[Rocket]

Hi,

Just wondering whether the quality of the recording is good or is it compressed like so many other cd's these days.

Regards rod

[highfilter]

Hi,

Just wondering whether the quality of the recording is good or is it compressed like so many other cd's these days.

Regards rod

I did a Dynamic Range Meter on the entire album and the total rating is DR9. A few tracks have a rating of DR11 which is quite good.

Here's a waveform / spectral of track 7 - Back In The Crowd (has a DR11 rating): http://www.highfilter.com/store/spec_back_in_the_crowd.gif

Overall it's not as compressed as the typical pop album being released today, which is usually a DR5 or DR7. Not sure about his other albums, but it's sounding quite good over here. (My first Tom Waits album)

[SteveFord]

As others have mentioned, Mr. Waits has changed a bit over the years:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5X4N2exOsU&NR=1

[Diamond Dog]

As others have mentioned, Mr. Waits has changed a bit over the years:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5X4N2exOsU&NR=1

I was not aware that Tom Waits was so willing to work "blue". Disgraceful. 

D.D.

[ratso]

Hi,

Just wondering whether the quality of the recording is good or is it compressed like so many other cd's these days.

Regards rod

tom's stuff has always sounded great. i don't remember exactly where i found it, but on one of the "loudness wars" sites they listed one of his early cd's as having some of the lowest measurable compression they had seen (i want to say it was maybe blue valentine?).

[ratso]

nope, it was heartattack

http://www.digido.com/honor-roll.html

even thought it's one of his firsts, things haven't changed much (mule variations is often sited as a reference disc for some reason).

[roscoeiii]

A heads-up for those of you that haven't ordered the vinyl yet:

Todays PopMarket 24 hr deal has the new album and Nighthawks and Mule Variations for $48 shipped. A great deal if you don't have the other albums.

http://www.popmarket.com/details/26504248

[SteveFord]

That was quick - Bad As Me showed up today with a monster booklet and CD as well.
I'll have to give it a listen tomorrow evening.
For those new to Tom Waits, I always like Swordfishtrombone and Rain Dogs.  The whole catalog is good, actually, but the last two (Orphans, Glitter and Doom) weren't up to par.

[Diamond Dog]

For those new to Tom Waits, I always like Swordfishtrombone and Rain Dogs.  The whole catalog is good, actually, but the last two (Orphans, Glitter and Doom) weren't up to par.

There's some great stuff on Orphans. It's an odds 'n' sods collection so it doesn't have the cohesion of some of his albums but it's still a good listen. It's a whole lot of music to digest, though. And like with a lot of his music, there can be a lot of musical fibre there to make some of that digesting challenging. 

D.D.

[Steidl Guitars]

There's some great stuff on Orphans.

+1

[ratso]

tom has gotten even more esoteric and bizarre as he gets older, which is the opposite of what you would usually expect (playing it safe and resting on your hits seems to be the mantra of the aging star). but this one is interesting. listening for the first time right now. more straightforward as i have heard, but very good. tom isn't quite the wordsmith he used to be, but can still twist a phrase better than most. the songs are strong. very good overall so far.

[SteveFord]

I just finished listening to the vinyl and it's a good one although there's some bumpy patches in there.
Bad As Me and Hell Broke Luce are especially strong. 
I'll give the CD a listen later on today to see how that stacks up.
Recommended.

[Diamond Dog]

Finally got around to cracking my copy and giving it a spin tonight - this is a real nice piece of work!
It's got the brawlers. it's got the bawlers and it's got a healthy dose of weird. What more can a Waits fan ask for ?  Hell yeah!

D.D.

[parr3n1]

L purchase cds to listen to in the car. I did not think the recording was anything to write home about. The material for instance does not compare with the likes of Heartattack and Vine and there are many other classics from him that are far better. With that said if you are a Tom Waits fan its ok.

[E4T]

Best album he has released since Frank's Wild Years hands down.  In my opinion anyway....
I've been waiting a long time for an album this strong from him!  Very strong set of songs, concise, great players, well paced, etc., etc., etc.  Cannot stop listening to it myself.

[WGH]

Fresh Air's Terry Gross has an interview with Tom Waits today, Oct. 31st. Check your local listings.
http://www.npr.org/programs/fresh-air/
The interview will also be available on the Fresh Air website later today.