Closing Time

Tom Waits has recently acquired the ownership of his Asylum Records era recordings (1973-1980), and has set about remastering them for CD and vinyl, alongisde his wife, Kathleen Brennan. 'Closing Time' was his debut album, from 1973, and in this incarnation, it has never sounded better. My review is from the CD version.As an album, it perhaps shows that Waits' talent had yet to crystallise into a truly distinctive style, but there are some great songs on here - 'Ol' 55', which the Eagles recorded on their 1974 album, 'On The Border', the sweet ballad 'I Hope That I Don't Fall In Love With You', which is charming, and the sentimental 'Martha', which was covered by Tim Buckley and also Iain Matthews. 'Martha' is undoubtedly a little corny, but it manages to subvert that impression because it is sung so heartfelt and straight. The Jazz / Blues of 'Virginia Avenue' anticipates the style he'd soon immerse himself in. Some tracks aren't quite so effective - 'Ice Cream Man' tries a bit too hard, and the budgetary limitations occasionally undermine the ultimate effect, but I have always loved this album, faults and all.I gather that Waits finds it difficult to listen to his pre-'Swordfishtrombones' era recordings, but truly, he has nothing to fear, on this evidence. Me, I am going to get 'em all over again - it's like meeting up with an old friend.

This first (1973) recording by Tom Waits is part of what I think of as his lounge lizard phase. Imagine a sleazy cocktail lounge with a tipsy pianist growling out cynical, world weary songs between drinks and cigarettes and ignoring requests for standards and you have a picture of the sound world of this album. This is poignant music for late at night that has a Damon Runyonesque charm. Join Tom Waits amongst the lonely drinkers, failed dreamers and other human flotsam in his songs and enjoy his impressive debut album.

"Operator, number please, it`s been so many years. She`ll remember my old voice, while I fight the tears"Tom Waits, one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary music, was a lanky, louche young man of 23 when he made this, his debut. It`s filled with bluesy torch ballads, easy-going mid-tempo songs such as the impressive opener Ol` 55 (covered by Eagles, who knew a good song when they heard it) and swooning lovelorn numbers like the gorgeous Martha - home of the above quote - which had already been heard in Waits` friend Tim Buckley`s lush, quite different version. There`s also the jazzy Ice Cream Man, which looks forward to his more raucous efforts on later records.I Hope That I Don`t Fall In Love With You is a standout song, lyrically superb, telling a story, as Waits could and still does so well. The `twist` in the last line is delightful.One or two tracks don`t seem to quite come off, such as Rosie and the aforementioned Ice Cream Man. It might be the hesitant production, or simply TW finding his feet, trying out ideas.Little Trip To Heaven is one of the highlights, with its languid vocal and sax accompaniment, and could have come from almost any of his first half-dozen albums. He sounds like the Tom Waits we know & love.Grapefruit Moon is simply lovely, musically & lyrically.Closing Time, an instrumental, closes a generally fine first album in classy style.It would be foolish to suggest this is Tom at his best, but he didn`t have that far to go to reach his best, and began to show just what he was really capable of on the near-perfect follow-up, Heart Of Saturday Night.If you like Tom Waits - and I love the guy - then you`ll want this modest first album. Like every single one of his releases it has a perfectly apt cover, in this case a tousle-haired, goateed Tom leaning against his piano shrouded in the dark of a club or - more likely - a bar.Here`s a man who started as he meant to go on."...and I think that I just fell in love with you"

This album is a great sing along album with beers and friends . Love Tom he is an incredible talent this is more of a mainstream feel so will likely appeal to more ears though than some of his early early stuff . Sounds so good on LP the odd crackle adds to the pub feel

Great Artist Tom Waits, this is lovely Albom. All his music is fab. Super songwriter.