Nighthawks At The Diner

I knew absolutely nothing about Tom Waits before listening to this album. I love his raspy voice and delivery. I love that this is comedy/live and the laughter from the audience makes it even better. I did think I would get bored with it, but I didn’t!

I’m not really sure how I want to feel about this one. Waits certainly succeeds in capture the Jazz club “vibe”. I feel like he’s sitting right in front of me, puffing smoke right in my face. This is difficult to rate. Because it doesn’t really feel like Waits is the performer I came to see this night at the diner. It feels more like I came to the club and he sat across from me and drunkenly tries to have a conversation with me while I try to listen to the jazz band performing on the stage. I don’t know. Maybe if I spent some more time with it, it could grow on me. And maybe I could get into some other of Waits projects because my favorite moments are when he’s actually singing. I find his voice to actually work really well against the backing band. And can I say, the band playing is pretty fantastic. The bassist constantly steals the show for me - I’m a real sucker for upright jazz bass. I don’t know. Difficult one to give a rating since it’s just sooo different from other studio albums.

I like a few Tom Waits songs but i find this kind of music insufferably pretentious.

Live levy mikä ei oikeasti ole live. Äijällä härö nauru ja ääni. Joku huutistelee yleisössä. Spoken-wordia ja jazzia, kai jollain tavalla yrittää olla komiikkaa. En pysty keskittymään sanoihin. Eka se ärsytti, mutta ei tämä sit niin paha ollut. Kuitenkin lyriikoiden ymmärtäminen olisi isossa roolissa. Parhaat: Big Joe And Phantom 309 (Kappale kertoo rekkakuskista xd), Nighthawk Postcards

A smoky dive bar album. Loose, rambling, and a little too in love with its own coolness. Feels like Leonard Cohen and Dr. John met at a diner and spent the whole night chain-smoking and bullshitting. The stories are good, but the performance winks too much. You either sip along with it or walk out before last call. Spins: 2 Playlist Additions: - Emotional Weather Report - Better Off Without A Wife

My favorite Tom Waits work I've heard thus far. Thanks for sending it over.

Cool concept, but still pretty boring and overly long.

2.8

Rating: 6/10 Pretty entertaining, Tom Waits is pretty funny but it sounds like one very long song.

Better than the other one I listened to

loses a bit of the fun spontaneous sounding energy and jazziness towards the back end but brings it back solidly with the last track,l. I understand the change in vibe/ tempo from a composition point of view but the less jazzy slower songs are generally weaker than the rest. I really enjoyed the live jazz bar feeling, feels like a jam with great musicians at points. Production and sound design is super on point and really helps setting the stage/ ambience. Vocals take a second to get used to if you haven’t heard any Tom Waits before but it’s very soulful and I personally quite enjoy it. Instrumental performances are tight but don’t feel overly rehearsed and feel like they can breathe. A little bit too long though, could really benefit from dropping a couple of the weaker tracks. 3.5/5

Het is een soort café optreden. Wat interactie met de gasten, vrijwel alleen piano, etc

Cabaret Jazz Comedy - not a popular genre. Entertaining for sure.

++: (Opening Intro), Emotional Weather Report, (Intro), On a Foggy Night, (Intro), Better Off Without a Wife, Nighthawk Postcards (From Easy Street), (Intro), Warm Beer and Cold Women, Putnam County, Spare Parts I (A Nocturnal Emission), Nobody, Spare Parts II and Closing +: Eggs and Sausage (In a Cadillac with Susan Michelson), (Intro), Big Joe and Phantom 309 +-:(Intro) -: (Intro) 7,7/10

It might be the Beat poetry aspect of his style, but it kinda sounded like an old drunk guy sitting around telling stories with some musical interludes. Not as terrible as that description makes it sound though.

WHEEEE!!!!! idk if i will ever be a full on tom waits convert i think i just can't like... get INTO into it in the way i want... but i really enjoyed listening to this as almost like a stand-up set. fun!

It was weird but good

Tom's sound is raw and rough and rugged and yet also refined, and in some ways warm and comfortable. I really enjoyed listening to this and appreciated how well the production captured his dynamic qualities. It all sums up into a nice album. It's a good thing I'm not hungry because Tom really does take you to the diner here. His crooning on "Eggs and Sausage" feels like I'm back to my late teenage years and trying to sober up at a New Jersey 24 hour establishment and my eyes are scouring an oppressively long menu and not ever finding something I want to eat until I land on one magical item that is actually exactly what I want.

This is a very well realized concept album. There are many shades of Tom Waits. This version, entertaining though it may be, is not my favorite. I'm all about the ballads. This still has some charm, and his Seth Rogan-like laugh in the intros to songs gets him bumped up to a 3 star.

It's very jazzy, oddly comforting somehow. But it's not my favorite Waits album, and I think this one kinda dragged on for too long, being a double album. 3/5

What an enigma… not my favorite, but definitely interesting!

Enjoyed the jazzy bluesy vibes. Could have done with some of the filler tracks being edited out.

So fucking cool

What an interesting atmosphere creating album. This puts you in a certain place and time like not many albums can. Dim bar type of vibe, funny storytelling in between songs. Music isn't anything groundbreaking but a cool find

Overall the cutesiness ran a bit long, but Nobody and Big Joe rounded out the set with sincere sweetness

Better than the previous Tom waits album I listened to (heart attack and vine) excellent band and a more cohesive album but he’s still not for me

It's kind of hard to call this an album. It does a great job of capturing the feel of the performance though. Worth being on the list. Can't imagine I'll come back often but I'd like to be in a room where this was happening.

The audio quality is great. I enjoyed this listen and I'm glad this exists. Wouldn't be in a regular rotation. I don't think this needs to be on this list.

Went on a bit too long. I got the point after 4 songs. 3/5

I love jazz and a good storyteller! The atmosphere is really cool. The big flaw of this album is the lack of immersion. There is a very specific chemistry between Tom and the audience that was captured for the album, but the only feeling it gives me is the desire to be there live and enjoy that moment. Under no circumstances would it make me go out of my house to buy this album, because it is not the same. Performances like Tom Waits' are intimate and have something very special, but only at the moment of the performance. It does not work well on a recording. In short: Great performance, terrible album. I will give it 3 stars because I like storytellers!

Like a dream of an authentic nightclub experience.

Not my thing at all however I appreciate him as an artist.

I've enjoyed various Tom Waits albums and TV/movie appearances over the years, so it's nice to get him in this collection, even if what I've heard before is *much* more recent than this album. I'm not at all surprised that in many ways he sounded much the same in 1977 as he did in the 90s or 2000s (more gravelly as the years passed). Given that it appears there are five (5!) Tom Waits albums in this project, though, I do wish this wasn't quite as long as it is, but it's still an interesting experiment. If I hadn't read up on the album in Wikipedia, I wouldn't have realized that this was recorded in a studio, albeit one with a bar, tables, invited guests and an opening strip show to set the mood. (I love how the producer described the experience as "It was like Allen Ginsberg with a really, really good band.") I particularly enjoyed "Eggs and sausage" and "Warm beer and cold women". That said, I found it hard to appreciate either the music or Waits' semi-spoken-word lyrics. It sets an interesting mood, but I kept realizing that I was acting like those annoying customers at a jazz lounge who barely register the music as they try to have a conversation with a tablemate. Not at all fair to the band members or to Tom Waits, all of whom are talented musicians. This may be a good exemplar of Waits' early career, but it's too long and probably too much Waits for this collection (given that there are four more albums by him).

This didn't feel like an album to me as much as the recording of an experience, and while Waits writes some great lines, musically it didn't do a lot for me. The musicians sounded superb; I just didn't get a lot of melody or much sustained playing.

All he has going for him is the too much cigarettes voice. As the album goes on the jazz arrangement grows on you though

I very much prefer the later stuff, although the voice and the humour are already in place here. Jazz piano ballads are not really my thing, but some of the lyrics are fun - for instance Better Off...

Everyone loves a bar room drunk playing the piano, right? Actually, I do. Yes, this dragged on. But then you try calling time on the BOOZE. The songs rather than the spoken word rambles work best. Chin chin.

i appreciate albums that want to achieve an aesthetic, it went for it and i felt immersed in it

Very Tom Waits - quite an experience, probably better to have experienced it live rather than listening randomly on a weekday.

It would be higher, this is just not my style.

Very much better than I expected, but probably not something I would listen to a bunch…good, but plays as a novelty.

This is good background music Tom Waits than active listening Tom Waits. Big fan of a lot of his albums, never really listen to this one.

Found it hard to hold my attention on it but I really like the atmosphere and attitude he brings and also really like the closing

I like Tom Waits. I like his smoky, boozy voice. I like his music. I don't like the album. It may have been a recording of a great live performance. If you weren't there, his introductions to the tracks are simply too long. That bloats the whole album to over an hour. And it's not worth it. 3/5

feels a little dated, not my jam

A lot of not too interesting filler. I really liked Emotional Weather Report and Spare Parts though

This is really a good vibe, sounds like a hell of a show, but it wore for me just a little bit as it went on. But Tom Waits rules and I’d never heard this one before! I like the looseness and jazzy nature of this performance, and Waits, as always, has such a compelling voice

i like tommy boy and its great to get a sense of his personality with a release like this - really silly and fun! great tunes

Classic Tom, interesting

Had never really listened to Waits, kind of thought he was country but really enjoyed it.

Love LOVE the music, vocals are okay. We saw a group at Cliff Bells in Detroit, and the guy sounded just like Tom Waits.

3.4

I like the concept of this record, if not necessarily the execution. Too long.

I love jazz. If I saw this live, in a jazz club, I'd probably be all for this album - in fact if I was in a jazz bar, or somewhere that matched the atmosphere of this album, I'd definitely rate this higher - but honestly, I just don't feel this translates well onto a record. Obviously it's not the instrumentals that's the issue, it's Tom rambling on and on about some of the dumbest things I've ever heard: You can't go fishing because of your wife? Various things you had for breakfast? Who's in the diner while you're eating? What the fuck? The whole concept of this album is whack. This album really does have some standout tracks, Warm Beer and Cold Women just worked - because he stopped doing his stupid rambling mumbling shouting, and actually used his harsh, gravelly voice in sync with the jazz behind him. And it worked. The song is great. A shame it can't be said for the rest of the album, because like clockwork, it's back to rambling about masturbating or some other nonsensical shit. This album isn't for me, because for all the faults I have with Tom's vocals, the band behind him are pretty damn faultless. I was hard tossed between a 2 and a 3 here, but I'm going to go with a 3, just because I think if I listened to this in the right mood and in the right place, I'd actually enjoy this record. I'm going to re-listen in the future and I think my opinion will change, but I'm definitely interested in listening to more Tom Waits in the future.

Highlights Warm Beer and Cold Women, Eggs and Sausage. Nighthawks Postcards was very fun. Big Joe and Phantom 309 was reminiscent of a Johnny Cash tune if it was quite loose. Last song sounded like he was closing out a stand-up set. Very humorous album. I enjoyed it overall, the jazz and at points country music was great. I don't think it's something I'd listen to again, but it was a unique, enjoyable, albeit long album.

This album is like a comedy album for people who don't find things funny anymore. I could put this on in my flat and it would transform it entirely, this album is oozing with atmosphere but it is not an album to actively listen to and consume like I normally would. It is difficult to rate this album. Love the atmosphere, but I find it repetitive. Love the vocals, find the lyricism irritating. The instrumentals are sparse and barebones, and I find it difficult to even classify this as music. Regardless, I am going to give it a 3/5 as this is great background /noise/ rather than a musical album per se.

Chit chat jazz with ol gravely.

It's funny, it's groovy, let's listen again. 3

Ostensibly, I like Tom Waits. His raving madman shtick does pretty well for me. This is a weird one, since it's a "studio" album, even if that album is being recorded in front of a live audience. The backing musicians are tight, and everything sounds great, it just runs pretty long and Waits can get pretty heavy on the ramble. Call it a 2.5. Favorite tracks: "Nobody", "Warm Beer and Cold Women"

Tom got better once he stopped trying to be a weird jazzman and started just being a weirdo. This goes on for way too long. It's not bad, it's just thirty minutes in you get it and nothing really changes.

The idea works well and well executed. Within the first 30 seconds I did feel transported to a small, smoke filled jazz bar with an intimate crowd. It was very immersive. Due to the nature of the album though, nothing truly stood out for me. I liked ‘Better off without a Wife’ and ‘Nighthawk Postcards’. I also like the inspiration for the album name coming from Hopper’s Nighthawk painting as it’s one of my favourites.

Fine I guess

Not sure I like the jazz club conceit, but good album regardless

Tom Waits makes me feel like I should be walking on a dark, snowy street in the middle of winter or I should be drinking a martini in a smoky jazz club. Getting this album in the dog days of summer did not match with his vibe, but still solid nonetheless.

I feel like I should probably hate this album, but something about it is weirdly charming. I don't know, this album is just a vibe. It could have probably been trimmed down to ~45 minutes or so, but it is fine. high 3

Really great to get to hear Tom Waits. His story telling and live entertainment style were funny and enjoyable

Enjoyable ! I really felt I was in a club with him !

Musically the group is very talented however the album was a lot of drunken spoken word poetry

This album has a lot of pleasant instrumentals with pretty enthralling stories and world building, to the point where I'm genuinely always intrigued in the next tale, and was even getting into the non-jokes Waits was spewing that the crowd couldn't get enough of. Nothing actually gut-bustingly hilarious, but the charm got to me at about the forty-five-minute mark. However, I struggle to call this an album of music. It feels more like stand-up and poetry with instrumental backing that may be my favorite part, but feels needless, and if this album is truly not actually live, it just feels like the whole album is mocking itself. Perhaps that is the intention, I don't know, but a lot of tracks are just not songs, and so I think rating it on that same musical scale feels unfair, but if this is one of Waits' main releases, I kind of have to look at it that way. All the pieces are there for it to be a cool, albeit long, live album, but as a studio performance with lots of rambling and relatively simple songs, I know Tom Waits has a lot more in him, whether it is from this early era or not. This is a good one-and-done album, but I can't see myself returning to this, and I think if any other artist tried this same shtick, I'd be far more annoyed. It truly is worth that single listen though, mileage will just vary.

Tom Waits is in my top 10, but this is my least favorite album of his. No noteworthy songs. But listening to it in it's entirety, I did enjoy it.

This was surprisingly listenable and fun for an artist I don't particularly like. Good work Tommo.

Solid Tom Waits album, but in general I'm already familiar with his work and not a particular fan of his. Without reference to influence or importance, I generally prefer a few of his other albums more (Rain Dogs, Swordfishtrombones).

While the actual songs are decent but nothing special in the most part, the humour throughout makes you want to have been there at the weird "gig" set up

Likes the feel of this but couldn’t remember a single song

Slow piano jazz with a classic Waits talking whiskey voice vocal about drinking and life. Not exactly a masterpiece, but ok background listening. Background sounds from the audience if it were recorded in a bar. Don’t know if it is.

Weird as shit but somewhat interesting. Probably won’t give it a second listen.

Not one of my favorites. This one is akin to a comedy album, in that once you've heard the bits a couple times the novelty wears off. Smooth backup band tho.

Some parts were quirky & humorous, but this honestly reminded me of that one jazzy Gremlin from the first movie. This was just too on the nose.

I don't enjoy this one nearly as much as Closing Time, but this era of Tom Waits is always a good listen. 3.5

Distinctive. A bit repetitive. But also quite enjoyable.

This is a live album, and includes the lengthy song intros. While I love this stuff in the context of a concert venue, it doesn’t work for me on an album. I just wanted him to get to the music.

This was interesting and I am really glad I listened to this record. As a live recording it was fun to hear Waits entertaining and interacting with the crowd. As much as I didn’t like the first album I heard this one was jazzy, it felt like he tried to sing and it really sounded like he was enjoying what he was doing. It was refreshing!

first thoughts: I'm worried. It's too long, and I don't generally like interludes, and this album has 7 "intros." On the flip side, I think I like Tom Waits - or at least I quite liked Bone Machine. We'll see. Starts out jazzy with the first intro, a live set where he's just kinda talking to the audience. It has the line, "I'm so goddamn horny the crack of dawn better be careful around me," which I appreciate. So it appears the album is a live jazz performance. It's good for jazz, his voice definitely lends itself to this kind of thing. I think it's enjoyable, but not particularly interesting or novel. I wonder about replay value due to the riffing and crowd work. It's interesting the first time, but how many times can you listen to it before it loses its appeal? Overall, I'm glad I listened to it, but I don't see how I can give it higher than 3 stars. One good thing, though, is that it's confirmed that I *do* like Tom Waits.

lyrics are great but music is too loungy for me

I think I have a specific idea of what Tom Waits is, and I think this is ACTUALLY what he is, and it's good but not for me.

I wanted to like this but it's a bit contrived. I guess it's a novel idea though so not all bad. It grates after a while, Tom's voice is so in your face.

It was pretty good but it got super repetitive. He's funny! And that is ace at the start but it gets old quick.

I like the concept of the album, the band and even some of the songs but after listening to a whole album it’s a bit much for me. There are some very clever lyrics at times. 2.5

The concept of a “live” recording in an imaginary dive is clever, but couldn’t listen to it regularly without tiring of this conceit.

I understand

The live vibe is cool, but with all the loose spoken word songs feels like you had to be there. Couldn’t really get into it.

Kinda cool and vibey but kinda boring

I like other Tom Waits albums way better. The concept is cool but it gets repetitive.

Unlike the last time I attempted to listen to more than half a Tom Waits song some decades ago... I didn't immediately hate it. I have no experience with the rest of his catalog, and I probably won't seek it out until it pops up on this list again... but I'm honestly surprised I didn't hate this one. So I'll approach the next one with some mixture of confusion and curiosity, rather than dread. Win?

This cat was funny as hell

Fun. Touching. It's been really fun coming across the artists who are just pure entertainers. Tom Waits is a character but also a writer. Definitely took me for a ride. I was in that diner with him! I was in that car with Big Joe! Can't say I'll play this album much but TW gets my respect.

p345. 1975. 3 stars. Great voice, great lyrics and a sense of humour, but there are no tunes to speak of and I'm not a fan of cocktail bar jazz.

A little too weird for my tastes. But a good sound overall

It’s been 10 years since I listened to a Waits record in full, which I don’t recall enjoying. However I liked Nighthawks due to its consistency and for showcasing his humorous storytelling style throughout. I just felt like it was a one-time listen.

Very wordy and long!

An acquired cup of tea for non-Tom Waits fans but can see the charm behind his style.

This one was really interesting. I had heard of Tom Waits but really did not know any of his material before hearing this. Right away you are transported to a jazz club atmosphere, and it continues for the entire album. The songs are fine, and the instrumentation is good albeit rather safe, and his voice takes some getting used to, but overall I enjoyed it.

Great lyrics, amazing atmosphere, but ultimately a little bit boring and quite frankly not what I would enjoy listening to. But that doesn't change the fact that Tom Waits is a national treasure (for every nation, I guess).

“I'm so goddamn horny, the crack of dawn better be careful around me!” klinkt er vanuit het zelfgecreëerde live café van de heer Waits. Reikhalzend keek ik uit naar de ochtend dat mijn spirit animal op m'n telefoonscherm zou verschijnen, maar van dit album schrok ik een beetje. Het is één van z'n platen die ik niet zo goed ken, en hij is door het specifieke concept niet heel goed te vergelijken met het rest van z'n oeuvre, dat al van hot naar her gaat. Het is een soort Mm.. Food van MF DOOM, maar dan de barfly versie. Tom gromt het ene naar het andere dronken vertelsel aan elkaar, met als rode draad dat hij altijd dichtbij de verscheidene ongezonde versnaperingen blijft die een gemiddelde diner in de USA te bieden heeft. Je weet wel, zo eentje die ongeveer in elke Amerikaanse film wel even voorbij komt, waar altijd een paar rednecks of wise guys aan de bar hangen om een krant te lezen en een apple pie te eten. De artificiële atmosfeer neergezet op het album - waarin een authentiek live album werd geveinsd - creëert een uniek geluid, alsof het opgenomen is in een normale studio naast een rokerige jazzbar, maar met de kier van de studiodeur open. Dit pakt aardig uit, maar het voelt ook wel een beetje alsof er een publiek zit die geforceerd interactie met Tom en z'n band zoekt. Hulde voor de eigenzinnige aanpak, maar had hem ook wel graag écht live willen horen. Of de mensen in de studio echt geforceerd meedoen valt te betwijfelen, want de humor en woordspelingen van Tom Waits zijn on point. Allemansproblemen en ludieke ervaringen worden gedeeld op komieke wijze, waardoor het vaak zelfs aanvoelt als een stand-up komedie, die ook echt wel het publiek op sleeptouw had genomen in een jazzclub in downtown LA. 'Emotional Weather Report' is een meteorologische analyse van een mislukte affaire, ronduit briljant. En 'Eggs And Sausage' is instrumenteel m'n favoriet, die glijdt zo lekker voort. Hij zet de scene - die gespeeld wordt - effectief neer, en is de definitie van cool. Maar de vele grappige segmenten worden meer dan eens onderbroken door prachtige melodieën, waar je West Coast barhanger Waits wel voor kon bellen. Ik ben uiteindelijk net iets meer fan van de avontuurlijkere East Coast Waits, maar arrangements als 'Warm Beer And Cold Women', 'Better Off Without A Wife' en 'Nobody' raken wel een gevoelige snaar. Al met al denk ik ook wel dat dit album, ondanks z'n onconventionele aanpak en ietwat eendimensionale vormgeving, een goed beginpunt zou zijn om West Coast Waits te ontdekken. Na z'n debuutalbum, dat leent zich daar nog iets beter voor. Minpunten zijn wel dat ik tijdens het luisteren steeds minder ging voelen voor het fake live idee als ik het publiek hoorde lachen, en ik denk dat z'n meest jazzy album (wat dit absoluut is) het juist qua instrumenten heel goed had gedaan in een realistische setting. Daarnaast denk ik dat het kort maar krachtige 'Nobody' een waardige afsluiter was geweest. Het had het album goed gedaan om zich aan een uurtje te houden. Deze periode werd nou niet echt gekenmerkt door Tom's vocale diversiteit. Het is nu vooral 75 minuten op één grommende toon. Al met al, zijn minst bekende album voor mij levert in ieder geval weer Waits ten voeten uit: Eigenaardige doch herkenbare verhaaltjes, intelligente woordspelingen, ontroerende melodieën en uitstekende instrumentele begeleiding. 7/10 Highlights: Eggs And Sausage Emotional Weather Report Warm Beer And Cold Women

Tom Waits live in een Late Night Jazz club. Tjonge daar zou ik toch graag eens bij zijn. Van de atmosfeer van deze plaat kreeg ik zin om een heel pak peuken op te roken, mijn eigen woonkamer blauw te zetten en een fles bourbon achterover te tikken. Toch maar niet gedaan, om 10:00 heb ik een teams-call... De vraag is natuurlijk of een dergelijke atmosfeer eigenlijk wel bestaat in "real-life". Kletsend publiek, klinkende glazen in een benevelde kroeg waar de zanger toch verstaanbaar is en de (jazz)show steelt. Waarschijnlijk niet, maar het spreekt zo onwijs tot de verbeelding. Daarom doet het het altijd zo goed in films. En Waits is zelf de grootste sucker voor dit sfeertje. En het werkt bij mij ook wel. Tom die alle nummers introduceert met een verhaaltje en soepel over gaat in de het nummer. Zijn stem is weergaloos en de rauwe tonen voegen voor mij iets toe aan de jazz waardoor ik het veel interessanter vind dan veel andere jazz-platen. De nummers zelf zijn niet zo spannend en verschillen weinig van elkaar. Maar daar gaat het ook niet om. Tom Waits zet -mede door dit live op te nemen- een sfeer neer waar je prima 1 of 2 uurtjes in wilt vertoeven. Meer Tom Waits graag! 7/10 Highlights -

The instrumentals are fire Saved eggs and bacon

Some okay stuff here. But mostly gibberish

What a douche... but this is the most enjoyable of the waits albums I have had to endure for this list. Please, no more! As usual, hope he damaged his vocal cords while recording this.

Not bad but way to long for me

Tom waits has a beautiful voice but I didn't much enjoy the stand up aspects of this album. There was a lot of crowdwork

I like Tom Waits. Fun to listen to. Not great for work listening though. Can't listen to his commentary in between the songs.

Tom waits. Tom Waits joins the list of full sentence names. 3/5

Tommy w-nice to hear real jazz of his 3/5

I admire the dedication to the bit, but the novelty wore off very quickly.

I can’t imagine ever wanting to listen again, but there were several clever turns of phrase in the lyrics and a consistent vibe.

as of the time of this writing this is (checks notes) the third time a tom waits album has been on the challenge. while i don’t really “get” his music, and that hasn’t really changed. but this one was a little different. he has very specific references that clearly his crowd finds amusing and i would be lying if i said that i wasn’t entertained. the man clearly has a knack for storytelling in a sort of “beat poet” sense and that really comes across in a live setting. however, i just can’t with that voice.

3.0

I thought it was a really cool idea. Tom waits has an amazing voice, and the playing is really impressive. Some of the songs are really groovy

I've been a big fan of certain Tom Waits records for some years now. I've already given five stars to two of his albums in the 1001 group, the peerless "Rain Dogs" and "Bone Machine". And yet, something about his early-mid period (pre-Kathleen Brennan, pre Kurt Weill influence) has always evaded me. After listening to "Nighthawks at the Diner" a few times, I'm not entirely convinced I'm missing much. This third album is a monstrous 73 minutes packaged up as a "live" recording, each song receiving a rambling intro narrated by Waits himself. It's dense. It’s confounding. And in its own twisted and warped way, it's occasionally cozy and romantic. The intros run steadily into the songs themselves, which tip over into singing almost imperceptibly. "Emotional Weather Report" sets the pace with its lolloping jazz, ambling bass and noodly piano. The lyrics are mostly spoken word sprinkled on top, with some wryly amusing analogies to be found, but not a barnstorming opening. As we progress, all the hallmarks of Waits' early music remain up-front: a grouchy and winking sense of humour, gently twinkling ivories, and an iconic voice gargling cement and absinthe. He was in his thirties here, but sounds at least double his age. The ambience of the crowd - a "live jazz bar" recorded in studio - is a nice gimmick, but quickly wears thin, particularly when there's more audience laughter than an average episode of "Mr. Bean". Try and sit through the intro to "Eggs and Sausage", or the admittedly amusing ode to masturbation that is "Better Off Without A Wife"'s opening, without wanting to yell at them all to shut up. To be clear, there are gorgeous moments- "Better Off Without A Wife" is a swooning, misanthropic ballad in the grand Waitsian tradition, and "Warm Beer and Cold Women" is a lovely track too - but these sit hand in hand with meandering jazz non-sequiturs like "Putnam County", "Spare Parts I" and II, or the eleven minute "Nighthawk Postcards (from Easy Street)". When I'm in the mood, it will all be divine: this album may be best enjoyed in the lamp-light, home alone, with a whiskey. In any other circumstance, I fear it just radiates the smugness of a party happening across the street, where nobody's invited except Tom Waits and his band of laughing brothers.

Are those the nighthawks at the diner

My thoughts: - Why does he talk so much? - Wanking jokes. Lol. - Better off Without a Wife = Good 3 stars

Interessante, ma not worth

Ok

Not the kind of music I would seek out and listen to, but had a long morning drive on a rainy, cloudy day when I listened to this and it perfectly fit the mood and was a real enjoyable listen. Not necessarily something I’m going to listen to often, but nice to know it’s there and to know I’ve heard it. 3/5 or 63/100

Cool pero demasiado tranquilo...

Rating: 6/10

Mmmm. Like most TW I can't decide if its genius or just terrible. I'm certainly not in the mood for the cod drunken rambles in some pseudo jazz club. Maybe if I was bleary eyed I would appreciate it. 10am on a bright Saturday morning doesn't work.

Slam poetry jazz that's what would sum up this album, cleverly recorded in front of a "live" audience in the studio. Wouldn't go out of my way to listen to it on the regular but it was an ok for a once off listen. Best: Eggs and Sausage (In a Cadillac with Susan Michelson) Worst: Big Joe And Phantom 309 2.5 Stars

Funny introductions. Good music.

Tom Waits is much more than just a singer. He is truly one of a kind. I think he does create the vibe he was looking for with Nighthawks At The Diner, even it’s a bit over the top. The live audience works. This would obviously be much more enjoyable in a dark bar with pints and friends, but it’s a good effort and deserves to be on this list 6.1/10

Not my wheelhouse. Funny lyrics, but not enough music. Reminds me of Zappa a teensy bit, but without the musical genius. 3 for the words tho.

I find this to be a pretty interesting listen. Tom Waits has a club vibe, beat poet delivery on top of a pretty cool jazz section. It is word-heavy and feels like a bit of an event. Unfortunately the audience laughter and feedback sounds more like a laugh-track than just an audience recording. It is too prounounced and turns me off a bit. However, I think the overall attempt here is pretty interesting (though I don't expect to revisit it).

I wasnt really in the mood for a night out so I didnt finish listening to this.

Influenced Dylan

3/5

He’d probably be a blast to see live. But yet more music that doesn’t resonate with me. I see how it could appeal to someone else.

I really enjoyed the mood of this - all felt very positive, light-hearted, like everyone involved was having tonnes of fun. Is the music that good? Not really, it's lots of little riffs from other things, plus mostly spoken word, his usual film noir ramblings. 3/5.

I love the late night jazz club feel of this album, the crowd interactions, the intros to each track along with with songwriting and sound of this record are great. It has a unique feel, with the theatrical side of things. I personally think Closing Time is a stronger early Tom Waits albums, I think the tracklist is much stronger than the one on this.

How far can your tounge go into your cheek? He's a poet, he's NYC, it's live and it's cool. There really is a Bukowski diner feel. It's soaked in gin and grease rolling throguh the gutter. But damn you gotta be in the mood for this one, he grabs you by both ears with his wobbling feel and yells bus drunk soliloquy into your face.

Rauchige Stimme, es ist nicht so richtig Gesang sondern eher melodisch gesprochen :D ich weiß nicht genau wie ich es finde. 2.5 Sterne für mich Ich fand es lustig und coole Atmosphäre. Dann sind wir richtig gnädig und geben 3

Music is good but the voice isn’t for me

Disfrutable, divertido, satisfactorio, lo volvería a escuchar. Pero repetitivo y demasiado largo. La voz es un poco molesta

liked the music, not so much the lyrics

CD

Jazz lounge by a guy who sounds like he breathes in cigarette smoke 24/7! What more could you ask for in an album! The intros are usually too long, but I do love Wait's lyricism and his voice is so interesting to listen to. Even though it's very rough, you just want to hear what this guy has to say, and you fucking believe it too even though each story is about a different unrelated thing.

Hearing the intros and story telling between songs really made this album.

I was gonna give this a 2 because i'm not a huge fan of Toms voice. But i think this album really accomplishes to make you feel like you are sitting at that bar. So I rate the experience of the album more than the songs.

No es un género tan de mi agrado el spoken words, aunque dentro de las canciones cantadas puedo decir sin dudar que son excelentes canciones. Musicalmente, a punto, música ejecutada a la perfección y con gran gusto. Pero lamentablemente no es de mi agrado el género. Los chistes me quedan demasiado lejos, esperaba más música que alguien hablando de su vida. No se puede ser tajante y decir que es un buen o mal álbum porque no es de mi estilo.

It was very fun and was a whole adventure listening to the album

Jazz mientras Waits habla. No me ha hecho mucho. Ni fu ni fa.

classic Waits

I like Tom Waits generally, and this has his undeniable weirdo charm. It's not my favorite of his extensive catalog - I think the faux-live jazz club setting is an interesting conceit but hurts its relistenability. Overall, I think Tom Waits is an important figure in music history, and this album is a good example of his early period for anyone interested in cultural edification.

interesting, but i dont like jazz

Middle of the road album for me. This kind of music can be good, but it’s good live. When I’m at home listening on my headphones, it’s not something I want to listen to for over an hour. For what it is, it’s probably great, but it’s not something I want to listen to outside of a jazz bar or something. Tom has a fun sense of humour, and he’s clearly talented, but I got so tired of his voice. It’s perfect for the genre, but it’s just so hard to listen to for this long. Especially his little chuckle he does all the time, that started to annoy me after a while. Not exactly for me but for what it is it’s perfectly fine. 5/10 Top 3: 1. Warm Beer And Cold Women 2. Intro To Better Off Without A Wife 3. Opening Intro

Great background instruments throughout. The comedic and storytelling lyrics were fun at first, but start to drag as it goes on. Regardless still a fun record. Feels like a snapshot into history.

I wanted to hate it and I didn’t think I was going to have to try very hard, but it won me over quite easily. Damn you, Tom.

More of Tom’s same weirdo offbeat stuff, I dig. Very cool album cover, love the vibes it projects. I wish that was my life was nighthawking it at the diner. Looks like a fun bunch.

3.5/5

I doubt someone could make a record like this today it's very interesting to hear and feels a bit escapist and nostalgic, oddly current... which may be all of its strengths. I like some later works more but if I could do 3.5 I would

Vad har jag sagt om liveplattor? Nu kanske inte det här en renodlad liveplatta, mer live i studio. Ganska skön ändå.

Definitely feels like something best appreciated by paying attention to it, rather than having it play in the background while working (which is how I consume most of these). He's got some good lines, and I'm sure I missed a bunch. I wasn't familiar with Tom Waits so the vocals definitely took some getting used to, but they grew on me over the course of the album. I'll be interested to see if I like any of his non-live stuff more.

This was fun for a while. The comedy routine in rhythm with a backing track is impressive. His voice is great. I did get bored with it about halfway through. Not something I want more of necessarily, but it definitely has some genius to it.

You can smell and see the smoke of the jazz bar on this album, really cool concept and live jazz bar vibes. But Tom does go on a bit for some of the songs, hence I prefer his earlier albums or his more experimental later stuff. Deserves to be on the list though.

Ihan jees, en kyllä ole varma välitänkö Waitsin lyriikoista. Menee tämä taustalla mukavasti, vaikka vähän tuo "feikkilive" meinaa ärsyttää. Armollinen 3.

It was okay, listened to it while making dinner. I do have a few of his songs saved. This one was too talky. The jazz was nice but no real singing.

A really cosy and intimate live album - Waits’ banter between songs flows so naturally and the prominence of audience reactions really makes you feel involved even when some of the locale-specific jokes fly over your head. The only downside is the quality of the songwriting: there’s good stuff in here, especially Eggs and Sausage, but it just doesn’t hold up to hits like Martha, Diamonds on My Windshield and Tom Traubert’s Blues from his studio albums around this era

Ooooo some yazzzzzz. Never listened to Tom Waits really but the setting of this album is pretty cool and love the spoken word when I usually don't. Think it's all the background jazz helping out. It did go on entirely too long for me and started to lose interest around the 50 minute mark. Still good stuff.

Third Tom Waits album on the list and third surprise. Apparently, he didn't like to keep consistency between his albums. I should give him extra credit for trying to be such an innovator in this way. For this album itself, I enjoyed listening to it, but it's not so great. The long conversational records are clearly an attempt to sound like a bar record, but I'm not in a bar, so it's just lost my attention.

It's pretty fun but it's still a smug pisstake

Cool mood.

I will not Wait to listen to it again.

The live jazz club atmosphere really comes across on this record. The Tom Waits qualities are obviously there, although I prefer some of his later albums (hopefully on the list as well).

diner theme

Interesting concept. Started off quite into it but then quickly got bored. Maybe one to revisit again when I'm in a particular mood. Can see why it made the list at least.

3/5. Honestly a much better album than I was anticipating. It is a little long and boring at times, but the jazzy aspects give it that twist of surprise. Best song: Better Off without a wife, warm beer and cold women

👍

tom waits is an artist who has created such drastically different music throughout his career! nighthawks at the diner is no exception. i've heard his jazz origins, and his later change to rock and experimentation. this is a jazz album but with an audience component. jazz music is perfect for intimate, live settings, so this combination makes sense. this album is full of waits' personality. he is charismatic and funny. the humor can be bawdy at times, or even contain terrible puns. with nearly every song written by tom waits, his usual wit is present, too. "emotional weather report" is clever when waits recounts his mental health difficulties in terms of weather terminology. in that sense, this album can be rather personal, and it does indeed feel like he's talking directly to the listener. of course i must give credit where credit is due. waits is only on the piano and guitar in addition to his vocals. his backing jazz band is absolutely fantastic throughout!

Great storytelling. Enjoyed!

Oh wow, Tom Waits story time. This album makes me wish I was in that club (with a cigar and a whiskey?). This is the third Tom Waits album I've heard through this site and a quick search shows there's at least two more. All have been vastly different and very enjoyable. Favourites would be Emotional Weather Report and Eggs and Sausage (In A Cadillac With Susan Michelson)

Naturally my heart sank a bit as despite persistence I have never really 'got' Tom Waits. But actually much to my surprise I quite liked this when I focussed on the storytelling rather than the vocal style.. lots of humour in there and enjoyed learning the characters he felt compelled to write about. I.e. drunk losers!

Quite good but felt like the whole thing was just on one theme, Tom Waits talking over moody cafe music.

One of my lighter threes, I think. I would consider a two because of the length, but I enjoyed the album despite it being around 75 minutes long. I think it's a pretty cool concept for an album. My favourite part of the album was when he made car noises, but my favourite song was Spart Parts I.

I actually like this one OK. It was entertaining. But I feel like the whole "live" conceit might not work as well on subsequent listens?

Got into this less than I hoped. It's a long album without much change in style so for me it probably would've worked better split up into two sittings. The vibe I get is a grimy hobo put on a stage in a seedy back alley jazz club. Lyricism is creative and entertaining. His voice is weirdly pleasant.

You can smell the stale beer and wafting cigarette smoke listening to this album. It transports you to an old jazz club at 3am. I understand why people might not like this, but it’s the perfect material for Tom Waits’ gravelly voice.

I appreciate the concept of the album, but sounded like an old man ranting for me.

Good, fun and nostalgic vibe album. You feel immersed in the pub with some good beer.

I was feeling the jazzy vibes.

I wish I was cool enough to figure out what’s going on here

Pretty cool laid back jazzy album that when played in a jazz bar would be a lovely evening

Musically I really like it. It succeeds in setting the jazz club vibe but sometimes the audience is a bit too present.

This was kinda weird. A lot of Tom Waits talking but it was like a night at a show.

Прослушано! Не знаю что и написать, вроде мелодично но много разговоров и прочего. Все это должно придавать альбому колорит, но я не понимаю ни слова.

I usually can't really get into Tom Waits and this was no exception

Jazz en directo. Estaría mejor si no se pasara la mitad de la grabación hablando.

Always a pleasure listening to Tom and seeing what new territory he will explore. While interesting, I found this album less captivating. Too much chatter over the songs and not much to offer from them either.

Again great musicianship by Waits but due to the Genre and the live recording style, it's just 3 stars from me

Very warm and atmospheric

not for me even considering Martha from his first album is in the pantheon...but Better Off Without a Wife is probably my favorite. Kinda like Putnam County, Nobody.

Waits is certainly an American original, there really isn't anyone else out there like him. The simulated jazz club with a studio audience works pretty well in this case as the crowd is engaged and responsive to his bawdy humour and story-telling. The musicians are also top-notch, in particular the piano and bass players. My only complaint about this album is that it's a bit long, and if it was cut down it would have been just right.

Jazz com vocal poderoso desenvolve um ambiente de jantar no inverno.

Modell "sympathischer Typ spielt locker ein Konzert" ist nie verkehrt

Welcome to the 5th Tom Waits album served to me here, proving once and for all that there are only 12 musicians to ever produce music in this world (at least according to the procurers of these facilities). The nice thing about Tom Waits, as opposed to his fellow 11, is that each of his albums are quite different than one another. And while I can't say I like the majority, there are exceptions, and this jazzy one definitely "errs" towards the positive side of things. That pretend jazz club atmosphere reminds me of some of the best live music experiences I've ever had, in both style and ambience.

I like the music, and I actually don’t mind the spoken word this time, but I would never add these types of songs to my playlist because to me they’re not really songs I guess. It kind of reminds me of the highwayman song from over the garden wall if the highwayman didn’t sing. Because there weren’t really any melodies for the lyrics or refrains, these tracks all sounded the same to me, like just one big continuation or one big recording, which I normally don’t mind if it’s an album with actual songs. I like the story telling and I do like them, but just not as songs if that makes sense. So they get a higher rating than most because I like it. It sounds like I’m at his performance. I feel like this album would be really good to play on a rainy night in a high rise apartment overlooking the city while having a fancy dinner with your spouse. It sounds very fancy. Okay now there’s more singing. I actually really enjoy this album as a whole. It’s interesting how a lot of the songs have intros. This sounds really artsy to me, like only really sophisticated people would really appreciate it, and I feel like I’m too plain to really appreciate everything here. I do really like the vibe it gives off. I think that’s my favorite part of the album. The songs don’t have much replayability for me individually, but this is kind of taking me away and making me imagine the above situation on a rainy night and I think this would be perfect to play in certain situations, just not all the time. It really reminds me of Over the Garden Wall. I really like the storytelling. Good vibe/atmosphere, but that’s about it.

Interesting album. Mostly just "spoken word" in the setting of a jazz club. I like it but another one of those albums where I don't know when I would actually sit down and listen from front to back or choose a specific time to pick a song to listen to.

Saturday night better

A failed experiment – an ode to the in-studio live album Mingus made – that's way too flabby, but there's moments of brilliance if you look. The ensemble is fucking great.

Funny ig

It's just fine. But the atmosphere is kinda sick so 3 stars.

this makes me feel sleepy in a good way. I enjoy listening to jazz and I don't often do it. the music is good, the band is killing it. I read that this was intended to feel as if you were in a jazz club, which I think they nailed the vibe. The spoken word in the intros can be tiring but i guess it adds to the jazz club atmosphere. I don't think I'll finish this album but I get the gist.

It's jazz, I guess? Many of the tracks are film noir sketches between lush piano, bass, and drum numbers that highlight Waits' voice which sounds great on this live recording. The lyrics are poetic and very clever. "Purina checkerboard slacks" from Nighthawk Postcards (From Easy Street) recalls the funny parts of Alice's Restaurant but in a much hipper presentation. Evocative stories taking place in the gritty parts of LA. Cars, tough personalities, drugs and booze. This should have been a hip-hop album.

Jazz mientras Waits habla. No me ha hecho mucho. Ni fu ni fa.

Love old Tom Waits stuff.

I will say I liked this Tom Waits album more than the previous one we had. The whole jazz club atmosphere, the feeling you're in there with them. Waits really captured it. His singing was really heartfelt, and I guess not as... "Beefheart-felt." The tracks, well... I have this problem with how albums divide up tracks. This one particularly frustrated me, with the intros to the tracks being separate from the tracks was really... baffling. A lot of live albums also frustrate me in that the song starts on with the first note and not them saying "here's a song about blah blah blah, it's called xyz." That usually is on the end of the previous song. So if you have it on a shuffle of some sort, it's very jarring. And now this one has it so the intros are separate songs?! Ugh. Maybe it sounds like I'm nitpicking, but I just didn't get why so many intros were separate from the songs themselves, unless he was trying to make more tracks. And oh yeah, the "Big Joe and Phantom 309" track... it just annoyed me. Don't know why. It felt a little too beatnik. So yeah, I liked the album much more. Would I buy it? Probably not. The music was a vast improvement to the last one, though. I may pull it up again and listen to it. Maybe. The tracks thing, it just... annoys me.

De stem pakt me altijd weer. Tom Waits is een van de weinige artiesten die ik zeker nog ooit live wil gaan zien, maar ik denk dat hij niet veel meer op zal treden.

Ik ben niet zo'n Waits adept, maar ik vond dit wel heel sfeervol. Alsof je aan de bar zit mee te luisteren.

I've always been fairly neutral on Tom Waits, don't really get him per se. Some white dude doing a Louis Armstrong schtick. I never listen to this one before and similar feelings as other works, I didn't hate and I didn't love it. This album in particular had the feel of a actor performance rather than a musician.

I didn't dislike it, and some parts of it I really liked. I like his voice. And Waits is quite funny! Will possibly listen to it again in the future. But not anytime soon.

Such a distinctive voice. Good mood to this album, bass playing is top notch

I'm really surprised to see this one made the list. Tom Waits has long been one of my favorites, and I do appreciate his early material even though I don't love it as much as his albums from the 1980's and early 1990's. But Nighthawks at the Diner falls in a bit of a no-man's-land among his catalog. Clearly exploring new directions, but the material is emotionally detached in tone - none of the warmth of "Martha" or "Rosie". He hasn't become the chameleon that emerged on Small Change. The intro sections are amusing but feel they come from a different artist, and on the whole the songs feel kind of one-note (almost like someone heard "Step Right Up" and wanted it to be the basis for a whole album). It lacks the depth of heart and the variety of tone that make subsequent albums (event those as uneven as Heartattack and Vine) so compelling and worthy of repeated listens.

I think if I was at a bar having some kind of drink and this was live right in front of me this whole piece would be 6/5. But I'm not at a bar, I'm at my desk doing homework on a Friday night. That being said this album is probably not a very "streamable" type content which was what I'm looking out for so I'm gonna give it a 3.

Hmmm really don't know. could have given a 4 or a 2. Great gravelly voice, but the whole set up with audience laughing at his jokes doesn't work for me.

Funny, good low key jazz and THAT voice! Feels more like a comedy record, but good all the same. I like the poetry and entertaining. wouldn’t choose to listen to much again, but I get the quality.

No está nada mal. La sensación de estar en directo o en el mismo club es perfecta. No sé si se grabó también vídeo por que así sería aún mejor. Recomendable y entretenido pero sin deslumbrar.

needs more gravel

Interesting album. It's not the kind of thing I'd listen to if I'm trying to relax, but it's definitely creative! It's like a musical comedy, which is fun. Entertaining

You see those low-life drunkards having their habits in your favorite bar downtown? Once in a while, you may happen to stumble upon one who is actually interesting, funny, and even surprisingly witty--all in all, a nice guy, if not a *totally* articulate one. With such good company, you can talk about anything without ever feeling any judgemental posture from the other side. Besides, the man is lucid enough to know he's anything but a role model, and he's not one to shy away from his own life mistakes. Which is refreshing. So if you're available, and in the right mood for this, you may elect to have a wild night out with the alcoholic daredevil, having all sorts of mishaps and adventures together as you crawl from one dive to the next. It's quite fun. The thing is, in the morning you probably won't remember much of what transpired the night before--and you might even regret having painted the whole town red, if only for that goddamn hangover you're having to put up with now. Oddly enough, this might not be the case with your new friend. Bump into him a few days later, and he'll remember everything that went down that night with a knowing smile. But the thing is, can you believe the guy? Can you? If *this* was the effect intended by Tom Waits for *Nighthawks At The Diner*, it is an unmitigated success. Recorded in a studio, but with a live audience of friends and acquaintances Waits had invited for the occasion, the album's fundamental conceit nicely sums up its author's main paradox: loose and unhinged and uncensored on the surface, but--if you dig just a little deeper--far more in control than what he first lets on. This release has the *feel* of a genuine live album recorded in a smoky jazz club--with a real audience hooting, clapping and laughing at Waits' wisecracks between the numbers. But to a certain extent, the whole thing is only a simulacrum, the auditory equivalent of a WWF tournament. It's hard to *believe* in it, just as it's hard to believe Waits was *genuinely* drunk during the performance, all actor-studio-level rants and inebriated stammerings aside. And even if Waits *was* under the influence, it's quite easy to tell how every slip of the tongue, every slur, ever mumble, were actually nothing but calculated moves, parts of an overall script Waits had in his head from the get-go. It's a great script, with chunks of it maybe improvised on the spot. But it's a script nonetheless. All of this ties in with general assessments many have made about Waits. According to his unofficial biographer Barney Hoskyns, \"Tom Waits is as much of a character created for his fans as it is a real man\", his \"persona of the skid-row boho/hobo\" being an \"ongoing experiment in performance art\". Admittedly, the line between performance and authenticity might be a little thinner than this somewhat simplistic explanation. Mick Brown, a music journalist from Sounds who interviewed Waits in the mid-1970s, noted that Waits \"had immersed himself in this character to the point where it wasn't an act and had become an identity\". But whatever the case may be, such a fundamental amibiguity is discernible in *Nighthawks At The Diner*. On the double album's first two sides, this trick, this illusion--if indeed there is one--holds up with some great effects overall. It's easy to suspend your disbelief while listening to Waits making an \"Emotional Weather Report\" about his sad mental state (and his appartment's state of disarray, too!). As it's easy enjoying his performance when he narrates a drunken road trip \"On A Foggy Night\". Those early cuts are more spoken than sung, yet the words are so good, the Bukowskian writing so rich and detailed, that it's easy to feel as exhilarated as the audience heard on tape. Funny lines abound, in and between the songs (the rant about masturbation is priceless, and so is the one about the suspicious food found in the nightly LA joints making up the scenery of most of the songs). After those singspeak cuts, \"Eggs And Sausage\" and \"Better Off Without A Wife\" show a slightly different side of Waits, one where he actually *sings*, and his vocals are just perfect, both raucous and melodic. The parts where he skats even prove he could have been just as impressive as a singer performing with a clear voice, even though it's an avenue he never really explored during his career. \"Eggs And Sausages\" is also very endearing as a composition, with its chorus made of the different food orders overheard by the narrator as he sits alone in the titular diner, having passing thoughts about the lover who left him. Of course, all of this--album title included--is a wink to Edward Hopper's painting *Nighthawks*, a wink also obvious in the album's centerpiece \"Nighthawks Postcards (From Easy Street)\", a long hard-bop dirge filled with memorable snippets and wasted bravura moments. The only difference is that the legendary mystery displayed by the painting is here replaced with a sense of ironic burlesque. The whole project is a parody in that sense, too, even without the fake concert affair. Unfortunately, by the second record in the lot, the whole thing blurs into a formless ensemble of less striking cuts, just like those memories of yesterday's wild night that don't make a shred of sense on the next day. The turns of phrase that you thought were so witty on the first songs start to wear a little thin. Waits' puns about the \"cracks of dawn\" shedding some unflattery light on the titular nighthawks are hilarious at first, but when you hear two or three variations of them on side 3 or 4, they becomes a little too familiar--as is the man's weird drunken obsession for \"swizzle sticks\" and \"naugahyde\" covering stools and armchairs. Make no mistake, the writing is still stellar on many moments. But it's hard to decide whether its obfuscating obliqueness on a whole is the result of it having drunkard narrators, or it just being penned by a lazy author who didn't even bother to organize the admittedly beautiful mess in his mind. Likewise, the jazz band behind is a more-than-competent crew. But nothing that they're playing is really standing out. Everything is flattened; piano, saxophone and upright bass solos come and go without leaving much of an impression; and if the groove sounds good, it still remains performative, unoriginal and safe throughout. There's one notable exception when the sax player expertly imitates the sound of a car whizzing by the narrator on a highway at some point. But such moments are too short, too far, and too few. The real last track stands out, though. It's a cover of country singer Tommy Faile's ghost story \"Big Joe And Phantom 309\", the sort of spooky tale drunks will tell to each other at the very end of the night, just as their inebriation has turned them all to easily-swayed children. As such, it's a nice capper for the album, right before Waits gives credits to his musicians over an utimate instrumental piece. Yet as focused as this last effort is, musically and thematically speaking, this track comes too late to make up for all the meandering moments right before it. *Nighthawks At the Diner* remains an interesting listen overall. But as an *essential one*, or as an entry point into Tom Waits' oeuvre, it is probably far from being the most obvious choice. That being said, very few things are *obvious* when it comes to Waits. There are layers over layers in his body of work, and some might look a little too opaque or quizzical for certain listeners. Sometimes, you don't really have a choice deciding who you are going to have fun with at the bar. You take the first tipsy guy or gal standing in front of the counter, and roll with it. [Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 986 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 5 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 6 (including this one, even though chances are that a *different* Tom Waits release will make the final cut) Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (as I think many others are more important): 4]

Tykkäsin levyideasta, täytyy vielä pari kertaa ainakin kuunnella

Jazz is not my go to genre, but I always enjoy it when I listen to it. This record really gives me the feeling that I'm actually sitting in a bar with a cold beer and listening to Tom Waits play his tunes. Good stuff.

7/10

Not bad for what it was, too long though

Interesting raspy spoken word mixed with jazz. It wasn’t particularly my thing but worth a listen.

A warm late evening listen with a glass of scotch. It's primarily spoken word, focusing on Waits's vocals and storytelling to build a cozy jazz club atmosphere. Most of the time his vocals feel a bit uncomfortable to listen to, and other times the jazz feels dull. There tends to be some instruments I like on certain tracks, like the piano in "Putnam Country," but for the most part nothing sticks out as memorable. It's still performed well and I'd be impressed to see it live. I like Waits' jokes, but you kinda have to dedicate your whole hour and a half to listening to all the lyrics to actually get the jokes and full enjoyment, which specializes its function to an album you have to emulate as being a member of the audience, rather than playing it in the background. The jokes land, and everyone plays their part well. Favorite tracks: Eggs and Sausage, Better Off Without a Wife

Feigning to capture the live Tom Waits experience - the rambling tales, the gags, the wordplay, the audience interaction - Nighthawks has beautiful and memorable musical moments - the band are terrific - but the replay value is limited. The jokes may have once been funny the first time but diminish with repeat listening which ultimately renders this album one to skip in favour either of The Heart of Saturday Night which precedes it or Small Change which follows.

Very differrent and I liked the journey of the entire album. No song stuck out to me.

I felt very cool listening to this, like I'm nostalgic for a time and place I've never experienced

At first I wasn't into this very much, but then I started to like it a lot more. The singing bits are so lovely

Not really my cup of tea (too "talkative") but nice overall

It was nice, and definitely created the jazz lounge atmosphere it was going far. Most of the songs weren't too exciting. I did like the speed pickup in "Spare Parts I (A Nocturnal Emission)."

Disco en plan intimista, sin mucha instrumentalización, de un compositor americano, con un estilo tranquilo y reposado, aunque con una voz rota. Canciones un tanto parecidas entre sí. No me ha emocionado especialmente.

A live album. A live comedy album? There is definitely music here, but Waits does not hesitate to play the crowd instead of his guitar (or piano, or whatever). There are several Intro tracks, if that gives any indication of the length of this album. This is due to Waits mostly fucking around. Worth noting that I do not know Waits' music prior to this album, so it's a bit muddled on what's supposed to be a part of the song and what's Waits just fucking around. He does this a lot. His voice and personality lends itself to this though, making it a smooth album for the ears. The instrumentation is pretty good too, with nice blues/jazzy bits with the band. The songs I could leave, but Waits is a naturally-gifted performed. He just take to the stage so naturally. I can see why this live album makes the list, as it exists as a document of pure and simple entertainment at it's finest, but as music it's alright.

És el disc que millor capta el primer Tom Waits. Antiheroi passat d'alcohol però irredentment optimista, envoltat de sons de jazz-blues amb una audiència còmplice que li arropa de forma fantàstica les seves actuacions i les tonades amb la seva inconfundible veu cazallosa. No hi ha temes que sobresurtin, aquí tot és ambientació i reviure el clima d'una nit de copes i bona música a una taverna qualsevol, però impossible d'oblidar

Ни одной песни, который бы я проникся

surprisingly nice for tom waits

Quite unlike any album I've heard before. Loved it. // Favs: — Score: Decent to Strong 3

Long but cool

Kind of like a live jazz lounge comedy act. Very specific. Not bad.

Tom Waits n'a jamais dépassé les trois étoiles, même après ses nombreuses tentatives de retour sous différentes perruques et lunettes de soleil.

What a first selection - a double 'live' album. Not really been drawn to TW and previous listening has been cursory, despite my old school mate Rob talking him up big time. Paying a little more attention here there is some neat word play and comedy. You get used to the voice but it was a stretch here.

I've heard Tom Waits' first couple of 1970s albums, and his highly celebrated 1980s ones - but never checked out Nighthawks. To be honest, I'm not a massive fan of him. This one is interesting, because it was recorded by recreating a live jazz club atmosphere in the studio. As someone who dislikes live albums, I was surprisingly impressed by the results. Maybe it's the way the band plays and Waits acts up, knowing they've got a live audience there - but certainly there's an effortless atmosphere to the whole thing. The music is laid-back, blues-tinged, small-group jazz - good but unremarkable. Waits's vocals are the point of difference. He's a gruff, growling, inebriated, slurring showman. His blues-jazz singing is pretty good. His rambling introductions have a slight charm. He's very indebted to Beat poetry, with his setting to jazz of a bohemian, down-and-out persona, evoking the gritty details of American urban underbelly nightlife. Another 3.5 for me, but I can see why others might love this one.

Ja conhecia esse album. Eh um genero bem diferente do que eu gosto mas tem os seus meritos.

Meh

Good ole Tom. Interesting album better than yesterday’s. Felt like I was listening to an audiobook or comedy skit. Weird guy.

Interesting. Not an album I’ll listen to again on my own, but it wasn’t horrible. Just more like musical standup at a local show, with some nice jazz accompanying it

Brings back memories

Entertaining.

Interesting. Heard of Tom Waits but never gave a listen. Some stuff was funny and good and other stuff I got lost in (in a bad way) overall decent.

Good jazz vibes. Some funny lines in the spoken word stuff.

Interesting

A lot of talking in the introductions of songs. I think you have to be familiar with his sense of humor to appreciate the lyrics

fun performance

I didn’t like it but may have been mild related

It's that first-phase Tom Waits jazz I thing, right? Clever and funny writing but maybe not much depth yet.

Eh. Raspy.

fun live comedy sort of singing

Good old Tom Waits... this is the third album of his in the last couple weeks I think. This one in particular is funny because it's a studio album with a small crowd to simulate the sound of a jazz club. Kinda like Tom Waits faking his signature stylistic voice until it became real. Fascinating figure

If I was at a show like this I would over the moon, but just hearing it on an album doesn't quite get me loving the thing. That said I liked this more as it went on, and I walk away happy that I checked it out.

This album is undeniably strange and undeniably charming. It's split pretty evenly between standup comedy and Wait's crooning, and he excels in both of these tasks. The album is an anachronism, set in an analog world that no longer exists and could never exist in the computer age. The jazz band backing Waits stitches the entire work together. Waits slides evenly between smutty, sweet, and insightful. It's not the type of album that I would normally listen to, but it has a lot of charm and helped me understand much better why people are so fond of Waits. The album is a bit long, though. I don't know that it needed to be a double album. I suppose that it gives more of a nightclub performance feel, but I felt like the album would have finished strong after the end of the first disc. There is some excellent stuff on the second half, though, so I'm not sure what I would cut. The album is an experience that I want to come back to at some point, despite the fact that this style of album is not my particular cup of tea. Great artists know how to make things work.

Classic Jazz, as much music as it is talk show. All driven with a raspy voice that's hard to understand at time, but oh, so, much old school. Not my jam, tho.

Great but dont like Tom Waits

Väldigt jazzigt. Någon typ av fejkad live-spelning inspelad i en studio. Mysigt men långt ifrån hans bästa.

Very whatever. I can understand if the jazz club experience is something you enjoy, but for me it's just a snoozefest

Sometimes I don't know what to make of Tom Waits. Good writer storyteller but the man cannot sing. Live albums are not a good idea for him.

There's a very compelling quality to the storytelling (and sometimes very flowing poetry) of the words. And the jazzy instrumentals. But man, the spoken-word style of the vocals pulls this down a lot for me. And it is much more one-note than Rain Dogs, though in its defense it is somewhat of a concept album.

Still don’t like his voice

I wanted to like it more… but leave the poor singing to Bob Dylan. I would see him live… but only For $10. 2.4

I found this pretty interminable. It was way too long, and even when the jazz was good, he had to tell boring stories over the top of it. The bass player slaps. 3/10 Ho Hum

would I listen again: no I thought this was going to be jazzy and cool but there was lots of laughing of jokes I didn’t get and not a lot of singing. liked the instrumental though

Its just not my genre

I think I preferred Tom Waits when I didn't understand anything he was saying...

Like Charles Bukowski fronting a jazz band in a seedy bar. It's very evocative and lyrically brilliant, but it's never really clicked with me

Some of this is good fun, but not the best TW I have heard so far, 1 or 2 tracks I would go back to

I get pretty fed up with TW pretty quickly TBH, far too pleased with himself, this album just about limps into the bottom of the 2 stars as “Better Off Without A Wife” is a good song, just not one I’ll be listening to again. Tom.

The last 3 times I got a Tom Waits album I rated him low because he is not for me. That being said I at least understood his appeal. Not here. This is a parody (?) concept album where he pretends he's at a fake jazz hall and for the life of me I can't understand the point or why anyone would listen to this. At first I thought this was supposed to be making fun of what was happening which I don't understand why anyone would listen to but from what I can tell, he was serious. So why not just make a real Jazz club album? If that's what I wanted to listen to then I don't want this phony shit. It's just such an odd idea and I don't know why it's like this. 3/10. I don't like it but I thought way more about it then most of the things on this list, and while I still don't like Waits, his voice, or his ramblings the rest of the band understood their job here, so I can't truly hate it.

I usually like Tom Waits but this was not very enjoyable for me.

This is my fourth Tom Waits album, and I have to say it doesn't get better. His vocals are just annoying, and this album especially just feels like he's trying out being a comedian. It felt like I was listening to someone ramble more than music, I think this could have been left out of the book.

Feel that you need to be in a smoky club at 2am to give this a decent review

This might be the dumbest thing I've ever listened to.

Odd. Good listen once but that’s it

Its not you, its me..... 1. Jazz playing in the background, I hate jazz. 2. Jokes about l.a. that just went over my head. 3. Songs about l.a. street life that just don't relate. Tom, it was a blast, but I don't think we should see each other anymore, and Tom, its not you, its me.

Just can't get past his gravelly voice...

I think I wasn't in the right mood for this.

Iconic voice, great background music. But this was more story time than concert

Cringy af.

Y’know, given that prior to this, I’d only ever listened to Waits’ post-Swordfishtrombone experimental stuff, I just assumed he had put on /the voice/ to sound more mysterious and creepy. Evidently, I was wrong. This is a pretty straightforward vocal acoustic-jazz record, and yet he still sounds like that. Ya learn something new everyday, I suppose.

Jazz en vivo, con perfo y todo. Muy agradable al oído, sentía que estaba ahí en el club con el viejardo cantándome. No lo terminé, escuché un rato.

Bro clear your throat. Stars for the jazz instrumentals only.

I believe this is my last Waits album, and it was the most tolerable of them all. That being said, it is still too much of a rambling and nearly incoherent mess for me. Overall I definitely don't see the appeal. 2.5/5 Won't listen again

Shut up and sing, Tom.

There is no way that's his natural voice/accent. Stop pretending to be black. Rambling jazzy nonsense. Depressing that the jazz part was the best bit. Not a good sign when you check 3 times to see how close to the end of the album I was.