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.
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.