Thanks for the respite from the depressing world of politics. Not that I need to add another book to my already bloated reading list, but Burton's sounds worthwhile. Too many books, too little time.
I've never been a huge fan of Tom Waits. He's an acquired taste that I've never fully managed to acquire, although my husband loves his work. I was introduced to him eons ago in college along with Jackson Browne, Bruce Springsteen, and Leonard Cohen. Those guys stuck; Waits did not. Speaking of legacies, have you listened to Paul Simon's latest work, Seven Psalms? It's magical.
I haven't given Paul Simon's latest much attention yet. It didn't grab me at first. I haven't been that positive about his new songs in quite a long time, but I will be sure to give it a closer listen!
Thanks for sharing these parts of your life, Damon; it's always an intellectual discovery. I'd heard of Burton, but never read any of her work--now it looks like I'm going to have to; your description of her book as "weaving together elite-level ideas with demotic and material developments" makes me want to read and compare her to other such wide-ranging intellectuals as Lasch, Scialabba, or Crawford. And as for Waits, as another commenter put it, he's an acquired taste, one that I've also personally never acquired--but I never knew "Downtown Train" was a Waits cover! I'll have to go back and listen to it, and the original, again.
I know Scialabba is a fan of Burton's work. He blurbed her last nonfiction book, as did I. As for "Downtown Train," it's kind of fascinating to compare Stewart's cover to the original. They're remarkably similar in terms of arrangement, guitar playing, and even singing (in the sense that Stewart's raspy voice is like a sanded and buffed version of Waits' croak). And yet, Stewart's version is so polished in comparison, and that makes all the difference in terms of its commercial prospects. A few years later, Stewart also did a cover of "Tom Traubert's Blues" to similar effect, though I don't think it comes close to rivaling the shocking emotional power of the original. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oSKWL7Ymbk
Sorry, I don't know how to share the list with the metadata intact, so you could just add it to your own account. But here's a list of the songs with the albums in parentheses. You can build it yourself from the titles. (I added one song, so this is 45.)
Ol ’55 (Closing Time)
I Hope That I Don’t Fall in Love with You (Closing Time)
Martha (Closing Time)
Grapefruit Moon (Closing Time)
Closing Time (Closing Time)
San Diego Serenade (The Heart of a Saturday Night)
Thank you for the book recommendation, I’m excited to read it, you definitely opened my eyes to the fact that plastic surgery and trans issues probably come from the same place of self actualization, but from your comments on the book, “accepting limits, and our givenness,” it doesn’t sound like your entirely positive about this phenomenon, which is where I certainly fall on the issue.
I’m a bit surprised that Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis isn’t on your ballad list. It’s one sad ballad. But Kentucky Ave. from the same album is quite a song - hits me hard every time. I started listening to Waits in my late 20s, but that was just Closing Time and Rain Dogs (which I didn’t like initially). But 20 years later I find his music more compelling than I did originally and I’m listening to him a lot more now. Political Beats really should have you back for a three-episode segment on Waits.
Did you know?
https://pitchfork.com/news/tom-waits-reissuing-his-studio-albums-from-1983-to-1993/
(Not a big Waits fan so scanned through that part. If this is repetitive, my apology.)
I didn't know about that, so thanks for letting me know!
Thanks for the respite from the depressing world of politics. Not that I need to add another book to my already bloated reading list, but Burton's sounds worthwhile. Too many books, too little time.
I've never been a huge fan of Tom Waits. He's an acquired taste that I've never fully managed to acquire, although my husband loves his work. I was introduced to him eons ago in college along with Jackson Browne, Bruce Springsteen, and Leonard Cohen. Those guys stuck; Waits did not. Speaking of legacies, have you listened to Paul Simon's latest work, Seven Psalms? It's magical.
I haven't given Paul Simon's latest much attention yet. It didn't grab me at first. I haven't been that positive about his new songs in quite a long time, but I will be sure to give it a closer listen!
Thanks for sharing these parts of your life, Damon; it's always an intellectual discovery. I'd heard of Burton, but never read any of her work--now it looks like I'm going to have to; your description of her book as "weaving together elite-level ideas with demotic and material developments" makes me want to read and compare her to other such wide-ranging intellectuals as Lasch, Scialabba, or Crawford. And as for Waits, as another commenter put it, he's an acquired taste, one that I've also personally never acquired--but I never knew "Downtown Train" was a Waits cover! I'll have to go back and listen to it, and the original, again.
I know Scialabba is a fan of Burton's work. He blurbed her last nonfiction book, as did I. As for "Downtown Train," it's kind of fascinating to compare Stewart's cover to the original. They're remarkably similar in terms of arrangement, guitar playing, and even singing (in the sense that Stewart's raspy voice is like a sanded and buffed version of Waits' croak). And yet, Stewart's version is so polished in comparison, and that makes all the difference in terms of its commercial prospects. A few years later, Stewart also did a cover of "Tom Traubert's Blues" to similar effect, though I don't think it comes close to rivaling the shocking emotional power of the original. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oSKWL7Ymbk
Any way you can share your ballad playlist? Sounds epic.
Sorry, I don't know how to share the list with the metadata intact, so you could just add it to your own account. But here's a list of the songs with the albums in parentheses. You can build it yourself from the titles. (I added one song, so this is 45.)
Ol ’55 (Closing Time)
I Hope That I Don’t Fall in Love with You (Closing Time)
Martha (Closing Time)
Grapefruit Moon (Closing Time)
Closing Time (Closing Time)
San Diego Serenade (The Heart of a Saturday Night)
Shiver Me Timbers (The Heart of a Saturday Night)
Tom Traubert’s Blues (Small Change)
I Wish I Was in New Orleans (Small Change)
Invitation to the Blues (Small Change)
A Sight for Sore Eyes (Foreign Affairs)
Kentucky Avenue (Blue Valentine)
Saving All My Love for You (Heartattack and Vine)
Jersey Girl (Heartattack and Vine)
On the Nickel (Heartattack and Vine)
Ruby’s Arms (Heartattack and Vine)
Johnsburg, Illinois (swordfishtrombones)
In the Neighborhood (swordfishtrombones)
Soldier’s Things (swordfishtrombones)
Hang Down Your Head (Rain Dogs)
Time (Rain Dogs)
Downtown Train (Rain Dogs)
Innocent When You Dream (Franks Wild Years)
Who Are You (Bone Machine)
Little Rain (Bone Machine)
Whistle Down the Wind (Bone Machine)
That Feel (Bone Machine)
Hold On (Mule Variations)
House Where Nobody Lives (Mule Variations)
Georgia Lee (Mule Variations)
Coney Island Baby (Blood Money)
Alice (Alice)
Flower’s Grave (Alice)
No One Knows I’m Gone (Alice)
Lost in the Habour (Alice)
I’m Still Here (Alice)
Fish and Bird (Alice)
Barcarolle (Alice)
Bend Down the Branches (Orphans)
You Can Never Hold Back Spring (Orphans)
Widow’s Grove (Orphans)
Shiny Things (Orphans)
World Keeps Turning (Orphans)
Never Let Go (Orphans)
If I Have to Go (Orphans)
This is gold! Thx
link to Spotify Playlist
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5JlzWWtmHrkO2n9TZr3OXR?si=3d6cc3245d5541cc
Thank you for the book recommendation, I’m excited to read it, you definitely opened my eyes to the fact that plastic surgery and trans issues probably come from the same place of self actualization, but from your comments on the book, “accepting limits, and our givenness,” it doesn’t sound like your entirely positive about this phenomenon, which is where I certainly fall on the issue.
Not at all entirely positive about it.
"Derelict musical" is probably the best description of Tom Waits' work that I've ever read.
Thanks for the Tara Isabelle Burton recommendation. I enjoyed your essay.
I’m a bit surprised that Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis isn’t on your ballad list. It’s one sad ballad. But Kentucky Ave. from the same album is quite a song - hits me hard every time. I started listening to Waits in my late 20s, but that was just Closing Time and Rain Dogs (which I didn’t like initially). But 20 years later I find his music more compelling than I did originally and I’m listening to him a lot more now. Political Beats really should have you back for a three-episode segment on Waits.