Newsgroups: bit.listserv.allmusic
Date:         Mon, 14 Dec 1992 19:17:44 GMT
From:         HAUGHD88@IRLEARN.UCD.IE
Subject:      Re: Dracula
              11 Dec 1992 09:25:05 CST from <USTS060@RUST1.DPO.UAB.EDU>

On Fri, 11 Dec 1992 09:25:05 CST Dave said:
>
>    Okay, this is more film that music, BUT Tom Waits can be found
>playing the mentally deranged Renfield in Copolla's new Dracula.  To
>my mind that brings him up to at least five films, not including his
>concert video.  Four of those films have been released in the last
>two years, one of which _At Play in the Fields of the Lord_ was a
>rather substantial role.

Hmm - I must have missed a few. What are the ones you recall ?
I remember "Down by Law" (Dir Jarmusch); The one where he played a
puppet master (can't remember the name off hand) - don't think it was
"one from the heart" but he did the music ;  The one about the search for
the guitar designer (Tom played the designer's brother or brother-in-law).
Haven't seen "At play ..." - it hasn't made it over to here (yet).

>    Tom was even on Arsenio Hall a month or so ago.  Wasn't Tom Waits
>seen as a kinda weird, avante garde type.  Kinda along the lines of
>Nick Cave?  Why am I asking this?  I know he was, or at least that's
>the attitude down south.  At least among those who have an inkling of
>who he is.  His latest album is, IMHO, great, but is also one of his
>most bizarre.  From whence comes this notoriety?  Is the world
>getting taste?  Is he sleeping with directors?  Inquiring minds want
>to know.
>
>Rev. Dave Hall

Avante Garde ? Hmm. Kinda makes u pause a minute when u realise he's been
around for 20+ years ! Tom definitely is God - glad to meet another follower
of the true way.

As for the album being bizarre, well not really any more than his more
recent stuff. I think he's gone through two and a half phases. His early
stuff (like Nighthawks, Blue Valentine, Heart of Saturday Night, Small Change,
Foreign Affair) are bluesy-jazz; late night music; "mellow" for want of a
better term. (Though it is not a term I would usually use to describe him).

Then he starting getting, well, *weird*. Raindogs, Swirdfishtrombones ?
What can u say ? (I mean, even the *names* are weird). That was phase two -
pump organs, and god only knows what else. It's pretty awesome stuff, too,
but quite different.

Then came Phase II and a half - "Frank's Wild Years" (incidentally, that
has to be one of the alltime classic tracks. Never could stand that dog !)
This album was like (in my humble opinion) a fusion of the early and later
phases and indeed was a brilliant combination.

But, after F's.W.Ys, he got back into Phase II proper (kicking off again
"Big Time" which was just a live version of the tour, and mostly consisted
of Swordfish and raindogs) with Bone Machine.

So yep, I agree it's weird, but i don't think any weirder than normal ! (!)

(I was surprised to see him call the new album Bone Machine - given that
album (n) was the same name as a track on album (n-1) for the last few ,
FWY, Raindogs, Swordfish) (only connection I can think of for the new one
is that one of the early ones was a "Mr. Bones" production).

(hmm. thinking about his classic songs reminds me of another gem - "Better off
without a wife" - instead of taking a woman out, you bring yourself out for
dinner, then back to your place, put on some of your favourite music and
pretty soon you end up taking advantage of yourself. Ok, so you don't respect
yourself in the morning, but what the hell...)

Recent notoriety - / popularity / ? I guess meeting up with Jarmusch and
doing "Down By Law" was probably a major catylyst. Both of them have become
fashionable now...

-- bjh, University College Dublin

p.s. have to tell u about the time he was on his honeymoon in Dublin...
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