Leaderboard

Keeping with my Tom Waits binge, I'm currently spinning Swordfishtrombones. I love this crazy thing. This was quite a stepping off point from his previous recordings. He switched labels from Asylum to Island and produced his own album for the first time. The songs are more introspective and emotionally compelling without the retro schtick of his earlier albums, while the accompaniment went from beat generation coffeehouse jazz to something entirely different, often reminiscent of turn of early 20th century band instruments. Picture a singing barfly accompanied by a Salvation Army Band that's sometimes on acid. That's the closest I can come to describing it. My copy came most generously from Ernie Santella (aka santellavision). Just when I was getting back into LP playback, he was getting out. He had not only good taste in music but was a stickler for well recorded and mastered LPs. On that count (among others) this thing just rocks. He took requests from the HFC and I was the recipient of 17 pristine albums for the low cost of USPS media mail. I got quite a bit of the Rolling Stones discography from that shipment as well. I'm going to listen to Swordfishtrombones in its entirety again tomorrow to start getting a sense of the arc and flow of the entire album. I'm hooked, and I wish I could invite you all over for a listen, because these panel speakers I got really bring it!

Finally got around to spinning this yesterday. All four sides. What fun this album is! Excellent sound quality too. He has some excellent and reputable side men in his combo, including tenor sax Pete Christlieb, who played the sax parts in Steely Dan's "Deacon Blues" and drummer Bill Goodwin, who played with vibist Gary Burton on some challenging fusion albums years before Miles Davis ever thought of it.