Bone Machine

To the esteemed Princeton University Admissions Committee, Thank you, in advance, for taking the time to review my admissions essay. Becoming a student at Princeton would fulfill a life long dream and I am honored to be able to apply. It’s certainly uncommon for someone of my age, with an established career, to be applying for collage into their 40’s, but I believe I am uniquely qualified to attend your university and after regaling you with this true story, I think you’ll agree: Several years ago, while shopping for records at the nearby Princeton Record Exchange, I was asked by a student from your University (easily identifiable because of his Princeton University hooded sweatshirt, backwards ball cap and worn out Sperry’s), if I knew “where they keep the Tom Waits records.” “I checked the ‘T’ section….nothing there,” he added. “Try the ‘W’ section,” I suggested to him. “They sort artists by last name.” “Oh, wow”, he sighed, with a sense of overwhelmed exasperation. “I wouldn’t have thought of that”, he said, making his way to the W section, where a likely treasure trove of Tom Waits on wax awaited him. As he searched through the W section and I continued my crate digging, a sense of pride washed over me: “Holy fuck,” I thought. “I could have got into Princeton.” Hence, my reasoning for writing this essay. As I wrote earlier, I think my qualification for admittance into your fine school speaks for itself. I have a solid grasp on alphabetical sorting and categorization and a keen ability to help others solve their problems in a quick and efficient manner. Plus, I’m not half-bad at math. I look forward to my inevitable acceptance to your school and hope to provide forward thinking leadership amongst the students. Thank you once again for taking the time to review my application for admission. Go Tigers!

This is my 3rd Tom waits album on this list and I have accepted by now that I will never understand it. I like a lot of music that can be dissonant, weird, borderline unprofessional, out of tune, not on beat, etc. But Tom Waits is always part mediocre folk and part garbage noises with this weird muppet sounding dude trying to sing over it, but failing because he misread the label and started swallowing chewing tobacco I can't

my dude needs a throat lozenge and some bed rest.

Tom Waits is nothing if not authentic, a veritable machine of authenticity right down to the bone. He lives, bleeds, drinks, sings, howls… and one day will die… authentically. Not necessarily pretty or polite. But bona fide. And I’ll take a real ‘sinner’ any day over an artificial ‘saint.’ Billy Joel was wrong, incidentally, about the sinners having much more fun. It’s not that they don’t sometimes experience pleasurable things (one of the reasons people self-medicate with alcohol and drugs is partly due to how good it feels, at least until it don’t no more), but the sinners that populate 'Bone Machine' (and every other Waits’ album I can think of) are more often than not wounded and suffering from life situations. Jesus tells my favorite story from his collection about two brothers, the younger of which could easily be counted among the many outcast, unclean characters Waits writes about. The older is morally perfect; except for his feeling of entitlement, as if he has earned and deserves his father’s blessing. The younger screws it all up, suffers the consequences of his actions, then becomes very self-aware and goes back home seeking forgiveness, of which his father, thankfully, is only too happy and eager to give. One of the many take-a-ways in this story is that those who pursue meritocracy in their relationship with the Creator and the Creator’s creation, sadly, may never know the joy of grace. Waits’ characters may be dissolute, but they are also in a perfect position to be the joyful, grateful recipients of grace. Would you rather be inside the house in Jesus’ story, a symbol of heaven, with all the other happy partying forgiven sinners, or outside by your own refusal because you feel as if you've earned an invitation while the rest of the losers have not? Furthermore, if you refuse to participate in heaven, standing outside, then where exactly do you find yourself? Another way to say this is to ask the question: are you giving more power to the sin that closes doors or the Father’s grace which opens them? Your free choice. I only bring the Bible into this because Waits does too. Like Dylan, his songs are infused with scripture. Real scripture, real people, real God, real songs. Very different from the Amy Grant ‘Jesus is my boyfriend’ kind of religious songs (no disrespect intended to Grant, nor am I suggesting that she’s not authentic, too.) It’s just that I much more identify with Waits’ creations- drunks and whores and people contemplating homicide or suicide. Demons, too, perhaps the devil himself. (Good Lord, didn’t the hair on my arms stand straight up when Waits sings in ‘Black Wings’ that ‘… he has risen,’ but rather than the crucified One it’s the one doing the crucifying.) Tom concludes that chilling number with, ‘One look in his eye, everyone denies ever having met him,’ and then whispers that several times to fade out. Brr… Or, the hellish ‘In the Colosseum,’ where ‘we call ‘em as we see ‘em,’ or the ‘Murder in the Red Barn,’ that goes unprosecuted, or worse, unknown at all, or the deceptively playful ‘I Don’t Wanna Grow Up,’ also covered by the playful Ramones, except when Waits sings it is loses any seeming playful innocence of youth and sounds as if the youth is a victim of abuse. I happen to find the crazy, clunky music and Waits’ gravely, booze and cigarette vocals rather enjoyable; but, then I also like that kind of stuff. I’m sure a lot more probably will argue that he makes Joe Cocker, by comparison, sound like Tony Bennett, but that’s ok. Music is pretty subjective to begin with, to a certain extent. You like what you like. I like anchovies and green olives on my pizza, so there. Waits can play a gorgeously melancholy piano, keys soaked in booze, and then turn around and strum a filthy, dirty guitar that probably sends forth a plume of dust when it’s set to rest in its case. Wonderful pedal steel from David Williams to accompany those piano songs. And wherever Keith Richards pops in (on the final song, written by Waits for him) can Waddy Wachtel be far behind? Les Claypool and Brain, from Primus, ‘nuff said. David Hildalgo from Los Lobos coaxes a coyote out of the violin on ‘Whistle Down the Wind.’ But the predominate sounds on this intrepid LP are all the percussion, many of which Waits plays, and I’m not talking about just drums, but an interesting variety of other things, including one Waits invented himself that he names the ‘conundrum,’ a metal instrument ‘with a lot of things hanging off it that I’ve found- metal objects- and I like playing it with a hammer.’ That said, the real draw on 'Bone Machine' is not the music, but the lyrics. And I’m not about to begin quoting them all. I simply can’t. There’s too much. He creates little worlds within each and every song, mini-novels. I know of almost no other artist who does this as/so well, save Bob Dylan. It’s an outstanding gift- God blessed, not earned- despite the pitiable inability, perhaps unwillingness, of the so-called morally upr(t)ight to look beyond his red-rimmed eyes and down into the man’s heart. By the by, that story I referenced before, from Jesus’ discography, was told as a direct cause of the religious professionals in his day grumbling about his keeping company with the kinds of folks Waits witnesses in his songs. Waits’ criminals and outcasts are treated by Jesus as friends. The religious professionals have rendered themselves criminals and outcasts to God, and not by God’s choice, but by their choice. While googling the lyrics to assist with my listening to 'Bone Machine' I ran across this little anecdote from a fan: ‘I saw this homeless guy singing a couple of summers ago. I told him he sounded just like Tom Waits. He said, ‘That’s because I am!’ I couldn’t argue with him about that.’ You can argue with me about the merits of this LP, but not it’s grace. You just can’t. You really can’t. Please don’t even try, for Jesus’ sake.

This album feels like a Key and Peele sketch. Tom Waits (played by Peele) walks into the recording studio and talks to the recording manager (played by Key) Manager: Come on it. Were glad to have you here. The band is all warmed up and were ready to go. Tom Waits (speaking in a normal voice): Sounds great. Let's get started. Tom begins singing like he's being tortured during the Spanish Inquisition and is quickly interrupted by the manager. Manager: Ok..... that was great, but why don't we try it again with your normal voice. Tom (normal voice): Not a problem. I love the feedback. Lets try again. Tom sings in a high falsetto this time. Manager: Stop! Let's try that again. Remember, we're paying the piano and saxophone player by the hour here. Tom (normal voice): I completely understand. Tom turns around and fires half the band leaving only the drums. Manager sighs and looks down. Tom begins singing like McGruff the Crime Dog on crack. Manager: Fuck it. We recorded the band warming up earlier. We can just fill in the rest of the album with that and some background chatter.

When he's good he's great but when he is bad he is fucking terrible. This album has a lot more good than bad though.

This is probably my favorite Tom Waits album. I don't know if I heard this or "The Black Rider" first, but I remember listening to WAIF, a sort of public access radio station at the lowest end of the FM dial, when I was about 13 or 14 years old, and recording onto cassette anything that caught my ear in the night. Tom Waits certainly did. I then tried to get my hands on an album of his and went out and got a copy of "Nighthawks At The Diner." I was sort of confused by it though. It sounded like two completely different artists. I appreciated both modes, but definitely preferred his more experimental material. Nothing sounds quite like his unique cocktail of influences once he hit his creative breakthrough in the 80s with "Swordfishtrombones." His music ages well too because he largely eschewed the recording trends of the time, and pursued something much more timeless. He never quite fit in anyways, so when he really started embracing his inner madman, he stuck out so much it was sort of astonishing. One of the most amazing mid-career reinventions since Dylan went electric. Waits is certainly a polarizing musical figure, and I understand why his sound doesn't sit well with many, if not most, but I've had nothing but admiration for him ever since he had me spellbound over the radio that night all those years ago. Above all I'm drawn to his focus on texture and atmosphere. Whether you enjoy it or not, he has one of the most instantly recognizable sounds in music. A genre of his own. It must have been a difficult road being such an iconoclast, bucking trends, and simply being himself in the face of showbiz, but I'm glad he took the journey.

I don't wanna grow up

Like nothing I've heard before (only Electro-Shock Blues by Eels comes close, which I'd guess this influenced). A dark and demonic quality created by it being rhythm and percussion led, which is evocative of ungulate creatures. The latter parts of the album has more instrumentation with actual notes, which seems to imply a journey - I'm imagining someone arriving in hell and growing to accept their lot over time. I like this a lot. Dark but not depressing. Unique, evocative, interesting. 4.5/5

Third Waits album of this gig, taking my total up to five. Might not be my favourite overall but on first blush contains his most eviscerating vocals. Sounds like he's singing half these songs after being shanked in the guts, his voice forcing its way through the blood rising in his throat. Pretty gruesome, and perfect for his grotesques, as is the lost and found instrumentation. He probably did stuff just as weird before this, but true to his reputation (with me) of getting better in his mid to late career, he's found a way to assemble his spare parts into a functioning vehicle rather than a rattling heap. Hence Bone Machine, not Heap of Bones.

Torn between 3 and 4, as there are some shit songs in there, but the good ones are so effing good...

Waits starts off with the screeching and the junkyard percussion and you can’t imagine a whole album of this- but then he sings a love song of such exquisite beauty and tenderness it knocks your socks off. Nobody makes music like Tom Waits. A unique artist.

I remember seeing the album cover back in the 90's (definitely a memorable cover) but I never listened to this. Some wild stuff in here, lots of weird noises and fun (sometimes funny, though I can't tell if that's on purpose) singing and playing, and a lot of interesting things going on. Each track seems to stand on its own stylistically. I have heard other Tom Waits music (I love the album "Closing Time") and whenever I've seen him in a movie, if a scene includes him I always know it's going to be good. I don't know much about him, and I have a feeling I should. Glad I heard this.

There has never been a more apt album title. The music is indeed stripped down to its bones. Tom sings his existential angst over percussion that sounds like it's just Tom Waits banging on shit with whatever he can find (because it is). It's all so very Tom Waits, and so very 90s (check out that album cover, complete with font that looks like a cross between the espn2 logo and anything produced by Tim Burton), and it works. Best track: That Feel

1 < x < 1.5, cant understand why its on the list at all

First album that I'm not looking forward to hearing. I'll give it a crack. Despite knowing precisely zero about this album or Tom Waits in general, it turns out that my apprehension was entirely justified. This is a falsetto cacophony of meritless free form jazz leading to bad blues. I'm pretty sure that for "Who are you this time" he was singing with his eyes closed because the music is just so damn moving. Can this pish end soon please?

5/5. Wild how this is not only a super uncomfortable record but so strangely beautiful at the same time. Each song is so minimal in instrumentation but feels so different, less is more and Tom knows how to use each instrument to its fullest potential. I feel passion and sincerity in some songs, and then the next I am listening to a serial killer, also sincere unfortunately. Awesome album, just really unique and well-written.

Had this album on tape when it got released before buying a cd copy at some point. One of these albums that is hard to listen to in heavy rotation, but obviously very high quality and very listenable. Not the same impact as Franks Wild Years but clearly 5*.

I don't listen to this one as often as other Waits albums, parts of it are a challenging listen for sure and it requires your full attention. That being said, the percussive nature of the more challenging tracks pull me in, Goin' Out West is a monster groove. And songs like Who Are You and Jesus Gonna Be Here keep me coming back. 5/5

Did not know tis one that well. but thoroughly enjoyed it, Black as the night,, music and lyrics. My favourite song is Black Wings". Give me lyrics like "I can't stay here and I'm scared to leave." and I'm happy. 4 stars only because compared to albums I know better, Swordfishtrombone, Raindogs and Franks Wild Years music was bit less varied.

No, Tom's voice isn't pretty, but it works okay, and he's a good singer. If his voice was what people considered traditionally pretty, some (most? all?) of these songs wouldn't work as well. I feel like this is one of many 3.5 star albums, but Tom is a 4 star artist, and this is one of his best albums, so I'll round up.

The sounds of a nightmare. The songs here have been stripped down to their bare bones leaving only gristle left. You'll either love or hate this. I personally love it. Best Tracks: Goin' Out West; Murder in the Red Barn; I Don't Want to Grow Up

For fans of: gritty seaside shanty towns, smoking two packs a day, xylophones made from bones, drinking alone, backyard percussion with rusty tools, apocalyptic gospel hymns, etc.

Strange dude. It's like an album recorded in a dungeon, with the skeletons keeping rhythm and Tom is in the corner growling about craziness. Percussion stuff was interesting. Quite a singular record, though not something I'll probably listen to again.

I imagine if Roz from Monsters Inc. was the lead singer of a band this is what their music would sound like. Such a Scream and Goin’ Out West are jams. The Ocean Doesn’t Want Me is creepy. I wouldn’t mind having a couple songs from this album come up on a shuffle of my entire library but I won’t be seeking out this album on its own. That being said, it still wasn’t a struggle to get through it.

1/5

It's good when music evokes feelings—positive or negative—but when it makes you want to turn it off, what's the point of listening? That's basically this album in a nutshell for me. I kind of understand what the artist was going for there, but I could not get past those awful vocals. Whenever I was beginning to enjoy the melody or instrumentation, he opened his mouth and ruined it. It's a pity too, 'cause I really liked most of the songwriting on this album. The ideas were great, but the execution... not so much. I'm sorry, but I'd never willingly put myself through listening to this man's voice ever again. I get it, it's art, blah blah blah... but I'm listening to music for fun too, and where was the fun in this sh*t? I want to be objective and base my rating on every aspect of this album, but when the singing ruins everything else, what should my score be?

1/5 nope, sorry Tom, but no

Ah man, yet another entry in the weird, wild catalog of Tom Waits. Why does this guy get this much shine? Obviously he's unique, but he's the kind of unique you understand in one album, not five. Again, just...decidedly not for me. Waits is really quirky, and while I respect that, it's a flavor of quirk that I'm just not into. I hope this is the last we get from him, it's getting tiresome. Favorite tracks: In the Colosseum. Album art: Really cool cover, a shot of Tom screaming to oblivion with devil horns and glowing eyes. This is how Alex and I look when we wake up to find another Tom Waits album on the list. 1.5/5

It is a weird album and I did not care for it. I don't know this album is on the list or why people like Tom Waits. The album is better than a one but not really a two. A couple of songs were alright but Waits cannot sing. I am going to round down to a one but it is better than some of the other ones.

Mad as a box of frogs, and about as much fun

Tom Waits' Bone Machine is something I would never consider putting on. Every track is too bleak, morbid, and Tom's grating voice makes for a very annoying listening experience. 1/5.

simultaneously insanely freaky and one of tom waits’s most vulnerable albums

Janky and gnarly, it's easily identifiable. This was one of my favorite albums when I first moved out from home and got to hear different music.

I know that gravely voice anywhere. Always unique and raw!

Dark... Scary... But, fantastic

tom waits is such an interesting case throughout this journey in music this year alone. he's one of my past coworkers favorite musicians, and i've always found it interesting dabbling into his work. this album, which debuted after a small hiatus on regularly releasing albums is from another world, with many of these tracks sounding like they're from the pits of hell itself. it's a heavy listen. grim and grimy, this album is much more innovative and peculiar compared to his typical jazzy, bluesy rock music, dealing with issues of mortality, absurdity and and deep thoughts. i like his songwriting, but his instrumentation is a little out there.

Probably Tom Waits' artistic masterpiece - it's been a while since I've sifted through his discography but 'Bone Machine' has always stood out to me as his experimental magnum opus. At its dirtiest, it's the harshest he's ever sounded, significantly less accessible than say 'Rain Dogs'. The production at times is filthy, tribal, and non-sensical, fitting the album title 'Bone Machine' quite well. The "bone" part, I'd say, fits the more skeletal-sounding moments here, like on the unpredictable percussive barrages of 'Such A Scream' or the overblown metallic clanging of "In The Colosseum" - a song melodically driven by a sole low-mixed double-bass line. The "Machine" part plays into this album's industrial tendencies, like with the almost dark-ambient-sounding 'The Ocean Doesn't Want Me'. But that's only half of the story, like many of Waits' previous works, you still have these gorgeous ballads that break up the at-times exhaustingly oppressive production with songs like the twinkling arpeggiated-guitar driven 'Who Are You', the steel-pedal kissed dreary piano-ballad 'A Little Rain', and the warm horn-driven 'Dirt In The Ground'. Some upbeat bangers here as well - 'Goin' Out West' did not need to go this hard and 'Black Wings' might have the best guitar work on the entire album. I'm not going to talk about Tom Waits' vocals because it's not something that needs not be talked about - it makes its brilliance known almost immediately. And like on many of his records, it sort of takes on many different forms. 'The Earth Died Screaming' alone shows both of Tom's "extremes" with the dirty blues affectation in the verses, and the howling and slurred cries in the chorus. One thing's for certain though, no matter what direction he goes in vocally, you can rest assured knowing that this growly, smoky, "Are you holding in a cough?" vocal delivery is going to be there. It's the mark of Tom Waits' music, NOBODY sounds like him. Lyrically, this one's a masterwork. Right off the bat, you get two relatively pessimistic songs, featuring the oh-so-gleeful topics of apocalypse and morality. The twisted narratives of 'Black Wings' and 'Murder In The Red Barn' sort of reinforce this album's morbid themes, and they're so beautifully contrasted by 'Whistle Down the Wind' which has similar messaging, following a man at the end of his life, but it presents itself more peacefully. While 'Whistle Down the Wind' deals with acceptance, the following (incredibly catchy) folksy 'I Don't Wanna Grow Up' almost goes in the opposite direction - sounding like a man realizing the horrors of life's mundanity as an adult and going crazy. The back-and-forth between easily digestible, and harsh sounds is the main attraction here. Regardless of which clump of songs you may prefer, the constant change-ups make for a perfectly balanced listen, one where you don't feel like you're hearing the same thing over and over again. A kickass album with so many kickass moments, there is just no one like Tom Waits.

I dig this weird and wonderful record

This was the album that got me into Tom Waits, and he subsequently became one of my all time favorite artists. There's truly nothing else like his style of music, and this album captures his unconventional, raw, experimental, yet even at times beautiful, creativity in its fullest. A masterpiece in my eyes.

Greatest scene setter in music

What can I say- one of my favourite Tom Waits albums. I still remember discovering this in the 90s - it felt strange, harsh, and beautiful all at the same time. Just listen to Going Out West. I remember downloading the mp3 of Dirt in the Ground on my parents computer on their dial up internet and listening to this on repeat for days. The ultimate memento mori. So beautiful and sad and urgent. I also love ‘A little rain’ and ‘who are you’ - both are incredible songwriting. As I get older, ‘I don’t wanna grow up’ hits so hard. When I’m in my car by myself I sing this at the top of my lungs and I always find it difficult to get through without getting a lump in my throat. How do you move in a word of fog that’s always changing things? The only thing to live for is today.

The incredible run of Swordfishtrombones, Rain Dogs, and Frank’s Wild Years solidified Waits’ shift from a jazz-inspired singer-songwriter to an avant garde genre-bending freak. Bone Machine is his first album for five years after that landmark trilogy and he kept that momentum going and then some. It’s his darkest record and sheds the extravagant cabaret he sometimes dabbled in for a more straightforward blues sound, featuring some of his grittiest stompers and most heart wrenching ballads, and probably his most strained and haunted vocals which is sure saying something. He raves and rants and croons about growing old and religion and murder over janky guitars, out of tune pianos, and guys beating the shit out of some metal. The whole thing sounds like it was recorded in an abandoned shack in the middle of the woods and I just love it

It is a masterpiece! I like it.

i recently watched the original creature from the black lagoon, and i imagine this is the type of music he would make

A 5 star album

Easy 5 stars !

Here we have another album returning from my tier list project with Bone Machine. I have a friend who is a huge fan of Tom Waits and with an album like this, i can absolutely see why. Tom Waits has one of the most unique and original styles of music and singing that i have ever heard and this album truly brings it all out. The songs could go from a haunting show with some crazy instrumentation to a somber and mellow piano ballad which can really move you. Tom also really knew how to adjust his voice to each and every style and made it fit very well with every song. This is truly one of the greatest albums i have done for this project. Best Song: Goin' Out West Worst Song: A Little Rain

big call here after just one listen but i think this is fantastic. chilling, heavy, melancholy, aching and beautiful.

The junkyard instruments work perfectly with the junkyard voice. The ballads (Who Are You, A Little Rain, Whistle Down the Wind) are heart-wrenching because of that voice.

Dan, I was just saying the other day how when I was a kid I used to throw a blanket over my head and dance around the living room to "The Earth Died Screaming." I thought it was such a weird, spooky song. I think I was originally making fun of how strange it sounded and how crazy it was that my dad actually liked this music. But there's something about that rhythm and that bluesy melody. It's powerful. It's a good example of the magic in a lot of Tom Waits songs: they sound strange and foreign at first but once you realize what an incredible songwriter he is, you hear the beauty and pain and humor in his music. "Dirt in the Ground" is a stunning song. Gut-wrenching and beautiful. "All Stripped Down" is such a jam. There’s a bunch of unconventionally rocking songs on this album. "In the Colosseum" is another catchy one and "Goin' Out West" oozes swagger. "Who Are You" has a lot of great lines but that opening line is incredible: "They're lining up to mad dog your tilt-a-whirl." And of course "I Don’t Wanna Grow Up" is a classic in my books. Such a true, real feeling that we all know. In a way, I think I’ll always be a kid and this song reminds me of that.

Another teetering between a 4 and 5. This is the best blend of Tom Waits in many ways — the weird careening compositions, the stark strange arrangements, the mood of despair and danger, the generally avant-garde approach to art and music... it's all here. So I guess I just wrote my way into a 5-star. I mean, what else do you want from the guy? I suppose I'm hesitant only because an album like this requires a lot from the listener, and its bleak eeriness also requires a certain mood — otherwise this could be a chore. But good art can be challenging, and I think that's what we've got here.

I see greatness here. Such imagery. A dirty floor of an album: people walking over life not seeing what is under their feet. Rainbows in puddles. Moonlight creating shafts of light in an abandoned coal mine: light getting in through the dark and finding hidden depths that were once used to keep us warm. A weird tree in a desert, with jangled notes for leaves. A shady spot with its own cloud. Are you still jumping out of windows in expensive clothes? I love this.

This is a top 10 album.

The more I'm exposed to Tom Waits, the more I love him. Part of me completely understands why so many people dislike him. These aren't exactly accessible, radio-friendly pop songs that you put on for a nice dinner party. But another part of me thinks you're all crazy for not loving this raw, humorous, genuis mess of a person. Waits is a rare combination of vivid poetry, rough authenticity, and experimental musicology. His use of unusual instruments add to the feeling of being in the shadows of polite society. 'Bone Machine' leans heavy on percussion and was recorded in an echoy boiler room, to further cut into the listener and remind them of death and decay. Ok, fair enough, it really isn't for everyone. The two more stand out songs 'Goin' Out West' and 'I Don't Wanna Grow Up' are equally memorable but completely different. Such a great album.

spectacular. Tom Waits sounds like Louis Armstrong went to hell and learned the blues from Robert Johnson. he brings this cold and moody album to life. in every technical aspect this album excels too, the production choices are kind of insane sometimes but they all work perfectly. everything is so minimal but completely fills the soundscape. this album goes above and beyond in every way i can think of. 5/5

True classic. Jesus gonna be here 6 stars

Great album. One I have heard, and would put on any list. From the growling tones, to the remarkable lyrics, this is amazing.

BL: After listening to "Nighthawks at the Diner" which was my first proper Waits LP i'd listened to the whole way through, I was eager to hear more. Thus the generator has presented me with another offering. This one often regarded as his best, or atleast most notable one, so we will see if its rightly famous, or infamous. AL: I was originally going to write that this was not as strong as NHATD, but then I considered that these two records are not at all comparable. While that captures the discontentment of the working class in America, and the angers spoken in blue collar art and poetry this focuses on something much more harrowing. Concerned with themes of death and the nihilism that comes with pondering such sober thoughts - this captures a feel seen more in the likes of Jason Molina's works. This lives and breathes the discontentment of the rust belt, where nothing ever really lives - and humans are bone machines to their masters until they wilt away and return to the dust they came from. This is absolutely amazing and almost certainly a definitive album of a time in which rock music was oversaturated with RHCP and Grunge. FT: "The Earth Died Screaming", "Dirt in the Ground", "A Little Rain", "Goin' Out West", "Whistle Down The Wind", "That Feel" 5/5

sbam

Descriptions for these songs are like bowery blues, acid torch songs, music from the depths of tortured souls. Such quirky wonderful compositions and sounds. Favorites are Earth Died Screaming, Who Are you, Goin' Out West, Black Wings, Whistle Down the Wind, and That Feel.

This album is a beautiful meandering masterpiece.

Very fresh

Typical weird Waits combination of hotseknots and ballads that somehow works perfectly well.

👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻

I've acquired the taste for Tom Waits long ago after seeing him live in Columbus, OH. Must've been 15 or more years ago now. Still one of the best shows I've ever seen and we were in the nosebleeds. Bone Machine isn't one of his albums that I'm super familiar with. It doesn't feel like it will topple my favorite (Swordfishtrombones), but it has all of the elements of later-career Waits. That snarly voice, the non-traditional instruments, old-timey yet industrial, whimsical yet dark. There's no way I'd ever rank any of his albums lower than a 4.5.

Fantastic. The song writing is unconventional and even avant garde at times, but it never loses me as a listener. Some songs are dark and grimey (The Earth Died Screaming , In the Colosseum) where others are blusey, soulful and thought provoking (A Little Rain , Whistle Down the Wind). I really love how he plays with his voice to make a unique and interesting sound. He plays with genres, especially old genres but never jumps away from a cohesive album sound. The album sounds like walking into a 1890s Vaudeville show in Los Angeles and getting the full range of weirdness and blues. Its entertaining and also makes you feel everything.

What is this movie that plays behind his eyes? This is a lot fun. He created such a rich atmosphere, filled with curious characters. Tom Waits is just very unique, an acquired taste. I’m glad to have finally gotten there. His music is so so good.

tom 4eva

literally as if I have a choice

I freaking loved this album.

One of my favorite albums of all time!

Lyrically delightful. Not quite the Tom Waits sound I know from "Blood Money" and other later stuff, but good enough that I'll give it 5 stars. He's done stuff that I like even better, but on the scale of this listening project? Definitely one of the best.

i love it. the production is weird and deranged and squeaky and sets such an atmosphere. I can feel dust, rain, darkness, this sort of silence and the moonlight. It's haunted and beautiful. Tom Wait's voice is gravelly and rough and perfectly complimented by the writing and the production. There are songs here about depression, earth's demise, life and growing up, murder and so much more. It's so good. My personal favs are earth died screaming, dirt in the ground, i don't want to grow up, that feel, the ocean doesn't want me, a little rain. It's great and i reckon it'll just grow on me with more listens. It's a strong 4 to a 5.

If you haven't heard Tom Waits before, this might be a tough listen. It took me a few tries over a few years to soften to this sound but once you settle into its uneasiness you can get lost in the world he creates. If you're curious but not sold, try Rain Dogs and come back. 4.5/5 well actually 4.6/5 so I can round up. You probably won't listen on repeat but definitely worth a listen, (and come back periodically to re-visit) it's worth the effort.)

Love this album. Loved it before, still love it. I especially love A Little Rain (for Clyde), but all the songs are great. 4.5/5

weird and wonderful and Waits-y. 5 stars.

Let’s start with the obvious - Tom Waits does not have what anyone would consider to be a pleasant singing voice. That said, I love his music. It has such a unique and intriguing sound and never fails to draw me in. The Earth Died Screaming was such a great song to open this album with. The Ocean was like a beat poet’s fever dream and strangely beautiful. Really vibed to In the Coliseum and Goin’ Out West. This was a great album. Clear 5 for me

Første gang jeg har hørt et fuldt Tom Waits album. Har en fornemmelse af at det var en god en at starte med! En af de bedste jeg endnu har hørt fra denne liste

Lyder som om det er skrevet og produceret i et andet univers. Der er intet der lyder som Tom Waits. Av av av hvor er det nice

From the howling monstrosity pictured on the cover to the haunted and twisted songs lurking within, “Bone Machine” is an unhinged record of beautiful, terrifying chaos. Released in 1992, it’s the culmination of the direction Waits began moving in from 1983’s “Swordfishtrombones”, inspired by his wife and writing partner Kathleen Brennan. The natural conclusion of this journey? The death rattle of the end of the world. Here’s how to pitch it: open with a cacophonous bluesy track named “The Earth Died Screaming”. Follow it up with a funereal musing on how everyone and everything you love will end up as “Dirt in the Ground”. And then spend the rest of the album switching between terror and tenderness on a dime. Perfect. Waits and Brennan’s production is muddy and earthy: vocals are a distant howl, grunt, snarl or moan and the instrumentation is more chaotic and homespun than ever. Theres a whole junkyard of percussion here: listen to how it bristles against each other in “Such a Scream”, creates a living slaughterhouse in “In The Colosseum”, or adds to the sheer menace and magic of “Goin’ Out West”. These tracks are cluttered and crowded, but feel so lived in with such distinct characters: it’s impossible not to be swept away. But my favourite aspect of “Bone Machine” is the bruised, barely beating heart beneath all of those bones. From the very beginning of his career, Waits has done aching and yearning ballads like nobody else, and this record has some of his very best. “Who Are You” is a downtrodden ode to a tortured relationship. “Whistle Down the Wind” personifies terminal weariness, a soul consigned to roaming purgatory in his tiny corner of earth. And “A Little Rain” is absolutely beautiful, with one of the most gut-wrenching gear shifts I’ve ever heard in its final verse: “she was fifteen years old, and she’d never seen the ocean; she climbed into a van with a vagabond; and the last thing she said was ‘I love you, Mom’; and a little rain never hurt no one.” I’m tearing up just typing it out: incredibly powerful storytelling. The two very best tracks, though, come right towards the end, summing up each of these distinct approaches. “I Don’t Wanna Grow Up” is a clattery, defiant ode to youth and stubbornness: surprisingly catchy and all the more poignant for being delivered by a gravelly 43-year-old. It also has the rare distinction of being covered by both the Ramones and Scarlett Johansson. Finally, “That Feel” ropes in Waits’ old collaborator Keith Richards for a sentimental, barroom style singalong. After the ordeal of the earlier tracks, it feels uplifting, life-affirming even. The day breaks and another sun rises, and Mr. Waits goes home to take some very strong cough medicine. A superb album.

love this guy's voice and his songs are awesome!

Seems not everyone is able to appreciate Tom Waits, and that's fair enough and not unexpected. I'll just count my blessings of what I get from this lovely album. Equally sinister and gentle, the lyrics are fabulous as usual, and it contains both I don't Wanna Grow Up and That Feel, two of his loveliest ever songs. All drenched in dirt. Other highlights for me, Dirt in the Ground, and the almost beat poem, The Ocean Doesn't Want Me.

Really fucking good

This is the Waits era I feel most at home with. I'm glad I have better understanding of his earlier catalogue now; but his grittier stuff here is what made me fall in love with him.

A darker and gritter Tom than usual, and I love it of course.

5 stars

The man knows how to make a racket.

Tom Waits is one of the most consistent songwriters I know, and one of the only ones whose joy in playing in the art is communicated through his output. Even if the lyrics are dour, there's an ineffable quality that says, "I love this medium, and this is my playground." When I want to connect with that concept of joy, I pop on some Waits.

He growls! He croons! He funks! Roll up! Roll up! One night only folks!

if a junkyard got hold of the karaoke mic

This was not actually my introduction to Tom Waits. I first heard Closing Time which is what I like to call his "piano player in a smoky bar at midnight" stuff. But Bone Machine was a huge eye opener. I always enjoy pulling this out out to listen to.

What a voice! And what great songs too. He's like a much better Bob Dylan, with Springsteen energy and Leadbelly vocals. I loved it!

I used to have this album on my iPod and listened to it at uni . It makes me feel any to smoke cigarettes and drink red wine from a paper bag . Was so good I listened to it twice.

On Bone Machine Tom Waits lets go of everything and is no longer limited by anything. This results in an intense album with primary music. Rhythms that sound like they're making use of anything that can be hit on. Strange vocals between screeching, growling and just singing. But it's also a beautiful album, although you have to put in a little bit of effort for it. This, to me, is one of the best records of all time. A sample card. Moving (Whistle down the Wind), Romantic Dark (Black Wings) Existential (Dirt in the Ground), even poppy sometimes (I don't wanna grow up). And all on bordering between genius and madness. Dark but not depressing. A masterpiece.

Always has been my favorite Waits album. Not a dud on here.

In het begin vond ik de stem wel een beetje te veel maar uiteindelijk sloeg ik toch om voor de mooie en bijzondere nummers. Kan ook niet anders als een Bob Dylan en Leonard Cohen fan

Tom Waits only makes great music. Print it.

Tom Waits is a living legend and this album is one of many testaments to that fact. 10/10

I pity the person whose first interaction with Tom Waits is Bone Machine. It is abrasive and challenging, and if you're not in the right mindset to process that it will bounce right off. But if you are receptive to this sound (and conditioned by some of Waits's other albums like Rain Dogs, Swordfishtrombones and Mule Variations) you'll find a harrowing beauty in it