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When this CD first landed in my hands, Tom Waits was almost completely unknown to me. Certainly, the name wasn't new to me, but I had never had the pleasure of listening to anything by this great artist. Closing Time is his debut album, probably one of his most accessible works where his voice is not yet entirely ravaged by alcohol as it appears in his more recent records. It's probably not even one of his most appreciated albums, as his masterpieces would come later, but for me, this remains a fantastic CD.
Even the cover appears significantly suggestive and prophetic of what we'll find inside the album: Tom is leaned over the piano with a gazing look lost in the void, a glass of whiskey, a beer bottle, and an incredible amount of extinguished cigarette butts, all resting on the piano, making us understand that he has consumed his evening's dose of "life" and that the venue where he presumably performed is closing (hence Closing Time), as evidenced by the clock hands showing past three. Closing Time indeed has the classic sounds of a nightclub: splendid piano ballads, most notably the enchanting Ol'55, alternate with country pieces like I Hope That I Don't Fall In Love With You, leading up to the magnificent Ice Cream Man in which Waits showcases all his bluesman skills.
The album thus reveals Tom's great musical passions and particularly his love for blues and jazz. If you haven't listened to anything by this great artist yet, do it now, perhaps starting with this CD.
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