V/A - T-Bird Party! A Swangin' Slew of Greasy R&B - 1957-64

Label: Lido (Official?); Year: 1995; Format: Vinyl LP

Not too long ago I took a short bus trip to a relatively new record store in the suburbs of Buffalo, NY and returned home with a nice haul of interesting records, one of them being the compilation reviewed today. First and foremost though I learned that T-Bird is a colloquial for Fort Thunderbird, a personal luxury card entering the market in 1955. Considering the fact that the songs contained on this LP are all from 1957 through 1964 my guess is that a T-Bird Party would involve a drive-in restaurant where people gathered around their cars and fast food being served by girls on roller skates. It would also make sense that people attending those parties came up with ideas to start bands, after all it was the beginning of the Rock'N'Roll era and excitement was in the air. Unfortunately as with many of these compilations there is absolutely zero information provided about the artists featured, which is a big shame as this record seriously kicks ass and is still widely available on vinyl as well as on all streaming platforms. I really don't know whether Lido was actually a real record label, and I seriously doubt it. Regardless, the little information I have been able to find, mainly through discogs, is all I have and it will have to do. "A Swangin' Slew of Greasy R&B" actually describes all the songs fairly accurately as each one of them will take you on a wild trip to a time that in my imagination must have been much more exciting in many ways as the modern world we know and live in was just starting to take shape and music was part of that whole evolution. By the Mid-50s Rhythm and Blues has contributed to the development of Rock'N'Roll and the seventeen songs on this record highlight how exciting it must have been to be part of such an incredibly important period in our more recent history. Some of my favorite tracks to be found on this platter are 'Chewing Gum' by Danny Brown, 'The Kangaroo' by Charles Sheffield or 'The Chase' by Davey Jones. If you are interested in finding out how modern music has evolved over time, do yourself a favor and pick up this record or many others in this vein as they will not only enrich you musically but also culturally when it comes to the rich and vast history of African-American artists.

Tom Waits - Closing Time LP

Label: Asylum Records; Year: 1973; Format: Vinyl LP

Well, first and foremost I am back to writing reviews for the blog after a lengthy spell on the sidelines due to other commitments. Initially I had planned on jumping right in with a review of an ancient hardcore punk smasher, but truth is that my mood, mind and my local record store had other plans in store. I guess you could say that Tom Waits' first LP had found me at the right time as Mr. Waits is someone I had on the radar for years, but it wasn't until this past Saturday I had finally bought one of his releases. And let me make it as clear as possible that I am thankful 'Closing Time' is in my collection now as it is simply a beautiful record. But let me not get ahead of myself and give you a very brief introduction as to the early stages of Tom Waits' life and career. Waits was born in Whittier, Southern California in 1949 and after his parents had separated when Tom was just ten years old he moved with his mother to Chula Vista, a suburb of San Diego. After developing a love for R&B and Soul singers as well as Beat Generation writers like Kerouac, Ginsberg or Burroughs Waits began to frequent folk music venues around San Diego until he eventually became part of the circuit by the late '60s. In his early days Waits often covered songs by Bob Dylan or country singer Woodrow "Red" Sovine but little by little he started to write his own material, lyrically often influenced by his relationships with various girlfriends. At some point Waits realized that San Diego wasn't offering him enough exposure and as a result of that he started to take more and more trips up the Pacific Highway to the Troubadour in West Hollywood, Los Angeles. It was at the Troubadour where Waits came to the attention of Herbert Cohen who surely had a word with David Geffen, a transplant from Brooklyn and co-founder of Asylum Records in 1971. Closing Time was released in 1973 and word is that Waits' intention was to create a piano-led jazz album while the producer pushed it in a more folk-oriented direction. In my opinion the different directions this album is a result of worked perfectly and fifty years on since its release this album not only stands the test of time but should really be regarded as one of those essential albums to be heard by everyone with good taste in music. Phil Scarisbrick, writing for UK magazine Secret Meeting had the following to say about Tom Waits while reviewing 'Closing Time': 

Drenched in whiskey and the foggy aroma of tobacco, Waits plays the part of a lounge singer in the last dive bar in town. You can picture him crouched over a worn out piano, with a worn out suit and worn out trilby hat. A fading Marlboro red cigarette hanging from his mouth, he places his liqueur on top of the piano and starts to play. For all this bleak imagery, the music we hear is utterly beautiful. There is a quote often attributed to Waits where he says, "I like beautiful melodies telling me terrible things." Closing Time fits this description perfectly.

Trust me, I certainly couldn't have described it better hence I rather give you someone else's quote that couldn't have been more perfect. When I sat down to listen to 'Closing Time' last night I made sure I sat comfortable in my recliner. From the moment the needle hit "Ol' 55", being the opening song of Side A, I was basically not just mesmerized, but instantly taken back in time to a world which was much slower, less hectic, less healthy and much boozier. Waits' music has the gift to not just evoke all kinds of emotions, but to lift you into a state of euphoria and depression at the same time. Songs like "Martha", "Lonely" or "Midnight Lullaby" to name a few, have the ability to take you on a trip down memory lane enabling you to reconnect with lost memories while enjoying simply beautifully crafted songs. No matter what music genre you really prefer, there are records that just speak to everybody and in my honest opinion 'Closing Time' is one of them. The fact that the album didn't sell very well back in 1973 just tells me that quite often brilliant artists are overseen early on in their careers and Waits certainly proved to the world how multi-talented of an artist he is. I shall make sure to seek out more of his music in the future so stay tuned until Closing Time.