Reviews (page 5 of 8)
Ive grown to really enjoy Tom Waits. The blues and stomp and stories are all top notch, ive grown to love the growl and i enjoyed this immensely. Needs more attention
Usually I like Tom Waits. But this is just taking the piss. Voice is worse than even. He might enjoying hitting things, but it doesn't make good music.
I don't know how I feel about this. No one song stuck out. I like it more than the first Tom Waits album I listened to. But I don't think I would ever just listen to this album or any one song on it.
rammelende muziek met een rauwe stem erop en nog eens degelijk teksten... zo kennen we onze Tom
It's slam poetry over a Americana Blues / Coal Miner Blues backing track. This album was not for me, though there was 1 song that was a stand out. Goin' out west was a decent song.
Keywords: Raw, Shit Yeah that seems about right.
Tom Waits is a genius
This is the album that got me into Tom Waits, and I think it's his best. His somber, nocturne aura is here at its peak, while at the same time has a bunch of good, catchy songs. It doesn't have annoying spoken parts, but instead is a whole of good songs with a deep, weird voice.
Does not hold up well to me, at least in daylight. I do love many songs by him, but they arent on this album.
Some great voodoo sounds, kinda Captain Beefheart meets Dr John. Highly enjoyable.
Weird and wailing an album that answered to no-one. What wa sit all about. We'll never know.
I like this more melancholy Tom Waits, not quite as full-on bonkers as some of his albums but some.of the arrangements and turns of phrase are just exquisite
Tom Waits is good fun. This isn't his greatest, but it's grimy dirty bluesy growling.
At this stage of the 1001 albums, I've given up on thinking "let's give Tom Waits another chance". I'm a few tracks into this album and I don't know which way is up or down anymore.
one of my music teachers is obsessed with tom waits. i can't even lie this just gives off making music for music "elitists". not a bad album just has some bad parts, but the good parts are mmmmmmmmm.
Not the biggest fan of this artistic style of Tom Waits compared to some of his other works. Not to my style as much with all of the very random and eclectic kind of use of sounds. Still Tom Waits can’t fault him too much though.
This is the third tom waits album and I think he will be on a cumulative 4 points for me
Shite
This had That Feel of the time The Earth Died Screaming. That’s just Dirt In The Ground now.
Surprisingly enjoyable. It kind of sneaks up on you, hands you a beer, and invites you to have a seat and chill with good conversation.
What a crazy record. I really enjoyed it. Is it the best by Tom waits? Maybe not but maybe it is in my opinion.
its different.
Waits is an acquired taste and I am a big fan, but 4 or 5 of his albums that are better come quickly to mind. Hard to understand why the author would include this one which is far from his best.
It’s hard to give him 1 star, because there’s certainly something in there that I’m drawn to. But also, it doesn’t sound good more often than not. Weird fellow
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. It's weird, fun, chaotic, and unpredictable.
Fav songs: Jesus Gonna Be Here; Goin' Out West (pretty sure this is used in Fight Club) I have listened to TW in the past and have 3 albums. He's not for everyone and the older he gets the more his voice sounds like razors cutting through cigar smoke. But I love the imagery he evokes in the album. It feels Gothic. The album either calms down as it goes on or you just get used to it. But plow through and you might end liking it. I notice many ppl didn't really like it.
if a cigar could create music i think it would make this album
i think they sent a caveman to a dumpster to record this but then he slowly started to make more things that almost sounded like music by the end of the album
Tom Waits is an acquired taste. I honestly can't get past his vocals. In addition, the production style wasn't pleasing to my ears. Giving this album two stars instead of one, as I think he is a good song writer. My qualms are with vocals and technical stuff.
Enjoyed it. Can only handle so much Tom Waits at one time tho. Piano songs better than some of his strumming. Whatever. It's Tom Waits. You know what you're getting into here for the most part
J'aime ça la grosse voix de Tom Waits. Je connaissais ses tounes plus folks, mais pas ce genre d'amalgame de travailleur d'usine à métal. C'est hot.
J'aime le vibe !
Je dois avoir le CD de Bone Machine depuis pratiquement sa sortie via les deals de Columbia. Le disque de I Don't Wanna Grow Up... Tom Waits est une influence majeure pour moi. Goin' Out West. That Feel avec Keith Richards.
Wow du gros blues sorti des tripes! Je connaissais rien sauf Way down in the hole (The Wire) Goin' Out West ça bute Whistle down the Wind m'a donné des chills dès la première écoute. Les évocations sont sublimes, il y a une unité sur l'album tant dans les thèmes littéraires traités avec humour et émotion(beaucoup sur la dualité accepter/défier la mort, accepter/défier la foi "I keep myself faithful except for drinking but He knew that I would"). Tant sur la sonorité, enregistrer sur du béton faut le faire! Je comprends mieux d'où Bernard Adamus prend sa folie et sa poésie. Désolé pour ceux que ça offense mais oui je l'aime encore.
Fort sur les percussions et la voix graveleuse de Tom. Je connais un peu plus certains de ses anciens albums, disons qu’on change quand même de registre là. J’apprécie le son de cacanne secondaire à l’enregistrement dans la cave betonnée du studio. Mais sur certaines chansons ça egratigne un peu les oreilles. Je réécouterais pas en boucle disons, mais ça meritera de s’y attarder de nouveau. Dirt in the ground, Such a scream, Whistle the wind down etaient bonnes!
I was expecting something else from Tom. Not my favorite Waits album.
Love Tom
Not my thing, I only made it about four songs in before I was done.
I suppose that his commitment to the bit is admirable. Unfortunately, the character that Tom Waits has been playing for fifty years gets stale for me real quick.
I put off listening to this for a few days because I hated his other stuff on this list. To my surprise, I didn't hate this one as much!
Bone Machine is filled to the brim with stark contrasts. It's not exactly a satisfying listening experience, but Tom Waits proves yet again that he is the master of creating unique atmospheres. When the beauty hits on 'Whistle Down The Wind', it all comes together.
“Dirt In the Ground” made me pause my walk to the station and almost miss my train - outstandingly beautiful. I almost can’t believe it. Bone Machine is an insane album. It’s definitely not pretty, but you can find immense beauty in ugly. This album is proof of that.
This was better than I expected it to be. A little gravelly.
Thoughts before listening: Tom Waits' album with Primus. I owned this back in the day and it's probably my favorite Waits album. He can be a tough listen because of the gravelly voice, so you might as well pair him with another one of my favorites. Review: Ok so I guess Les Claypool was a guest on this album and it's not fully with Primus. It's still an interesting album despite the hard to get accustomed to voice that's equal parts carnival barker and lounge jazz singer, and the reliance on harsh percussion instead of traditional instrumentation. It's definitely one of those albums that I can enjoy with headphones or in my car but would never play for others. My favorite song is "Goin' Out West" which I first heard from Widespread Panic's cover. I'll give this 4-stars.
Not my favourite Tom Waits album, his voice is already a gritty one and this album seems to go to extremes of pushing it beyond what I can cope with comfortably. When he smooths it out a bit, I can get on board more.
1. Earth Died Screaming - 4/10 2. Dirt in the Ground - 5/10 3. Such a Scream - 4/10 4. All Stripped Down - 3.5/10 5. Who Are You - 5/10 6. The Ocean Doesn't Want Me - 2/10 7. Jesus Gonna Be Here - 7/10 8. A Little Rain - 6.5/10 9. In the Colosseum - 3/10 10. Goin' Out West - 5.5/10 11. Murder in the Red Barn - 3.5/10 12. Black Wings - 6/10 13. Whistle Down the Wind - 4/10 14. I Don't Wanna Grow Up - 4/10 15. Let Me Get Up on It - Instrumental 16. That Feel - 6/10 4.5/10
Liked more than expected, taking genre into account. The first song had me nervous thinking I was about to listen to the album that inspired the sound for every Imagine Dragons song ever. Thankfully the rest of the album did not go down that route.
Really liked the first song. Surprisingly
No one told me we were going to have to listen to Tom Waits albums. I feel a little misled.
This album gave me an interesting experience. For some reason, after listening to it once and deciding it was a definite one-star effort, I decided to give it another chance, and played it through again. At that point I had realised that at least a couple of the tracks had merit, so I listened again. This time I found myself smiling and chuckling at "I don't wanna grow up" and appreciating the lyrics on tracks such as "whistle down the wind". I knew that I couldn't justify less than three stars now - so I played it through once more for good measure - and guess what? Yep, it's getting four stars from me! OK, the guy's voice is an acquired taste, and if I could, I would rename the album "Diamonds and Duds", because it has plenty of the former and a few of the latter... But overall, I really came to appreciate what it was all about.
Tough album to go through. The way he played with his voice made things difficult.
Tom’s most abrasive album?
There is an old man called Tom Waits Who, vocally, gristles and grates To some: he's proficient To me: insufficient And deserves rather low-scoring rates
Wenn dä das innere Bar wörd spele wördi mi secher froge was a god aber chuum welle go. Aber als Studiuoalbom chammer halt ergendöppis lose wo fascht besser mues si. Es esch eifach dä Typ met sinerer heisrige Raucherstemm ond es bez basic Hendergrondmusig wo aber au ned wörk speziell esch. Ech verstoh das albom ned wörk.
Really breaking my Tom Waits only every once and a while rule. It's like all too much too often. 8/10
I believe this the last of my Tom Waits albums to get through, by now I can sort of appreciate some of the material evokes a certain charm, but any chance I had to coming round to the idea of Tom Waits has been skuppered by this strange and unpaletable fever dream album.
everyone should hear this album.
Very difficult album to rate when I think it's probably good from a technical and lyrical perspective but falls completely flat because Waits can't sing
All Tom Waits Albums are Great, the music doesn't always sounds the best, but his voice is something else
I have never listened to a Tom Waits album before. I have always known he was out there. I knew he had a gravelly voice and an off the beaten path vibe. Only the cool kids liked him. To be honest, it was ab it too much. It felt like he was making it purposefully unlistenable. There were a few flashes of enjoyment that are making me consider a 3 star now that it is in the rearview mirror, but I am gonna stick with my feelings when I was in it. Sorry Tom.
Love Tom Waits, and I love this album.
Cool and good
If nothing else, it was unique. Very boring, particularly with that rough voice. Favorite Track: "Earth Died Screaming".
This sounds like an album that someone would use to torture someone with. It’s incredibly bad. I have no idea how the hell this made the 1001 list. By far the worst one of the list so far. I think my ears are still bleeding a day later from listening to it.
Felt like I was around a mates house and his dad got his guitar out and sang badly.
Unconventional. Songs vary from annoying in the beginning to more musical towards the end. i will not listen to this again.
Two Tom Waits albums in a week is enough, thank you. It's strange, gravely, and mostly not very fun to listen to. Some stuff works, I think Black wings is a pretty great song as Tom's voice works in a Western setting. But overall, I was mostly ready for this to be over.
drei bis vier Black wings i dont wanna grow up
Very weird album, I think I liked it as a whole. No major tracks stood out to me, but I like the vibe, I think it’s an overall album. It was very solid. It made sense when I looked up later that Primus played a few tracks. I’ll give it a four out of five, but it’s weird because I can’t recommend it to anyone in particular.
What the heck is this? Tom should have waited a little longer!
I likes this. I’m kinda giving it a four just cause I want to remember it more, it’s a stretch but it’s unique
está muy guapo, experimental, crudo, macarra. No sabía que I don't want to grow up no era de los Ramones. Gratamente sorprendido.
Just like the previously suggested Tom Waits album, I kinda liked it. I was a huge fan, some tracks were not for me, but overall it has something. "Dirt In The Ground" is a good one, "Jesus Gonna Be Here" is some kick ass blues.
Artsy singer songwriter, som med andra av hans album på denna lista så fattar ja int det här.
This would sound amazing live in a dingy Louisiana dive bar with a glass of scotch. Unfortunately I live in derby so
Before this opportunity, I’d never really listened properly to a Tom Waits album, despite numerous recommendations from people whose tastes have a lot in common with mine. If I’m honest I’d always suspected there was a bit of ‘Emperor’s New Clothes’ about his music. Going into this I nearly tripped over my own prejudices and fell at the (admittedly challenging) first hurdle with the opening track The Earth Died Screaming. And yet, and yet….. After a couple of false starts, with headphones on, and taking Bone Machine as my soundtrack for a heavy gym session (Waits and weights?), I ended up listening to the whole album, back-to-back, twice. And loved it. What helped? Well, being a Nick Cave fanboy definitely helps get you tuned to the Tom Waits vibe (A Little Rain, and Whistle Down the Wind have particularly Cave-y moments). And I suspect if I found myself in a Tom Waits gig, as well as a smattering of Bad Seeds t-shirts there’d also be plenty of middle-aged men who would pick Stewart Lee (wilfully inaccessible) as their favourite comedian. We like a challenge, especially one that puts us in what we can tell ourselves is a position of intellectual superiority. But there are some great moments on this album – from the raspy melancholy of Who Are You to the consumptive blues of Jesus Gonna Be Here. Even the slightly unhinged cabaret stylings of In the Colosseum grew on me after a second listen. In truth there’s a track on this album for all moods. Including the (relatively) happy clappy singalong of I Don’t Wanna Grow Up. Pay attention and you notice all the emotional subtleties and tonal nuances in what might at first seem not much more than a novelty act channelling some mad tramp in a dive bar. Tom Waits – because he knows the lost sheep will all return to his fold eventually. Will definitely be seeking out more.
Really really dislike this one. I appreciate it is experimental and creates dark soundscapes etc etc but I found it not enjoyable to listen to and make no apologies for this.
Horrible
some is good
as expected with tom waits, this album is a bit bonkers. i would venture to say most people would probably hate this. but there is something about this quirky music that does something for me. even though they are draped in ugly and off-kilter sounds and tom waits' growly wailing, the melodies here are pretty great and if you can get into the vibe, it's a really solid album. it's easy to listen to this album and think "wow this sounds like shit i hate this" but if you are willing to crack past the ugly exterior, there is some cool shit in this nut.
Unreal how many negative reviews on here for this incredible album. Tom Waits is one of the greatest musicians and songwriters of all time and this is one of his best.
I feel like this is right at the bridge when his records went from down and out to just out, which I love but acknowledge isn't for everyone and I think he perfected it a few years later.
This album is definitely more like the Tom Waits I'm familiar with than his much earlier "Nighthawks At The Diner", and for that alone I'm glad this album is included in the collection. I also feel like this is a much stronger album overall than "Nighthawks", especially for those (like me) who enjoy his style; I really enjoyed the whole album, but felt the opening track "Earth died screaming", "Such a scream", "In the colosseum", and "Black rain" were all particularly good (the only laggards were "A little rain" and "Whistle down the wind"). I'm disappointed that I wasn't able to watch the videos for "Goin' out west" and "I don't wanna grow up", especially since they were directed by Jim Jarmusch and Jesse Dylan, but I guess that'll be something to look forward to. I know he's largely an acquired taste, but I'm thankful that I've somehow become seasoned to his distinctive and unusual style (probably some combination of seeing him on the screen ("Children of God", an episode of "Fishing with John"), and his great version of "The devil down below" that fronted season one of "The Wire"). And it's very cool that he got a variety of musicians to accompany on various tracks (Les Claypool (Primus) on "Earth died screaming", Keith Richards on "That feel", David Hidalgo (Los Lobos) on "Whistle down the wind", etc).
A polished, well-executed Tom Waits album.
I really don't enjoy that goofy voice. I can see some definite talent here otherwise and some solid songwriting and whatever, but I can't honestly say I didn't despise listening to this
Well done him for recording this album despite having swallowed a wasps nest
Tom Waits scratches my sea shanty itch and goes above and beyond — not my favorite Waits album but he’s still my flavor through and through, maybe because I like the taste of black coffee while eating nails for breakfast with a side of cigarettes that were tap-danced on by a depressed Broadway clown whose show just got shut down. 1992, same year as Night on Earth, and he won the Grammy for this? Deserved, nobody makes music like Tom Waits and I’m happy to learn he got the recognition he was owed. Album flows pretty well! This is like a 9/10 for me.
I use the word 'dreadful' quite lightly but this was DREADFUL. I mean unlistenable.
Хороший альбом, своеобразный стиль есть, местами круто получается
Not particularly good.
I've never gotten into Tom. I've really tried, it's just not for me
This is artistic but man the absence of any groove/melody really bummed me out and the gravely singing just wore my mind down like a grinding stone. Tom Waits is like running my brain through a skate sharpening machine. I appreciate the artistry but don't get much joy out of it.
Raw and beautiful. 9.4/10 Best Tracks: "The Earth Died Screaming" "All Stripped Down" "Goin' Out West" "I Don't Wanna Grow Up" "That Feel"
Eclectic. I gave it two listens and think to truly get to grips I will need to listen more. There are strong elements of beefheart on some tracks and of Dylan on others but also tracks which are very Tom waits. There is quite a bit of darkness but also depth. Challenging but rewarding.
On this album, Waits uses a range of different and distinct vocal styles, sometimes pushing his voice into unbelievably raspy territory. And yet it all works as a whole, as he deftly matches his vocal style to the content of each song (such as his bluesy wail on "Jesus Gonna Be Here" and his more straightforward delivery on the ballad "A Little Rain"). In addition, even at his most stylized, Waits singing stays solidly melodic, which keeps the songs grounded. The adventurousness in this album doesn't reside in the songwriting (which is uniformly good but not earthshattering) but rather in the wild instrumentation, in which Waits and his fellow musicians hold up a funhouse mirror to traditional American musical forms.
Mesmerizing. Brilliant.
Awesome instrumental, hate his voice
An interesting listen. Jazzy old school bleeding gums Joe
So he’s just deconstructed the blues?
I didn't like this album as much as Swordfishtrombones, but it was still good. I really dig this guys style
Tom Waits is back and he's wild! The entire time I was listening to this album, I felt like an animal in the jungle sensing danger all around me. He's got a very primal, angry style that makes me a bit uncomfortable. FS: In The Colloseum
Troll under the bridge music. I like that this album uses the most off the wall percussion instruments. I don't really have an opinion on Tom Waits grumbly spoken word/ yelling performances, I could take them or leave them.
This is really authentic sounding, very raw, although Tom occassionally sounds like he's forcing a particularly challenging stool.
Certified 1/5 album, complete and total ass with literally no redeeming qualities.
Interesting
Not good
POV: you've been ambushed by a couple drunken hobos in a dark alley near the subway in a rundown who insist on banging tin pots and hollering random complaints. The whole thing was recorded with a tiny mic sitting in a trashcan nearby. 2.25
This one is a difficult one to rate, because it feels intuitively like a 4, but it reminded me a lot of My Aim is True by Elvis Costello, to which I gave a 3. In the end, I decided that while I prefer it over Elvis Costello, it's still a high 3. Favorite Track: In The Colosseum
How can I grade the only artist I would pay a kidney to see live? Not my favourite album with Tom, but still amazing.
Waits does the spooky Americana thing so well. Despite its gruffness, his voice is actually rather delicate and is quite convincing in all of its various inflections. And even when these many grim voices begin to grate on the ears, his lyrics and his soundscapes save the day. Bone Machine is among his best.
Seems repetitive to me although interesting
Waits doesn’t lay it out on a fancy platter for you as much as he kicks down the door and tosses it on the same table he plops his scuffed boots on. This album was recorded in a room with a cement floor and nothing but a water heater, Waits reportedly liked how the room provided the stripped down sound. There definitely is a starkness to the sound on this record and I for one think it benefits from it. There’s also a subtle country twang to it and accompanied by the gothic tones made it really interesting. Really enjoyed this Waits release, with Who Are You coming out on top as my favourite track. 4 stars
Enjoyed this one
Not a fan.
Some real hits on here.
🎧Still really don’t understand the appeal of Tom Waits. This was a real mixed bag, lotta garbage I’d be okay with never hearing again. Some decent tunes too: Who Are You, A Little Rain, Black Wings. Waits is undeniably interesting and has a way with words, but a lot of this is basically the musical equivalent of sandpaper bedsheets.
Ok, I expected to not like this. It's kind of cool, though. I hate to stifle artists, but I wonder what he could do with a real producer that didn't let him run amok with recordings from a concrete room and letting Cookie Monster sing lead.
Not for me
Big fan of the gravelly voiced singers & Tom Waits is the king of them.
this was pretty cool and a little creepy
Oh hell yeah! Haven't given this enough plays since I bought the CD right after it came out, and it's really good to get re-introduced to. Really like the bleakness given my increasingly bleak moods.
Bone Machine is a powerful, brooding album that captures the grief, disillusionment, and fragility of life. With its intense themes and raw sonic textures, it stands as a unique milestone in Tom Waits’ career, showcasing his artistic evolution and willingness to push the boundaries of music.
I do not get the appeal of this guy. Growling for an hour and the instrumentals aren't even interesting. Each song kept getting worse and worse. This shit better not ruin my music algorithm. 1*
Has its highs and lows. Lyrics are great as always. Singing style was way too weird for me on some songs. Not my favourite of his
Music is interesting, but then the singing starts. I am not the audience for this. (Who is? Does anyone listen to this and just love it? Really?)
I guess I didn't know I was a Tom Waits fan.
I’ve never been a huge fan of Tom waits. I don’t know why. This ain’t the album to convert me and isn’t the album to listen to anyway. 1.5.
I was obsessed with Bone Machine from the first time I heard it. It's strange and funny and scary and atmospheric and noisy and surprising and moving and unique. It was marketed (and won a Grammy) as an alternative album, which kind of worked because what other pigeonhole would you put it in? It's an extension of his 80s work, but taken to quite an extreme. My mate Peter bemoans that Tom Waits stopped writing 'proper songs' and just started screaming over recordings of trash cans ceasing around. A fair critique, but I believe that there are real songs in here, underneath the kitchen sink percussion (which is, admittedly, pretty full on). You can tell by the number of covers by other artists, where the melodies often reveal themselves from behind the noisy production. Some favourite moments: - Going Out West is just funny. - the last verse of A Little Rain ("she was 15 years old and had never seen the ocean...") is possibly the most heartbreaking stanza ever written. I have to fight back tears every time I heard it - Black Wings is terrifying. There is also this bit in Joe Gore's beautifully melodic guitar lead at about 2:38 where a descending run starts to rattle the grill on the front of the guitar amp that sends a chill down my spine everytime I hear it. "They say he killed a man with a guitar string" - "there's always some killing to do around the farm" - That Feel is the best song Keith Richards has written since 1975. The loose playing and vocal harmonisation (they were all drunk, I presume) is a perfect realisation of what the song is about. "It's harder to get rid of than tattoos" It's a strange beast, this record, full of apocalyptic stories and frightening characters, but it is engrossing and vivid. Most valuable player has to go to Kathleen Brennan, Tom Waits' wife and collaborator. Across the 80s she had encouraged him to lean into his artistic vision, to produce his own records, to embrace his own aesthetic, which you have to admit,has become less fashionable and more idiosyncratic. Her co-writing has increased significantly on this album, but she is so central to the "Tom Waits oeuvre" that I can't detect the seams. His name is on the album, but this is a powerful collaboration. Honorable mention to Tchad Blake's mixing, which is spacious and organic. His name turns up on a lot of 90s album credits, and his work always sounds amazing. I'm sure this album was a particular challenge, due to Mr Waits' interesting recording techniques. I can see that this record is not to everyone's taste. It is not a sugar-coated record, there is not much to sweeten the medicine. But there is so much richness there. I've been listening to this album for 30 years now, and it still surprises me. I searched for many years for a copy on vinyl. I eventually paid too much money for what I suspect is a bootleg pressing of uncertain origins. But that feels strangely appropriate, like a shady character of dubious integrity from a Tom Waits song.
No. It’s like Gilbert Godfried made an album with the Muppet band. It’s so stupid, it’s funny.
This is absolute dogshit
This is absolutely horrible so far, I can't believe this exists. Who would've listened to this and thought, "yeah let's release this". Why does this exist. Why is this in this list. What a terrible first impression of this website. I don't know who this is but this would be the result of putting a homeless drug addict in a studio with musicians. A 2/10 on my rating scale: SkeepHeads Rating Scale/Chart 1/10 = I've never heard anything this bad before so idk lmao 2/10 = Garbage 3/10 = Really Bad 4/10 = Bad 5/10 = Below Average 6/10 = Average 7/10 = Good 8/10 = Great 9/10 = Amazing 10/10 = Unreal/Out of this world
Anstrengend.
Super experimental, but fucking great all the same. I have a soft spot for Tom's music. His lyrics are amazing. They really paint a picture. And I love how rough and unpolished his voice is. Admittedly, this is the most inaccessible of the 5 albums of his that I've listened to thus far, but I still love the chaos of it. Favorite songs: Goin' Out West, Jesus Gonna Be Here, Murder in the Red Barn, Black Wings, I Don't Wanna Grow Up, A Little Rain, Dirt in the Ground, Such a Scream Least favorite songs: All Stripped Down 4/5
If I were a caveman this would slap. That Feel sounds like something all the weird scraggly muppets would sing together in a muppet film. I will never listen to this again.
About 3 levels too far off the deep end for me to be able to appreciate. But I can see the appeal a teeny bit. I feel like in order to be under 30 and like Tom Waits, you have to have had a parent or uncle who was really into him and indoctrinated you from your youth
Waits has a very incomparable voice. Banging album
3.5/5
Respect for whatever weird bit he's going for
That's not my taste in music - But ok
p694. 1992. 5 stars. American companion piece to Nick Cave's "Murder Ballads". Sharp lyrics mixed with rage, longing, anger and melancholy. If you can live with the gravel vocals (and I can) this is an easy 5 stars.
no more
You always know what you're going to get with Tom Waits. And you know what? He tends to be pretty good at it. This is a mostly good album and would make for a fun occasional listen.
With the delivery of a barren dirt road, there's something shamanistic behind Wait's trademark gravel. It's both western in the cowboy way with a rich mix of voodoo and blues. Certainly not the most approachable of his work, but fascinating because of it.
Loved the vibe here. Might be rating it too high, but whatever
This is my fifth, and final, Tom Waits album and the only one that contributed anything (one song) to my Spotify library. I’m sorry, I just don’t get it; album after album of the same schtick. The best thing he ever did was play Doc Heller on Mystery Men.
Great album front to back! This should be in everyone's collection.
This came hot on the tails of 'Nighthawks At The Diner', also by Tom Waits. There was quite a large genre difference between the two albums. I made it all the way through but, like the previous album, it felt repetitive. I never really 'felt' it, but I did make it all the way through. So it gets 2 stars.
Tom Waits is one weird guy.
Not sure Tom waits deserves multiple albums in 1001 albums list
Not his greatest, some good moments.
Not for me
I’m one of the sickos who enjoys Tom Waits’ whole deal. So I enjoyed this quite a bit. A tad all over the place tonally but that’s a small nitpick. 4/5
Tom Waits is never someone who I search out to listen to, but when I start to listen to I can't help but be entertained by what he is playing for us, it is such a weird but fun listen anytime he shows up, now would I go back to this album probably not but am I glad to have listened to it, yes I think he is one of those artists that you just either like it don't like and I like him but never gonna be on my mantle
Like if half of Closing time was dropped into a blender with a handful of glass and gravel. I loved it. Goin Out West is a banger. 5 Stars.
Very very strange
God this is good. It’s half a nightmare dreamscape and half those tear jerking Waits ballads that sound as though they are coming to you through history.
You can feel the raw emotion here, and it’s effective at times. Problem is, Tom Waits doesn’t have the pipes to be Springsteen, no matter how hard he tries.
interesting
Unfassbarer Schwachsinn
I liked Swordfishtrombones a lot better. Not sure why Bone Machine was on the list. It was also experimental but unpleasant.
Damn. This album is a little more than 50 minutes and yet, it felt like only 30. Is it Waits' voice? Is it the instrumentals? Is it the sonic palette and diversity? Nah, it's all of this at the same time.
Always reminds me of when he was in ghost rider with nic cage
It’s interesting that Tom Waits followed Cohen for me. As I’ve said 2-3 times before, I really want to like Waits, but despite being of the same mold in many ways, it just doesn’t work for me, and I think it should. In the end I think the vocal are just bad enough, the music is just abrasive enough. I’ll try again another day. There are occasions on Bone Machine where we’re close to getting it. 5.7/10
If my first Tom Waits album, Nighthawks at the Diner, was me stepping into the waters of his work, and Rain Dogs was me finally getting the appeal of it, listening to Bone Machine is the point where I can officially say that I like Tom Waits now. This is my third album of his and, while I wouldn't put it above Rain Dogs, I still really enjoyed it. Bone Machine is super cool. The things that I liked about Rain Dogs are still here, though I do prefer the overall package of that album more. Tom's vocals are still very unique and fitting of the music itself. This music that I speak of is considerably darker this time around, which I think works quite well. These songs are definitely more ominous than most of the songs on Rain Dogs, but I think the vibe created by Tom Waits and the various other musicians involved with this album (which happens to include two members of Primus btw) is really unique and executed very well. Just because it's dark doesn't mean it's bad though. Most of these songs are great. Some aren't as special, but they're the shorter ones, so it's okay. The best songs on this album are just excellent though. I especially love "Goin' Out West." The guitar on that track is just superb. Tom's writing is also amazing. The storytelling is very commendable. Bone Machine isn't an album for anyone, but I would definitely call it a must-listen for anyone interested in the work of Tom Waits. I enjoyed it. 4/5.
Basically would be Mad God the movie if turned into an album. Interesting instrumentation, not my jam, but people would like it.
I can’t finish this. I don’t understand why anyone wants to hear this
Well, this album was definitely something. The first thing I thought was Bone Machine was a fitting title, as the first track sounded like someone rattling bones around. At times it really felt like I was listening to some post-ironic version where someone was mocking the way that Tom puts together music. I was certain this was going to be a 1-star album, and then the middle of the album hit, and it seemed to find it's way. It fell down though again near the end, and once more sounded like some crazed version of teenagers angst being thrown up. I did really like "I Don't Wanna Grow Up" and after listening to it, then the Ramones cover, I can safely say I prefer Tom's version.
You know what they say, "11th time's the charm." What a weird album, to say the least. The first couple of songs, I thought it was cool. Kinda edgy, strong and unique voice, decent enough melody. And then it gets.... weird. I mean, I guess it's weird throughout the whole thing, but I think after a few songs, you start to realize the whole album is going to be like this. Honestly there are some songs on here that should have been filtered out. QA'ing your own music should definitely be standard practice. I feel like it's at least interesting enough and unique enough to deserve at least a 2
Old fashioned folk/blues. Really rough around the edges.
Fucking terrible.
So one of the meth heads living on the street at Hollywood Blvd got a record deal. Good for him!. I can almost smell a delicate mixture of pee, feces and weed while listening to this album.
Damn. I really like Tom's kooky take on things, his old timey vibe. It takes me away. Half beat poet, half ringleader, 100% in some shady world that you will never see, and let's face it, might not even exist. Four shots of whisky from a left handed midget in a blind alley at 3am.
Not for me 1/5
I saved a couple of songs from the last Tom Waits album I got, and listened to a playlist that included them frequently enough that I started skipping the Tom Waits songs. I can only take so much of it. I appreciate the instruments and the rhythms of his music, but there is also something so intentionally grotesque about it that it puts me off.
It's a vibe
This is the forty seventh album I’m rating. I’ve heard some good things about his songwriting but I’ve never to listened to a song. Adding to my Playlist - Earth Died Screaming, Dirt in the Ground, Such a Scream, All Stripped Down, Who Are You, The Ocean Doesn’t Want Me, Jesus Gonna Be Here, A Little Rain, In the Colosseum, Goin’ Out West, Murder in the Red Barn, Black Wings, Whistle Down the Wind, I Don’t Wanna Grow Up, Let me Get Up on It, and That Feel. Not Adding to my Playlist - Nothing. Dirt in the Ground - This is very well written and sounds so different. All in all I liked 16/16 songs. This was very very well written. Tom Waits in a excellent lyricist.
Sounds like an old drunkard singing karaoke at 2am in an empty hole in the wall bar.
The only other Tom Waits album I heard was his debut all the way back in 1973 when he had a normal singing voice and played pretty and tender songs, yet, knowing his reputation of his later albums getting weirder and grittier I kind of expected something that was so removed from his start as a blues pianist and more into weirdo rock or something. Instead... It's kind of an inbetween point in those two ideas, he's gone mad and now has really weirdly composed songs, sounds like Cookie Monster and plays a fucked version of his previous music, but he still knows how to pull at your heartstrings or make really compelling songs despite something feeling off, and I really enjoy that! I love hearing that even 20 years after Closing Time he can take the things from that sound and bring it into a new context where the dark and gloomy atmosphere really works. I think I need some time to really sink in and appreciate some of these songs but I think this one will grow on me for sure
Some great tracks on here and definitely a distinct voice and sound. Not sure this is, his best work but a good album nonetheless
I tried to like this but really didn't. Muffled and strange. Definitely unique but don't feel the need to ever listen again.
The first ive heard from him that I can attribute ANY value to. This hits the mark. His nauseaiatingly contrived persona finds a sweet spot here and delivers. Would own.
3.5 so weird yet somehow good
Bit of a mixed bag here. I don't mind Tom, voice of pure gravel can get a bit draining at album length. Much of it isn't enjoyable, but at least he is out there doing stuff no-one else is doing.
Wtf is this. Dude has quite the resume and I like some of his movies. But I’m not sure I like this music.
It sounds like it hurts to be Tom Waits
Often sounds like a mediocre Springstien impression over industrial experimental soundbeds. Sometimes it works here. Mostly, tgough, it does not.
I can see why this wouldn't be for everyone, but I love it. His turn from a crooner extolling the romance behind a forgotten America morphed into an industrial breakdown, and it's just fantastic.
Did not enjoy
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.
No me gustó para nada. Entiendo qué se le destaca pero es inescuchable por momentos y una voz tétrica con la que no empatizo.
Tom Waits is a talented artist but this didn’t resonate for me
Tom Waits has such a beautiful voice
Not again Waits
Scary and kinda yuck. Cool soundtrack
Is this a joke?
I’m never going to love his voice but I can see the through line from this to other stuff I love (Eels, Nick Cave) so I found this far more listenable than some of his jazzier stuff
I love this album, makes me remember university days, working on projects all night long with friends. So good!
can appreciate the gravely voice but needs to a very rare occasion for me to want to listen to this
Between the noise and maracas there are some good songs.
This is really bad. I can’t believe it made a list of anything that doesn’t suck. But it actually won a Grammy? I don’t believe it. I couldn’t hit the skip button fast enough.
I enjoyed the blues - rock - funk mash-up vibe, but will have to listen more than once to really appreciate the lyrics.
Some intimate arrangements like his version of Nebraska, but I still prefer his more orchestrated arrangements
Tom is a great lyricist, and these songs had all sorts of texture. Unfortunately, there are just some show stoppers with him that make this a little too prickly to listen to. I liked the last track not only because it’s my favorite song on the album, but also because it indicates the end of the album.
Tom sings like an early Leonard Cohen while tries to fuse Indonesian gamelan into his music half the time. the other half is torturing ballad with hoarse singing. 2/5 Update (on 4/11/2025): Now I am on RYM. And during my time on the site, other users has long suggested me to re-evaluate my rating for "Bone Machine". So here i am. cling-clang. cling-clang. "Earth Died Screaming" started the album with a series of woody percussion and horror imagery: stars falling, hellfire, chaos everywhere, the craziness of the apocalypse expressed through equally crazy accompaniment. A surrealism of death. Than out of the blue, the soft piano and horns of "Dirt in the Ground" sets the stage in a post-apocalypse world after the last track, while Tom sang this most charming dirge for the dreams, the men, the bible stories, everything once existent on the earth. and by the lyrics and the arrangements, these two beginning tracks singlehandedly established the album as the most unconventional death and loss themed concept album. One finer than The Black Parade and can compete head to head with what else than Murder Ballads. The death count on the album may not be the most impressive one in all death albums (well, of course. Compare Murder Ballads with a death count of 64 people, one dog and a uncountable number of guys living in a slum) but the musicality peaked here, along with the other albums mentioned before. And hey! somehow there's a murder ballad presented in this album too: "Murder In The Red Barn", a half deadpan half simplistic song detailing the aftermath of the murder is chilly even the listener have no sense of what is going on in the lyrics. Surely the creepy arrangement shows Tom being experimental and weird, but the songwriting also shows how good a writer he is. And as people may agree, Tom always has two sides: the experimental side and his singer-songwriter side. This album took the two and juxtaposed them together with the unique and appealing soundscape: In the experimental side, we have the ever-changing genres of the songs: the cling-clang of "Earth Died Screaming" and many other songs that are unable to generalise in a single genre, piano ballads such as "A Little Rain", "The Ocean Doesn't Want Me" with its creepy spoken word performance, old time blues such as "Jesus Gonna Be Here", and even punk-sounding stuff. Example: "Goin' Out West". But rule number one: don't talk about this song. While for the songwriter side, we get touching ballads such as "Who Are You" telling about lifes with a mercurial lover, "A Little Rain", detailing stories of all the lonely people, nearly resembles piano ballads by his fellow singer-songwriters, like Nick Cave on "The Boatman's Call". Right before the end of the album, there's "I Don't Wanna Grow Up". But while listening to the song i was just in my room, using my time that i should use to write my AP art history essay practise to listen to this album and re-evaluate it, thinking about how my other 10th grade classmate are all doing mock exams but i am here writing a fucking review and wishing that i was still a child. Isn't that IRONIC? But that's life. We are all growing up, becoming boring adults, decaying as an inreversible process of life, and finally becoming dirts in the ground. That, is what "Bone Machine" was made to do: give us some advice, make us see something in life and then just leave, and carry on, as Tom and Keith Richards sang in the last track, "That Feel": "And there's one thing you can't lose, and it's that feel".
Tremendous!
I liked this one also much better than I thought I would, but even the first song got me like damn this is gonna be a different one. I actually heard a lot of captain beefheart influence in this one which is crazy.
While I can’t truthfully say that I enjoyed the whole album, I honestly believe in Tom’s talent. He makes music so unique and original. Like no other artist. It’s really incredible how different he sounds and how immediate you can tell him apart. Even with just his instrumentation. I find him best when he doesn’t try to strain his voice to sing. Just his old tired weary voice. Favorite tracks are “Who Are You”, “A Little Rain”, “Whistle Down The Wind”, and “That Feel”. This is solid and consistent and I can appreciate that musicianship without enjoying all of it. 4/5
Sat in the dark and listened to this weird shit. I liked it.
01) Earth Died Screaming - 6,0 02) Dirt in the Ground - 5,0 03) Such a Scream - 5,0 04) All Stripped Down - 4,5 05) Who Are You - 5,0 06) The Ocean Doesn't Want Me - 3,0 07) Jesus Gonna Be Here - 4,5 08) A Little Rain - 5,0 09) In the Colosseum - 4,5 10) Goin' Out West - 5,0 11) Murder in the Red Barn - 4,5 12) Black Wings - 5,0 13) Whistle Down the Wind - 4,0 14) I Don't Wanna Grow Up - 4,5 15) Let Me Get Up on It - 4,0 16) That Feel - 4,0 TOTAL: 4,59 (46/100) Current ranking: 415/433
Weird. Creepy. Evil-sounding. Bewildering vocals, very gravelly. I appreciate that it swung so hard for what it is. But would mostly only listen to this album in this context of seeking out new music.
I'm a casual Tom Waits enjoyer but this one is maybe my favorite. It's consistently weird and cool and embodies his vibe perfectly.
Surprised by how much I liked this one. He is his own kind.
Loved it. Weird and I really enjoyed the percussion heavy songwriting.
His voice drives me nuts.
Not for me, but not bad
Tom Waits is basically an anti-smoking ad (at least I assume that's why he sounds like that...). It was an OK album, nothing special.
Is this the music that is always playing in the bad guy’s lair? He sounds like Ned from South Park
Musically good but I do not like his voice - too froggy for me.
Interesting music, but the singing sounds like an extended death rattle
Correcto
It took me a few listening sessions to get through this. Some of the instrumentation is solid, but his voice is grating enough to make it difficult for me to listen to this. 1.5
2/5
# Album Name: Bone Machine # Artist: Tom Waits # Rating: 1/5 # Comments: BREAKING NEWS, Tom waits is the new face of Strepsils!!!! Jesus wept, what has this man put into his body to sound like this. Stay off the bensons mate. Im dumbfounded by this man. I see comments on here saying its a "masterpiece" or "work of art" or "one of a kind". It blows my mind. WHAT AM I MISSING HERE. Im not going to lie, this was bloody close to being a 2. Some of this album is absolutely bollucks. I do appreciate its something a bit different, raw, edgy. But that doesnt mean its good. I dont think i'll ever like Tom waits at this rate. # Top Tunes: Going out west # Would I listen to it again? No
Strange, but I enjoyed it. I think I should listen to it again.
Another too weird album for me. I also don't like the voice and the singing. I ended up skipping a few tracks.
Bit brash and not very memorable, not the kind of thing I'd listen to really
weird as shit
Think this is one I'll have to listen to again to appreciate it more. 3/5
Waits is his own man, he does his own thing and is authentic to his soul. It comes through on every moment on this album. It’s a dark album, it’s a bare album with minimal instrumentation but never feels miserable, never feels hopeless. I strangely feel it calming.
Love it
Overall, there’s a bit of a sampler feel to this, reflecting that much of this has been presented before and in more concentrated and persuasive form. And the Grammy was definitely a lifetime achievement award (another Grammy nobody much listens to despite feeling good about granting), not that TW isn’t deserving. This is far short of Rain Dogs (obvs) and maybe a few Waits entries on this list too. However, it mines all his best tics and angles and delivers all the classic Waitsian feels and vibes: “Who Are You” and “A Little Rain” and “Whistle Down the Wind” are all lovely and engaging and fully believable as Depression-era ballads. “Ocean Doesn’t Want Me” is weird and interesting and believable. One’s all for covering “Jesus Gonna Be Here” but can’t see this being a top 20 version. Editors have it right -- shadowy delirium, dark and raw, coarseness and relative sweetness. .
I get it. With Tom Waits if you get it you get it. I endeavor to get it, but I don't quite get it. How do you even categorize this? Voodoo Vaudeville? Rumpelstiltskin Cabaret? Occult Opera? Well, regardless of the howling, hungover crooning, the musical compositions are sublime.
Shite. Turned it off halfway through.
tom waits is one of music's great worldbuilders...esp in this stretch of his career where his arrangement ideas bring dizzying cohesion to his always-striking words (rly rly effective here, there is an emotional bluntness and clear expression to all of them even at their most cryptic). here is where also he reveals himself to be one of music's great worlddestroyers....the ever present sense that these songs had some semblance of organic life springing from them, which is now rotted away, but they still dont feel Aesthetically like theyre Missing Anything is a triumph. im not super familiar with most of tom's records but this has always leaped out to me as probably my favorite effort of the ones i do know...the strange feeling of emotionally opening up over time hit me especially hard this time. endings only hurt if there was something worth losing im not v good at ritual-type deliberateness structured around specific Time so i pay no mind to what the first and last things i listen to in a different year are but the last song i listened to in 2024 was definitely some taylor swift song and the first album i listened to this year is the apocalypse tom waits record..........slightly cursed foreboding energy i have to admit
Despite his raspy voice and heavy percussion, there's something comforting about listening to Tom Waits on a cold winter day
Earth Died Screaming 4.4 Dirt in the Ground 4.6 Such a Scream 4 All Stripped Down 4 Who Are You 4.2 The Ocean Doesn't Want Me 4.3 Jesus Gonna Be Here 4.7 A Little Rain 3.8 In the Colosseum 4.6 Goin' Out West 4.8 Murder in the Red Barn 4.3 Black Wings 4.8 Whistle Down the Wind 3.5 I Don't Wanna Grow Up 4 Let Me Get Up on It 3.5 That Feel 4 Score: 4.21875
Can't handle listening to more than 2-3 songs of his in a row
Tom’s stuff is kinda ridiculous to listen to but it’s somehow very captivating to listen to. 3.5 maybe lower but rounding up.
So nice that we let the senile and elderly express themselves. I think I could make an album of this tier. Basically just make a bunch of noise with random objects and scream nonsense in the a microphone from across the room. 1/10
Im a Tom Waits listener but not a fan. Growing up this was featured on a shelf in my local music shops. I remember giving it a listen on the headphones at a Sam Goody and being turned off at the time. Listening to it again as a part of this project has me hooked. I paused the release for a few days so I could immerse myself in this album. It’s raw, dark, and beautiful. I can’t get enough. Maybe I just hadn’t experienced enough hardship and trauma in my teens to truly understand this masterpiece.
I cannot stand listening to this man's voice.
His voice is indescribably bad.
Tom waits for no man, Tom does his own thing, Tom doesn't always strike gold but you miss 100% of the shots you don't make....
Rounding this up for being his own man
listened to again it's full of human mess and grime but there's beauty that shines through
It’s not for me.
Hate the songs when he's singing in his higher register, but the rest are great
Music for try hard wankers
I’m a sucker for this rough and tumble junk box, back alley, nitty gritty Tom Waits stuff. Weird ages better than talent and Tom Waits is a fine wine with a perfect vint.
simultaneously insanely freaky and one of tom waits’s most vulnerable albums
I think I was able to get completely through only 3 out of 16 songs on this album. Please, please, please, for the love God, no more Tom Waits albums. I just don’t get the dude or his appeal.
This is Tom Waits' third album in this project. The sound is - once again - very unusual. But I like it. I like Tom Wait's smoky, raspy voice. The music and sound aren't very catchy, but I like them. The album won't be in my daily stream, but it's quite possible that I'll listen to it from time to time. 4/5
Enjoyed large parts of this- dark lyrics, stripped back. However a lot of it was a bit too bare for me. Potentially higher on a repeat listen
Dark crooner jazz infused barroom blues from a bourbon- soaked cookie monster. The whole album reeks of fedora. A weird boomer affection of pretending to be a depression era drifter. Sparse rough arrangements put the emphasis on the upright bass, plinky plonk piano and bare bones percussion. Some aching lap steel & violin playing adds a nice country twang and high range harmony to a the best tracks. A top 5 'nobody actually likes this, they just like the idea of being a guy who likes this' band. Favorites: who are you this time, a little rain, goin out west
What the actual fuck did I just hear...
Pretty good stuff. The album covers a few different stylistic avenues: there are the usual wild ramblings over clanking, some tracks that could be on a folk singer-songwriter record, and some that are their own unique thing. The vibes and themes of the songs also vary, and yet go well together. As a result, the album is a coherent experience where everything feels in its place. It was fun to listen to and I got an impression of every track even though only three or four were real highlights.
Des trucs chouettes mais sinon pas tres agreable/musical
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.
Couldn't make it through more than a few seconds of the first few songs. The vocal style is NOT for me.
Almost impossible to get that much gravel in your voice without 20 years of Winston's and lots of bad whiskey. Album was quite interesting and worth a good listen.
Dirt in the Ground //
Bijzonder
Tom Waits makes weird music but that's about the only constant thread in his albums. This was weird in its own way. His voice is unique, very gritty, don't mind it. Musically this was a bit darker than the other albums, sort of reminded me a cross between Nick Cave and the Halloween songs from nightmare before Christmas. I don't really like these songs where the storytelling seems to be the most important part but I liked this more than most.
I really enjoyed this album - because it was coherent. He writes a good song, he is clear enough with his singing so I can understand what he's saying, and the instrumentation is just fine. Dirt in the Ground, and Goin' Out West, were my favourite tracks. A rare two-time listen.
Thought this was the most coherent album of his we've had. His graveliness is on par with Leonard Cohen's in you want it darker. Some of it is a bit too weird for me but I actually thought some tracks were really quite good. My favourites were "who are you this time" and "the ocean" 3.5 but I'm going with 4
Not a fan if this one
Gravel vocalized A crunch so satisfying Sings eerie poems
I know that gravely voice anywhere. Always unique and raw!
Fairly boring.
Hell yeah, man. Look, part of Tom Waits' appeal to me is his persona - it's like the whole thing is performance art that isn't a performance and isn't really art. So I'm gonna be looking at this album through that lens, because if I didn't know who Waits was, but had this as my introduction, it'd probably get a 1 or 2. It's a tough listen to kick off, shit banging and clanging with Waits' unique voice kind melted in the middle. If a different Tom, like Tom Delonge or Tom Jones, put this out, it would be shit. Norah Jones this ain't. But that's part of the appeal of this album, too: it's something different, built deliberately and, at least to me, challenging in a way that's not so far gone that it's inaccessible noise. It's all stripped down to the bone, for better or worse. I really love a couple of songs on here, like really love. Sometimes it's worse, I think I'd like some new arrangements of stuff. Not my favorite Tom Waits' album, but definitely one that stands out. I don't know what kind of curve to grade this on, so I give it a 4. I have no doubt it was realized as expected, and I like Tom, but the challenge on some of these tracks is a bit much.
Terrible voice, repetitive songs, yet there is something strangely alluring about it that prevents it from being 100% ass
Now this. This is interesting music. Sounds improvised, I think 'industrial' might be the best word. Has signs of country, rock and many other genres, but Tom Waits would maybe disagree. Main issues I have with it are that "All Striped Down" has a very odd cutoff on the left tambourine, and that some of the rhythms at the start of songs are too odd for my taste. Tom Waits has a great voice and he uses it to great effect. Without albums like this, modern experimental would not be the same. I like it for that. Some of the tracks are slightly too discordant for my taste - part of reaching for boundaries is crossing them sometimes. 7/10
Inventive music, cool lyrics, can’t get past the voice.
Tom Waits, original mumble rapper?
Dark... Scary... But, fantastic
So gravelly and annoying. But heartfelt
twisted
Anyone who pretends to like Tom Waits is a masochist.
Really cool album not my kinda music
Interesting and cool album Standout songs: Dirt on the ground In the colosseum Goin' out wet
Tom Waits er skemmtilegur fýr og röddin alveg hreint stórkostleg en það drefur samt fljótt úr skemmtuninni. Þannig að hann er góður í skömmtum. Ætli ég muni ekki setja eitt og eitt lag í spilun af og til en aldrei heila plötu. 2.5 stjarna en toga upp í 3.
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.
This is a perfect Halloween album. I wanted to play this while we sat on our porch and passed out candy but, tragically, it was no match for my neighbor's playlist of dubstep remixes of songs from "The Nightmare Before Christmas"
I get the message and songwriting, but not my jam.
Excentric, experimental and more made for Tom than anybody else which is fine but as a listener it don't invite the listener. You can challenge your listener but some tracks are almost alienating the listener(at least for me). some tracks are standard bar songs which are okey others are people banging on pots and pans while Tom sounds like a goblin. What also hit me is the awful sound quality, atleast the other albums where mixed. sounds like Tom is standing in the corner of some songs. Probably the worst of the 3 i had on this list (yeah... if i think unbiased i don't think no artist has 3 must listen albums)
Not the best Tom Waits album but there's still some decent stuff on here.
Well, that's the last time I listen to a Tom Waits album on purpose.
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.
Pretty big fan of Tom Waits, but this one is a stretch.
I know one of my best friends hated this album, and yet I persist. This is not my favorite Waits album (none of my faves are on this list, actually), but I do love Tom Waits. So, even though this loses a star in my ranking of Tom Waits albums, it's still highly-ranked (and I, again, wish that Closing Time and Mule Variations were here to get five stars).
Weird, unique, and great. What a strange man. I feel like I’m just a tick off from fully living Waits but this is a good listen. Goin Out West and I Don’t Wanna Grow Up are standouts, but That Feel is a top tier song.
Tom Waits is different. Always idiosyncratic. This was is a little too strange for my taste.
This was better than I expected it to be. Yes it's too long, yes he sounds like a Disney villain singing their one song of the movie over and over again, no I will probably never listen to this again. BUT: the arrangements were pretty cool and I cannot deny the sincerity in his voice, most apparent in the bluesy numbers. "Dirt in the Ground" was a highlight for me.
I said I never wanted to listen to this man again, and hear I am being tormented The screaming sounded like an exorcism The other album I heard of his was just talking, so I'd never actually heard him sing. Is this satire?? Dirt In The Ground - I was blown away by how BAD the singing was. Sounds like a chain smoker about to cough up a lung It's bad enough this guy is on this list at all... but twice?! 1 ⭐️
Oh man. Tom Waits has very little room of middle ground. Love or hat . I personally love his style, poetry and artistry. This album, although not my personal favorite, is a great encompassing album. Give it a listen...And for those newbies he is not effecting his voice - this IS Tom.
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.
Didn't find anything interesting to this.
1/5
Previously rated: Nighthawks At The Diner (4/5) *********************************** Holy crap, what happened to this poor man's voice between 1975 and 1992?! I feel like there is a very good album here, and I would understand people loving it and giving it a 5/5, but yikes, those vocals, I'd also understand 1/5. I'll just split the difference with my rating. I'm just not sure I'd want to hear it again, but still there was something very unique and enjoyable about it. I'm interested in the story behind the making of this album.