Tom Waits
Swordfishtrombones

THE REVIEW

I STOLE this CD! I borrowed it under false pretenses (with the intention of having to return it...), but I liked it so much that I gave up on those pretenses and kept it. Clearly, I could have bought myself another copy, but it wasn't a matter of money... something had developed between me and THAT copy. I noticed that, although it was years old (severely scratched and dusty case, '80s graphics), it had been listened to at most a couple of times (very hard plastic teeth holding the disc). Who knows, maybe that person received it as a gift, but it didn't match their (limited) tastes. At that point, I felt responsible for Tom and took him with me. Poor thing, I couldn’t let it go back into the wrong hands; someone who didn't want it, who didn't understand it and didn't want to try to understand it, and would place it back to languish in a lonely corner of the shelf! And I would tell myself that in the end, it wasn't such a great wrong, since no one would miss it ;).

Truth be told, I wasn't (and am not) a great expert and admirer of Tom Waits, but did I know "Small Change"? (of which I appreciated half the tracks) and "Blue Valentines" (which I appreciated two-thirds of). I greatly enjoyed his creativity, his formidable way of using his voice in such varied, unconventional methods, yet his compositional talent seemed inconsistent to me, always on the verge of shifting from genius to banal within a single song. In short, I didn’t have huge expectations the first time I listened to Swordfishtrombones, even though the quirky title and cover intrigued me... as it happened, from the first seconds of music I started bobbing my head and tapping my feet, and a half-smile somewhere between pleased and sardonic spread across my face!

"Underground", the opening track, can achieve the difficult feat of making you laugh inside; two minutes that seem like a children's lullaby, all played on a very simple and accented rhythm, in which baritone horn and drums play only the quarters, and every syllable is syllabicated and almost growled by Tom... all while the electric guitar plays grotesque and sardonic notes that create an insane contrast with the pleasure of doing it! It gets worse (so to speak) with "Shore Leave", which starts a bit dark and gritty, only to transfigure into a kind of serenade and keep going triumphantly with Tom in full paroxysmal alcoholic mumble (shooooorrrrrrellliiiiiiive, ssshsschiaooorrrllliiive :D). In the background, a marimba, a series of metallic noises, and a splendid banjo-guitar contribute to making everything perfectly believable and musical, even in its diabolical irony. After a brief instrumental piece in which Tom produces an improbable psychogram on the Hammond, and after one of his typical sentimental frames, comes "16 Shells From a 30.6", very catchy and breathtakingly fun thanks to the guitar riffs but especially due to truly ingenious drum and percussion work in its simplicity (isn't it true that Waits is a bit obsessed with guns, shotguns, bullets, and shells, don’t you think?).

The album continues among bagpipes, trombones, accordions, blues, and many other ideas, giving expression to the many faces of this multifaceted artist. The title track is very beautiful, where electric and acoustic bass blend with the marimba and percussion in a truly imaginative sonic bricolage. "Down Down Down" is stunning, starting at speed and showcasing the singer’s great rhythmic virtuosity in all its splendor. Delicate and heartfelt "Soldier's Things"; the usual boisterous irony this time gives way to a moment of intense lyricism, as also happens in the concluding track, "Rainbirds", a marvelous instrumental piece, where Tom sits at the piano accompanied by the bass and plays so well he almost seems like Bill Evans!

In conclusion, a very mature album compositionally, rich in color and different tones, wonderfully arranged and featuring exceptional musicians (including the great Victor Feldman, Miles Davis' pianist in "Seven Steps To Heaven" in the far-off '63 and composer of the homonymous track and "Joshua," now jazz classics. However, in Swordfishtrombones he mainly deals with marimbas and various percussion, many of which are unusual and exotic). So, if you come across this crazy and brilliant CD... STEAL IT!!!