything I want in a Tom Waits album. It is the missing link when he sang like a (somewhat) regular person in the 70s but still with the storytelling that was strong with his 80s - 90s music. Listening to this album has made me realize that I need to listen to more Tom Waits as well, since I have been sleeping on a lot of his other albums.

i've dreaded the day we hit tom waits because i don't love him as a musician as much as everyone else seems to. as an actor, i think he's fantastic (Down by Law and his small-ish role in Licorice Pizza are actually my faves), but ahhhh i just can't get behind his super fried vocals. what's extra bizarre even to me is that i love louis armstrong, and there are some similarities between the two for sure. ultimately it's probably just a genre thing: i love satchmo's style, but not tom waits. brandon i am so sorry. i want to love this, but i just don't.

I was not a fan of this one. i don't want to be rude to those who enjoy this, but if i wanted to listen to an old man ramble on for over an hour and crack himself up the entire time, i wouldn't have moved out of my father's house. it did not grip me and it did not fill me with any joy. sorry to mr tom i'm sure you are great. but you're just absolutely not for me.

I know I would’ve loved being in the audience for this one, but it was a little too long/repetitive to listen to while stuck in traffic. The first few songs were fine, but I found myself wondering if anything would really hook me. Then “Better Off Without A Wife came on, and for at least a little bit I was completely locked in. I haven’t felt as strongly about a song on an album that I was otherwise lukewarm on, so it gets some props for that. 2.5-3

I really enjoyed the moments of this where the talking ceased and the music was really prominent. I truly struggled to focus on everything Waits said in the moments where his speech was the center. I quickly learned that this is not an album to which one should try to accomplish work tasks.

I’m a big Tom Waits guy and this has always been my favorite of his albums (Mule Variations is close second). It's the first step in his evolution from "enjoyable but not especially interesting Leonard Cohen/Randy Newman facsimile" to "old timey hobo jazz man" to his seeming endpoint as "I think this man might literally be the Beast from Over the Garden Wall deep scary voice avant-garde character artist." I dig the vibe here and the concept is strong. You're at a jazz club and there's a crazy man doing a hybrid between standup and jazz. Also he throws in a ghost story. I don't really have any way to intellectualize this, it's just an album that tickles my lizard brain and honestly I listen to it the whole way through probably at least once every 2 months because I wish I was creative enough to make anything like this.

Let me tell ya a story about a chilly Friday evening a lil while ago, when I was called upon to help a pal in need move a dresser. I had to be towards the bottom of the furniture mover friends list, in part because of my pipe cleaner arms and refusal to do any non-cardio exercise. I just like going for a run, that ain't a crime. That dresser took some finagling. They had to capture their cat in a travel crate first, then we had to go through the front door and around the perimeter of the house with the bulky item, but we got the job done. We toasted the accomplishment with (cold) Michelob Ultra and (stale) Christmas cookies, and put on some records. I feel like this was a fitting preamble to what happened next -- my first time hearing Tom Waits -- as my old college roommate Brandon Slone dropped the needle on Nighthawks At The Diner. I mean, man does this challenge my understanding of jazz, of the album, and of music. It's equal parts comedy set and freeform jazz. It has these dense, bizarre, and poetic intros with impeccable wordplay. I don't think this album clicked for me til' today, months after my initial exposure. His observations (whether sharp, silly, bleak, or all of the above) just hit the spot. Combining that with his scratchy voice and jazz backline produces something so subversive. I appreciate now, that like a good hang after lugging furniture, Tom Waits has fun with the mundane parts of life.

Bluesy growl

Gott, war das anstrengend.

Wirklich belastend. Jazz an sich kann ja schon sehr anstrengend sein, aber dieser Sporen-Word-Ansatz hier setzt dem Ganzen noch die Krone auf (im negativen Sinn). Textlich hier und da auch schwierig bzw. aus der Zeit gefallen. Ist mir ein Rätsel, wie man so ein Album in diese Liste aufnehmen kann.

Schwierigster Listen bislang, gerade aufgrund der Länge. Musste es in kleinen Dosen hier und da einstreuen, weil ich schnell genervt hiervon war, aber gleichzeitig zumindest die Texte lesen wollte in der Hoffnung, dass sich mir damit diese "Songs" zumindest ein wenig erschließen. Im Endeffekt hab ich hier aber trotzdem zu 90 % der Zeit keine Ahnung, was mir Mr. Waits eigentlich erzählen will und seine Art des Vortrags wird sehr schnell sehr anstrengend. Die zahlreichen Lacher des Publikums lassen vermuten, dass das auch eine Art Stand-Up sein soll. Tja, Humor ist wohl Geschmackssache.

Das waren einfach 75 sehr anstrengende Minuten... UFF!!!

Gefiel mir gar nicht. Spoken word über Jazz (oder was ist das?) scheint gaaaaar nicht mein Fall zu sein. Habe ich auch keinen Ansatz von Zugang zu gefunden. Leider.

Eigentlich sagt mir mein Kopf, dass ich dem Album wenige Sterne geben müsste. Sehr lang, sehr viel Gerede, sehr viel Eintönigkeit. Aber dem Mann zuzuhören wie er gefühlt an der Bar einen Schwank aus seinem Leben erzählt und dazu ein Piano klimpert hat irgendwas mit mir gemacht. Ich hätte dem noch ewig weiter zuhören können.

Oh wow I hated this

Not as horrible as the other three TW albums we’ve had. Voice not as annoying, music OK at times. One more to go.

I don't know, it seemed pretty bad, didn't really enjoy it. However, I must admit that listening to it did feel like I was sitting in a jazz club, thus a bonus star for that.

He's just talking, doing standup, and music happens to be playing in the background, but the two are only loosely related.

This was tough because I really like Tom Waits, but this is my least favorite mode for him. I think it's cool that he captured the jazz club vibe, but I don't like jazz. I think it's cool that he mixed comedy and spoken word into a musical album, but I didn't actually enjoy it that much.

Not even close to an album I need to hear before I die - especially after enduring multiple other Tom Waits albums on this list. Yes. This is a recording. That doesn't make it an album. Are there any stand-up comedian albums on this list? I looked. There aren't. Those are 'albums' too - some might argue considerably more coherent than this aspiring comic. It doesn't make sense to include something like this without including other divergent non-music albums. All that said, the backing musicians were fantastic. I'd give them a 4, Tom Waits a -2.

At first I thought I was going to hate this, but it grew on me. I'm not sure if it's a bit or if he was trying to be funny... it kind of matters because if he was trying to be an actual comedian, it was very hit and miss. If he was playing a character of a mediocre comedian, he nailed it. Anyway, the backing band was awesome, and there are a lot of really cool lines throughout the songs. I'd have to listen to it again to let it sink in. Pretty solid.

I can absolutely say with 100% certainty I hated this to the point of irritation. Absolutely could have died without hearing this.

Tom Waits has a way of popping up and his existence mystifies me. Springsteen's 5 LP live album from 1985 closes out with Jersey Girl which has always stuck with me. And I remember he sued Cheetos for stealing his likeness to sell Cheetos. And of course Rod Stewart. And being in various Jim Jarmusch films. And of course of course being a guest fisherman on Fishing With John in the late 90s unless I'm making that up. Anyway, this was less painful than I thought and I actually dug it.

I enjoyed it at first, but after listening to a song that was 8 consecutive minutes of Waits rambling about breakfast food over the same piano chords, I started to become fatigued.

I dont get it This was made in the 70s, in California, by a white dude

I think this album appeals to a certain kind of person that is not me

Ok, Toma sm se potihem kinda veselila, ker mam filing, da mi bo mogoče všeč? Ne vem. Ampak, dj no, spet čez 70 minut? Uf. Hmmm. Not what I expected. V bistvu je zasnovan k live nastop v nekem jazz baru, kjer on skor da ne beat poetry izvaja & občasno pripovedno poje ob jazz muski. (Mislm, če bi bla zjutraj pozorna - nad časom albuma, kar sm seveda opazila, lepo piše 'spoken word'.) Zj pr četrtem komadu, "On A Foggy Night" končno mal bolj padam notr. Mogoč zato k prvič properly poje? (Alliteration <3) "Putnam County" je bil hud. (Na splošno, kul.) Fak, ne, fajn je bil. Padeš notr in je k da si del občinstva.

Probably in my top 3 Tom waits albums, its just so chill and cool

Well Thomas, I liked this album, *despite* your voice. Actually his voice works okay in this one.

Maybe if you were there and love Tom Waits this would be great. As it turns out, I was not and I don’t.

Hifiman HE6se v2 SE Artwork: ☕🍽️🚬 Production (Remastered): 😌👂🧈 Music: 🎷🍸🌃 Rating: 🍳➕🌭/5

Barely listenable. Is this a joke?

One of the coolest concept albums EVER!!!

To be clear, Tom Waits is one of my all-time favourite artists. The man has never put out a bad album in his entire 50 year career. Rain Dogs was my entry point - his most acclaimed album - and as a result I've always gravitated toward his weirder, more avant-garde later work. But I do still love his first few albums. However, Nighthawks was one of the last I ever listened to, in part because it's firmly in his early years but also because it's a live album. And yet, if a live album's purpose is to transport you to a time and place and make you feel like you're in the room, then this absolutely succeeds. Whenever I listen to this, I immediately feel like I'm there in a dark, seedy and smoke-filled club. As an artist, this is a different type of Waits, more humorous and direct, spending almost the same amount of time interacting and joking with the audience as he does singing. As such, it's an amazing snapshot into an artist who would soon be on the road to reinvention, leaving behind this blues and jazz-tinged period and venturing into the weird and wonderful music that I love him for.

Nope

It is inexplicable to me that I didn't hate this. I can't ever see myself intentionally putting something like this on. But at the same time, I don't mind it as background music in the least.

His voice is too gritty and pungent. Jazzy music is very solid and balances his vocals. Overall it’s a pleasant listen. But then this album is tooo long. -1 star for the length.

after completing the album, i was reading reviews of Kollaps from other folks to gain some prospective. some of the reviews gave me an interesting viewpoint, where people were rating things not about how they liked it, but how they valued it as a work of art. that said, i am not musician. i am not much of an artist in any way. but, i think there is something cool, yet incredibly pompous, about this man creating an entire character, studio set as a jazz club, and then recording an album in it. in terms of likability, i would give this a 2.5. its a fine listen. Tom Waits clearly feeds off the crowd and theyre having just as good of a time. the speaking parts are filled with jokes, but i think a lot of those haven't aged particularly well. in terms of concept, its a cool concept. it does feel pretentious, but its a good reminder that sometimes art is pain, or whatever artists say. ill give it a three, combining the "artsy" review and then how much i like it. overall its a cool concept, and i dig the live show vibes even if its a studio. i think, honestly, i would like it a lot more if it wasn't Tom Waits. the studio musicians he has are great, and carry him along so seamlessly. all in all, thats art, baybee

Even though it actually wasn’t a live performance, a small jazz club is probably the most appropriate location to hear Tom Waits perform. I still didn’t like it, but the simulated live recording definitely did help me imagine I was drinking some overpriced cocktail with some girl I was trying to impress. I’ll give it a two, but that’s being generous. Please don’t give me a fourth album from this drunken artist.

Tom is trying so hard to be cool. It's like he's cosplaying someone cooler and more talented than him. The music is better on this album, but I just can't stand his voice.

I like it! Tom Waits is such an odd bird. Great songwriter with interesting views on the world and life. Not a great voice, but sometimes that growl just works for what he's doing. Having heard a few of Tom's albums, I was a bit shocked by this one. Never even heard of it before. But I love the vibe with the small jazz club feel. It's honestly the most Live Live album I've heard. It makes me feel like I am sitting in a crowd in a small bar. I like the banter and the song choices are cool. It's one of those albums that I can understand why people don't like it. But I think it's a cool experiment that paid off well. The bassist is dong a TON of heavy lifting on this recording. All the musicians seem qualified, but he's taking the stage. Is this groundbreaking? Did it change music? Did it influence other bands? Nah. Is it worth listening to at least once? Will I come back to it again sometime? Definitely!

I need to start off by saying Jazz isn't my favourite thing and this is no exception. The instrumental parts are fine but I can't get into his voice. It's too gravelly and talky for me. Also, I was wondering why the audience was laughing throughout it. It felt forced to me. The songs all sounded the same too and by the last track, I just wanted it to stop.

"Nighthawks at the Diner" is the third studio album by American singer, songwriter and composer Tom Waits. Spoken word and jazz are the Wiki-listed genres. The album was recorded over four sessions at the Los Angeles Record Plant Studio in front of a small invited audience, organized by producer Bones Howe, to recreate the atmosphere of a jazz club. Tom Waits is on vocals and plays piano and guitar. The backing band included Pete Christlieb (tenor saxophone), Bill Goodwin (drums), Jim Hughart (upright bass) and Mike Melvoin (pianos). Commercially, the album reached #164 on the US 200 Billboard Chart and, critically, it was acclaimed for its mood setting, capturing a jazz-club atmosphere. The album opens with an intro with jazz music playing and Tom Waits with his gritty voice saying hello and telling jokes. Some pretty good ones too -"I'm so horny the crack of dawn better beware." The first formal song (if you want to call it that) is "Emotional Weather Report" with Waits reading a weather report and equating it with his post-break-up emotional state. Bass and tenor sax lead the way. Waits takes us down the road of a late-nighter in LA in the 11-minute "Nighthawk Postcards (From Easy Street)." Some jazz improvisation as well as lyrically. A bluesy beat pervades "Warm Beer and Cold Woman." Waits is actually singing in a soulful voice. A sultry sax. More heartbreak and loneliness drowned out or enhanced by alcohol. "Nobody" is a love song. Piano led. Waits' vocals are heartfelt. I have to be honest, I was initially confused listening to this. I'm thinking "is this a comedy album? And why is this part of the 1,001?" I used to the Tom Waits uniqueness but this one had me. It eventually came around for me with the jazzy background with the sax and piano. Waits' delivery is spoken word and singing with his unique voice. The lyrics can be humorous, poetic, melancholic, heartfelt and sometimes meaningless. Is this an album for everyone? Absolutely not, but if you are a Tom Waits' fan, it's one you'll want to check out.

This was NOT tuff

How do you listen to this and not think it’s one of the most endearing records ever? This is an absolute delight, and Waits’ personality is on full display. If you told me before today that my favorite Tom Waits album will be the one with the staged jazz bar audience, I would have collapsed to the floor in disbelief.

I have a real beef with this list and including every album ever from some artists, regardless of how shit they are. Oh yeah, this is the guy that growls as an excuse for singing. The instrumentalists were great, loved the jazz. Can't stand the singer. This felt more like a (not very funny) comedy album. 1*

🙂 it grew on me

Not at the top of my TW pyramid but this one sounds real good on a solo road trip. Must engage with it fully to appreciate it.

yea no

You have to really like the smell of your own farts to like this shit. Fuck Tom Waits and his dogshit “music”

A wonderful night in a bohemian lounge, house wine, bar snacks, swift repartee and boisterous jazz, with Tom Waits as a carnival barker/boho beat poet

Tom Waits has a swagger about him that is undeniable. I can't see myself putting this on randomly, but I do enjoy it. I probably won't spend much time with this album after this listen, but I do wonder if this would get better with time or is it just a novelty?

Sorry no thank you I did not like this

There is something fascinating about an album like this. A performance within a performance. Fake jazz club, a put upon character and forced voice. It is trying to grab a specific vibe and if you are oblivious to the perfomativeness of it all it could be good. However the illusion shatters when you know its not actually real and it just becomes a whole bunch of a nothing with a guy saying words over some objectively nice jazz music and that's it.

2/5 It's just a whole buncha nothin. I guess the vibe of the jazz club was nice, but it loses its charm once you find out it's completely staged. That, along with the fake drunkenness and the attempted wittiness just gave me the ick on this album. It was bearable as background music, but not more than that.

Literally just a dude talking the whole time but...it was good? Head says 3, heart says 5

I still don’t enjoy Tom Waits and can’t believe I’ve had to listen to three of his albums on this list, but I think this is the first album where I kind of get it

Sounds like Hadestown i love it

Just very much not my style of music. Poetry jazz

didnt finish. not for me

I liked this way more than his other album. Fun and funny and feels like hanging out with a friend in a smoky bar at 2 am

Yeah this is some good shit. Has Tom Waits ever done Broadway? Obviously I know he’s got a celebrated acting career as well but the fact at he sings (at least at this point in his career) is so presentational, theatrical. Like, he woulda been a great Emcee in Cabaret or Lead Player in Pippin; I’m serious! And here he can still sing. I admit to it being harder to get into his later stuff once his voice is really shot (he sounds like a singing corpse), but here it’s still just a pleasing rasp with mostly just a ton of character to it. Many of his vocal stylings and choices had me going “Yes, white boy - Sing!” But yeah, this was a delight to listen to. Perfect for a rainy, snowy, cold day. I was already listening to jazz, so essentially enjoying a one-man Tom Waits jazz evening was perfect. Sounds like a joy to be at; the type of album I need to get in my personal collection ASAP. Easy 5 stars for me!

I kinda think every Tom Waits album sounds like he’s singing in a nightclub, so this seems fitting

Just not my vibe at all

You really feel like you're in a smoky jazz club in the mid 70s listening to Tom and his band groove. The music's excellent and the asides between songs are a real treat. For 50 years, part of the joy of a live Tom Waits performance has been his riffs and ramblings between songs. So much so, that his most recent live album devoted an entire CD length worth of "Tom's Tales." Don't skip the intros. They're just as much of a delight as the songs. Especially the intro to "Better Off Without a Wife"

One of the great "live" albums. Waits is in his boho drunk philosopher phase while also showing the chops to be a stand up. The inbetween monologues are almost as entertaining as the music! Here he's firmly in the jazz/blues part and the band are *tight*. The audience are fully on board and are having a great time though never having visited or lived in LA there's some references I don't get (but the audience love them so I guess you had/have to be there); you get the feeling you're actually there, and isn't that one of the points of live albums? Best Tracks: Eggs and Sausage (In a Cadillac with Susan Michelson); Better Off Without a Wife; Warm Beer and Cold Women

7.5/10

The perfect album for when you want the vibe of having a sleazy old detective movie on in the background but your TV is broken. Music for guys who confuse a tweed cap with a personality and alcoholics who are nowhere near as charming as they think they are. The whole thing is so desperately phoney and contrived, not necessarily a problem as copy things that don't really exist can be its own form of fun playful creativity, but it's done in a thoroughly humourless way. The jazzy walking bass rips though.

C'est parti pour une nouvelle entrée dans ce foutu marathon des 1001 albums. Aujourd'hui, on retourne en 1975 et on s'attaque à une bête curieuse, un disque qui sent le tabac froid et le petit matin désespéré. J’avais 5 ans à l’époque, donc autant vous dire que je n’écoutais pas encore ça en boucle sur mon mange-disque Fisher-Price. Non, ma rencontre avec Tom Waits, c’est venu bien plus tard, quand j’ai commencé à traîner mes guêtres dans les radios indés et chez les disquaires. Soyons clairs d'entrée de jeu, Nighthawks at the Diner n'est pas le Tom Waits que les fans de Rain Dogs ou de Bone Machine vénèrent aveuglément. On n'est pas encore dans la ferraille, dans le cabaret industriel concassé ou dans l'expérimentation sonore qui ferait passer Captain Beefheart pour de la pop FM. Non, ici, on est dans le "Early Waits", le Waits crooner, le Waits beatnik, le clochard céleste qui se prend pour un mélange improbable entre Louis Armstrong et Charles Bukowski. Cet album, c’est un concept, une arnaque magnifique, une pièce de théâtre sonore. L’ambiance ? "Club de jazz", mais pas n'importe lequel. Pas le club aseptisé où l'on boit du champagne en écoutant des solos de saxo polis. Non, ici c’est le rade du coin, le "diner" crasseux ouvert 24h/24 où viennent s'échouer les âmes en peine, les insomniaques et les poivrots. Le truc génial — et c’est là que le côté "arnaque" intervient — c’est que ce "live" n’en est pas vraiment un. Le mec a littéralement invité un public dans le studio Record Plant à Los Angeles, recréé une ambiance de club, fait couler l’alcool et enregistré le tout comme si c'était une soirée improvisée. C'est du cinémato-audio, et ça marche car dès les premières notes, on s'y croit. On entend les verres qui tintent, les rires gras, la fumée qui pique les yeux (oui, même ça on l'entend presque). Musicalement, c'est du velours. C’est jazzy, c’est bluesy, ça swingue avec une nonchalance calculée. Le piano de Waits trébuche juste ce qu'il faut, la section rythmique (Jim Hughart à la basse et Bill Goodwin à la batterie) est impeccable de discrétion et d'efficacité, et le saxo de Pete Christlieb vient pleurer par-dessus tout ça comme une sirène de police au loin. C'est chaleureux et organique. Pour un mec comme moi, né en 70, nourri au post-punk et à l'indie rock, écouter ça, c'est comme mettre des pantoufles fourrées après une marche dans la neige. C'est confortable et rassurant. Mais... car il y a un "mais". Et c'est là que ma note de 4 sur 5 prend tout son sens. Elle n'est pas de 5, et il y a une raison bien précise à cela. Le "blabla", bon sang Tom, tu parles, tu parles tout le temps. Entre les morceaux, pendant les intros, parfois même pendant les morceaux. Je sais, je sais... C'est le personnage. C'est le "hobo-poet", le raconteur d'histoires, le bonimenteur de foire qui essaie de vendre sa sauce. C'est du stand-up tragique. Quand j'étais disquaire, dans les années 90, j'avais des clients qui adoraient ça. Ils trouvaient ça "authentique". Moi, avec mon background de radio indé, habitué à plus d'urgence et d' efficacité brute, j'ai parfois envie de lui dire : "La ferme, Tom. Joue, bordel." Il en fait des caisses, il cabotine, il joue son rôle de loser magnifique avec un peu trop d'application par moments. Les "Intros" qui durent des plombes avant que la chanson ne commence vraiment, ça peut casser le rythme. On a envie de la musique, de cette voix rocailleuse (qui n'avait pas encore totalement mué en gargarisme de gravier, elle était encore un peu "mielleuse" à l'époque), et on se retrouve avec des sketches. Certains sont drôles, c'est indéniable avec un humour noir, cynique et urbain. C'est du Raymond Chandler sous acide. Mais sur la longueur d'un double album (car oui, c'est long), ça peut lasser. Cependant, et c'est là que je nuance mon propos (je suis un mec nuancé, malgré mon amour pour le drone monolithique de Sunn O))) ), en y réfléchissant bien, c'est aussi ça qui fait le sel de l'album. Si on enlève le baratin, on se retrouve avec un disque de jazz vocal assez classique, voire un peu pépère. Le "blabla", comme je l'appelle, c'est la texture, c'est le grain de la photo. C'est ce qui transforme une collection de chansons en une nuit d'ivresse racontée par votre pote le plus lourdingue mais le plus attachant. Prenez un titre comme "Emotional Weather Report". C'est brillant. Le mec nous fait un bulletin météo de ses états d'âme. C'est drôle, c'est fin, c'est désespéré. Ou "Eggs and Sausage", rien que le titre me donne faim et la nausée en même temps. Il décrit le menu d'un diner avec une poésie du quotidien qui force le respect. On sent l'odeur de la graisse de friture et du café brûlé. C'est une peinture d'Edward Hopper mise en musique. Et puis, il y a cette filiation évidente avec les artistes que je vénère par ailleurs. Nick Cave, par exemple. On ne peut pas aimer le Nick Cave narrateur, celui qui raconte des histoires sordides, sans reconnaître ce qu'il doit à ce Tom Waits-là. Il y a cette même théâtralité, ce même amour pour les bas-fonds, pour les personnages brisés par la vie. Sauf que Cave le fait avec une austérité biblique, alors que Waits le fait avec un clin d'œil complice et un verre de whisky à la main. Quand je réécoute "Better Off Without a Wife" ou "Warm Beer and Cold Women", je ne peux m'empêcher de sourire. C'est misogyne ? Peut-être un peu, ou du moins, c'est le point de vue d'un personnage masculin un peu pathétique, un célibataire endurci qui essaie de se convaincre qu'il est heureux dans sa solitude crasseuse. C'est une caricature, bien sûr. Waits joue un rôle. Il n'a jamais été ce clochard qu'il prétend être, c'est un bosseur, un intellectuel de la musique. Mais on s'en fout de la vérité, on veut la légende. Alors oui, 4 sur 5 car c'est un "bon album de Tom Waits". C'est l'album parfait pour une fin de soirée, quand les invités sont partis, que la vaisselle s'empile dans l'évier et qu'on n'a pas envie d'aller se coucher parce qu'on sait que le silence sera trop lourd. On se verse un dernier verre, on allume une dernière clope (même si j'ai arrêté, l'image est belle), on met ce disque, et on laisse Tom nous raconter ses conneries. On s'imagine accoudé au comptoir, à côté de lui, à regarder la pluie tomber sur le tarmac de Los Angeles. C'est un disque d'ambiance, au sens noble du terme. Il crée un monde et peu d'albums y parviennent avec autant de force. Au final, le défaut que je lui trouve (le trop-plein de paroles) est aussi sa plus grande qualité. C'est une immersion totale. On n'écoute pas juste de la musique, on passe une heure et quart avec un type. Un type un peu chiant, un peu bavard, un peu trop porté sur la bouteille, mais un type qui a un cœur gros comme ça et un sens du swing indéniable. Pour conclure cette chronique, je dirais que si vous aimez les ambiances feutrées mais pas trop propres, si vous aimez le jazz qui sent la transpiration et les histoires de loosers magnifiques, ce disque est pour vous. Si vous cherchez juste de la musique de fond pour un dîner aux chandelles, passez votre chemin, ou préparez-vous à ce que votre rencard vous demande pourquoi le chanteur n'arrête pas de raconter n'importe quoi entre les chansons.

I found it boring

A fantastic Tom Waits live record. It feels like a real experience with all of his asides, and it was clearly recorded in a small venue good for the kind of jazz Tom Waits used to write.

This is the worst Tom Waits album I’ve ever heard by a long way and I own 15. Tom plays backed by an half-arsed lounge band. He intersperses some of his weaker songs with humourous monologues that occasionally include a sharply turned phrase, but mostly revolve around the shops in the Hollywood neighbourhood the record was taped, industry insiders find hilarious. It’s like when you go to a local punk in a strange town and all the bands know each other and the crowd is all someone’s mate. You find yourself listening to a series of local in-jokes and feel excluded. Except here you aren’t excluded by youthful obliviousness or because they didn’t consider there might be outsiders. But because you’re not part of this 70’s Hollywood elite who laugh uproariously whenever that restaurant they went to with Joni Mitchell is mentioned. At this point in his career Tom can’t rise above the cesspit around him or inject life into the moribund band.

3.5

Jazzy improvisational story telling that was a bit humorous at times. But the whole album kinda sounded the same throughout, so hard to keep track of when each new song started and ended.

Enjoyable

Interesting and odd.

This is a good record, executed well. It's interesting, but he'll go on to do much better stuff. Waits records are best when they mix things up a bit. This one drones on too long like the stranger you pony up next to at a bar that has an interesting personality and a tall tale or two for a couple of drinks then gets annoying by the third.

mumbling over some bar music

Blech. Like jazzy Leonard Cohen.

How many album spots does this guy get?this is, picture a drunk Bob Dylan hosting an open mic jazz night where he is the featured performer. Got it? That’s it. Do you like that idea? Listen then. If not. Tune out

Thought I would really not enjoy this and not get through it, but actually listened to all the songs. Could see myself watching a live show in a club. Probably not sit listening, it feels more of a be there live type of thing.

I need to be in the right mood for it, and it's certainly not my favorite Waits, but I still do enjoy it. 4/5

The best execution of a concept album of all time.

Really cool music. Great storytelling.

Such an enjoyable .. dare I say its fun Tom Waits?

*brews coffee* "Oooh, what a sunny Wednesday morning. I wonder what 1001 albums will throw my way this morning" Oh.

This started out great, with Tom Waits' sardonic humour shining through and serving as the key draw of the songs, where the instrumentation acted as more of a base to keep things subtly ticking along. Before too long, however, it really did start becoming samey and fatiguing, and it's 73 minutes in length so it's an experience I'm unlikely to want to repeat. There are far better and more engaging Tom Waits albums out there, as I've come to establish through my own exploration.

Have to give it a bit more credit than his other albums, his voice sounds better and it’s an interesting experience with the long spoken word segments. 3 stars

Tengo un soft spot por TW, aunque eso signifique que no puedo escucharlo delante de otros, porque comienzan las miradas raras y las solicitudes de que saque al voz de tarro oxidado y cambie la musica.

Classic Waits. You get a real feeling of a sleazy jazz club about the whole album, which was I think pretty much the point. Great album

I'm not really into it. I like the idea, but it's all very samey. I really don't understand why people are cheering, laughing and clapping at him saying the most inane shit. It's much better when he gets into actual songs. If you cut out all the bullshit chatter then it might get an extra star.

It's interesting I guess. The jazz club feel is kind of fun. The music is nice, Tom Waits is fine, I think this concept just doesn't do much for me. And so many of the songs are so damn long. The bassist is the best part of this album by far. The comedy bits don't do a whole lot for me. If it was just the music I might enjoy it a little more.

Really feel like I'm in a mix of a jazz club and an Edward Hopper painting right now. Surprisingly humorous too. Faves: Eggs And Sausage (In A Cadillac With Susan Michelson)

Not very good, lots of complaining. Horrible lack of pots and pans, despite spending the whole album at the diner…!!

Paints an arrey of scenarios, but his voice is an acquired taste.

It's a nice atmosphere he creates but if I don't see myself playing this ever when I want to listen to music.

how do people stomach this mumbo jumbo? Talk singing? I don't even enjoy this voice and the material is ok at best. Also, someone told me cameron winter is the modern tom waits and now i'm even more disappointed

What a wild ride! Will this become part of my regular rotation? No, definitely not; but it’s really good, and really unique, and unlike so many “same old, same olds” on this list; this album truly deserves its place on it. Great concept, very well executed.

Tom's a weird guy

Næhhhh 2/5

Nice jazz but too much for me

I almost got this, but

Ugh this guy and the 1001.

Really fun. The jokes stand up much better than I expected - I guess most of them are just absurd. Love a few of the more serious songs. Love the whole atmosphere and vibe. Not peak waits but definitely a good time.

Blind album, thoroughly impressed. I didnt know Tom Waits could have done something of the style initially, but it worked very well and would listen to it again, but this would not be my recommendation for first time listeners.

1 hora de album :0 FAVS (top 3): on a foggy night, eggs and sausage, better off without a wife mençoes honrosas: - é um album ao vivo, me rachei com as risadas e as palmas KKKKKK n prestei mt atençao na letra mas é um bom album ambiente, mas nada taoooo surpreendente, é legal pelo menos, parece q tu ta nesse lugarzinho ouvindo uns jazz etc mas acho q nao é um album que DEVA ouvir antes de morrer, principalmente se vc n gosta, eu gosto ent ta safe. mas é bom ouvir ele sequencial e inteiro pra ter a vibe, por ser um projeto de ouvir inteiro aumenta os pontos cmg nota final: 3/5

It's bordering the line between music and a comedy show, I can give it no more than a 3. It's a good listen but I think its better as a story rather than an album.

I can see why people like this. I however felt it was rambling and a bit much. It felt like I'd stumbled into a collection of drunks, drowning their sorrows in a bar. Not my vibe

Some great lines in this.

oneon

5/10

Tom Waits' stuff is a guaranteed intresting time. This grabbed me less that some of his later stuff I've heard, but was a fun listen nontheless.

noope. noop nope nope. first time i've ever heard this fella but i have heard OF this fella so guessing he's a polarizing figure and he is the only album i had to stop early. terrible. if i could go 0 i would. 1/5

Spare Parts I was my favourite song. Atmospheric album. Comes with its own ambience.

Not really a music album

I'm a Tom Waits fan and it pains me to give this a 3. Probably my least favourite Waits album. Would have been better live, I'm sure.

Favorite Track: Eggs And Sausage (In A Cadillac With Susan Michelson)

This isn't my style, I can appreciate it but I won't be listening again

This man is performing standup jazz??? I don’t think I’ve heard anything quite like this.

We all have different tastes and what we think is good - this simply isn't for me. 75 minutes feels like an incredibly long time for an album of this nature, and it really dragged. I've heard OF Tom Waits but don't recall hearing any of his music before. This was a struggle to keep listening to, and with all respect his voice absolutely grated on me. Just seemed like drunk rambling with background music. A lot of the music itself is actually good and I could enjoy it if it wasn't for the endless rambling. Just completely not my thing. I've seen people saying there are other Tom Waits albums on this list, I just hope they're better/different to this. 2 stars because the music was actually ok a lot of the time.

Welp... it's another concept album. It did have a funny joke, so that was nice. But I think this is totally an album that you don't need to listen to before you die, even if it's not that bad of a listen.

I’m not sure what to say about this one. It was alright.

Mi rifiuto, basta

2 stars It’s not for me. I could appreciate what it had going for it and maybe was mildly amused by some of it. But it was too much of the same and too long. The shtick wore off.

+ jazz + fajna melorecytacja + big america vibes + transik + ciekawe / ,,inne” + idealne jako podkład do gotowania + sama z siebie bym słuchała + fajny klimat kameralnego koncertu + gościu wydaje się mega mordeczka - niby nudne, ale w sumie that’s the whole magic of it - w sumie chyba nie mam się o co doczepiać

Weird but good

• Off the bat, the intro feels very fake. The canned laughter and audience noises take away from the vibe more than they add to it. • I don't understand why the intro and Emotional Weather Report are two seperate tracks • Some of these intro tracks (namely On a Foggy Night and Better Off Without a Wife) are almost as long as their actual songs • What a nothing song Foggy Night is • At least you can tell when Eggs and Sausage actually starts • I wonder how long it took for him to write this chorus • I really wasn't expecting the monolouge about masturbation • I'm not opposed to long songs at all, but Nighthawk Postcards *feels* like it's 11 and a half minutes long • Tom Waits started sounding a bit like Jim Henson during parts of Putnam Country • He says "nyow" a lot • Big Joe and Phantom 309 was actually quite a nice song • Spare Parts II and Closing is a very fitting way to finish the album I wasn't a fan of this album, it felt like it went on for much longer than it needed to, the faux jazz club setting was offputting from the get go and the drawn out introductions to most of the songs often made it so that when the song actually started, I was already sick of it. I've seen that there are four other Tom Waits albums on this list, so I hope this is the worst of the four. Favourite song: Big Joe and Phantom 309

It's not even unpleasant to listen to or anything. I just wouldn't ever want to. And Tom Waits is not even remotely funny or interesting despite his best efforts.

sounds like he swallowed a cheese grater. Really not my thing. I dont understand jazz.

This is a strange one. I wouldn't say I liked it, exactly, but I got soaked up in the atmosphere. I'm there with the crowd. I appreciate the art rather than the singing. I get it. Doesn't mean I like it, but it's well done. It's pretty immersive and engaging. Reminds me of the bar in Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

labelmate. 5 stars for labelmates

Album 1014 of 1089 Nighthawks At The Diner - Tom Waits (1975) Rating : 5 / 5 A longtime favorite, I was genuinely happy to see it come up as the album of the day. Tom Waits has worn several musical personalities over the years, but this is where I think he’s at his absolute best. This is just Waits at the piano, a small group of musicians behind him, and a close, attentive audience. It feels intimate, conversational - like you’re sitting in the club, nursing a drink, listening to stories unfold in real time. The performance is wonderful, but it’s the songwriting that really seals it for me. “Eggs & Sausage” sets the tone perfectly — vivid, cinematic, and oddly comforting, capturing late-night diner life in a way only Waits could. “Better Off Without a Wife” walks the line between humor and quiet heartbreak, delivered with that weary wisdom that makes you laugh and wince at the same time. “Warm Beer and Cold Women” leans into Waits’ barroom philosophy - rough, funny, and painfully human - while “Phantom 309” closes things out with a spoken-word ghost story that feels timeless, eerie, and strangely touching. This album covers the full emotional spectrum - heartfelt, emotional, humorous, reflective - all delivered in Waits’ subdued yet deeply expressive style. I’ve listened to this album for years, and it never loses its pull. This is a special one for me, and one I’ll always come back to.

Interesting album in that it's a "studio" album that was recorded with a live audience over the course of two nights. It definitely makes you feel like you are just listening to a live band playing in a little jazz club. Definitely great as background music for me, but it was quite long and seemed a bit repetitive.

Why was blud speaking 😭🙏🏾

Amazing

How many real martinis did they have to give everyone at this fake jazz club to get them to laugh at every mumble uttered by Tom Waits? It's like a concept album of a sitcom where there is an unfunny comic with a really bad laugh track. The music is fine; it mostly just drones on while the stand up bass player stands out. I thought I liked Tom Waits until I heard this album. This was a slog.

First tom waits, I mostly enjoyed it!

What a unique album. Loved the jazz club “live” feel. Along with the banter. It’s a long album. Lot of depth to his storytelling. Not sure I could listen to it often but it’s definitely something that could be a “warm blanket” every once in a while.

Not a fan of speak-singing especially when it’s done by a man

OK I know Tom Waits has a devout following and sometime down the road when I'm 60 or 70, I'll appreciate this more, but I kept on saying to myself, "Can you shut up Tom and let me hear the jazz?!!?!" 2 / 5 stars.

Um belo disco de jazz, intimista. À despeito do exagero de momentos de falação de Waits.

None of these songs stand up on their own, but the album as a whole is great. I don't tend to like live albums, but I'd make the exception for this one. To me, live albums seem to be crappier versions of songs you like with added background noise. This one felt like a conversation.

Big fan of Waits songs but the consistent narrative throughout the album was distracting. Not my favorite by a long shot.

I would actually choose to listen to this again if I could remove his terrible voice.

While I do not believe this is Tom Waits' best album, it does give a pretty good understanding of what he is about. Every sone being met with a comedic story makes it fun, but after an hour, it can start to feel a little old. Still a very good album.

Tom Waits when he was more jazzy and hadn’t discovered pots and pans yet. Yes please.

Entertaining! Only Tom Waits could pull this off.

very funny, groovy, unconventional

Gillade ändå mer än väntat! Trots att det är mer åt poesiuppläsningshållet

Bra vibes, men vad länge han maler på.

This was okay not great. Then with the intro talking on every song got worse. I mean he’s pretty funny but on every song?

Tom Waits is, deservedly, a legend. His gravelly voice is unmistakable. In this album, he plays a carousing, rapscallion served over a warm & comfortable jazz lounge act sound. The skill required to riff this way, for this long is remarkable. This is an album about a raconteur— so there’s a lot of talking, even when Waits is not “singing.” It’s great — but the intros would wear after multiple listens. An excellent performance, but a 3, as an album.

Tom is such a weirdo, and I'm here for it. The spoken word bits are especially fun, like a standup routine. Top notch work, yo!

*Nighthawks At The Diner* I really like this one, but not for the traditional reasons that I like albums, which is concise musical statements of an artist at the time. But I like this one because it sets a character and a scene. I can almost see this character in a Scorsese film playing in a in a seedy Jazz lounge as the main character do their dirty business. And I absolutely love his flow of conscious delivery, which I'm assuming was scripted, or at least somewhat hammered out before recording. It absolutely feels off the cuff. If this is 100% acted he did he hit this mark perfectly. I'm starting this at a mid four stars and I think it could rise up on further listening. It's definitely one that I think I could revisit . I do like the atmosphere of the album because it really puts you in that in that setting. But when I think about it as an album itself, it doesn't feel like what I would give either a four and a half or a five, but maybe on further listening it may rise (8.4) ★★★★

Waits in lounge mood. Not the best Waits album, but I still enjoy him a lot. 3.5 stars

As much as I love Tom Waits, I don't love this one. Lounge lizard Waits is not my favorite era. His stage banter is pretty weird and funny, but the songs aren't his best work and an album of stage banter isn't that great. 2 stars.

I’m forever on a 1001 album generator asking ‘what the fuck is this garbage’ and the answer is always Tom Waits.

My only previous experience with Tom Waits, except for casual, incidental encounters with his work, was my review of Heartattack and Vine. I gave that album four stars. I loved the lyrics and the music, but I couldn't get past the distraction of Waits's voice, even in that relatively early point in his career (1980). It just wouldn't let me sink into the music. Not so with this masterpiece! I kept trying to find excuses to award it four stars instead of five, but I couldn't stop listening to it. I even researched and purchased a good vintage vinyl pressing to add to my collection. I overpaid, but it sounds fantastic. This record is pure late-night vibes. Here, Waits's voice perfectly matches his "nighthawk" persona. The banter with the audience is excellent. The humor, the seriousness, even the corny remarks are all so authentic to what he was trying to achieve. Historically and practically speaking, this entire record was contrived. Waits and his team assembled an audience in a constructed club atmosphere in a recording studio. We already know that his musical persona is made up of deliberate choices. And the musical performances are far more professional and polished than we could ever expect if we stumbled into a real-life dive bar. Some find this setup to be inauthentic, but to that I say, "So what?" They pulled it off spectacularly in the end. To me, this is just another unique way to use the studio as an instrument. The audience provided background vocals with their reactions and added sonic texture with their clinking glasses. Maybe they should have gotten a performance credit. I've heard it said that acting and musical performance are opposed. The former requires measured, controlled reproduction of emotion. The latter needs pure emotional abandon. But on "Nighthawks," Waits, a skilled actor in his own right, has built a cinematic experience on record, and I'll be damned if it isn't just perfect. Five stars.

Feels like a jazz club in many ways. Not unpleasant but not my favourite. Great on me through out.

I was wondering if this entire album was going to be spoken word cocktail jazz, and by God it was. It almost sounds like it operates as a “fake” live recording, and that’s sort of true I guess (this was recorded over a few days in front of a small, invited audience apparently). I know very little about Tom Waits outside of one or two of his songs and his performance in Bram Stoker’s Dracula. I will admit that he does have some amount of charm. However, that charm quickly wore out as the album went on. Mr. Waits strikes me as a bit of a goofball, but more like the goofball who spouts out pseudo-intellectual nonsense from time to time. Tough listen, but captures a unique atmosphere I guess. I have a feeling that this isn’t the last I’ve heard of Tom Waits on this list…

Meh

Wasn't sure at the start with the intro discussions to each song. But this did grow on me over the album and raspy voice and jazzy tunes work for me.

Gravelly voice, plinketty plonk fingers, jazz club whooping. Hubba bubba.

Man what a tough listen. It is pretty long and there is not much happening. It’s a load of nothing, really. The only thing there is a lot of, is mumbling. Very easy to rate. 1/5

Quite liked some tracks

Don't like it, but interesting

Every other song is just him gruffly rambling about nonsense. I understand how some could think it’s cool, but to me it’s like listening to gravel in a blender… and it’s a double album of this shit!

This was my intro to Tom Waits and I’m…confused. The music is good. All jazz for this album. The lyrics are ok? Lots of silliness, lots of breakfast food descriptions? Not really sure what to do with this.

Just the worst.

Don't really like jazz

hes so fucking funny dude

I feel like there’s something here to “get” that I don’t understand. This is like spoken word over jazz and his voice is so peculiar that I hardly followed what he said. It wasn’t unlistenable, but it was more of scene-creating album than what I would strictly define as music

I like this even though it was odd. It felt like he was building up to something but it never quite showed up. Too bad because I like the ambiance that this created.

No idea what to make out if it, but I think I rather enjoyed it.

Entirely unique did not think that this would be anything like it was something I will go back to you to revisit. It’s to really fully formally my thoughts I don’t think I can do this off one spin but very interesting. I don’t know. I don’t know what this is piano man music but this isn’t piano man is this what Billy Joel was talking about as the piano man interesting is all I can say that’s all that comes to mind. Interesting. I wouldn’t say it’s my most favorite shit but it’s pretty cool it’s not often. I hear stuff that I feel like I haven’t heard before so for that alone, it gets a forward from. four from me.

Not for me.

Too many talking intros. Otherwise, decent enough. Eggs and Sausages is a good song.

My favorite Tom Waits album of the bunch.

My least favourite of his 70s albums. Fine to go conceptual with the live in the studio as a jazz club thing capturing Waits' with an audience but he just didn't have the songs this time to pull it off. I can also understand why its uniqueness would be catnip to music writers. However, Small Change would be a much better choice.

Jazz, blues, molt repetitiu. Se m'ha fet llarg.

Thoughts before listening: I enjoy Tom Waits in general. He's definitely an acquired taste, but I like the jazzy, bluesy persona as well as his songwriting. I know that this is an earlier album before he had evolved his persona into more of a demented carnival barker. In these days he was more drunken beatnik poet. I think I'll like this. Review: So this is a live album which I was not expecting. To be exact, its essentially a fake live album with a jazz club manufactured in a studio to try and capture Tom Waits' live persona. Its okay. I really dig the non-stop jazz music backing these songs although Tom Wait's coffee shop open mic style comedic spoken word is not necessarily what I was hoping to hear. This is almost more of a comedy album than a music one. While there are certainly some songs on here, its hard to really distinguish them as such since its essentially a continuous monologue from Tom. I'll give this 3-stars for the actual music and overall vibes, but this is not my favorite from Tom.

Well what can you say. It's a thing. Well hidden genius but probably not his best material. You should probably listen. Spare parts 1 is possibly the best track and yeah give it a shot. Really more a historical record than an 'album' tho. And with other better albums I'd give this a miss

Lovely

Despite knowing a few songs and one album of his, I was really turned on to Tom Waits during a Discogs dive last year was a welcome listen and actually contains one of the Waits songs I knew before the Discogs dive which was Better off Without a Wife, which along with Eggs and Sausage, makes up my fave songs from this album. I really like the faux-live style of it and the introductions and banter between the songs really make it a captivating and fully immersive experience. It does give you a strong sense of being 'in the room' and of course the songs are strong too and I do very much enjoy this era of Waits.

This has a great feel.

Probably my favorite of the three Tom Waits albums I've listened to on this project so far. Stand up comedy set to bluesy jazz music.

He really does have a way with words. I was curious if this was actually a live record, it turns out they set up a small audience in the studio to mimic the jazz club vibe. Makes all the difference. Feels very alive and fluid. He is such a distinct character. A craftsman with words. Sometimes it feels a little over the top to the point where I cringe a little, but also fuck it it’s art? I do sort of wonder if Tom Waits is a character unto himself, not that he’s insincere or disingenuous as a person but just that maybe he turns up the strange dial in public and performance. Not a criticism, just a pondering. I always think about that interview they say Heath Ledger used as inspiration for The Joker. You can really hear it. This is Tom Waits before he got really weird and experimental. Pre-Beefheart? The storytelling is so specific. He is brilliant at placing you in this very particular spot in his universe. I feel like I’m at the diner. Really an interesting one to rate, musically it’s mostly just standard jazz stuff, well executed and fluid but nothing insane like his later work, but the brilliance is in the storytelling and his ‘stage’ presence here. I don’t know how much I’ll listen to this in the future but I am absolutely compelled by it, so I’m going 4. I’d rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy

Cool Album

Hell yeah. Waits is the master of bizarre cabaret.

Ich mag „Closing Time“. Dieses Gekammer hier ist unerträglich!

I know he is not everyone’s cup of tea, but there is just something about Tom Waits that evokes the dive bar, down on your luck, hardscrabble life that yields intense of emotion from me.

This might become a vocal point of albums that just because you don't get, it doesn't inherently mean they're bad. If you scroll the reviews there are an intense amounts of 1s and 2s crying about how bad it is, without taking in any of the atmosphere this album presents. That being said I also see a lot of 5s which just comes to show, this isn't an album you think is just okay really. You either love it or you hate it. I am definitely leaning the former. If I heard this 10 years ago I certainly wouldn't get it, but now it has the vibe where I'm sitting in a small bar on a weekday night drinking a whiskey I can't really afford and thinking about things I can't control while a group of local guys soundtrack my evening. This genuinely feels like I'm sat in a bar just taking it all in. A half live album, but instead of it feeling "live" like most albums do it feels real, Tom will stop singing to chat and tell stories and anecdotes like I'm genuinely there sat at the back of a room of people. Beyond atmosphere, just considering the methods made to present this album in that fashion are insanely interesting. This will certainly be an album I do not listen to in individual pieces but rather experience once in a while front to back, but that doesn't mean the music itself isn't up to snuff. A jazzy feel but instead of the lush velvets of some jazz it feels like cigarette smoke and rainy nights which is perfect style for the album feel and, I can only assume, intention. A note about a common complaint, Tom is absolutely putting on a voice on this album. As far as his voice goes it's not anything incredible but it's certainly serviceable if not widely palatable, always a bit gravely. But for someone like me who listens to quite a bit of music it's no where near the worst I've ever heard, hell it's not even close to the worst I've come to adore. This is certainly a more "performative" sort of gravel but I'd stop thinking about it as Tom trying to sound like something specific, and more just like someone else singing entirely because it almost feels like a character. Best songs: Eggs & Sausage, Better Off Without a Wife Worst song: N/A Rank compared to everything else so far: 8/16 (above Heavy Weather below The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady)

They chose the weakest of Tom Waits' 70s albums LOL what are they dooooinggg

suprisingly great

This was a lot of fun. I liked it a lot more than I remembered.

Yet more Tom Waits? The author has a man crush. Fine: A rambling drunk with a pretty good voice and a gift for gab. In this case, a live album comedy routine, and far better than his more serious endeavors. He’s climbing in the charts for me… not saying much.

I was unfamiliar with Tom Waits. This first struck me as kinda odd spoken word, but the more I listened to it the more i started to enjoy it.

I initially hated this given the faux live set up with annoying audience tittering over every word no matter how unfunny. However the overall vibe (esp the bass) slowly worked its charm on me - i think because it was cold and dark and I was working on something a little thorny - and I ended up rather enjoying it (is it my jazz breakthrough?). A song about sausages - whats not to like..... a very surprising 4.

Nighthawks at the Diner The recreation of a smoky jazz blues bar is spot on, but I can’t quite work out whether it’s in earnest or tongue in cheek, and either way I didn’t really care for it that much, I found it a slightly irritating affectation, and it really reminded me of the scene from Weird Science when Anthony Michael Hall is drunk in a bar pretending to be a blues man. Still, the band are great, particularly the double bass and as it’s Tom Waits, it has a degree idiosyncratically brilliant charm, and some of the songs are very good, particularly On a Foggy Night, Eggs and Sausage, Nighthawk Postcards, Spare Parts I and Big Joe and Phantom 309, all of them evoking the Edward Hopper feel he’s going for. But ultimately it's not my favourite of his, I think the other albums on this list are a bit more interesting, and the gimmick of the jazz club atmosphere is tiring, so I’ll go 3. 🌃🌃🌃 Playlist submission: Big Joe and Phantom 309

In a world where contextualising music by reference to peers and influences is par for the course, I found this incomparable. That's not to say matchless in a superlative way. But in the way I cannot think of anything quite like this album. For a start there's 10 minutes before he attempts to sing, instead monologuing a pathetic fallacy about his emotional distress. The band improvise but don't take over. The artificial audience feel like they genuinely become a grateful and doting audience, interacting with the band - and whilst I know this is in a studio, it's difficult not to imagine this taking place in a late night smokey New York joint. Which is all to say it's an immersive listen. He also has quite the way with words, such that I happily listened to 'Eggs and Sausage' which is Tom pretty much reading a diner menu. Some of his Homeric epithets are delightful ("a dracula-moon" or a "monkey-shit brown Buick super" or a "skid-mark tattoo on the asphalt blue"). Underneath it all is some rather bittersweet jazz at times - as well as 'Better Off', 'Big Joe and Phantom 309' or the rueful 'Putnam County' are musical highlights. I had been waiting for a Waits epiphany. And it has arrived.

Tom Waits in a live setting playing a jazzy spoken word set? Sign me the fuck up! Favorite track: Warm Beer and Cold Women

Guez

J'ai mis 2 au Johnny Cash de Folsom Prison. Ici c'est plus ou moins la même chose sauf que c'est pas des bandits mais une fausse audience. En plus le gars a la voix du méchant dans Kingsman 1, mais pourtant j'ai bien vibé.

There's the odd good song, but all the droning intro's an in-jokes make this a hard listen. I do get the appeal of Waits, but the good is outweighed by the bad in this one.

Drones on and on and on....... Not bad, just dismal

Pretty fun

Cool album. It’s recorded as if its live in a jazz club even though it is a studio. Makes for an enjoyable straight through listen. Really captures an atmosphere. This is from his crooner period. Notables tracks include most of the non-intros for regular listening purposes.

Interesting pick for Waits. I don’t know how catalog that well but am a fan of his later work. This was an interesting insight into his early work but something I’ll come back to

Probably my top artist for "need to listen to more". I love the scenes in this record. Such a colourful pastiche of New York sleaze in the 70s. So full of details and ephemera. Truly an acolyte of Burroughs. He was in his 20s on this record! I think of him as ~50 for his whole career. Am I going to listen to it lots? No. But sometimes his talent is obscured by his weirdness. Not here.

3

At first I thought, wow this is cool and different. And then after 5 cigarette voice songs and lots of jumbled words that I couldn't understand I was over it. I'm glad I know it though.

Got that I just smoked 2 packs and I am ready to tell you a story vibe. Cool concept to produce a studio album that feels like a live jazz club recording. Tom is witty and the music is decent, but not something I would revisit.

Long, chiant, et re-long derrière.

Excellent. Mid 1970’s live concert. Intimate funny strong songs. Inimitable.

One of my all time fav albums. 5 stars.

Tom Waits riffeando durante hora y pico en un club de jazz. Por momentos no sabes si está cantando o probando chistes. Pero los chistes por lo menos son graciosos y las risas del público lo demuestran. No me entró tanto como una experiencia puramente musical sino como una extraña mezcla al haber tanto hincapié en esas riffeadas entre canciones, el ambiente de jazz club y las canciones ser a veces tan poco canciones. Dicho esto me gustó bastante esa experiencia.

Great late night listening.