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Orphans. Tom Waits.
 ANTI-
6677-2. Total Running Time: Over 3 hours!
Tom’s latest fascinating album is a collection of new tracks, songs that
wouldn’t fit on previous albums and tracks from compilation album and film
scores that he has contributed to. It’s divided into Bawlers, Bawlers and
Bastards, and each album is around an hour long. Despite the fact that it’s a
ragbag of odds and ends, each album sounds like a concept album, and every
single eclectic track is worth listening to. Brawlers is a bluesy collection of
songs including a few covers, Bawlers sees Tom at his more melodic with a bit of
every style including country, gospel and even a cover of Young At Heart.
Bastards is a treasure chest of very odd tracks even by Tom’s standards
including a spoken track Children’s Story which is hilarious. A must for every
Tom Waits fan, the trio of discs comes with a 94-page book containing song
lyrics, credits and photographs. And if you’ve never bought a Tom Waits album
this is the perfect way to start – once listened to you’ll be hooked. A
contender for Album of the Year!
CD Single Reviews
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BY MARTIN SIRL
Come In From The Cold by TD Lind
Englishman TD Lind has already had a wide and varied career in his short
lifetime, from playing piano in Paris bars to hanging out in Louisville,
Kentucky and writing songs in collaboration with such diverse artists as Wilco
and Ozzy Osbourne. Come In From The Cold is a simple song with a charming
recorded-in-a-bedroom quality that puts one in mind of Nick Drake, albeit with
slightly more of a country feel. Lind has a distinctive voice which, paired with
some hypnotic acoustic guitar playing might just provide a surprise minor hit
this Christmas. Let’s face it, with the young man having done just about
everything else you’d be silly to bet against it.
Why Not Nothing / Sweet Brother Malcolm by Richard Ashcroft
With Ashcroft’s Keys To The Word album being arguably one of the best releases
of the last 12 months it’s perhaps understandable that Parlophone have seen fit
to raid the masters one more time for this double A-sided assault on the festive
charts. But it would have been nice to see some new material from the former
Verve man. For what it’s worth Why Not Nothing is an enjoyable foot-stomper
while the melancholy Sweet Brother Malcolm is the type of string-laden ballad
that suggests that Ashcroft can yet be this millennium’s Van Morrison.
Thoroughly enjoyable stuff, but surely by now this is one strictly for the
collectors.
The Pieces Don’t Fit Anymore by James Morrison
Morrison’s singles seem to be getting better and better and the young man from
Cornwall certainly turns in another massive performance on this drop-dead
gorgeous lament to disintegrating relationships that will have those with the
stoniest of hearts weeping openly into their beer. Starting off sounding like
Otis Redding and ending up reminiscent of Steve Wonder’s best moments, Morrison
offers up another sure-fire winner and, with a projected release date of 18th
December, might just be laying an early claim to that coveted Christmas Number 1
spot.
If I Called You On The Telephone by The Revelations
The Revelations are an all-girl trio who run their own Motown club night at
Notting Hill Arts Club on the first Sunday of every month, all of which will
offer some clue as to what to expect from this debut release. Well intentioned,
nicely produced and performed with considerable gusto. Sadly though If I Called
You and the other tracks on this CD have neither the magic or the charm of those
classic early sixties releases. A truly courageous attempt to mix the sound of
The Shangri-Las with the sheen of Abba, but too often the end result comes out
sounding like little more than muzak for supermarkets. Nice try girls, but a
revelation this is not.
Someone Should Tell You by Lemar
Recently named Best UK Male at the MOBO awards, Lemar is undoubtedly one
of the few genuine success stories to come out of the ‘reality TV is gonna make
you a star’ machine. Great voice plus good song plus some sound production
values all add up to another hit for a young man who one has to admit has had a
pretty extraordinary couple of years. The live version of If There’s Any Justice
thrown in here will help ensure that more than a few people will be waking up on
Christmas Day to find a copy of this wedged into the toe end of their stocking.
Lonely Girl by Sandi Thom
Sandi Thom sounds a little like a young Cher on this catchy but
unremarkable ballad. It’s not hard to see why RCA chose this, the most
commercial track from the Smile It Confuses People album as a hopeful punt at
the Christmas charts. But it’s actually the second track on this CD, the wistful
Time, which is the more interesting cut. Here Thom wanders firmly into Joni
Mitchell territory and immediately sounds more at home and a good deal more
interesting as a result. When the young lass from Macduff finally finds a style
she likes and settles on it, she really does have the potential to become
Britain’s answer to Ms Mitchell, but until then her output will remain, I fear,
frustratingly patchy and erratic.
First Love by The Maccabees
One expects much from a band that claims to be influenced both by The Bonzos and
televised cricket, and lyrically at least The Maccabees catch the attention with
this cleverly crafted tale of a boy falling in love on his first trip away from
home. Musically, however, this is very much the kind of standard indie band fare
of the kind being churned out the length and breadth of the country. Think
Zutons without the freshness, Blur without the hook, or even Robbie Williams
without the musical muscle and you’ll be getting close. By all accounts The
Maccabees are making waves with an electric stage act so perhaps one should
reserve judgement until catching them live. In the meantime I’ll make do with
Viv Stanshall and Ritchie Benaud for now, thanks very much.
Ali In The Jungle by The Hours
Jarvis Cocker for one has taken time out from his own ‘comeback’ to champion
this tale of another. But in truth The Hours, who comprise experienced producer
Antony Genn and multi-instrumentalist Martin Slattery, have little need for such
celebrity endorsements. There is plenty enough talent on show here to suggest
that these young men will find themselves with a hit on their hands a lot sooner
than even they might have expected. Over an annoyingly catchy Keen-style piano
riff Genn sings ‘It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish’ and ‘It’s not
where you are, it’s where you’re going’, words that could prove prophetic in the
case of The Hours who might just be about to go the whole 12 rounds. A real
contender.
Lions And Tigers And Lions EP by Tiny Dancers
Yet another bright new Sheffield-based band but one with a more original sound
than many new bands around today. I’m not sure whether Tiny Dancers took their
name from the Elton John track but it’s obvious that they do take the bulk of
their inspiration from the seventies. If you can imagine Nick Lowe with a touch
of glam, or Gram Parsons with a hint of pre-pomposity U2 thrown in and you’ll
get the general idea. A heady mix of country pop, northern humour and fun which
simultaenously intrigues and delights.
The Blinding EP by Babyshambles
Pete Doherty certainly seems to be loved and hated in equal measure, but even
those most anti to the cause would have to agree that Babyshambles' current
output stands head and shoulders above most other new stuff around today. This
5-track EP showcases the full range of the band's talents, from crafty indie-pop
(The Blinding) to the haunting melancholia of Sedative. In between the band even
take time out to tackle white reggae on the infectious I Wish. In all instances
the tightness of the band is a constant factor, while Doherty's lyrics remain
clever and incisive enough to grant him an automatic place just below Morrissey
and Cocker in the premier league of troubadours.
W.A.Y.U.H. (People Don’t Dance No More) by The Rapture
Probably the best track from the new album Pieces Of The People We Love,
W.A.Y.U.H. is a jerky, supercharged slice of dance worthy of any party floor
this Christmas. It’s just a shame The Rapture are unable to produce music of
this quality all the time as ‘people don’t dance no more’ is surely a statement
that the boys from NYC can, on top form, blow right out of the water. In fact,
you’d probably have to be in a coma not to find your foot tapping along to this.
For the uninitiated the unabbreviated title of this is Whoo! Alright-Yeah…Uh
Huh, which not only is murder to type but kind of how you feel after listening
to it
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