Reviews (page 4 of 8)
I want to like this more; I guess I'm just not that cool.
I think quite unlike the last Tom Waits album, the production is fully embracing his vocal style to create the full atmosphere. The last one had somewhat normal instrumentals, but this one there's loads of amazing, but really strange ones. He seems to be going for that horror gravedigger gritty gloomy type feeling, which he TOTALLY nails. Again quite similar to Nick Cave in many aspects, but definitely more traditional blues influences. Lyrics wise its incredible, again, totally committing to the gritty storytelling. I think the way some of these songs were recorded makes a huge difference, I think he sometimes gets way to close to the mic, which makes his voice incredibly bassy, but here he sounds quite distant (might be a pretentious thing but..). Yeah not much else to say, this is the sort of stuff I'd listen to on the daily if I owned a haunted house. Favourite songs: pretty much all. Overall around 7/10
me when im in the colosseum
I don't want to grow up...
Need to be in the right mood for Tom Waits.
Pretty mid
Really rough listen. I don’t see anyway I could recommend this to anyone.
Like listening to recorded gravel.
5/10 Favorite: A Little Rain
DÉCALISSE TOM WAITS, PERSONNE T’AIME, T’ES UNE HONTE POUR LA FAMILLE, J’VEUX PU TE VOIR MON PTIT CRISSE
Never a fan really. He can’t sing
I like the more stripped down folkier stuff. Some of the rest of it is out there for me. Didn't realize that "I Don't Want to Grow Up" was a Waits original - I'd only heard the Ramones version.
Percussive and sinister, mixing old-style blues with traditional styles and some beautiful ballads, all delivered with a bourbon and cigarette ravaged vocal delivery. I can understand how this wouldn't be for everyone, but I find this era of Tom Waits unendingly interesting and the records excitingly adventurous. There are some misses, and sometimes the overall effect seems a bit too contrived, but overall the style works and this album is one of the best examples.
I really don’t have anything productive to say about this album. The only thought going through my head is that someone in the world enjoys listening to this. I would love to have a conversation with them, not to belittle or bash them, but to understand what it is about it that grabs them. So salute to the people who like this, unfortunately, I was vehemently not on one of them.
One good song and some frustrating songs where the singer can't find their voice.
I went into this not really knowing Waits but thinking I might enjoy the album. Well, the first few songs are hot garbage. The lyrics are cringeworthy and the music barely has a melody. And even the melody that is there sounds awful. I find my toe kinda taps, but my brain is confused as to whether this counts as music or not. And I can't help but wonder what the fuck I am listening to? Overall, this album is making me try to work harder so I can ignore it. So that's a sign that it stinks to high heaven. I was genuinely relieved when this album finally finished. Excuse me, I think I might go bleach my ears.
This album sounds like it was sung by some random crackhead warning that aliens will destroy Earth if you don’t hand over a dollar, and somehow I fucking love it. Every song feels like he’s bleeding emotion through his voice. "Earth Died Screaming" and "Who Are You" are so raw with painful energy that feels completely real. The way he experiments with his vocals is wild, like Johnny Cash on shrooms. There are a few misses like "The Ocean Doesn’t Want Me," but even that track still adds to the weird atmosphere. It’s chaotic, emotional, and unforgettable. Easy 8.5 out of 10.
I hate Tom Waits. This album at least had some interesting rhythmic stuff that made it slightly more listenable, but I still hated it.
Bone Machine sounded more promising. Haha. Has he tried clearing his throat? Sounds like it hurts to sing.
I was wondering when we'd get a Tom Waits album, but I wasn't anticipating it being this one.
Tom Waits
Growly.
weird lil fella expertly using his weird lil fella privilege, but you gotta be in the mood for it, or it needs to be halloween or something
My man why are you coughing on the track. Even before (and continuing after) that this album felt a lot more yelly and a lot less fun than the other two (I think) we've had previously. Three albums feels like a lot for one artist and I didn't really think that they had such big differences that they were all necessary (as opposed to some of the Bowie albums and Beach Boys albums).
made for Hollywood and its just trying to hard to make music for films rather then for music
Um bom disco, apesar de alguns aspectos experimentais, especialmente em seus momentos melódicos que remetem à melancolia sempre tão presente na obra de Waits.
Kokeellista blues rokkia, menee ajoittain aika uncannyks. En oikein vaan pitänyt rapeasta laulutyylistä. Oli myös hyviä normaalimpia kappaleita mihin normaali laulutyyli olisi sopinut paremmin. Toki taas joihinkin se taas sopi. Moni kappale myös aika perkussiivisia. Parhaat: Black Wings, Whistle Down The Wind, Dirt In The Ground
Not fir me. Dreary rubbish
3.75-4.0 Really like the creativity ...but will scare the hoes away.
Is this a Kaufman-esque joke?
Both terrible and interesting
This offends me.
I don’t like waits much. This is mostly crap, but there are moments of real beauty too, so 3
Second album proposé après 'Rain Dogs' que j'avais détesté (noté 1/5, en particulier à cause du chant que je n'aime pas du tout). Le chant n'a malheureusement pas changé dans ce second album ... le premier morceau m'a paru interminable, alors qu'il ne dure moins de 4 mn. Ses hurlements ratés du second morceau m'ont fait sauter les 3/4 du morceau. J'ai jeté l'éponge au 4eme. En plus je viens de m'apercevoir que je vais avoir encore 3 autres albums à supporter. Au moins ils seront vite notés. =>1/5
3.5 stars. Album punctuated by Waits' dark lyrics and raspy, broken growling voice. Liked it better than I thought I would, but definitely have to be in the mood for it. "Jesus Gonna Be Here" most blues-y track. "Black Wings" super creepy and most representative of the whole record. Weakest track is "Whistle Down The Wind" which highlights his broken singing voice in a rough way, unlike the lo-fi "I Don't Wanna Grow Up" which handles it better as a whole track. Standout is faster-paced, wild west anthem "Goin' Out West".
Chewing on gravel
Didn’t resonate with me. Found this to be not very good. 2/5 Won’t listen again
I didn’t know anything about Tom Waits before this album but what I do know now is that this album is rubbish!
It's hard to say now that things have changed so much what a radical album this was when it was released. With his usual all star lineup of collaborators, Tom created a masterpiece. Featuring found sounds and lo-fi production there isn't a bad song on the album. The atonal jarring sounds were so different from anything anyone else was doing. This is one of my favorite of his albums (though it's tough to choose from such a varied and fantastic catalog). When the music history is written in 30 or 40 years (assuming we're all still around) Tom Waits will be recognized as one of the giants of popular music from the 20th and early 21st centuries.
L'écoute de cet album a tourné à l'exercice masochiste. Tom Waits a un certain nombre d'albums dans la liste mais est-ce qu'ils sont tous comme celui-là?
i think i’d like this more if someone else were singing….
3.7 3x took a few listens to grow on me. interesting and love the cover
Tom Waits is apparently an acquired taste. I haven't acquired it yet. Strangely, I really like some of the more unusual male singer songwriters, like Richard Thompson and Robyn Hitchcock, as well as giants like Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan, but I don't get this. It's not bad, but I just don't find it terribly compelling.
I just can't...His voice is not my cup of tea. Although he is now in movies and there is a good one coming out with kylo renn
It was alright
Tom is such a goober, I love him.
raspy dystopia. It’s pretty uncomfortable, lots of noisy sounds, grating at times. It’s interesting, more poems than songs at times. ‚the ocean doesn’t want me today‘. Very anachronistic, something from the 70s. But of course the 70s and 90s are linked.
The Bone Machine was actually Len Houmous’ nickname from his wives 1-4. 3.3 5/16 Who Are You
This is the first time I've been unable to even listen to an album all the way through. Not interested in this at all. Pitchfork: 8.9 Rolling Stone: Best Songs
First half is hard on the ears. Some of those second half tracks I want to hear again. Damn you tom waits
Need to be in a certain mood to listen but I will definitely listen again
different, not bad, not bad at all
This is certainly interesting, but that doesn't make it good. I dunno man, some songs work, others don't. I guess I'm glad I can say I've listened to a Tom Waits album, but I'd rather not listen to any another.
a grammy for this????? WHAT. what am i missing here
Might be his best, he has such a unique style that noone else has been alle to replicate, so rough and raw. So many crazy songs, but in between the chaos there are some of the most soft and beautiful songs you will ever hear. It's sometimes almost unthinkable you are listening to the same person. I love Tom Waits.
Can't believe I slept on Tom Waits all these years. The voice that once put me off is so perfect for these songs. My second Waits album, and my second 5. Much less weird than Rain Dogs (not sure if that's a good or a bad thing) but no less essential.
Maybe Tom Waits needs someone to talk to
Just fuck off Tom Waits
my 100th album here it's an improvement comparing to Nighthawks At The Diner that i've listened before so 3 stars, i even liked some tracks (others were unbearable though)
4.5
At first I did not think i was going to get into this album. I was going to get into this album. On first listen the first four songs "Such A Scream" was the only one I liked. But somewhere in the trio of songs "Who Are You", "The Ocean Doesn't Want Me", and "Jesus Gonna Be Here", in started getting into the mood and motion of the album. By the beatastic "In The Colosseum", I was hooked. I found myself really enjoying the rest of the album, that I decided to revisit the first three songs again and enjoying all but "All Stripped Down" Honestly with its overall macabre feel and they almost fall like weather we had today it really put me in the Halloween mood. I'm giving this a good four stars, with room to grow 8.5 ★★★★
Very experimental, very cool. 5 stars
I'm a big fan of music that combines ugliness with beauty, and in a lot of ways, this is sort of the granddaddy of that. Waits crafts an album about death, violence, and old age, but also manages to throw in some genuinely beautiful and hopeful moments. This record sounds amazing -- the guitar and percussion tones are all terrific and Waits has neve been better with the wide array of vocal stylings he uses here. He's joined by Waits' album regulars Larry Taylor and Ralph Carney, but there's also a great, eclectic cast of guests including Les Claypool, Brain, Los Lobos' David Hildago, Waddy Wachtel, and the man himself, Keith Richards. There's tons of highlights here including "Earth Died Screaming", "Dirt in the Ground", "Jesus Gonna Be Here", "Black Wings", "I Don't Wanna Grow Up", "That Feel", and "Who Are You", which is likely my favorite of Tom's tender ballads. "I fell in love with your sailor's mouth and your wounded eyes" is the most badass thing to say about the woman you love. Some days, this is my favorite Tom Waits album. High 5 stars.
What do I need a Bone Machine for? I can see how Sex Machine is a must for the list even though I am one anyway. Love Machine by Girls Aloud is essential even though that’s a single and not an album. Then there’s Extraordinary Machine by Fiona Apple even though I am a little sceptical of its claim of extraordinariness. I guess I do want to make some bones with a bone machine after all because Tom Waits is a terrible artist with way too many albums on the list. More like a ‘1’ Machine.
Strong
Man, I don't get it
Well, I’m usually not the biggest Tom Waits fan but this is great! It just works. His voice, the interesting sounds, the storytelling. Some of the lyrics are quite moving even. Bonkers in a great way. His best on here by far
This is one of my favorite albums and my favorite Tom Waits album.
Some of this was enjoyable. Some not so much. Tom Waits is always a hot or miss with me.
It's a bit Out There for sure, but this really isn't worlds apart from someone like Dr. John, honestly! I really enjoyed this one; Tom Waits is one of those guys I've only listened to a handful of times, but each time it's like "wow! I really like this!", and then I totally forget he exists for a couple years.
This doesn't work in the background. It's a piece of art with intention, it's easier to digest if you're actively listening, or have already understood the general energy. I think. I'm surprised I felt so much by such an unconventional voice in so little time. I also feel like it has the replay value of a concept album. 3.5/5
2.63
A lesson in the art of sound. Amazing music.
This is #day435 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… here's to my first of five Tom Waits records on this journey. As with Sonic Youth, I think three albums would've been absolutely enough. Instead, you have to go through almost a third of an artist's discography. Oh well... I had my Tom Waits "moments" around fifteen years ago, during the winter of 2010–2011, when I was exploring some jazz and all that (I was very much into "All the World Is Green" in particular), but I haven't really listened to him since. Although "Goin' Out West" is a definite standout, as are "Who Are You" and "Jesus Gonna Be Here," I'd probably have preferred something from his '70s or early '80s work. That said, I can't deny the record's experimental nature, and that always appeals to me. This is a 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day436.
Sounded like a person who was having fun in the studio without putting much thought into it, relying on hus already established reputation. But I didn't warm to this experiment.
This is the weird Tom Waits. I really like it but not as much as the classic one....
Listens: 3 Standout Tracks: The Earth Died Screaming, All Stripped Down, In The Colosseum, Murder In The Red Barn This was a really interesting one. Unlike 1975's Nighthawks At The Diner (also from the List), which played as a much more traditional jazz album, albeit with a lot of crowd work, this album had a real grunge/industrial rock feel to it. Industrial rock with... bones (like, playing drums using bones, drumming on bones, etc); All while also still somehow being jazzy. What really stuck out to me is the emphasis on the percussion, combined with Tom's voice, it really reminded me of some of the music Issac Brock of Modest Mouse has put out. If you listen to, for example, This Devil's Workday or Dance Hall (from Good News For People Who Love Bad News), there's a lot of the same elements present, jazz trumpet and other jazz elements, Issac's very gravelly voice, and an emphasis on percussion. The primary difference is that Modest Mouse feels much more polished (in the studio), whereas Tom seemingly wanted a much more stripped down album. The stripped down nature of the music lends itself to some industrial rock and grunge influences. Overall, I thought this album was pretty good. Weird, but interesting and definitely worthy of being included on the List.
This was the first album I had heard of Tom Waits, so I think it was a good intro to him. It is probably the most stripped down I've ever heard an album be. I definitely listen again to see how if it changes my feelings of it
Like Leonard Cohen, just never understood the appeal.
More annoying than melodic. Sometimes I like Tom Waits, most of the time it just sounds like groaning with accompaniment
Equal parts spooky and melodic. The musical composition is stronger than some of his other albums, still you have to be in a particularly explorative mindset to fully embrace this music. I’m not usually there.
As a lover of bad music I can't u derstand what the fuck this is.
I can understand why this has a low score, but I really enjoyed it, Tom is one of the most unique songwriters, it's quirky, certainly not commercial, but it's interesting and different to any other artist.
In an earlier review I wrote that if Bob Dylan could sing, he'd be Leonard Cohen. Well if Bob Dylan suffered a traumatic brain injury as a child, he'd be Tom Waits instead. I can only imagine that the editors of the 1001 albums book have some kind of inside joke about him that caused them to include multiple of this guys albums. I kind of regret listening to this because it's so bad that I don't think Tom deserves to receive any streaming revenue from it
1992 was an insane year for music. Excellence across so many genres and styles. Automatic for the People, The Chronic, Dirt, Check Your Head, Dry, 3 years 5 months..., Dirty, Rage Against the Machine. And on and on! And in the middle of all that is Bone Machine. I was already a big, big fan of everything by Tom Waits. Then he goes and does this! Incredible lyrics wrapped in a dark, gritty, underworld that feels both ancient and futuristic at the same time. I love every gravelly note of this album.
2.5
3.0
A waits classic, goin out west is one of his best songs, just incredible
Over the course of this album, I've come to realize that if there's anything I truly do appreciate about Tom Waits, it's his overwhelming sense of . . . honesty. Like, he's never bullshitting me. Whenever he performs, he's always striving to just be himself, as much as he can. And . . . yeah, I'unno, I just really appreciate it. I mean, there are a lot of bands that do weird music, right? Tom Waits isn't alone in that front. Just on this list alone, my group's come across a lot of people making strange, unusual sounds on record. And as well they should! After all, music would be **real** boring if it were just the shit you heard on the radio, eh? But then, at the same time, I've long felt like I've had this hidden third ear where I listen to this material, and, well, I don't find myself terribly impressed. I feel like I can hear through all of the layers of weirdness to understand what they're doing underneath, and oftentimes I'm just like "Yeah . . . and?" Like, weirdness for weirdness' sake is entirely valid, but I'm not gonna give you a standing ovation **just** because you're weird. This is where I've come to realize Tom Waits is different. And I don't wanna accuse any of these artists of **not** having this kind of stuff in their music, but at the core of Tom's music I often find such heart and honesty. And it really carries me through where a lot of other "weird music" just wouldn't be able to. Like, the music sounds like **this** and Tom is singing like **that**, and yet I felt myself tearing up hearing "Who Are You" and "A Little Rain" for the first time. They got to me! For real! Jus', I'unno, the emotion he was putting into the "gawd, eat a **lozenge**" way he was singing . . . it just hit me in the right spot. And lemme tell you, on an album as much about death and the way people deal with it, I wouldn't want any less than heart and honesty. Of course, let's keep things a little grounded: there **are** a few picklings here and there. For as much as I talk about heart, for one, let's not act like every song on here is "A Little Rain" — "All Stripped Down" and "Goin' Out West" exist, after all. And besides that, well, the mixing overall is a little . . . different. Not to even mention the instrumentation choices, too. It's by far the most "out there" Tom Waits album I've heard so far. I mean, on something like 'Swordfishtrombones', I could easily imagine him as someone singing in a little bar to the patrons — a real "manna da people." Meanwhile, there are times on this album where he honestly sounds like a gremlin in an alleyway banging on some trash cans. And this gremlin does a good job bangin' 'em, but honestly now. Plus, 53 minutes — I could hear it being a **little** shorter. I gotta admit, when this album popped up I was surprised to find out that Tom Waits had **another** album on this list — and two more after this! I mean, as much as I liked 'Swordfishtrombones' and 'Rain Dogs', I couldn't imagine what I'd get from three more albums from him. And yet, after this, I can safely say I'm very much looking forward to them. While I may not rank this album as highly as the first two my group got, I can still say it's the one that officially turned me into a Tom Waits fan. I jus' really dig the shit he does, y'know? And once again, it's proof of the 'Shrek 2' soundtrack seal of approval. I haven't listened to any other Dashboard Confessional song yet, so it ain't failed me this far!
Might be the typical Tom Waits sound, but hey, if it ain't broke. Solid 4 Stars.
I’m at a 4.5 that I’ll bump down to a 4. I think I understand what this album is going for, or at least in broad strokes; it’s a view into how people confront & cope with the very concept of mortality. Some people go out screaming about the eventual destruction of the world, some people reject both heaven & hell to accept the idea of dust, & others get denied death by an ocean that refuses to let them drown, or just rot away with regret in their hometowns. When this album focuses on the morbid & cruel side of mortality, I think its writing shines at its best, and Tom Waits’ scratchier vocal tones work well as a worn down soul unable to care any more than that. This album also focuses on the occasionally brighter-ish side of mortality, though still from a sort of cynically celebratory tone. Some people dream of being Hollywood stars (in their own fucked up way), some find a weirdly perverse pleasure in seeing the almost gladiatorial forms of destruction happening across the country, other people wait for Jesus to return not as a messiah, but as a celebrity to be worshipped, & others see him as an evil figure after they leave the confines of a religion that’s trapped them. This album’s commentary on religion & fame are pretty sharply written as well, and I do think Tom Waits carries that vocal weight in a way that works. It’s a storytelling album, one that leans on the writing talents that were present on “Swordfishtrombones”, but with the heavier tone of a Nick Cave album. On paper, it’s a good blend, and honestly, it mostly works well in execution. I think Tom Waits does a damn good job with the writing across the board. It’s the musicality that brings the album down to a 4 for me, because for as well-written & as well-performed as a good number of these tracks are, there’s just far too many things that feel bad to the ears. This album is a “death by 1,000 paper cuts” situation. I think there are moments where the instrumentation is severely overblown in the mix, especially the horrid tambourine on “All Stripped Down”. I think there are some tracks where a singing vocal would have a better impact than the spoken word approach that’s occasionally taken. I think Tom Waits could use a lozenge half the time. The biggest paper cut, at least for me, is that the album just doesn’t find the right balance between atmosphere & musicality until about halfway through the album. The first half here is a little slower to get going, especially on a first listen, but the second half strikes more consistently, and it feels more aligned with the previous Tom Waits albums we’ve had, save for the baffling “Let Me Get Up on It”. Make no mistake; I did enjoy this one. Slow to start, yes, but it does come together as a really cohesive package, and an interesting set of tracks that all tackle mortality in a good way. I don’t think too many tracks overlap with their concepts, and if they do, they play a sort of devil’s advocate vibe that keeps it fresh. This is a longer album at 53 minutes, and I do think it could easily weigh down a listener, especially if the first half of the album strikes a really bad chord. For my storytelling brain, I can’t say it ever became a big issue, but there are probably tracks here that could’ve been cut to make the pacing work better. I can honestly understand someone going as low as a 2 or as high as a 5; this is not an album for everyone, and I think if this were someone’s first Tom Waits album, it could leave a bad taste in the mouth, or act as a sign of brilliance. Since this is our third, and I’ve enjoyed the last 2 we’ve gotten, I never felt like it got to that latter point. If this album were cleaner, tighter, and perhaps not partially recorded in a literal cellar (seriously, look it up), perhaps I could look past its early flaws & bump it up to a 5, but since they just compound in a way that never really shakes away, I’m stuck bumping it down to a 4. I did like it though, and I’m glad it’s on the list.
Sounds like a prank. Not a particularly amusing one.
Somehow I'd managed to get well into my 6th decade with no knowledge of Tom Waits. How I wish that remained true. This is... terrible. 1/5 but only because I can't give it 0. Really, we need a '0' star rating on here.
My dad played this album a lot when I was young so there’s a sense of nostalgia: albeit, not necessarily a good one. This album always made me feel uneasy but I chalked it up to me being young, so I went into it with an open mind thinking I would understand it as an adult. Nope, still feels like I’m in a horror movie. The percussion sounds are like something out of a torture chamber, vocals like an insane patient, guitars distorted like a bad acid trip. Anytime this album goes on it feels like all the positivity in my life has been undone. But I guess the album did its job causing intense feeling, as opposed to my previous rated album that felt hollow and boring. Can’t say this is boring - not many other albums sound like this; it’s just a little morbid for me. With that said, I’ll give it a 2 based on acclaim and individuality. This is either you love it or hate it.
The dreaded three stars - I'm not sure I liked it, but I wholly appreciate the attempt to create something new and unique
Fuck Tom Waits and his "soundtrack for serial killers in an Eli Roth movie" music. I mean I know it's his "thing" but why does he sing like that? The few times he sounds like he's trying to sing somewhat normally are the songs I kind of liked. "Who Are You" was decent, and I liked "A Little Rain" until the "German dwarf" line took me out. "The Ocean Doesn't Want Me" sounds like Waits' is about to commit an actual murder, and "In The Colosseum" was just a complete mess. "Whistle Down The Wind" and "I Don't Wanna Grow Up" sound like a constipated RFK Jr. trying to pass a turd. This was a 53 minute assault on my ears, and I think my life would have been better without it. Lyrically this made me think of Nick Cave's Murder Ballads, which was superior in literally every way. I can't believe I have more Tom Waits albums to listen to from this list. I believe I said the last album I had from him sounded like "demented circus music" so I can't wait to describe the next one.
Another album would probably be better a couple catchy tunes.
He's so weird and I never got into him. I wonder if its him or me?
Meh
Incredible album. It actually scared me at points, the recording has a dark air around it. Like I just keep descending lower into the Earth with each song and Waits is trying to keep us entertained on the way down
2/3
Is this a joke? Do people really like this? This could possibly be one of the worse things I have ever heard and I only made it 4 seconds of 3 tracks before i had to stop and wash my ears out. Awful. How do I give less than 1 star?
It is not a bad album. Unfortunately it's not really my favorite type of music. Although I have flagged this album to return and give another listen in the future.
05/10/2025 I dont look forward to this guy, honestly boring. Spotify listeners: 1.4 million
Great album to receive in October. The moments where it gets too singy lose me because Waits voice is not easy to listen to. But I loved the percussion instrumentation on the faster cuts. The opening track Earth Died Screaming was my favorite.
Unusual and cool minimalist (for the most part) music. Tom Waits is a great songwriter, but that voice. Oy! Once in a while, he wrangles great emotion in a listenable way, but usually it's so deep and growly, I can't catch the words. I agree that everyone should give this a shot at least once, but most folks would probably need some sort of primer or ramp-up before diving in here. It's too different, too stylish, too raw for a sudden needle drop. I'll give it a 3 even though it s deserves a 4 for some reasons. But this is a list of Everybody Should Listen to it. And I'm not sure that anything over 20% of people that listen to it will enjoy it. And I am not sure if I'll be back. (Even though a song or 2 will be on a playlist.)
I'm finding out more and more that Tom Waits is a talented musician that I enjoy. This is probably the album of his I've liked the least so far. While generally it was a pleasant experience, many of the stripped back songs were more forgettable. Dirt in the Ground is great. 3.4/5 - 3/5
Really weird and boring
Incrdible voice and orchestration.
I still don't get Tom Waits and I probably never will
Genuinely unlistenable. His vocals are terrible, I got to Whistle Down the Wind before I gave up
Baustelle, Dischingen, Deutschland. Etwas öde.
I was debating between a 4 or a 5 because there are a couple tracks that are too Tom Waits-esque, like Murder In The Red Barn, but when it closes out with That Feel, I had to put up another 5. I think this is my favorite Tom Waits album for its experimentation while retaining good song structure. Goin' Out West is a banger and Jesus Gonna Be Here is one of my favorite Tom Waits songs
This slaps
Guy in his basement clanking pots and pans together and calls it music. lmao
Fue interesante de escuchar (creo)
It was certainly something. It was really wait but not too bad I think
Such a unique musician. I liked this album better than the one we had last week.
I have a soft spot for albums where older artists sing about their mortality…and this time I was ready for Tom Waits voice!
Definitely interesting and I like the industrial percussion but it was just too downbeat and depressing for me to enjoy
This experimental rock album is hard to rate, with clattering percussion, distorted guitars, and gravelly vocals shaping unsettling songs about death, decay, and faith that are as abrasive as they are atmospheric.
Day 79 First listen- The album was enjoyable, amazing lyrically! I have only heard the first two Tom's albums so I was surprised by this album, it sounded very different. I really love slow acoustic Tom Waits and few songs in the album melted me. Overall enjoyed the experimental blues .(3/5)
what the fuck even is this who hid beefheartcore from me
Your Bone's got a little Machine
Just another hacky trash album from Tom Waits. Baffles me that we needed even more than 1 album of this waste of sound.
A few hits a few misses. It took me entirely too long to realize that the album was on repeat
Not so much
shit from an ass 2/5
Not another one.. I find myself getting annoyed with his voice. I like him as a person, and actor, and I respect him. I just don't dig his albums. It's not him, it's me. I suck. 2.
Infallible record. I mean, I have tattoos of this record.
this was crazy i feel like listening to this at 9 am wasn't the proper time for this but insane this won a grammy???
Strange voice. Good music.
Too weird for me, couldn't finish
Third Tommy W. album I got. They are all kinda the same thing with some stomp/organic percussion stuff, and those same affected ass vocals. Some nice stuff and ideas, but no new ground from swordfish or the other one. I don't wanna grow up familiar for years from a Ramones cover. It's pretty good.
Creepy, weird, and sad: Classic Tom Waits.
This album encompasses the strange to the bizarre. Definitely not for everyone. Still not sure it’s for me.
Jao, dosta lejm. Jednostavno predosadno. 2/5, 3/10
hehe bone machine. The name alone is worth a star.
5 stars for the endurance it took not to claw my own ears off.
This album is further proof that Tom Waits is endlessly inventive. It’s jagged, skeletal, and fearless—built from clanging percussion, rusted rhythms, and that gravel voice tearing through the noise. Still, for all its brilliance, I’ll admit my bias: I love Waits the crooner. I gravitate to those songs on this record (e.g. Whistle down the Wind). Just not enough of those on this album to push this higher than a 3 for me but I still respect the hell out of it.
not bad, i was never a huge fan
I never quite understand Tom Waits. It feels like his stuff shouldn't work, but for some reason it does?
Bone Machine culminates nearly two decades of Waits discovery of sound. An album somewhat discordant and jangly as it's composer, Bone Machine delivers on the promises Waits made in earlier albums like "The Heart of Saturday Night", "Swordfish Trombones" and "Rain Dogs". Songs like "A Little Rain" and "Whistle Down the Wind" showcase Waits' talent to make mournful and beautiful piano ballads, while "In The Colosseum" highlights the experimental sounds harkening back to songs like "Singapore". And then there are entirely new types of songs for Waits like "Goin' Out West" with its big fuzzy bass line. All in all, a fantastic album full of gems, and an amalgam of sounds unlike anything you were likely to hear in its era, proving again Waits' singular voice.
The Bone Machine was my first real exposure to Tom Waits, introduced by a friend. It blew my mind that this guy was around since the 1970s and had a massive fandom in spite of his lack of radio play. The Bone Machine is a great example of his unique and bizarre “voice” (both literal and artistic)
One of the best from a man who has arguably never put out a bad album in 40+ year career. This album is one of his darkest, with musings on life and death. But there are glimmers of beauty and hope throughout. The Earth Died Screaming is one of the all time great openers.
I don't like tom waits
This was very painful to listen to, I hated it. Some of the songs were just sounds with maracas and occasional guitar. The songs that were "songs" still had terrible singing.
Couple of good songs, but his voice - just couldn’t get used to it.
Well, this was all a bit industrial wasn’t it! Not my favourite of Tom’s but I’m sure there are some people who adore this!
Tom Waits’ Bone Machine is like being trapped in a dungeon while a drunk scarecrow tries to sing you bedtime stories about death. Critics call it “genius,” but it’s just abrasive noise dressed up as art. His voice sounds less like music and more like a demolition site with emphysema. If this is innovation, I’d rather listen to an actual bone machine grind me into dust. There are 5 Tom Waits albums on this list - un fucking believable
Wow, Tom you are all over the place...also why the heck are so many of his albums on this list! I don't hate the concept of the album and pulling together death, chaos, lost love, earth destruction...and at times its not horrible. It has elements of difference that do make it stand out. But I just wish he would sing in a normal voice that you could understand. I get this is all part of his character but it would be so much more effective and less of a joke if he didn't sound like Kermit on crack (Who are You). Also some of the lyrics were just so chaotic the message felt lost because it was so all over the place. Better than one of the albums we had but not as good as another.
This is a Tom Waits album that I like. Earth Died Screaming is clickity clackity & some kind of surreal eco-nightmare. So that's a fun way to start things off. The percussion and instrumentation is really creative throughout the album. Also the lyrics are great. His poetry hits me like wet grass and rusted cars. It smells like black molasses and june bugs. He's like some kind of Walt Whitman junkyard medicine man. Such a Scream is one of my all time favorite Tom Waits song. It just has a really bizarre herky jerky energy & some fun horns. Jesus Gonna Be Here is genuinely soulful. This is my kind of blues and his singing is fucking great on that one. In The Colosseum = yes!! Love the way those beats are hammered out. Goin Out West is rocking and I especially like that haunting surf rock guitar sound. Black Wings isn't my most favorite song but it kind of reminds me of Leonard Cohen. I Don't Want to Grow Up = great song! I don't want to grow up either.
I like the lyrics in this one, a nice mix of life reflections and storytelling. His voice gets kind of grating, but I still enjoyed this overall. Especially liked Dirt in the Ground and the last song on the album.
I am so sorry but Tom Waits is so unbelievably boring i cannot stand his music
Honking feral blues, not an album I'll likely return to but one I can appreciate
Certainly deserves a place on the list. Such a unique album. The vocal is something else. Man must have been drinking whiskey and smoking filterless Marlboro Reds straight out of the womb. 4/5.
What the hell did I listen to? Weird as hell and really dumb. 1/5
Very spoOoky Mr Waits. Great cookie monster and, on the 2nd track, Marge Simpson impressions too.
I never understood why Waits was so adored by critics. His voice is annoying, the songs are generally dirge-like and not interesting. An easy 1.
A little disappointed this is the latest Waits album on the list. Justice for Mule Variations and Real Gone!
What. The. Hell?
another no likey
No bueno
Something about Tom Waits voice always fascinates me. Everything he does makes he feel like I'm in some kind of dark twisted carnival or I'm hearing a man telling his story before he leaves this earth.
Tom Waits' signature sound is divisive but incredibly unique. You love it or you can't stand it. But he doesn't give a shit. That being said, I really do love it. Waits feels like a folktale character with his permanent scowl, his tilted hat, and a voice made for grinding coals into diamonds. He's like an omen you encounter in an open desert. His music isn't conventionally pretty and that's on purpose. This album sounds like it was made in a cellar (because it was). The percussion sounds like it's made up of a trash can and some pots and pans. The songs build up like they're coming from the sewer. They're grimey and wet but that doesn't mean they can't also be sweet. There's a wide range of emotion in this album scattered in the clinking and clanking beats. Passionate love songs mixed with angry warnings of a collapsing earth. They may feel sonically similar but that's where the lyricism shines. Waits can tell a story like no other. Songs like In the Colosseum, Goin' Out West, Murder in a Red Barn, and Black Wings really stood out to me for this reason. For someone with such a massive discography dating back to the 70s, it's interesting that an album from the 90s is the one on this list. Anyways, time to dig into more of the Time Waits well. 4.5 stars
It’s incredibly hard to rate a Tom Waits album on first listen, which goes the same for most lyrically-focussed albums that I get on this list, unless they’re relistens. For the lyrical content of any Waits album is so intelligent, sometimes complex and sometimes simple - so that you may appreciate on first listen what you then come to adore on repeat. It’s OK for instruments to take a back seat here to let Waits’ unique and polarising voice carry the things he needs to say across unimpeded. This differs largely between slow songs such as Dirt in the Ground, where the listener must listen carefully and reel from the bleak contents of the lyric sheet, and more punchy songs such as the most popular Goin’ Out West, which may attract repeat listens through its supermassive percussion rather than its lyrics, although they themselves are of course mean as ever. Bone Machine is far from my first Waits album, but I’d say if you were to try him out then this is as good a place as any to start, as long as you give him a chance, for God’s sake. Too many people hear a non-singing voice and switch off. Listen carefully... and you will be rewarded.
Allez on est parti vers une nouvelle étape de ce putain de pèlerinage des 1001 albums. Et aujourd'hui, on s'attaque à un monument, un monolithe, un truc qui a la réputation de te laisser soit en PLS dans un coin de la pièce, soit béat d'admiration devant tant de génie brut. J'ai nommé Tom Waits et sa machine à os, "Bone Machine". Tom Waits, c'est un peu le croquemitaine du rock américain. Le genre de type qu'on imagine très bien vivre au fond d'un bayou, à fumer des clopes qui puent la mort et à enregistrer ses disques dans une cabane en tôle ondulée pendant un ouragan. Sa voix, c'est celle d'un mec qui a passé sa vie à se gargariser au Jack Daniel's et aux graviers. Un timbre unique, reconnaissable entre mille, qui a fait de lui une icône absolue, un artiste intouchable que tout le monde révère, de l'indé le plus pointu à la star la plus mainstream. Moi, Tom Waits, je connais, je respecte. Mais je n'ai jamais vraiment sauté le pas, c'est le genre d'artiste que j'admire de loin, un peu comme un tableau très complexe dans un musée. Je reconnais la technique, la vision, l'audace, mais je n'ai pas forcément envie de l'accrocher dans mon salon. Avec ce projet des 1001 albums, plus le choix, fallait bien que je m'y colle sérieusement. Et c'est "Bone Machine" que le Grand Grimoire a choisi pour moi. Un Grammy Award du meilleur album de musique alternative en 1992, excusez du peu et une réputation d'œuvre radicale, dépouillée, viscérale. Sur le papier, ça avait tout pour me plaire, après tout, un mec qui fait de la musique avec des bouts de ferraille et qui chante comme s'il venait de bouffer un cendrier, ça devrait parler à un mec comme moi. Dès les premières secondes de "Earth Died Screaming", le ton est donné. Ça claque, ça grince, ça sonne comme une fanfare de l'apocalypse enregistrée au fond d'une cave. On n'est pas là pour se caresser dans le sens du poil car Tom Waits a décidé de tout mettre à nu. Fini les arrangements feutrés, les ambiances de piano-bar enfumé de ses débuts. Ici, la musique est réduite à son essence la plus primitive : le rythme. Des percussions étranges, des guitares qui sonnent comme des barbelés rouillés, et cette voix, bien sûr, qui semble venir des tréfonds de l'enfer. Il y a quelque chose de profondément dérangeant et en même temps de fascinant dans cet album. C'est une musique de casse, un blues industriel qui sent la sueur, la rouille et la mort. Les textes sont à l'avenant : des histoires de meurtres, de diables, de pécheurs, de fin du monde. On est en plein territoire à la Nick Cave, mais en version encore plus décharnée, plus brutale. La production est tellement à l'os qu'on a l'impression d'être dans la pièce avec les musiciens. On apprend d'ailleurs que l'album a été enregistré dans une petite pièce d'un sous-sol, ce qui explique ce son claustrophobique et caverneux. Tom Waits voulait une "musique d'os", quelque chose de réduit à son squelette. Mission accomplie, Tom. Et puis, il y a ce casting de sales gosses venus lui prêter main-forte. David Hidalgo de Los Lobos, Les Claypool de Primus à la basse électrique sur "Earth Died Screaming", et même, tenez-vous bien, Sa Majesté Keith Richards en personne, qui co-écrit et joue sur "That Feel". Le genre de détail qui assoit définitivement la crédibilité du projet. Tout ce petit monde semble s'être réuni pour une sorte de sabbat sonore, un grand carnaval macabre où chaque instrument sonne comme un outil de torture. Alors, pourquoi seulement 3 sur 5 ? Pourquoi cette impression de rendez-vous manqué alors que tous les ingrédients qui me plaisent sont réunis ? Eh bien, je vais être franc, je me suis fait chier. Voilà, c'est dit. J'ai trouvé ça long, terriblement long. J'ai beau admirer la démarche, la radicalité du son, la cohérence du propos, je n'ai pas réussi à rentrer dedans. Passée la surprise des premières minutes, l'effet s'estompe pour laisser place à une certaine monotonie. C'est là que la comparaison avec un Nick Cave ou un Michael Gira atteint ses limites. Chez eux, même dans les moments les plus arides, il y a toujours une mélodie, une tension, une lumière au bout du tunnel qui vous happe. Ici, j'ai eu l'impression de tourner en rond dans une pièce sombre en me cognant toujours aux mêmes meubles. C'est un album qui s'écoute comme on visite une exposition d'art contemporain un peu austère. On regarde, on analyse, on comprend la démarche, on trouve ça "intéressant", mais à aucun moment on ne ressent de véritable émotion. C'est cérébral, conceptuel, mais ça manque de cœur, de tripes. La voix de Waits, si fascinante au début, finit par devenir un gimmick, un effet de style qui tourne un peu à vide. Les morceaux se suivent et se ressemblent dans leur structure décharnée. C'est un exercice de style brillant, mais qui m'a laissé totalement froid. Je sais que je vais me faire lyncher par les puristes. "Comment ça, il n'aime pas "Bone Machine" ? Hérétique !". Mais que voulez-vous, ce blog est aussi un carnet de bord personnel. Et personnellement, cet album je l'ai écouté et je ne pense pas y revenir un jour. C'est le genre de disque que je suis content d'avoir écouté pour ma culture, pour pouvoir dire "oui, je connais". C'est une pièce maîtresse de la discographie de Waits et une œuvre importante des années 90, sans aucun doute. Ça a gagné un Grammy, merde ! Mais ça ne sera jamais un de mes disques de chevet. Le projet "1001 Albums" est aussi fait de ça : des découvertes, des claques, mais aussi des déceptions, ou plutôt des rencontres qui ne se font pas. "Bone Machine" c'est une machine impressionnante, mais une machine froide. Une machine à os, sans chair autour, et moi, j'ai besoin d'un peu de chair.
Really liked "Who Are You" and "That Feel". My first time listening to Tom Waits - super interesting!
Actually said “Hell yeah” when this one popped up for my first draw. What a way to start. I absolutely adore his 1985 Rain Dogs and have loved every random song I’ve heard but have somehow, as far as I can recall, never made any effort to listen to other albums. Which is the kinda thing this project should be great for! Fabulous “apocalypse gospel” feel to this. Stripped down percussive instrumentation for a slinky spooky sound. He uses 2 very different voices on The Earth Died Screaming to cool effect. Such a Scream is weirdly danceable. Whistling Down the Wind is just gorgeous. And the lyrics! Dirt in the Ground has “We’re chained to the world and we all gotta pull.” And Murder in the Red Barn has the deadpan “There’s always some killin’/You got to do around the farm.” The only one I’d ever heard before was “I Don’t Wanna Grow Up.” 5/5! Fantastic! Watch me draw some fuckin’ operatic soprano tomorrow!
Bone Machine is the peak of human coal mine, Tom Waits' "Undiluted Biblical Violence" phase. For those unfamiliar, Tom Waits was a singer-songwriter/balladeer/piano-man in the 70's and the something broke in 1980. During a decade when most got glossier, Tom Waits instead brought forth his strangest tendencies, being christened anew in junkyard percussion and increasingly alienating vocal stylings. Bone Machine is a far cry from what was going on, even with Waits in the 80's. Tom Waits pushes past camp into genuine darkness, past brake drums into what may as well be the sound of a glockenspiel tumbling down a stairwell, and pushes past conventional production technique into something bold, impolite, and probably *incorrect*. This thing was recorded in the unfurnished, concrete cellar of a recording studio, and the result is claustrophobic: you don't listen to this so much as you get trapped in a room with it. This is like soul music for the end-times and Tom Waits sells it on all fronts. He is a surprisingly versatile vocalist: he growls, croons, and on songs like Dirt In The Ground and Jesus Gonna Be Here, he gives the most unhinged blues howl I've ever heard. Most songs here are a showstopper in their own right, even the weird little nooks and crannies. The Earth Died Screaming is a fantastic opener, showing off the intensity of Tom Waits over percussion that sounds at risk of falling apart at all times. Later, Murder In The Red Barn has guitar playing that sounds like the strings are being cut rather than plucked. In The Colosseum sounds like you brought a lead pipe to a gunfight, but the other guy also brought a lead pipe, so now you're just going until someone can't move anymore. The intro to Such A Scream is a rare sort of low fidelity that isn't often explored, it's bizarre and challenging. Even something little like The Ocean Doesn't Want Me is chilling and off-putting, and it brings something huge to the project as a whole. I'd also like to note that there are a few songs where Tom Waits proves that he can still write a hell of a ballad. Who Are You, A Little rain, and Whistle Down The Wind are beautiful, and they still manage to slot into the bigger picture here. Lastly, I'd like to recommend anyone reading this to at least read some of the lyrics, Tom Waits is a fantastic writer, and there are too many stand-outs for me to keep track of. I listen to a lot of Tom Waits, so it shouldn't be a shocker that I like this, but it really is a rare and fascinating achievement that deserves time and respect.
Respect for the lyrics. The sound is what you expect from TW.
I've long been a fan of Tom Waits and this is my favorite of his albums. Great song writing.
This is the 3rd Tom Waits album I've gotten on this list. The first was the worst album I had heard at the time. The second was very slightly better. Surprisingly, this one isn't terrible. It's not great, but the majority of the tracks moved up the scale from terrible to annoying. There were even a few tracks that made it to weird, but listenable. I'm never going to be a Tom Waits fan, or even listen to this again, but it's a bit better.
Weird, dark, and very very cool. So, it’s Tom Waits.
It's Tom Waits
Blijkbaar is Tom Waits-bashing populair op deze website. Het zal zonder mij zijn. Tom Waits kan vreemd zijn, akkoord, maar is altijd puur en rauw. What you see is what you get. En dat levert prachtige en unieke albums op, waaronder ook deze. Het komt niet eens in de buurt van Closing Time (wat volgens mij niet eens in deze lijst voorkomt, maar bon), maar het is echt wel een goed album. 3.5
Ok
Classic Tom Waits! Especially when it comes to the percussion, which he mostly performed himself using whatever random objects he had lying around. For avant-garde, alternative, and experimental rock, this album will always stand as a classic.
I knew Tom Waits was gravely, but holy moly. He's pretty fun, I actually think Modest Mouse got a lot of their style from him. I may explore more of his music after this.
My man!
Fuck Tom Waits. This shit sucks ass. Would rate it zero stars if I could
Another stupendous albo from Tom. By no means is this a Rain Dogs contender. But he still perfectly encapsulates the insansity of solitude in creativity. Its cathartic to hear how hoarse his voices is as he wimpers for love and affection, then absolute goes bonkers in the next track. True poet and artist. I enjoyed Bone Machine alot.
I knew I wouldn't like this album, I can't get on board with Tom Waits, but I thought it was only fair that I gave it a fair shot. I was right. I didn't like this album. Terrible.
This is very Trout Mask Replica-esque but not in a good way. but it looks like we've got another 4 albums to come for him to win me over. Great.
Quite a few songs sounded like someone was randomly hitting bins
Waits' scratchy voice, kinda poetic sounding
Hate the vocals
Incredible new creativity after a 5 year break. It's all Waits, though interestingly Keith Richards shows up again.
When I was in college in the early 00’s, I took an introductory music class to satisfy an arts requirement. We were taught how to analyze music and understand some basic elements of a song. For one assignment, were to bring in a piece of music we liked and analyze it for the class: is it 4/4 time, are those half notes or quarter notes, etc. After a few reggaeton presentations, I went up and played The Earth Died Screaming. Lemme tell you I might as well have gone up there and ripped a huge fart - just a wave of revulsion, confusion. My classmates were incredulous. I gave my analysis and turned to my professor. “Tom Waits… I’m impressed!” Sweet vindication. Anyway, reader, there’s no accounting for taste but this album rules and if you want to impress smart people and appear super cool, you will play them some Tom Waits.
Liked this one better than Rain Dogs. 3.5 stars rounded up.
Every once in a while Tom Waits has a song that's good and I think, maybe I actually don't mind him. Then the next song comes on and I'm like what the fuck is this.
Did not enjoy
The man can make engaging music with a dumpster. I respect that.
The prefect mix of ballads of his earlier work and the more experimental songs of his later career. Very good late classic 4.5*
Crazy experimental apocalyptic album with lots of interesting sound bites. Pretty weird honestly but wasn’t a bad listen through, as lots of the songs had unexpected variations that pulled from other genres. Sometimes the songs felt they had some folk, blues, rock, or were even like a ballad. Lots of old school folk inspiration. Wasn’t a huge fan but was interesting. Very raw.
pretty weird but kinda raw lol
I hate Tom Waits. I can't believe he was still kicking in '92 to write another shit album and continue to terrorize humanity with his lack of musical skill.
עםםג
Well... Just really not for me
Tom Waits is tricky because he's one of those guys who needs someone looking over his shoulder and saying "THIS song's great, THAT one should stay on the cutting room floor," but having that kind of person around would probably kill his muse. There are several songs here of the former kind, and they're great, but many of the latter - songs where he seems to just be chasing some scrap of an idea and presenting an underbaked version of the results.
This album sounds amazing. The production choices, the instrument choices, and the instrumentation are all perfect for this music. It’s raw and gritty. I didn’t really like any of the songs enough to probably listen to this album again, but I love that this knows exactly what it’s supposed to be. So this is a strange one for me, I love this album for what it is even if I don’t think I’ll listen again.
Absolutely fucking not. A third one of these pieces of shit?
Tom Waits, but what is he waiting for - no one knows. But apart from that, the whole album was very weird and I guess I should've known from the album artwork, but it's just weird sounds, not great singing and it's a bit all over the place.
No one puts in more flavor than Tom. It's not always pleasant, but it's always evocative
Let’s be honest here, if you aren’t already a Tom Waits fan then this album is going to be a tough place to start. It takes a very back to basics approach, recorded in a bare bones studio with concrete walls giving a raw, visceral sound. The songs take no prisoners, dealing with death, murder ballads, religion (from mawkish to fire and brimstone Old Testament stuff) and the Earth dying screaming. Cheery. Tom himself is on fine gravelly voiced form and sounds like he’s been gargling with bourbon and razor blades to get in shape. For anyone that can get on board with this, you’re in for a fine time with music that will stay with you for a long time.
I'm happy to be forced by this project to listen to Tom Waits, as I know the guy but not really his music. It's interesting, very raw and down to the bone. There are some really good pieces in this. But if I can recognize his talent, I find his voice irritating in the long run. I'm looking for listening to other albums from him to grasp better his universe.
there are some songs on here where i remember why tom waits rules: a strangely emotive and flexible voice that somehow hits the part of your brain responsible for empathy or relating to stuff and you feel every word of his. and there’s some songs on here that remind me why he’s so fuckin annoying
Awful music and signing.
Not really sure what everybody sees in this. He can be as authentic as he wants, but that doesn’t make his music good.
I know he's a great songwriter, I just can't get past his voice. It's like nails on a chalkboard for me.
Interesting sound, I’m sure it’s an amazing album if you like Tom Waits
Not my music
Wtf is this
Ok
This guy has 5 albums on here, a puzzling fact that I don't quite understand. It's a 2 fa me
A 53 minute long anti-smoking ad.
I enjoy Nighthawks at the Diner so much that I expect and want his other stuff to be as good. So far, it's not been.
An okay album, I liked The Ocean Doesn't Want Me the most.
Tom Waits! 4/5
Meh
I....don't like it? It has some interesting stuff, but is overall not great. It's like an annoying Willie Nelson. Cannot recommend.
Clackety-clack, thump-thump-thump...the rhythms of Bone Machine are unmatched.
So much more interesting than other albums that are considered amazing.
My only other exposure to Tom Waits was Nighthawks at the Diner on this list, which may be the strongest 1 I’ve given to date out of my 100 albums. This was substantially better. I didn’t love it, but it actually sounded like an attempt at making music. I actually really enjoyed some of the slower songs on the record, but the voice/gristly/evil delivery of the rest of the songs just really isn’t grooving with me.
In a nutshell: you only get one chance for a second impression. Good thing I listened to Nighthawks at the Diner beforehand. It gave me an idea of how Tom's style has evolved. Which it has. The sound is definitely avant garde blues. The mixing decisions are atypical. Vocals have more range, reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen and Frank Zappa (bravo!!). The percussion is louder on some tracks (is this what's called "mixed forward"? I hope I'm getting the terminology right?). Yet his arrangements lulled me to sleep. Why do you have that power over me, Tom. How??? Definitely not my thing. I won't go back to it in a hurry. But this album reinforced something to me- Tom Waits is one strange cat. Overall: 2/10
This is like a Borderlands fever dream. You can almost see the midget psychos running around with the more frenzied songs. "All Stripped Down" sounds like something you might hear coming out of a burlesque show. "Jesus Gonna Be Here", shouted from the top of a mountain by a wild preacher in a dust coated robe. "Murder in the Red Barn" sung by three loonies on a hill on an out of tune banjo with three strings, while there's a dilapidated red barn in the valley below which houses Red Barn Randy, the next miniboss in your questline. All in all, a very good album of very cacophonous music, which shouldn't be good but is. My Rating: 5/5
What a surprisingly great album, so full of different sounds and originality. It's funny without losing its musical interest and experimentation. It's strange yet so enjoyable. And all of that with a great taste that makes of this album a fantastic musical experience.
i like the experimentation on this, is voice is very different and i haven’t heard much like this, overall it was good and i can imagine it being very influential
Yuck. Hollering. Gibberish.
Tom Waits is the king of setting a mood. This album (along with the album cover) gives me the same haunting feeling that I get listening to something like Korn’s self titled
I love Tom Waits, but that love is conditional. When he is in "weird freak" mode the love fades completely. While there are a couple of nice tracks here, this album is too weird freak heavy for me.
6/10
I still have no idea if I loved or hated this album. His voice is super challenging to listen to yet somehow I’m intrigued. I don’t think I will be listening to this album again any time soon but I can appreciate what the artist was going for and what he achieved. I wanted to give 4 stars but since I really actually did not enjoy listening to the album I have to give it 3/5.
Tom Wait's 11th studio album is a difficult listen, hard listening time. The songs blend together like puke in a vomitorium the music sounds like the soundtrack to the world having one big ugly nightmare. It's relentless. It doesn't let up even on the relatively less doom & gloom songs there is no sense of hope at all. It feels like the end of the world as our souls wait in our bone machines (our bodies) for what we know is coming any day or maybe (we dare think) that day came already and this is the music of the aftermath of the end of everything. I can't imagine wanting to hear Bone Machine again anytime soon but who knows maybe in a few decades it will all make more sense to me because right now it's the most unrelatable album on the 1001 list and I'm very thankful for that. This is the toughest album I have ever rated. Did I enjoy? Not really. Is it an important work? Absolutely. I could give it ⭐️star & it would be a very honest rating, but I could also give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️and it would also be a very honest rating. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ is out of the question as Bone Machine might be a million things but average it is not. ⭐️⭐️ is too close to a negative review & I don't feel negative about Bone Machine at all, so that's not going to fly. I guess I'll go with ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ because I can't award an album that I didn't enjoy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ even if I do recognize it as a brilliant work of art and ultimately post-art.
Hm. An interesting mix of hard-no, did-not-enjoy songs, and ones that were okay-verging-on-enjoyable. I thought it was well done though, even the ones I felt visceral dislike for - I think he achieved what he wanted to do, they weren't meant to make me feel comfortable.
He’ll yeah
Love tom waits but not this album
Not my cup of tea
Mad and bonkers. Completely off the wall compared to my normal listening pleasure. The sleeve notes show this was recorded in a basement room with just a 'cement floor and water heater'. Very stripped recording but imaginative and has a fascinating vibe. Unusual but endearing.
Talentless drivel
Amazing banging, twanging rattling and howling album with so many memorable lines - 'Cause there's nothing strange about an axe with bloodstains in the barn, there's always some killing to do around the farm'. Tom Waits is always good for a 5.
i don’t know what to say. i’m just…. i don’t mind weird stuff. i enjoy some weird stuff as long as it’s interesting and doesn’t make me feel like i want to scream into the void.
No private session used for spotify, I have definitely listened to this album before, "Goin' Out West" is one of my favorite of Tom Waits songs. This album is weird, but it works.
Always thought Tom Waits was cool, but never really listened to him. His voice is an acquired taste. Some songs were good, others bored me.
2/10
I like his story telling but his voice made my voice sore listening to it.
7/10…experimental-dirty rock Anfängliche Schwächen. An mancher Stelle falsch abgebogen.
Tom Waits 1992
No thank you
I am not really a Tom Waits fan, I can appreciate his music, but I don't really ever seek it out. that being said I am seeing WAY too many 1's and 2's in these reviews. It isn't that bad, I get his voice is weird, but common, it's not unlistenable. In my review for Spiderland I said that it probably has the highest disparity in ratings from this site and RYM (1.2), but this album is close with 1.12 (current rated a 3.97 on RYM). Anyways this album is good, I really like The Earth Died Screaming, and it is cool that Les Claypool makes an appearance on this list, still there are a handful of songs I am not crazy about. A very good album overall though. Mid 4.
I’ve tried to listen to Tom Waits before and didn’t dig it, but this is brilliant. Can’t wait to listen to it again.
this one REALLY freaked me out. like the lyrics and the vibes…. ugh. some songs were better than others but “dirt in the ground” scared me enough to make this album a 1/5.
Absolutely not
I think the reason I can give Björk's weird stuff the time of day is that a) she’s got a beautiful voice b) I love her accent c) she’s fit On the contrary, Tom Waits gives the impression of a down-&-out old busker that has been given the keys to a multi-million pound studio. “Yeah, mate, the percussion is over here; the instruments are over there; just bash and twang and blow whatever you like and I’ll be back in an hour”. On the positive side, it’s entertaining. It’s fun. In fact some of the tracks are actually quite good. He seems to be using a different ‘voice’ for every song so he’s clearly taking the piss and enjoying himself. Not dreadful but not one for my collection. 2½
3+
Meh, I feel like Tom Waits tries to hard to make wacky music. I hesitate to call it that, it’s mostly just sounds.
why do you hate my ears?
I’ve tried so many times… I just can’t enjoy this
Tom Waits has a spectrum that goes from “pretending to be a deranged lounge jazz singer” to “pretending to be a steam engine”. The closer he gets to the latter, the worse he is. Some of these songs are kind of great. Dirt in the Ground is kind of great! But for every Dirt in the Ground there’s two songs where he’s like “Hooh! Hah! Clang! Bang!” and it’s a bit rough.
Voodoo blues, interesting for a few songs but not for me
3 Stars (8/15)
does this man need help?
With Tom Waits, you'll never know what you're going to get. His music ranges from off-beat and beautiful to experimental, unintelligible noisy garbage, but through it all he definitely is unique and has something interesting to say. Bone Machine is a mix of all those things and with his gravelly, hard to understand vocals, it's hardly a staple on mainstream radio. His music to me is sometimes a challenge and I can't say it's an especially enjoyable way to spend you afternoon. It's an acquired taste and you definitely have to be in the proper mood and mindset to get through this. Yeah, drugs and alcohol will help!
I absolutely love the caveman-esque music that Tom Waits manages to create on this album. Some tracks remind me a lot of the 'Underground Theme' music in Super Mario World. It's the same vibes. Almost as if he's playing music on anything he can get his hands on, including bones. 'The Earth Died Screaming', 'Such A Scream', 'In The Colosseum', 'Goin' Out West' all have this exact sound, and Waits lets out his trademark gravelly shouts. Interspersed between these tracks though, it's the opposite end of the spectrum. There are some really lovely ballads on the record where Waits still has his usual gritty raspiness, but this time it's being sung over a hauntingly beautiful piano, or some lovely acoustic guitar. Some of these are pretty gorgeous. 'A Little Rain', 'Who Are You This Time' and 'Whistle Down The Wind' are very pretty with the latter even adding some nice violin and slide guitar. In 'Dirt In The Ground' which is another ballad, Waits puts on this almost falsetto vocal, but still maintaining the husky gruffness in his voice. It's certainly bound to be controversial, but I enjoyed it a lot. 'Goin' Out West' has the really cool, almost muted and muffled guitar riff. This isn't your typical "5 star album". It's not 'Abbey Road', 'Rumours' or 'Dark Side Of The Moon' where the overwhelming majority of people agree it's a classic or masterpiece. This will split people, but I for one am on the side of people that enjoy Tom Waits. I only thought there were two or three tracks out of fourteen that were "meh", and that's a good enough ratio for me to award it full marks. Maybe on a six month relisten, when I'm not particularly in the mood for this dissonant, weird music I'll feel differently, but right here, right now, in the mood I was in at the time of listening, I loved it.
nope
Not my jam, but cool!
Tom Waits might be the best to ever do it, and this might be in my top 3 of his records. This is just so fucking cool, and all the reviews of this moaning about his voice are written by absolute losers.
Nooooooooo ick
[1.5/5] Final impression: If Tom Waits could get a different person to do vocals, these tracks wouldn't be bad. Unfortunately, I can't stand his voice. Sometimes his voice works, but most of the time it doesn't. Instrumentals are generally solid, but sometimes weak. Listened to on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/album/4VNqy9FUAFCvwE6XqrtlOn]. The Earth Died Screaming - I don't know what I expected, but it wasn't this. Not sure if I like it or hate it. The instrumentals are fine, but if the vocals are the same throughout I will not survive. Sick instrumental at the ending though. Dirt In The Ground - The vocals are just so strange. Sounds like he just got done with 25 packs and then walking into the recording studio. Such A Scream - The more upbeat energy of this track works better with Tom Waits' voice. Instrumentals are good. All Stripped Down - His high vocals are AWFUL. The low vocals have an interesting grit and sinisterness to them that actually kind of works. But wow. Who Are You - Not sure if its Stockholm Syndrome, but his voice doesn't sound that bad here. Kind of works. The Ocean Doesn't Want Me - Slam poetry night. Interesting. Jesus Gonna Be Here - It's decent. Do you think that cough at the end cleared out his throat enough for the rest of the tracks to be listenable? A Little Rain - Just okay. In The Colosseum - This one's interesting. Kind of like it. Second favorite track so far. Goin' Out West - Eh. Fine, I guess. Murder In The Red Barn - His voice works in this one. *Black Wings - This one's good. Whistle Down The Wind - Don't like this one. Sounds like I'm at church. I Don't Wanna Grow Up - Good. Probably liked Black Wings just a little better, but this one's classic. Let Me Get Up On It - Rough. That Feel - Also not good. Overall notes: Melancholy and desolation, carried by a gritty, rough voice. Unique, at least.
Man, I just don't know how to feel about Tom Waits. I can't tell if he's being sincere or parodying something (or himself?) most of the time. There are times when the music is actually really beautiful and melodic and Tom's vocals are just this drunken, raspy, caricature of a singer and then there are the "songs" that just sound like rhythmic noises made expertly by a mad men (or several of them at once) in a sewer somewhere. I had trouble getting through this album because of some of the songs that just didn't connect with me, but I want to like it. I'm really struggling to pick between 3 and 4 stars, but I'm gonna say 4 because it kinda won me over by the end.
I was dreading listening to this, since I didn’t like Heartattack and Vine much …. but it’s actually really good? Waits voice still sounds like Captain Beefheart in Sesame Street, but I think his old bluesmans voice is fully utilised here. Instrumentation is sparse, soms clings and clangs and bits of conventional instruments here and there. It all sets a really nice tone with apt lyrics to back them up. I really liked this much more than I thought I would and will be revisiting.
In my top 3 Waits albums. Might be my favorite from this phase of his varied career. Faves: "Earth Died Screaming", "I Don't Wanna Grow Up", "Goin' Out West", "Jesus Gonna Be Here"
I have to be honest ... I have never sat down and listened to Tom Waits. My only exposure has been from when it comes up driving in my friend's car (who I already know, he has given this album 5 stars) I feel Tom Waits is definitely an acquired taste, but I appreciate that it is something different, than the normal 90s doldrums we have suffered through. I have to give it a bonus star for "I Don't Want to Grow Up" even though the version I am more familiar with is the Ramones cover.
Some really wonderful stuff, and some of the stuff that kept me from loving him during a lot of that decade. I prefer rain, dogs, but I love some of this too.
I love Tom Waits as an actor and human. I do really love a few of his songs. But none of them are on this album. He has a really lovely voice when he's not trying NOT to. My favorite songs by him are old ones like Hope That I Don't Fall in Love with You, In Between Love, and I Want You.
I thought I was basically familiar with Tom Waits's oeuvre, but I guess I didn't know the half of it. No thanks.
Hadn’t heard this before, interesting listen
I like Tom, he's good
I like his voice in the fall. halloween and stuff. he is great for that. also he was in shrek. goated
I've heard bits and pieces of Tom Waits over the years and have really enjoyed his music along with that unmistakable voice. This is my first listen in a long time. I really enjoyed it.
I've always thought Tom Waits was a very intriguing artist. His music, his songwriting, it's definitely different. And I have met him once at a local mall - go figure. (and yes it was him, he said his name was Tom Waits, and at the time I knew of him). Not many Tom Waits with that raspy voice. Some good music.
What a start to the list... A lot of the tracks forgettable, but my favorites: -Who Are You -A Little Rain -In the Colosseum I see where there may be an audience for this but it wasn’t for me.
I enjoyed parts of this, I think I will probably revisit this a few times. I get a sense of depth here and I think I need to listen over a period to absorb it properly. Voice is very unique and absolutely belongs on this list. I enjoyed it more than not but definitely not instant love
This is my first Tom Waits album out of the 17,020 (okay, it is 5) albums by him that are in this book. I have always tried to get into Waits and his music, with varying degrees of success. I tend to enjoy his 70's output a bit more than his later output, at least from what I know of that music. I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed this album and his album didn't absolutely grate the heck out of my nerves, as I thought it may. I do not know if I will ever be a Tom Waits fan, but perhaps listening to him in headphones is the way to go. I feel like it was a better experience for me, even if the name of the album and the cover photo is an immediate turnoff. I knew two of these tracks already but I enjoyed nearly all of the songs, especially A Little Rain and Dirt in the Ground.
One of his best.
Me han tocado 2 álbumes suyos casi seguidos. Como dije en otra reseña, Tom Waits es un estilo propio que si te gusta es siempre un acierto. Me he guardado In the colosseum y Murder in the red barn.
Nope. Still don’t get it.
Excellent album.
This doesn't have a repeat value.
He shouldn't be recording
even if you somehow like this melodramatic, caterwauling doofus, i don't know what could possibly be gained from having FIVE of his godforsaken, unlistenable albums on the list. shouldn't the point here be to provide as broad and varied of a selection as possible? I'd argue there shouldn't be ANY repeats, even of the Beatles or david Bowie or whatever other artists have been canonized, but certainly not of this insufferable show-tunes-for-people-with-donnie-darko-tattoos garbage i like no wave, i like experimental music and weird jazz and stuff, hell, I've given good reviews to captain beefheart and pere ubu and throbbing gristle on this very website! his voice makes me want to never listen to music again, i get and am thoroughly over his stupid fucking shtick, and i eagerly look forward to receiving his fifth album from the generator and finally being free of this unbearable pretentious idiot
Interesting album but not one I particularly enjoyed. The combination of the songs and Tom Waits voice is a bit too raw for me.
Really enjoyed this. Probably more than the previous Tom Waits album - Heartattack and Vine. Best songs: Such A Scream Jesus Gonna Be Here (his voice sounds great here) In The Colosseum Goin' Out West Black Wings I Don't Wanna Grow Up (probably the best song)
Surprisingly amazing! Hard rock turned musical! Awesome concept album!
There is no one else like Tom Waits. I was really struck by the ballads on this listen--he really knows how to write a beautiful melody.
Okay, I really like Tom Waits, but this is now my 3rd of his albums out of 523, which feels like too many. Swordfishtrombones remains my favorite, but this one is great.
Bloody Tom Waits... this was marginally more listenable than his other albums on this list, but seriously, what is the deal? 5 albums on this list and all varying degrees of shite.
Pretty good but one time my ex called him the dancing bears guy and I can never unsee/unhear that. I have some more complicated thoughts on Waits and Af-Am-coded music, but not in the mood for that. Moreover his basis in cloying nostalgic melody is simply never going to work for me. It's fun that some music director working for Fincher was like "come up with the scuzziest, coolest, aggro, MALE music ever for this one Fight Club scene" and immediately thought oh I know, Tom Waits.
The vocals are just too annoying to listen to even though some of the music is okay. 2 stars or D-.
May need to circle back to this one!