Amazon.co.uk Review
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Real Gone, Tom Waits and his band present a bold musical statement that is equally in tune with modern and traditional values. Blues standards are revisited, and reinvented; atypical blues instrumentation--turntables courtesy of Waits's son, Casey, and banjos--transform and refresh the design of Waits's deeply American sound.
Throughout much of Real Gone, Waits sings of desperate situations in his trademark gravelly howl, conjuring images of emotionally haunted spaces that you would not wish to inhabit but may well be familiar with. "Sins of My Father" is one such lifesong, offering a glimpse into Waits's own world of imperfection. "How's It Gonna End" offers a sepia-stained cinematic take on the theme of departure, peaking with gospel backing vocals, but Waits brings it all back down to ground level with a heartfelt repetition of the song's (mark-less) question title. These are very real songs, honestly presented and without over-elaboration.
Low down and gritty stompers provide what amounts to light relief from Real Gone's more emotionally demanding tracks. Opener "Top Of The Hill" is a raucous, bass-heavy blues number which finds Waits in exuberant form. "Hoist That Rag" follows, providing the album's catchiest hook and most formidable vocal take. Fittingly, though, as the subjects of Waits's roots and his country's changing times are woven through Real Gone's emotive songs, the album ends on a note of Dylan-esque reflection with the beautiful acoustic lake of "Day After Tomorrow". Tom Waits has rarely been a versatile as he is on Real Gone, and the record is all the better for it. --Jonti Davies
CD Description
'Real Gone' is the fourth album that Tom Waits has releasedfor Epitaph sister label Anti and adds to his impressive back catalogue that spans four decades. Written and produced by Waits and his wife Kathleen Brennan, Waits drops his trademark piano and opts for a sound inspired by world music. Taking in funk, rock-steady, blues, and African and Latin melodies, the album showcases Waits unique mix of contemporary and traditional music.