Well I've lost my equilibrium, my car keys and my pride
February 15, 2007 5:25 PM Subscribe
Nice! Maybe a bit *too* nice to be Waits-related; it needs some cigarette butts and unidentified puddles, and the people should be less wholesome and more urgent, but a great find, for sure.
posted by fish tick at 5:47 PM on February 15, 2007
posted by fish tick at 5:47 PM on February 15, 2007
Great stuff. I loves me some Tom Waits.
posted by signalnine at 5:50 PM on February 15, 2007
posted by signalnine at 5:50 PM on February 15, 2007
Ditto what signainine said.
posted by miss lynnster at 6:01 PM on February 15, 2007
posted by miss lynnster at 6:01 PM on February 15, 2007
Wonderful! I love to see these types of pre-digital age animation/MTV-era videos. There's a great page documenting its origin and filming here: Tom Waits For No One.
posted by Down10 at 6:14 PM on February 15, 2007 [2 favorites]
posted by Down10 at 6:14 PM on February 15, 2007 [2 favorites]
Wow. I LOVED that. Is that what MTV should be like?
posted by xammerboy at 6:14 PM on February 15, 2007
posted by xammerboy at 6:14 PM on February 15, 2007
Funny, earlier today I was looking for Jersey Girl on YouTube and found this priceless live performance. The man is a marvel.
posted by billysumday at 6:23 PM on February 15, 2007
posted by billysumday at 6:23 PM on February 15, 2007
That man can growl.
posted by NationalKato at 7:05 PM on February 15, 2007
posted by NationalKato at 7:05 PM on February 15, 2007
Nice. I haven't listened to Waits in about three weeks. Time I resumed.
posted by juiceCake at 7:06 PM on February 15, 2007
posted by juiceCake at 7:06 PM on February 15, 2007
Nice find, thank you.
If a man swallowed a backwoods driveway, could he carry a more gravelly voice than Mr. Waits?
posted by rollbiz at 8:31 PM on February 15, 2007
If a man swallowed a backwoods driveway, could he carry a more gravelly voice than Mr. Waits?
posted by rollbiz at 8:31 PM on February 15, 2007
Tom is my favourite - when I grow up I want to be just like him. A frightening drunken circus clown spouting the undeniable brutal truth about your mother and death and the meaning of life.
Downtown Train
Goin out West
What's He Building
God's away on Business
And my very very favourites, the ones I have had surgically installed on the inside of my skull:
It's All Right With Me
16 shells from a Thirty-Ought Six
posted by Meatbomb at 8:47 PM on February 15, 2007 [1 favorite]
Downtown Train
Goin out West
What's He Building
God's away on Business
And my very very favourites, the ones I have had surgically installed on the inside of my skull:
It's All Right With Me
16 shells from a Thirty-Ought Six
posted by Meatbomb at 8:47 PM on February 15, 2007 [1 favorite]
I haven't listened to Waits in about three weeks.
Since last night, here. But later, more difficult Tom, I do admit to my shame, I find harder to enjoy as much when I'm drinking, which is primetime Waits time. Perhaps I need to drink more, or harder.
But damn it, I'm not as young or as thirsty as I used to be.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 9:32 PM on February 15, 2007 [1 favorite]
Since last night, here. But later, more difficult Tom, I do admit to my shame, I find harder to enjoy as much when I'm drinking, which is primetime Waits time. Perhaps I need to drink more, or harder.
But damn it, I'm not as young or as thirsty as I used to be.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 9:32 PM on February 15, 2007 [1 favorite]
If a man swallowed a backwoods driveway, could he carry a more gravelly voice than Mr. Waits?
I've often considered taking up smoking, drinking the hardest liquor I can find, and paying someon to kick me in the throat once a month.
I still don't think my voice'd come out that damaged after a decade of that.
As someone or other put it: that dude's voice is a broad-spectrum assault weapon.
His most recent Letterman performance. My favorite of his Letterman appearances.
And on top of that gravel and barking, the motherfucker can still break your fucking heart.
posted by sparkletone at 9:41 PM on February 15, 2007 [1 favorite]
I've often considered taking up smoking, drinking the hardest liquor I can find, and paying someon to kick me in the throat once a month.
I still don't think my voice'd come out that damaged after a decade of that.
As someone or other put it: that dude's voice is a broad-spectrum assault weapon.
His most recent Letterman performance. My favorite of his Letterman appearances.
And on top of that gravel and barking, the motherfucker can still break your fucking heart.
posted by sparkletone at 9:41 PM on February 15, 2007 [1 favorite]
His most recent Letterman performance.
I saw that one. I LMAO'd during the interview.
Somewhere recently, maybe there, I heard an interview with Waits in which he discussed how he writes songs for films. It was brilliant.
posted by neuron at 9:58 PM on February 15, 2007
I saw that one. I LMAO'd during the interview.
Somewhere recently, maybe there, I heard an interview with Waits in which he discussed how he writes songs for films. It was brilliant.
posted by neuron at 9:58 PM on February 15, 2007
I've often considered taking up smoking, drinking the hardest liquor I can find, and paying someon to kick me in the throat once a month.
Close, sparkletone. I hear the real formula is "soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months and then taken outside and run over with a car."
I'm a big fan of this old variety show appearence. The hosts aren't in on the joke quiiite enough.
posted by hippugeek at 10:34 PM on February 15, 2007
Close, sparkletone. I hear the real formula is "soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months and then taken outside and run over with a car."
I'm a big fan of this old variety show appearence. The hosts aren't in on the joke quiiite enough.
posted by hippugeek at 10:34 PM on February 15, 2007
Kentucky Avenue (1979) --This song is pretty much guaranteed to bring tears to my eyes.
posted by JT at 10:55 PM on February 15, 2007
posted by JT at 10:55 PM on February 15, 2007
The hosts aren't in on the joke quiiite enough.
Actually, the entirety of Fernwood 2night was a joke, a satire of regional talk shows, featuring an unctuous host who wasn't quite as with it as he thought and a sidekick that was totally clueless. Tom Waits was an ideal guest for Fernwood, as he's the exact sort of performer that would totally bewilder the hosts of Fernwood, were it a real regional talk show.
It was an offshoot of Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, and Fred Willard has been playing versions of this same character ever since.
posted by Astro Zombie at 11:56 PM on February 15, 2007
Actually, the entirety of Fernwood 2night was a joke, a satire of regional talk shows, featuring an unctuous host who wasn't quite as with it as he thought and a sidekick that was totally clueless. Tom Waits was an ideal guest for Fernwood, as he's the exact sort of performer that would totally bewilder the hosts of Fernwood, were it a real regional talk show.
It was an offshoot of Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, and Fred Willard has been playing versions of this same character ever since.
posted by Astro Zombie at 11:56 PM on February 15, 2007
I hear the real formula is "soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months and then taken outside and run over with a car."
I have heard this too, but I am not certain it's canonical. On top of that, varying the formula should produce something less than a complete rip off.
It's a good thing I kinda like my singing voice the way it is most of the time, otherwise I'd be quite put out.
posted by sparkletone at 1:31 AM on February 16, 2007
I have heard this too, but I am not certain it's canonical. On top of that, varying the formula should produce something less than a complete rip off.
It's a good thing I kinda like my singing voice the way it is most of the time, otherwise I'd be quite put out.
posted by sparkletone at 1:31 AM on February 16, 2007
Kentucky Avenue (1979) --This song is pretty much guaranteed to bring tears to my eyes.
I remember playing that at my college radio... never lived it down. It may have brought tears to my eyes but no one else in the College.
Anyone know if Tom is going to tour outside America with the new album?
posted by twistedonion at 1:53 AM on February 16, 2007
I remember playing that at my college radio... never lived it down. It may have brought tears to my eyes but no one else in the College.
Anyone know if Tom is going to tour outside America with the new album?
posted by twistedonion at 1:53 AM on February 16, 2007
I'd never understood the appeal of Tom Waits until now. Will have to educate myself.
posted by slimepuppy at 3:26 AM on February 16, 2007
posted by slimepuppy at 3:26 AM on February 16, 2007
The Day After Tomorrow from his appearance on The Daily Show a few months back. There are links to the interview there too, where Stewart says something like, "I used to listen to your albums and think, 'Man, I want to be passed out in a gutter somewhere with that guy.'"
posted by krakedhalo at 7:20 AM on February 16, 2007
posted by krakedhalo at 7:20 AM on February 16, 2007
Mmm, Tom Waits is pretty much the best. I made a mash-up with a sad song by him and another sad song by Sarah Slean this one time.
posted by Milkman Dan at 7:52 AM on February 16, 2007
posted by Milkman Dan at 7:52 AM on February 16, 2007
I was all set to derail my own thread with a discussion about how much mashups suck, but that was actually really good Milkman Dan.
posted by BrotherCaine at 9:27 AM on February 16, 2007
posted by BrotherCaine at 9:27 AM on February 16, 2007
hippugeek and sparkletone, dont forget getting punched in the throat, gargling acid, and/or doing heroin.
posted by BrotherCaine at 9:31 AM on February 16, 2007
posted by BrotherCaine at 9:31 AM on February 16, 2007
Thanks, Astro Zombie. I know Fernwood was a joke, but thought Waits was still operating a bit above the hosts' radar. But perhaps I don't give them as much credit as I should, not having seen other episodes.
I was laughing and snorting aloud through that whole interview, krakedhalo. "I used to listen to your music and think, 'Boy, I'd love to lie in the street nearly dead with that guy.'"
posted by hippugeek at 9:59 AM on February 16, 2007
I was laughing and snorting aloud through that whole interview, krakedhalo. "I used to listen to your music and think, 'Boy, I'd love to lie in the street nearly dead with that guy.'"
posted by hippugeek at 9:59 AM on February 16, 2007
Great vid, great links.
Wait's ability to convincingly project rustic squalor and urban dissolution - or is it rustic dissolution and urban squalor? - with humour, empathy, and dignity never ceases to amaze me.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 10:27 AM on February 16, 2007
Wait's ability to convincingly project rustic squalor and urban dissolution - or is it rustic dissolution and urban squalor? - with humour, empathy, and dignity never ceases to amaze me.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 10:27 AM on February 16, 2007
*bookmarks this thread to follow all the links at home*
posted by djfiander at 10:35 AM on February 16, 2007
posted by djfiander at 10:35 AM on February 16, 2007
i'll always believe tom, despite his tendency to "lie to me" (flash or mp4 here).
posted by progosk at 12:32 AM on February 17, 2007
posted by progosk at 12:32 AM on February 17, 2007
Y'all do realize Tom Waits has been on the wagon a while, right? He brags in interviews about not having a drink since 1994. His is one rare case of an artist's output improving after s/he "seeks help"; poor Stephen King's predicament, sidewinding into pseudomythological moral- mongering "spiritual" bullshit, is more usual. Can't anybody simply stop drinking/drugging without chugging and spewing that goofy 12-step crap?
posted by davy at 9:51 AM on February 17, 2007
posted by davy at 9:51 AM on February 17, 2007
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posted by Iron Rat at 5:44 PM on February 15, 2007