As a collection, Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers and Bastards is both one of unity and of dissection. It is an attempt to collect many miscellaneous works – some changed to benefit the album context – over the last thirty years, but conversely he has brought these works together as three separate discs. Each disc is said to show a different side of Waits: Brawlers is the collection full of blues rock tunes of the Muddy Water and Rolling Stones style, close to that found on Mule Variations; Bawlers are the piano ballads and more sentimental tunes found throughout his career, and Bastards are the strange show-tunes, cabaret songs and spoken word pieces that demonstrate what makes Wait a more eclectic original.
However it is also made of little contradictions. The ghosts on the front cover dictate something of the ancient, but most of the songs here are new or from the decade. It is a celebration of his work that has more covers than any album he has done before, with work ranging from the Ramones to Charles Bukowski. And even the conceit of three separate albums is somewhat compromised by the melancholic feeling of the rock tunes, the bizarre compositions on many of the ballads, and the rock and piano nature of many of the Bastard piece. They all blend into one, Dissection and Unity, thus why this is one record not three…
*Sigh* And as such there’s no way in hell I can write about every song in this collection in any kind of structured manner. It is from here we go to the trusty bullet points, and we shall see what mess of comments comes up…
Brawlers
- “Lie to Me”
A fantastic opener starting with thin but layered guitars before the percussion and other guitars come in and give the song so much punch. There’s a Musical quality to what appears bluesy rock track, especially in the incredibly anthemic triplet bridges; you can imagine the room left for applause.
- “LowDown”
Another great blues rock tune, although this one is a little messier and fuzzier with its guitar. Explains a girl and a town so much that the two intertwine; an instance of the subtext of many a Waits song becoming pretty much text.
- “2:19”
This track from 2001 sounds like a prototype for the kind of garage-rock/hip-hop production tones that graced Real Gone. Another train track song complete with the sounds of hitting iron.
- “Fish in the Jailhouse”
One of a fair few tracks in this collection that are to do with prisons. Compared to previous tracks this one distinguishes itself by the inclusion of more sax, and the backing vocals of Waits as some kind of prison warden is a great addition.
- “Bottom of the World”
A more melancholic track and one of my favourites from Brawlers. It kind of reminds me of something from the latter day Asylum records, especially the way it mixes the downhearted elements with descriptions of locations like cafes and barbershops (“white part is perfect for slickin’ down your hair”)
- “Lucinda”
The way that the guitar is so far to the back of this production as to make this a track – at least at the beginning – a kind of strange acappella certainly makes this an experimental track. An illustration that Tom was still getting his Real Gone on, especially with the harmonica solo eventually revealing itself…
- “Ain’t Goin’ Down to the Well”
…more harmonica revealing itself on this track! One of two covers of the great Lead Belly in this collection. Not my favourite of the two, but I do love how much tremolo processing seems to be in Tom’s voice; it gives the feeling of his voice coming from a strange location like a well.
- “Lord I’ve Been Changed”
Definitely reminiscent of black gospel churches (an environment that could probably convert even me to faith), the aspects like clapping percussion and women choir voices really help make this track a standout.
- “Puttin’ on the Dog”
The way these two slower tracks have been positioned with each other is one example of just how well constructed this is. Especially how it reintroduces the harmonica from other tracks prior. Without this element this song wouldn’t sound far of Franks Wild Days, especially with the imagery of men putting on personas like animals
- “Road to Peace”
Not just an exceptional track from this album, but the entire Waits oeuvre. Mainly because it is, atypically for Waits, a political song (on Israel & Palestine. Hey Tom, fancy picking some trickier topics?!). These can normally go horribly wrong, but Tom makes it work in spades. This is for a few reasons 1) its compelling imagery, from children dressed as unorthodox Jews (who are not), Bush playing chess from miles away, and the line “Maybe God himself needs is lost and needs help,” 2) How it can demonstrate points without sounding simple and base, and importantly 3) even if this wasn’t a political song, the guitar work kicks all sorts of ass!
- “All the Time”
Many strange sounds going on the back of this track, including voices and what I believe to be someone wobbling a metallic plate (I’m probably wrong on that, but that’s how it sounds). Not one of the strongest tracks on the album, but the guitar work on the latter half of the album is so bouncy and so full of life that you feel that we might indeed have all the time
- “The Return of Jackie and Judy”
A likely returning of the favour for the Ramones covering “I Don’t Wanna Grow Up”, Tom covers a lesser known track of theirs (to me at least) and makes it completely his own. I adore The Ramones, but with the percussion and rolling guitars I think I really prefer this version
- “Walk Away”
Bouncy acoustic bass and clapping gives to another song based on prison life, this time from the Dead Man Walking soundtrack. The instrumentation is almost stereotypical in its depiction of that kind of environment – not really a negative of course – but still has still great Waits lyrics, including the cool pond, yellow ponds and carving names into dead trees.
- “Sea of Love”
A great song that definitely sounds the more eighties than the rest of Brawlers, mostly down to the guitar sounds holding longer notes and sounds, and it being mainly focused on an almost simple declaration of love. “Sea of Love” even has that eighties sounding title. Waits voice though gives its own spin, if only by sheer proxy
- “Buzz Fledderjohn”
“Sea of Love” is the most eighties sounding, but “Buzz Fledderjohn” is the oldest sounding. It isn’t – it’s from 1999 – but the crackling recording and simple guitar and bass sparseness in the introduction give the impression of an old standard (well, barring the animal noises). But why isn’t he allowed in his yard? I smell something fishy.
- “Rains on Me”
The perfect mixture of moody and forceful with which to end Brawlers. The pessimistic central metaphor is pushed along by the sounds of clattering pans and mournful guitars, with Tom’s voice leading the listener in the chant. It could almost be perceived as the sing-a-long outro, if you so wanted to think of it that way
Bawlers
- “Bend Down the Branches”
Strange to hear how immediate this track moves from the next when listening to it in one go. Short and sweet, as a children’s lullaby should be, with the welcome sound of strings and trumpet. I wish I was related to Tom Waits and he could come and tell me dark and depressing bedtime stories
- “You Can Never Hold Back Spring”
Jim Jarmusch movie partner-in-crime Roberto Begnini got Tom Waits to write this one for one his films. And it gorgeous, with poetic lines like “The blushing rose will climb/ Spring ahead or fall behind/Winter dreams the same dream every time” matched with their beautiful by the layers of woodwind and piano all building among each other in such a romantic way…Tom Waits stars as himself you say? Maybe I need to see this movie
- “Long Way Home”
One of the examples how the melancholia mixes tracks that could have been both in Brawlers and Bawlers. The beat – although chugging along like a train – a Waits trademark – is distractingly like “Deliah” at some moments, but I soon forgive it, especially with Waits’ sincere lyrics of love and that random trumpet half way through. Can’t go wrong with random trumpet…I think.
- “Widow’s Grove”
Anyone who listened to Foreign Affair knows that Tom Waits has mixed his own tune with a Christmas standard before. I mention this because “Windows Grove” sounds so much like Frosty the Snowman; it’s been a while since the tune was so obvious in its influence (unless my suspicions on the previous track are correct, in which case they are perfectly placed).
- “Little Drop of Poison”
As this was on the Shrek 2 soundtrack, I think I could confidently say that this is the first Tom Waits song I ever heard. Definitely not a bad start though. This tango is incredibly cinematic though, even more so than most of the soundtrack singles on this collection, with the mazing combination of reed instrumentation, marimba and that women’s single ghostly voice. Plus this has some amazing lines, including some more evidence continuingly evolving Devil/God dichotomy with “Did the devil make the world while God was sleeping”.
- “Shiny Things”
Playing the banjo with more pathos then I tend to associate with the instrument, this short track is layered with piano and violin and the old battle between the dark and light (as focused on by crows).
- “World Keeps Turning”
Another soundtrack song, although this has a better set of lyrics than some of them on here can be. Particularly the way juxtaposes crimes with hints of a heart-breaking tragedy. All held together in a beautiful and bright piano medley (accompanied with delicate chimes).
- “Tell It to Me”
Carries on allusions to marriage as the previous song did. In Waltz time compared to the original and lacking a duet partner, this helping everything to feel like an intimate conversation in a personal setting, seemingly about possible parenthood. The country-ish slide guitars help add to the melancholy.
- “Never Let Go”
Reintroduces a more percussive feel as from Brawlers, though still maintaining the sadness found in this whole third. “Never Let Go” is a powerful example 0f Tom’s wailing vocals make the central sentiment abundantly clear and true, and the sound of accordion, piano and the marching drums (“I’ll bail with the roll of the drum”) really make the whole thing I kind of emotional pinnacle of this entire disc, and indeed the whole collection.
- “Fannin Street”
Much more subdued in comparison, all the emotions from this simple guitar ballad come from its starkness and submissive nature. The narrator feels trapped, and his voice sounds like it could snap at any point.
- “Little Man”
I’d like to think that, like the first track from this album, this would be the kind of lullaby Tom Waits would give his children. I’m including with that the sleezy and sinister sounding saxophone, and the overall feel of existential dread peppered with life tips. You know, to prepare them.
- “It’s Over”
The strange rainy sound of shaking percussion permeates this whole track, as well as the rough feeling of hearing the fingers slide across the guitar. A song that could be played off as angry another time is instead delivered with the stench of defeat (of a relationship). The intensity more comes from the layering of instruments than any change voice, with nearly every instrument mentioned prior making some kind of return
- “If I Have to Go”
Filled with that general descent into dejection that the whole of Franks Wild Years was filled with (which this was part of in its original play form). All that is needed is one piano and one gloomy narrator, talking about how everyone will forget him (“There’s nothing for me, in this world full of strangers/ It’s all someone else’s idea”). If there’s one major con of this kind of stylistic segregation, it really takes its emotional toll on you.
- “Goodnight Irene”
Taking a song from the King of the 12-String and expanding upon it with organs, piano and big large choruses shouldn’t really work. But it does, so well. A classic song giving a classy cover, though one that definitely plays up the big themes of death and depression to another great height. Because this album was too upbeat, dammit!
- “The Fall of Troy”
Another piece about death, from both a domestic and world capacity, this one replaces the choruses with quieter jazz folk guitars and even quieter horns. The central character of this song seems to make their same journey apparent in the next song…
- “Take Care of All My Children”
… which is back to a marching beat. It makes you feel like you are getting into the mind-set of a person who would consider suicide – at the very least death, but with the sequencing of this album this is my interpretation – with the large marching cymbals and horns being the final push. Remarkable for two songs twelve years apart very likely unrelated. The connections our brains can make!
- “Down There by the Train”
Although this was written for Johnny Cash, another icon, for the brilliant resurrection of the American Recordings, this feels like a quintessential Waits song. It takes us back to the familiar Waits location of the train tracks, and the sparse piano song goes back to something that sounds like the Asylum days.
- “Danny Says”
Another Ramones cover! I guess Waits really liked the End of the Century album. And to be fair this slower ballad is an incredibly suitable pick for Waits, but although this is indeed a good cover, but of the two I prefer the intensity of the previous one.
- “Jayne’s Blue Wish”
A short piece of guitar blues, followed then by an evocative trumpet track, this two minute track still feels like two songs. But it’s still full of some of Waits best imagery, from “the chimney smoke tying the roof to the sky” “Life’s a path lit only by the light of those I’ve loved”
- “Young at Heart”
What better way to cap off the second album with a bravado and overall “can’t kick me down” attitude than to cover a classic from Ole Blue Eyes Frank Sinatra? Why, being Tom Waits singing it.
Bastards
- “What Keeps Mankind Alive?”
At the time in the 80’s where Tom Waits was showing his Kurt Weill influence, he made it more overt by covering a song from probably his most well-known musical offering, Threepenny Opera. Definitely a bombastic way to begin this third, with large drums and belting accordion lines, all of which brings a great contrast with the next song….
- “Children’s Story”
…a quiet spoken word piece accompanied by only solo organ notes. Although from Woyzeck, it does make why it was left out of Bloody Money, but I’m glad it was left here. If only because we don’t want the world missing out on him saying “the world he returned to was like an overturned piss pot” to a baby child
- “Heigh Ho”
In the hands of Mr Waits, he truly manages to turn one of the happier sounding songs in the Disney canon reveal the underlining societal pressures and darkness that lies in constant work. This is like if all the jokes about Disney being evil were manifested.
- Army of Ants
Plucked strings bring anxiety to Tom Waits’ biology lesson. Increasingly bizarre and detailed as they go along, this is one example of many on here of this man’s pretty amazing black comedy, one that he’s been less overt with over the years
- “Books of Moses”
I can’t really gather why this is in the Bastard section of these categories, aside the nature of it being a Skip Spence cover. Because this in its heart a Brawler, with the guitar licks and growling vocals on the nature of religion and heroism to boot.
- “Bone Chain”
A short and strange instrumental – with noticeable words, but whatever I’m counting it – with both the kind of beatboxing found on Real Gone with the harmonica and the general feeling of being completely unhinged. The bone chains have probably snapped
- “Two Sisters”
Tom Waits covers the old stand “murder ballad” with only a violin for accompaniment. You wouldn’t think it would work, expecially for five minutes, but it does for me. The references to “Big Willy” do make me see some connections between this and “Golden Willy” in Blood Money/Woyzeck, but Waits was always one for amalgamating his influences
- “First Kiss”
Well, that’s one way of answering that question!…Bloody hell Tom.
- “Dog Door”
With the help of low-fi indie rockers Sparklehouse, “Dog Door” ends up being the least Tom Waits sounding Tom Waits song on the album. And I kind of love it for that. The electronic instrumentation is more suited to Wait’s high pitched insanity than I as anticipating. Will probably put a fair amount of people off, though.
- “Redrum”
Although an original composition, “Redrum” does sound like it follows in the previous song’s footsteps. Full of loops and insane instrumentation, one can’t hear this instrumental and see that title without also thinking of the tightly controlled yet unhinged world of The Shining that Waits also conveys here
- “Nirvana”
Wait’s has quoted Bukowski before, but here pays a nice tribute by straight on reading a story from that great misanthrope. Although the incredibly vivid details of Bukowski’s lines are what we are here for, and how the solace of cafes mirrors Tom’s own character from his first few albums, it is worth noting how the low organ notes greatly compliment it.
- “Home I’ll Never Be”
A little known music piece written by Jack Kerouac as performed by Tom Waits is every beatniks seeming dream. And the sentiment to which Tom gives these words would probably be worth it for them.
- “Poor Little Lamb”
Another short and strange piece, and another song that sounds just like a perverse lullaby, the low-fi production and relatively simple organ tune reminds me so much of a folk song in the vein of Daniel Johnston.
- “Altar Boy”
Unlike “Children’s Song”, I don’t understand why this wasn’t included in the place it was originally written (Alice). Still, we have it here now, a great piano ballad showing a perverse humour/melancholia in the idea of being in the religious profession
- “The Pontiac”
An old spoken word piece from Waits that really brings to mind the hysterical monologues of Frank. Here though there is a lack of humour, the laughter filled with a nostalgic sadness of the things the character has had to give up in life. It should be worth mentioning now that Tom Waits is a great actor.
- “Spidey’s Wild Ride”
A piece of rock hip-hop surrealist acappela that is as strange as that sounds.
- “King Kong”
The sparse sadness of the Daniel Johnston original (no instruments!) is expanded upon with a genuine primal intensity. Starting with the previous track’s sound, the bass and guitar build upon each other, until the end the song is marching to a bluesy, industrial beat. A fantastic take on the original
- “On the Road”
The true ending to the album, and a way of Waits paying tribute to some of his biggest influences, “On the Road” is a piece of beatnik blues grass – layered with guitar, harmonica and lo-fi drumming – that reads a passage from Kerouac’s titular novel. I may be an outsider, but if I had to define Americana, it would be this track. Or maybe I would just say Tom Waits.
Hidden Tracks
- “Dog Treat”
These last are two are seemingly slight joke monologues, but illustrate why we love Tom Waits the personality. This is essentially a piece of observational stand-up comedy, only adding that touch of the ol’ Bull’s penis that shows his the silliness combined with the dark…
- “Missing My Son”
The darkness is turned to Spinal Tap references with this track. Starting as an awkward dark situation one would find in something like Louie, the humour first reveals itself gradually (“He looked absolutely nothing like me. In fact he was Chinese”). But in an example of great storytelling he provides two great reveals: first is that of the mother, and the second is that he is pulling our leg. That is all a rouse. This is somewhat Tom Waits revealing his hand as one of the great actors of music, and the reason we love his music is because we so buy into the performance. Also, anyone want to bet that Heath Ledger based his Joker laugh on the very end?
A conclusion to such a mammoth collection will always seem glib, so let me say that Orphans would earn a top five position in the Waits catalogue just by quality/volume ratio. Structured in such a way that both flows greatly one into another, and highlights similar themes of both Waits and his influences, three hours of music makes you feel the span of his three decades of records. It acts as a way for us to evaluate Tom’s career as a whole, and where he has ended up now. But for Tom it wasn’t that. That would come five years later, when Waits would contemplate who exactly is as bad as him…
What did you think of the album, though?
Tom Waits Album Rankings
- Blood Money
- Rain Dogs
- Bone Machine
- Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers and Bastards
- Alice
- Swordfishtrombones
- Mule Variations
- Franks Wild Year
- Blue Valentine
- Heartattack and Vine
- Real Gone
- Small Change
- Closing Time
- The Black Rider
- Nighthawks at the Diner
- The Heart of Saturday Night
- Foreign Affair