Doom & Gloom From the Tomb

Tom Waits - February, 19, 1975, Ebbets Field, Denver, CO

Another one I posted long ago, now available via the Midnight Cafe. Here’s what I wrote way back when: 

I’ve been listening to the new (extremely good) Tom Waits live album quite a bit during the past week (as well as hearing weird, Hobbit-related rumors about him), so I thought I’d post some vintage Waits for y’all. This one, recorded in Denver in 1975, does not sound much like Glitter & Doom — Tom is practically a velvet-voiced crooner here, compared to the mad-dog bark of today. But it’s great all the same, a solo show that provides a perfect antidote to the slightly overproduced feel of his first two records. The bohemian/beat persona is in full-effect, bordering a bit on schtick, but winning you over every time. Yearning versions of “San Diego Serenade” and “The Heart of Saturday Night” are highlights, and the truckstop ghost story “Big Joe And Phantom 309” is a hoot.