- Audio CD
- Number of Discs: 1
- ASIN: B000091V8U
- Other Editions: Audio CD | Audio Cassette | MP3 Download
- Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,141,923 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Summoned to Hamburg, Germany, to write music for a live stage production of Robert Wilson's The Black Rider, musical mastermind Waits took to the task at hand with gusto, assembling an eclectic crew of musicians to become "the pit band [he'd] always dreamed of." Several years later Waits assembled another "orchestra" in San Francisco to record many of the songs he'd written for the live production. Those tracks are found here, alongside a few rough gems from sessions in Hamburg. You'll find some musical matter familiar to Waits fans: accordions, carnivals, violas, banjos, the devil (a key figure in The Black Rider), a singing saw, bassoons, and trombones. Waits' many voices tell the rather disjointed story with a variety of musical styling, and the assembled whole is pretty much a sum of its parts (but at least they're interesting parts): a touch of Day of the Dead, a whiff of carny, a nod to Brecht, a dash of film noir, and the scent of narcosis (William Burroughs makes an appearance here). Not easy listening, by any means, but a feast for the ears. --Lorry Fleming
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
20 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
For those who are familiar with Tom's earlier work, this may come as a bit of a shock. There are no simple, bitter-sweet love songs or jazzy, urban poems. This is the soundtrack to a grim tale of tragedy in love, resulting from dealings with the devil. The gravil-filled chasms of Waits' voice scratch their way over the sound of some of the most obscure instruments one could dig up in Europe. It is clear that Wait's does not want his listeners to have an easy time with this but once the initial bout of nervous laughter is overcome, the effect is a dirty catharsis that must be experienced by everyone. Despite being an all-round fan of his work, this is my favourite piece, probably because its unabashed experimentation into industrio-agricultural, devil music is totally unique. It must be noted, however, that some of my closest friends would rather chew broken glass than be in the same room as this album - so be warned, not for the faint hearted!
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Theatrical, Vaudeville tinged lp, originally for the musical of the same name. One of Wait's less orthodox recordings, featuring a fair few instrumental pieces and `fills', often of an experimental nature. He mostly performs characters here and the lyrics have to be seen in that light but the characters are evocative and do come through. William Bourroughs contributes to a fair few of the lyrics here and his touch is evident. Hit and miss, largely because of its contextual nature, most of the songs hanging on the same themes and motifs. Underrated but not an obvious place to start a collection.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Listen to the Black Rider with the lights down and a stiff drink in your hand, you're going to need it. A dark, carnivalesque cacophony of whirling, crunching, disturbing, mind bending musical numbers, some of which even I, a devoted fan, have difficulty in listening to. But I listen anyway.
Tom Waits is a genius.
Tom Waits is a genius.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
fascinating, but hard work
this is a very intense album, with a lot expected of the listener. after one listen, you will possibly wonder why you bought it, or why anyone would listen to it. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Biffer Spice
Reaks a dirty glamour
Start to finish this album half entices half drags you into its dingy carnivale world. It struts and creeps a postmodern tightrope between fairy tale and gritty realism. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Old_Hat
Mesmerising
An album that catches your attention right from the very start. This is the kind of music that picks you up, ruffs your hair, & spins you around the room in time to a... Read more
Published on 6 Feb 2000 by "literaryoutlaw"
Burroughs boogies.
Fantastic album. One good reason to buy it? William Burroughs singing disjointed out of time about the pleasures of taking off your skin and dancin' round in your bones. Read more
Published on 12 Jan 2000 by owendavies42@hotmail.com
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