All Categories — All Formats  

A rawer, edgier Tom Waits starts to emerge on Blue Valentine – he's still the booze and smoke-stained ballad singer, but he's got a buzzing, electric edge and some bruised rhythms to match! Really great stuff from Waits as he was nearing the end of his excellent run on Asylum. Includes "Somewhere", "Red Shoes By The Drug Store", "Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis", "Romeo Is Bleeding", "Whistling Past The Graveyard", "Kentucky Avenue", "Blue Valentines" and more.

An early one from Waits – his second album – and a great one! Like the rest of his first few records, this is a kind of like a street-savvy, hipster cabaret affair, with less of the eccentricity that would reveal itself later in his career. Still a great record though, rendered with a Bukowski-esque salt of the earth palette. Includes "Fumblin' With The Blues", "Please Call Me, Baby", "Diamonds On My Windshield", "New Coat Of Paint", "The Heart Of Saturday Night", "Drunk On The Moon", "Shiver Me Timbers", "San Diego Serenade", "Semi Suite", "Depot, Depot", and "The Ghosts Of Saturday Night (After Hours At Napoleone's Pizza House)".

One of the all time great albums from Tom Waits – possibly the pinnacle of his earlier drunken poet style of songcraft – and with some of the most achingly beautiful songs he ever laid down! It features the classics "Tom Traubert's Blues" and "Step Right Up" to kick it off, followed by boozy ballads and sly, bedraggled ne'er-do-well tales, and old school strip club-dweller love songs like no others. Other tracks include "I Wish I Was In New Orleans", "The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me)", "Invitation To The Blues", "The One That Got Away", "Small Change" and more.

One of the stellar earlier albums from Tom Waits – with lots of slower, piano-led bluesy and jazzy ballads – on top of the jivey, gravelly charisma of his voice and songwriting. The mix of that gruff voice and the fairly pretty instrumentation is prime Waits, from this period. This is the 40s, 50s and 60s-inspired Waits at his near-finest. Includes "Cinny's Waltz", "Muriel", "I Never Talk To Strangers", "A Sight For Sore Eyes", "Barber Shop", Foreign Affair" and more.

Deluxe edition with bound 94 page booklet.

The debut of Tom Waits – a prettier, less gravelly-voiced and less knowingly seedy effort as the albums to come – and a set that's as tender as any that Waits would ever record! This is Waits in after hours yearning mode, still upright on a barstool or a piano bench, not yet having fallen in a gutter. It's one of his best records. Includes "Ol' 55", "I Hope That I Don't Fall In Love With You", "Midnight Lullaby", the beautiful "Martha" – which still one of his best written songs), plus "Rosie", "Lonely", "Ice Cream Man", "Closing Time", "Grapefruit Moon", and "Little Trip To Heaven".

An early one from Waits – his second album – and a great one! Like the rest of his first few records, this is a kind of like a street-savvy, hipster cabaret affair, with less of the eccentricity that would reveal itself later in his career. Still a great record though, rendered with a Bukowski-esque salt of the earth palette. Includes "Fumblin' With The Blues", "Please Call Me, Baby", "Diamonds On My Windshield", "New Coat Of Paint", "The Heart Of Saturday Night", "Drunk On The Moon", "Shiver Me Timbers", "San Diego Serenade", "Semi Suite", "Depot, Depot", and "The Ghosts Of Saturday Night (After Hours At Napoleone's Pizza House)".

The great early double album from Tom Waits – getting into full on charismatic drunken bluesy poet mode – essentially working live in the studio, and embracing his wit and way with a sly monologue as brilliantly as he'd done to this point. Brilliant vintage waits and a loose, yet nicely rhythmic backing combo. Titles include "Better Off Without A Wife", "Emotional Weather Report", "On A Foggy Night", "Eggs & Sausage", "Spare Parts", "Big Joe & Phantom 309", and "Putnam County".

One of the all time great albums from Tom Waits – possibly the pinnacle of his earlier drunken poet style of songcraft – and with some of the most achingly beautiful songs he ever laid down! It features the classics "Tom Traubert's Blues" and "Step Right Up" to kick it off, followed by boozy ballads and sly, bedraggled ne'er-do-well tales, and old school strip club-dweller love songs like no others. Other tracks include "I Wish I Was In New Orleans", "The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me)", "Invitation To The Blues", "The One That Got Away", "Small Change" and more.

One of the stellar earlier albums from Tom Waits – with lots of slower, piano-led bluesy and jazzy ballads – on top of the jivey, gravelly charisma of his voice and songwriting. The mix of that gruff voice and the fairly pretty instrumentation is prime Waits, from this period. This is the 40s, 50s and 60s-inspired Waits at his near-finest. Includes "Cinny's Waltz", "Muriel", "I Never Talk To Strangers", "A Sight For Sore Eyes", "Barber Shop", Foreign Affair" and more.

Almost an underground groove supergroup – given that the set features work from Earl Zinger (Rob Gallagher of Galliano) at the helm, production from 2 Banks Of 4, vocals from Valerie Etienne, and funky rhythms from Shawn Lee! The combination of talents come together here in a very new way – with a style that's much grittier and earlier than before, although still pretty darn groovy overall – almost putting a raspy old school touch on a scene that's definitely matured on its own, and may well be old enough to lay claim to the rootsy sound of this set! Rob's songwriting has definitely matured, and at some of the best moments, there's almost a British Tom Waits-y kind of quality to the set. Titles include "Below Sea Level", "Burial Blues", "Whip Of The Wind", "Laxfield Blasphemy", "Velvets Eleven", "Margaret Catchpole", and "Foggy Dew".

Almost an underground groove supergroup – given that the set features work from Earl Zinger (Rob Gallagher of Galliano) at the helm, production from 2 Banks Of 4, vocals from Valerie Etienne, and funky rhythms from Shawn Lee! The combination of talents come together here in a very new way – with a style that's much grittier and earlier than before, although still pretty darn groovy overall – almost putting a raspy old school touch on a scene that's definitely matured on its own, and may well be old enough to lay claim to the rootsy sound of this set! Rob's songwriting has definitely matured, and at some of the best moments, there's almost a British Tom Waits-y kind of quality to the set. Titles include "Below Sea Level", "Burial Blues", "Whip Of The Wind", "Laxfield Blasphemy", "Velvets Eleven", "Margaret Catchpole", and "Foggy Dew".

Classic Rock chronicles the legacy of Deep Purple – with a feature that covers their 45th anniversary – and a whole lot more! This issue has an interview with Neal Peart of Rush, the story of the Tom Waits uber-classic Swordfishtrombones, plus pieces on Pete Way, Alice In Chains, the new wave of Australian rock 'n' roll, The Moody Blues and much more! Also includes a free CD – 24 Carat Gold – with tracks by Deep Purple, Black Star Riders, Big Country, Tracer, Helldorado, The Deafening, Peanut Butter Lovesicle, Alice In Chains, Reagan Brown, Mother Of God, SUN, Scorpion Child, Eureka Machines, Kadavar and more. 15 in all.

Kelly Hogan makes a huge step up to Anti- – home to fellow traveler Neko Case and some of her heroes and heroines, from Mavis Staples and Bettye Lavette to Booker T and Tom Waits – and with I Like To Keep Myself In Pain, Kelly's made a better record for Anti- than any of them! If you're unacquainted with Kelly Hogan (which is forgivable if you're not a Chicagoan...maybe), she's always singing and performing, though rarely recording – for herself, anyway. Not only is Hogan's first new album in years near-perfect, she makes it sound easy! A love for country soul and the best kinds of 60s vocal pop inform the style, but she makes it all her own – and that's especially impressive given the diverse crop of songwriters she interprets. Truly one of best albums from a solo singer in recent years – in any genre! Booker T, Dap-King Gabriel Roth, and longtime Hogan-friend Scott Ligon play on the record, and songs include "Dusty Groove" (it's not about us, though if it's possible to be flattered by a coincidence, we'll take it), "We Can't Have Nice Things", "Daddy's Little Girl", "Golden", "Ways Of This World", "Plant White Roses", "Whenever You're Out Of My Sight", "Pass On By" and more.

One of the best albums by offbeat jazz singer Annette Peacock – one with a loose, very innovative vibe in arrangements – with some pretty darn cool electronics! Annette not only has a strong voice, she's fearlessly creative in her use of it – and on this album, her vocals are often processed through the electronics – in a way that's a good decade ahead of the curve, but never in a way that never denigrates her strength as a singer! At times, she's screaming like Betty Davis in a funky mode, at others she's getting raw and dirty in a Tom Waits vein, and at others she presages 80s club oddities like Klaus Nomi! Somehow these divergent modes work together, making this one of the most unique and trailblazing albums of Annette's career! Includes the funky break track "Pony", a pretty compelling number, plus "I'm The One", "Been & Gone", "Love Me Tender", "Blood", "One Way", "Gesture Without Plot", "Did You Hear Me Mommy?" and "7 Days".

Sure, Rickie Lee Jones went onto become a bit of a cliche in later years, but this early album's still got an undeniable power – and was a great breath of fresh air, at a time when it seemed like most of modern music was forgetting its roots! What is it with the LA scene from the 60s onward that they always seemed to find their best inspiration in the past? Artists like Harpers Bizarre, Randy Newman, Tom Waits and others set the stage for a record like this – by reaching back into older styles and bringing them forward with a more contemporary spin. (And why was it that LA seemed to be the center of this mode – and New York, Chicago, and other cities never worked that way?) Rickie serves up a nice assortment of older-styled vocal cuts – performed with a mixture of traditional and 70s jazz backings, supported by some extra-classy Warner production from Lenny Waronker. Titles are all originals, but done with an older hipser sort of feel – and titles include "Easy Money", "Chuck E's In Love", "Young Blood", "The Last Chance Texaco", "Danny's All Star Joint", "Weasel & The White Boys Cool", "Company", "Coolsville", and "On Saturday Afternoons In 1963".

A tome to the legacy of Island Records – the pretty amazing journey of a record label that began with the goal of bringing reggae to the masses – and in it's heyday, grew to be home to some of the most creative artists in modern pop music of sprawlingly broad styles! From Bob Marley to U2, Roxy Music, Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, PJ Harvey, Tricky and so many more! Includes a preface by Chris Blackwell, and this book is quite beautifully illustrated. . .lots of full color photography, album art and more. 222 pages.

Amazing music from the depths of the Great Depression, but it's hardly a downer – this is a deeply felt collection of tunes by black & white singers and combos of the 20s & 30s that's cathartic, emotional, and a complete treasure trove! The songs are full of brutal beauty, tragedy, and some dark humor, especially when it gets to the murder ballads – and more than 30 of the 70 songs haven't been reissued before now! This is simply one of the very best box sets of archival Americana since the epic CD releases of the Anthology Of American Folk Music. It's really that good! 70 tracks on 3CDs, crafted by Susan Archie, Hank Sapoznik and Christopher King, with a gorgeous 52-page booklet, and an introduced by an obviously indebted Tom Waits. The CDs separate the material thematically – Man V Machine, Man V Nature, and Man V Man (And Woman, Too) – and titles include "Titanic Blues" by Hi Henry Brown & Charlie Jordan, "The Crash Of The Akron" by Bob Miller, "Wreck Of Old 97" by Skillet Lickers, "The Fatal Wreck Of The Blus" bu Mainer's Mountaineers, "The Story Of The Mighty Mississippi" by Ernest Stoneman, "When The Levee Breaks" by Kansas Joe & Memphis Minnie, "The Death Of Floyd Collins" by Vernon Dalhart, "Peddler And His Wife" by Hayes Shepherd, "Frankie" by Dykes Magic City Trio, "Dupree Blues" by Willie Walker.

Nothing too mad here, Alto Madness is a wonderful record that really shows the genius of Richie Cole in the 70s! Cole on Muse is a wonderful combination – sharp-edged alto sax, rooted in tradition – but let loose on some freer soul jazz modes as well, really showing the strong jazz underground that was bubbling strongly at the time. Cole's alto is set up beautifully with rhythm from Harold Mabern on piano, Rick Laird or Steve Gilmore on bass, and Eddie Gladden on drums – and the record also features percussion from Ray Mantill and guitar from Vic Juris – both players who shape the sound of the record differently than you might expect. As on other Cole records of the time, Eddie Jefferson makes a great guest appearance – singing wonderfully on "Moody's Mood 78" and "The Common Touch" – the latter of which is a great lost bit of Jefferson from the 70s. Other cuts include "Cole's Nocturne", "The Price Is Right", "Remember Your Day Off", and "Last Tango In Paris". Hollywood Madness, a great example of the Muse Records charm of altoist Richie Cole – bop-fired creativity at its peak, mixed with some added contemporary elements to keep things fresh! In this case, Richie's horn takes on some key bop classics, but also opens up a bit with vocalsits too – Eddie Jefferson on versions of "Hi Fly", "Relaxin At Camarillo", and "Waiting For Waits" – the latter of which also features Tom Waits as well! The Manhattan Transfer make some subtle guest appearances too – but in ways that are much more restrained than their own albums, really leaving most room for Richie's horn. Bruce Forman plays guitar and Dick Hindman piano – and titles include "Hi Fly", "Relaxin At Camarillo", "Hooray For Hollywood", "I Love Lucy", "Malibu Breeze", "Waiting For Waits", and "Tokyo Rose Sings The Hollywood Blues".

One of the better albums by this offbeat jazz singer – and one that doesn't get as campy as some of her later records, although it's still got some pretty camp moments! There's some pretty darn cool electronics used to both process Annette's voice, and which were created by the voice. At times, she's screaming like Betty Davis in a funky mode, at others she's getting raw and dirty in a Tom Waits vein, and at others she presages 80s club oddities like Klaus Nomi! Includes the funky break track "Pony", a pretty compelling number, plus "Blood", "One Way", "Gesture Without Plot", and "7 Days".

A bunch of classic tunes that inspired – and were covered by punk rock founders The Ramones – with some that you'd expect and many more that might surprise you! If you're a fan of The Ramones, you know that they were students of rock and pop history. They really had an ear for the most irresistibly catchy songs, with the rawest underbellies. This set has feral tunes by The Stooges, The Seeds and The Trashmen – along with classic Phil Spector productions, some of the greatest surf pop and much more – all of which were covered by The Ramones at one point or another – and all of it great! Includes "Let's Dance" by Chris Montez, "California Sun" by The Rivieras, "Do You Want To Dance" by The Beach Boys, "Surfin Bird" by The Trashmen, "Baby, I Love You" by The Ronettes, "My Back Pages" by The Byrds, "Can't Seem To Make You Mind" by The Seeds, "7 And 7 Is" by Love, "I Don't Wanna Grow Up" by Tom Waits, "What A Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong, "Little Bit O' Soul" by Music Explosion and more. 24 in all.

A pair of killers from keyboardist Gene Harris – both recorded for Blue Note, and back to back on a single CD! First up is Gene Harris/The 3 Sounds – the last Three Sounds album for Blue Note – and the funkiest too – thanks to lots more electrification than usual, and some killer arrangements from the mighty Monk Higgins! Monk's really at the top of his game here – going past even his great previous work for the group, and working with a tight, sharp edge that recalls his funky 45 brilliance of the 60s – yet tuned a bit more towards the electric Cali jazz of early 70s Blue Note! Gene Harris plays loads of funky piano lines – and in addition to the trio's core electric bass and drums, the set also features some added work on percussion from Paul Humphrey – who really brings in a kick – plus added guitar, congas, and even a bit of Hammond from Higgins too! Some cuts even have a bit of vocals too – sung in this offbeat way that's a wild approach to soul. There's some killer breaks on the set – including the massive "Put On Train" and "What's The Answer" – but the whole set smokes, and other cuts include "I'm Leaving", "You Got To Play The Game", "Your Love Is Just Too Much", "Did You Think", "Hey Girl", and a mad version of "Eleanor Rigby". On the second album – Gene Harris Of The Three Sounds – Gene really steps into the solo spotlight – moving away from his work with the Three Sounds trio, and headed into even more righteous territory – as you might guess from the trippy image on the cover! The set features Harris mostly on acoustic piano, but amidst larger arrangements from Wade Marcus that really round things out with a warm, soulful edge – mixing guitar from Sam Brown and Cornell Dupree with Gene's lines on piano – and giving things an extra kick at the bottom with drums from Freddie Waits, and percussion from Johnny Rodriguez and Omar Clay. The record echoes Harris' older roots at some points, yet comes across with a richer 70s vibe too – a hip 70s style that's strongly due to the contributions of Marcus' arrangements. Tracks include a great remake of "Listen Here", which begins with a great funky break; a sweet steppers version of "Killer Joe"; and the tracks "Lean On Me", "Day In The Life Of A Fool", "Django", "Emily", and "C Jam Blues".