| | Tom Waits Swordfishtrombones CD Tom Waits Discography of CDs
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Though Tom Waits had spent most of the '70s establishing himself as one of America's most distinctive singer-songwriters, SWORDFISHTROMBONES found him reinventing himself and creating one of the most original sounds in popular music. Leaving behind his Kerouac-influenced lyrics and lounge-lizard piano-bar stylings for an unprecedented eclecticism that merged Brecht-Weill artsong, Captain Beefheart-style avant blues, Harry Partch-inspired junkyard percussion, along with a healthy dose of everything else but the kitchen sink.
All this sonic exoticism would be for naught where it not accompanied by equally striking, arch songwriting. SWORDFISHTROMBONES moves from the Ken Nordine-style recitative of "Frank's Wild Years" and the demented Delta blues of "Gin Soaked Boy" to the marimba-laced shaggy-dog tale "Shore Leave" and the crazed, Loony Tunes instrumental "Dave the Butcher."
The blazed a trail that Waits (and countless imitators) would follow fruitfully for years to come, and remains one of the most impressive recordings not just of Waits's career, but of anyone's.
Recorded in August 1982.
Personnel: Tom Waits (vocals, Hammond B-3 organ, vocal harmonium, synthesizer, harmonium, keyboards, percussion); Fred Tackett (guitar, banjo); Carlos Guitarlos (guitar); Anthony Clark Stewart (bag pipes); Francis Thumm, Richard Gibbs (glass harmonica); Joe Romano (trumpet, trombone); Randy Aldcroft, Joe Romano, Bill Reichenbach, Dick "Slyde" Hyde (trombones); Ronnie Barron (Hammond organ); Victor Feldman (Hammond B-3 organ, percussion); Larry Taylor (acoustic bass, bass); Greg Cohen (acoustic bass); Stephen Taylor, Arvizu Hodges (drums, percussions); Carl Spangler (programming).
Q (10/92, p.100) - 5 Stars - Indispensable - "...one of the pivotal albums of the '80s...an American melting-pot music such as had never been heard before..."
NME (Magazine) (9/25/93, p.19) - Ranked #16 among The 50 Greatest Albums Of The '80s. Swordfishtrombones Music | List Price | $9.95 (You save $3.40) | | Category | Rock Albums, Rock/Pop CDs, Singer/Songwriter | | Label | Island | | Orig Year | 1983 | | All Time Sales Rank |  2223  | | CD Universe Part number | 1056823 | | Catalog number | 842469 | | Discs | 1 | | Release Date | Jun 15, 1990 | | Studio/Live | Studio | | Mono/Stereo | Stereo | | Producer | Tom Waits | | Engineer | Biff Dawes | | Recording Time | 41 minutes | | Personnel | Bill Reichenbach
Tom Waits - vocals, Hammond B-3 organ, vocal harmonium, synthesizer, harmonium, keyboards, percussion
Larry Taylor - acoustic bass, bass
Greg Cohen - acoustic bass
Richard Gibbs - glass harmonica
Ronnie Barron - Hammond organ
Joe Romano - trumpet, trombone
Stephen Taylor
Francis Thumm
Randy Aldcroft
List all 17 contributors
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Tom Waits Swordfishtrombones Songs Swordfishtrombones Music Review Average Rating: (4.4 out of 5 stars)   Genius, genius genius!
Tom is out of this world, genius , talented., maverick, witty, poetic , clever and rockin'.
'Shoreleave ' here as great lyrics and a great feel to it. He's way cool, man!
Buy this record. brilliant
Submitted by fionarice (ireland)
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 My first CD
I just began listening to his music and I picked up this CD. My god, it's so unusual, but amazingly interesting and fun. I love a CD that defies everything you've ever heard. Music is boring if there isn't something like this thrown into the mix every once and awhile.
Submitted by Aaron, age 17 (Hamilton, Ontario, Canada)
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Tom's Masterpiece
Do yourself a favor - pick this up and grab 'Rain Dogs' also while you're at it.
Submitted by Kevin (St. Louis)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No serb jungle
3 stars says you don't like a word jumble that much.
Submitted by Rogo (England)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No  I love a good word jumble!!!!
When people jumble up three or four words into one, I think it makes the music fun to listen to. Also, Tom's voice on this one is different than anything his die hard fans are used to. He sings mainly in falsetto and rarely does he have his common 10-15 minute piano solos that he is known for. All in all, this album is a jumble, but one that makes you want to get up and dance, dance, dance; and then jog a little; then sleep.
Submitted by a reviewer (Wallingford, CT, USA)
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Buy Swordfishtrombones CD Purchase Swordfishtrombones CD To buy, Click on price to add to cart | Tom Waits Rain Dogs CD (1985)
Swordfishtrombones
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Tom Waits discarded his bohemian sage persona with the radical Swordfishtrombones, and this follow-up release synthesized and developed themes from that groundbreaking album. Ever-shifting percussive textures are supported, where applicable, by horns or Farfisa organ and several guest musicians, including Rolling Stone Keith Richards, contribute to its melange. Waits' bourbon-laced voice is as riveting as ever, intoning lyrics that are, at various times, touching, evocative, sly ...
| | Tom Waits Frank's Wild Years CD (1987)
Swordfishtrombones
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FRANKS WILD YEARS by Kathleen Brennan and Tom Waits had its theatrical debut with the Steppenwolf Theater Company in Chicago, Illinois on June 22, 1986.
Ostensibly a "concept" piece about the strange adventures of a ne'er-do-well named Frank, FRANK'S WILD YEARS is an album full of masterfully written songs and brilliant arrangements, whether one follows the conceptual thread or not. This final album in the loose trilogy that began with SWORDFISHTROMBONES expands upon the advances of its predecessors both in terms of hazy, dreamlike imagery and eclectic, exotic instrumentation.
Waits is nothing if not theatrical, and he plays a wide range of characters here. On the uproarious "Straight to the Top" he's a gonzo lounge singer. On "Innocent When You Dream" he's an old-world balladeer after too many whiskeys. He dons the preacher's cloak for "Down in the Hole," warning of the devil's powers, ...
| | Tom Waits Blue Valentine CD (1978)
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After pefecting his seedy beatnik image on albums like SMALL CHANGE and NIGHTHAWKS AT THE DINER, Waits refined and expanded on it until the 1983 breakthrought of SWORDFISHTROMBONES. BLUE VALENTINE is full of low-rent nightlife imagery and arrangements that leave Waits' jazz ...
| | Tom Waits Heartattack And Vine CD (1980)
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The most bluesy and visceral of Waits' mid-period albums, HEARTATTACK encapsulates the jazzy piano ballads ("Ruby's Arms"), beatnik imagery ("Mr. Siegal") and ...
| | Tom Waits Small Change CD (1976)
Swordfishtrombones
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Unquestionably the definitive recording of Waits' early period, SMALL CHANGE brings his beatnik/grifter/gruff, poetic piano man persona into sharp, defining focus. Waits' blues/jazz/'40s pop amalgam is at its most cohesive here, as he's backed by three West Coast jazz vets and an occasional (never overweening) string section. "Tom Traubert's Blues," later covered by Rod Stewart, is a milestone, and one of the greatest cry-in-your-beer tunes of all time. Waits plays the down-and-out, alcohol-ravaged troubadour to perfection here as well as on "Invitation to the Blues" and the devastating "Bad Liver and a Broken Heart," where one can almost smell the cheap whiskey on his breath.
It's not all misery, though. There's plenty of humor on the huckster/auctioneer rap of "Step Right ...
| | Tom Waits Closing Time CD (1973)
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The 1973 album that introduced a young singer-songwriter to the world at large is a far cry from the wonderfully twisted sonic lanscape that would define SWORDFISHTROMBONES a decade later. The Waits of CLOSING TIME was a barroom balladeer too, but one who ...
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| | Bobby Susser Songs For Children: All Roads Lead To Home CD (2008)
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PARENT/TEACHER NOTES, LYRICS, AND ACTIVITIES INCLUDED WITH CDBobby Susser, M.A. Communication Arts and Sciences and Early Childhood Education, Columbia University, has written and produced original, easy-to-learn, award winning children’s songs since 1972, as well as internationally acclaimed popular songs for all ages. Six (6) times, he has been awarded the Early Childhood News Directors’ Choice Award, Dr. Toy’s/The Institute for Childhood Resources’ "Best Children’s Vacation Products Award," "100 Best Children's Products Award," "10 Best Audio-Video Products Award," "Best Classic Products Award," "10 Best Socially Responsible Products," and the "Parents' Choice Award" for his ongoing series "Bobby Susser Songs For Children." He has also contributed and recorded an official theme song to the world renowned St. Jude Children’s Hospital. Bobby Susser works with several types of singers and musicians depending upon the song, style, and subject matter. Mr. Susser believes the performance as well as the song must be believable, honest, and sincere. These important qualities are the running threads throughout his original songs and activities. Listen to his songs and you’ll discover a serious and careful effort to help kindle ...
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