Monday, September 10, 2007

Tom Waits Analytics

On Sunday's ride Tom and I got to talking about Tom Waits and how totally awesome he is. I think we also touched on how people that like Tom Waits are also totally awesome which I guess is axiomatic but the point is that everyone I know who likes Tom Waits is a good person. You don't have to be Waits-ian to be good, but you get the picture.

ANYWAY..... Tom asked me what my favorite TW album is and this always makes me scratch my head. I own a bunch of albums and more partial albums so its tough for me to say which I like best. Further when I first found out about TW I was in High School and several people gave me mix tapes that I listened to all through college. The problem of course is that they formed a sort of meta-album in my head that does not in fact actually exist. I stole a bunch of random stuff during the Napster days, which as I have said many times is bad and clearly stealing. I think the only physical CD I ever bought was Mule Variations sometime after I got married but I think it got stolen at some point. Once Itunes came around I began slowly filling in (legally mind you) my collection and I think I have something from every album (discography) but only full albums for: Alice, Bastards, Bawlers, Brawlers, The Early Years Vol. 1 &2, Frank's Wild Years, Mule Variations, Rain Dogs, Real Gone, Swordfishtrombones.

To try and figure out what is my favorite album that actually existed, I decided to make a playlist from each album of my favorite songs based generally on what I listen most to from each. There are bound to be other undiscovered nuggets in what I already own and even more when I get around to completing all of the albums but for now I'd have to say that Mule Variations is my favorite album based on the stats. Fortunately this confirms my subjective hunch but Bawlers and Frank's Wild Years are up there and on a given day could easily take the top spot.

Alice:
Alice
Barcarolle

Bastards:
Heigh Ho
Home I'll Never Be
The Pontiac

Bawlers:
You Can Never Hold Back Spring
Long Way Home
Tell It to Me
Fannin Street
If I Have to Go
Down There By the Train
Danny Says

Blue Valentine:
Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis

Bone Machine:
Goin' Out West

Brawlers:
Lie to Me
Bottom of the World
Rains on Me

Closing Time:
Ice Cream Man
Lonely

The Early Years Vol. 1:
Goin' Down Slow
I'm Your Late Night Evening Prostitute
Rockin' Chair
Looks Like I'm Up Shit Creek Again

The Early Years Vol. 2:
Hope I Don't Fall in Love with You

Foreign Affairs:
Barber Shop

Frank's Wild Years:
Hang on St. Christopher
Straight to the Top (Rhumba)
Blow Wind Blow
Innocent When you Dream
I'll Be Gone
Yesterday is Here
Way Down in the Hole

The Heart of Saturday Night:
Diamonds on My Windshield
The Heart of Saturday Night
Please Call Me Baby

Heartattack and Vine:
Til the Money Runs Out
On the Nickel

Mule Variations:
Big in Japan
Hold On
Get Behind the Mule
House Where Nobody Lives
Cold Water
Eyeball Kid
Picture in a Frame
Chocolate Jesus
Come on Up to the House

Nightwaks At The Diner:
Better Off Without A Wife
Warm Beer and Cold Women
Big Joe and Phantom 309

Rain Dogs:
Singapore
Tango till They're Sore
Downtown Train
Anywhere I Lay My Head

Real Gone:
Top of the Hill
Hoist That Rag
How's It Gonna End
Day After Tomorrow

Small Change:
Tom Traubert's Blues (Four Sheets to the Wind in Copenhagen)
The Piano Has Been Drinking
Pasties And A G-String
Step Right Up

Swordfishtrombones:
Underground
In the Neighborhood
Frank's Wild Years
Down, Down, Down
Soldier's Things
Gin Soaked Boy
Trouble's Braids

2 comments:

BigChill said...

I have no comment on Tom Waits. However, I did notice that both your Tinfoilman and LV Marathon countdown clocks have the same value. I don't think this is possible.

Dan said...

For me, I value some of the more experimental Waits a little (and I stress a little) less. I love the tried and true flophouse Americana ballads. The songwriting is always fantastic, but Waits' voice is just perfect singing heartfelt tales of the down and out.