LATE 1970s BROADCAST RECORDING FROM SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA Having received overwhelmingly positive reviews for his 1976 album Small Change, Tom Waits next two offerings were more subdued, both musically and lyrically, but equally well received and engaging. Foreign Affairs, released in September 1977, featured a guest appearance by Bette Midler on I Never Talk To Strangers, and in completion was a bluesy/jazzy affair that continued the development of the style he began on his 1973 debut. Blue Valentine, a year later, followed similar lines and included the scat-style Romeo Is Bleeding, heavily influenced by word jazz supremo Ken Nordine. Even at this stage, change was in the air, as Waits began to move away from his typical crooning pianist motif and began focusing more on electric guitar and keyboard. This recording, captured at the State Theatre, Sydney, Australia in March 1979, features a captivating performance by Tom Waits from a time when the maverick crooner was on the cusp of a major change in the style and substance of his recorded output and his live shows. The material performed here comes largely from what were his most recent three albums at the time, with classics like Tom Traubert s Blues and Jitterbug Boy rubbing shoulders with newer cuts like Red Shoes By The Drugstore. A number of covers, including Gerswin s Summertime, a delightful Do The Hokey Pokey, and a haunting Since I Fell For You - albeit one replete with a typical amusing Waits narrative inserted - make for a nice diversion from the records, but the show hangs together perfectly as only a Tom Waits performance can, with the songs and chat part of a silky smooth delivery (Waits even jokes and I m Perry Como during band introductions) all at once making for much more than a mere gig. In September 1980 Waits would release Heartattack & Vine, his final album for Asylum and one on which the material ventured closer to the primal-blues and cabaret territories he would fully adopt for 1983 s Swordfishtrombones and its successors, by which time the barroom crooner of yore was pretty much gone for good and Tom Waits the experimental maverick mastermind had been born.
H**!
This is the one worth having!
There have been a number of these live cd performances of tom waits in recent years. None were released with his blessing and not all worth having but this one is in another class. Taped from a concert in Australia, it covers all the albums through Small Change which is quite an amazing collection. The band is great, the sound is great and Tom is at his peak of this era of his music. In a few years from this date, a very different but equally amazing Tom was born with albums like Rain Dogs and all that followed. This cd is worth having. The chatter is minimal and the music is just great with some songs performed in a new way. This is a must have.
C**7
High quality live bootleg.
Sounds as good as an official live release even though it's a bootleg. Full of Waits usual banter and incredible songwriting. Comes in two record gatefold sleeve with great pic on the inside. Highly recommended for any Waits fan.
L**S
One of my favorite Tom Waits live concerts recorded
One of my favorite Tom Waits live concerts recorded. This one has really good sound, the songs are fantastic and the whole atmosphere is just perfect. To me although its not an official release, this is one of the best Tom Waits albuns out there.
A**R
Good quality
Fabulous addition to a growing collection. Good quality
G**.
Never dissapointment
Never dissapointment
M**Y
This really is the real deal!
An excelelnt show from Sydney Australia in 1979, this is Waits on absolute tiop form from his most absorbing period, Lively, creative and of course hilarious in parts, this really is the real deal!
N**G
One Star
1 star as it is a bootleg, do not buy. Freely downloadable on many sites including youtube.
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