Dan Erre

I love him viscerally but... Suites? Suites? Tell me you're joking.

I am referring to 'European Son' and 'Heroin'. Except for the paradodecaphonic 'Revolution 9', when had the Beatles ever made tracks longer than 7 minutes?

Yes, but suites are something else ;) Those are simply rather long songs. For the rest, NO ONE had ever done what the VU did with this album, let alone the Beatles.

Absolutely. It was VU and Led Zeppelin, with their undisputed instrumental superiority and the best coherence with the times, that brought down the Beatles, certainly not Yoko Ono or Linda Eastman.

In fact, Down Colorful Hill has been out for 3.

One of the albums of my life, no doubt about it. And all of this was achieved with twenty years of career already behind him.

Yes, impressive. Music and lyrics.

And you were right to mention "Black Wings," the most classic of "masterpieces within a masterpiece."

Where, among other things, her voice slithers down to the lowest imaginable level, with that heartbeat in the background that is the fluttering of luciferian wings. Magnificent.

Well, I have nothing else to add; I can only praise this record, there’s not much more to say.

However, I must say that the theatrical "Black Rider" from the following year (the 1990 show, though) I like even more, and here I’m going a bit against the tide.

Yeah! There's little to do and a lot to (re)listen to.

I love 'November' there. In general, I like it a lot too.

I’m happy about it; it’s a bit underrated (compared to some of his others). I was immediately hooked because I managed to find the show on YouTube, which they’ve now removed—such a blast. But I understand that if someone isn’t familiar with the story, it might come off as challenging (not in your case, though) unlike “Frank's Wild Years” or “Alice.”

I actually don't know the story. By the way: I also love "Franks Wild Years," with "More than rain" and "Temptation," not to mention "Hang on St. Christopher" or "Cold cold ground"; from Alice I remember the beautiful "Watch Her Disappear"...

It's a heartbreaking song. Those are all the discs taken from the theatrical performances or from Waits/Brennan (Frank) or from Waits with Robert Wilson. In Black Rider, William Burroughs also collaborated :-) That's why I was talking about history. They all follow each other (especially "Alice" and Frank) very well even without listening to Black Rider; knowing the show is priceless (a classic story that combines love and a pact with the devil). Just think, I even have the outtakes version with songs excluded from the original CDs but also present in the show. In short, I'm a bit obsessed with Waits...

Anyway, it seems to me that you like them all, same for me. Including the more "classic" ones from the '70s, which I adore. The trilogy of "Closing Time," "Small Change," and "Blue Valentine" especially is a marvel.

Never heard "Closing Time," to be honest. The other two, yes, but I don't know them well. I'll review them...

"Closing Time" is simple, but how to say it... The summary of the "Perfect Singer-Songwriter Song." Waits, at 24, was already an exceptional songwriter.

Oh yes, he still had a normal voice :-D

coff Foreign Affairs coff

You run away, you know how I think, THEY ALL are worth gold. Even if Foreign is one of those few to whom I would only give 4 balls (plentiful, in his case). "Burma Shave" is a piece for the annals.

Yes, it wasn't directed at you, because I seem to remember how you thought. Anywaaaaay cough better than Blue Valentine cough

Even just for "Kentucky Avenue," I prefer BV... Maybe it’s because I have a very dear disabled friend, which makes that song resonate with me deeply and adds extra value to an already great album, with "Somewhere," etc...

I've always mixed up the tracks from Blue Valentine; I can't distinguish the titles or the music, except for Somewhere and Blue Valentines. It shouldn't even be among my favorites anymore, given how much I like it and how often I listen to it today, but my brain tells me to leave it in that pathetic ranking on my profile.

*but the brain and memories (like a post-it)...

Better to leave it. Those three tracks are enough to make it an album that can't be missed in certain selections. I chose 'Bone Machine', but maybe it is indeed less emotionally engaging.

You can only say that. For me, BV is much more emotional; BM is the one I like the least from Waits.

And what do the gentlemen think of Nighthawks?

I will listen to it soon, but I confess I don't know the early Waits. Only from "Small Change" onwards...