Tom Waits

With one disc for bluesy "Brawlers," one for balladic "Bawlers" and one for experimental "Bastards," the Orphans box collects rich scraps from Waits' table, and comes loaded with the distinct percussive grind of his craggy post-Bone Machine temperament. Though it might be sonically steep for the uninitiated, collectors will find a recognizable cast of coffee-stained card sharks, redemptive hooligans, and broken-down troublemakers. The strength of these narratives makes it easy to forget that they're throwaways, and is a stirring testament to his singular vision.

When Tom Waits claims he doesn't know why he called this three-CD set Orphans, he's
being cagey. Orphans obviously began as an outtakes collection -- unreleased work tapes
plus old soundtrack, tribute and benefit tracks. Only then, Waits, painfully aware that
odds-and-sods projects were lame, decided to fill in some blanks with new songs, couldn't
resist rerecording others and ended up with a definitive album. Each disc has its... More >

When Tom Waits claims he doesn't know why he called this three-CD set Orphans, he's being cagey. It obviously began as an outtakes collection--unreleased worktapes plus old soundtrack, tribute, and benefit tracks. Only then Waits, painfully aware that odds-and-sods projects were lame, decided to fill in some blanks with new songs, couldn't resist re-recording others, and ended up with a definitive album. Each disc has its own subtitle: "Brawlers" for rock, "Bawlers" for ballads, and "Bastards" for weirdness. Although the promo advertises "56 Songs. 30 New Recordings," only 14 can be readily found on other albums. Not every one is perfect, but more than usual are potential classics, including the mandolin-tinged "Bottom of the World," the unrhymed, unblinking, seven-minute portrayal of a Palestinian terrorist "Road to Peace," the thumping "Low Down," the bent mambo "Fish in the Jailhouse," bumptious claims on "Young at Heart" and "Goodnight Irene," and several of the shaggy-dog monologues Waits rolls out at shows: a grisly entomology lecture, a dad reminiscing about his cars, and "First Kiss," which were it true would tell us a great deal about how Tom became Tom. (Grade - ****)