The Tom Waits Project: #12. "Big Time" (1988)

There are few artists who have had as enjoyably weird of a career as that of Tom Waits. With a career spanning over 45 years, he has reinvented himself countless times while providing some of rock's strangest, most eclectic tunes imaginable. Over the course of 2019, my goal with The Tom Waits Project is to explore every single one of his studio albums as well as live albums and soundtracks (no compilations) and chart the shifts in his career as well as hopefully understand what makes him so ubiquitous in pop culture. He's an artist who has always been there, making things weird, but there's a good chance you haven't truly noticed him. Here's your chance to join me every other Wednesday on a quest to find out what makes him so special.

Album: "Big Time"

Release Date: September 1988

Label: Island Records

Certifications: N/A

Singles: 

-N/A

Track List:

1. "16 Shells From a 30.6"
2. "Red Shoes"
3. "Underground"
4. "Cold Cold Ground"
5. "Straight to the Top"
6. "Yesterday is Here"
7. "Way Down in the Hole"
8. "Falling Down"
9. "Strange Weather"
10. "Big Black Mariah"
11. "Rain Dogs"
12. "Train Song"
13. "Johnsburg, Illinois"
14. "Ruby's Arms"
15. "Telephone Call From Istanbul"
16. "Clap Hands"
17. "Gun Street Girl"
18. "Time"

*NOTE: Listen to it here.

Closing Remarks

In one sense, it's hard to judge a live album. On another, this is Tom Waits' second, but it feels so much different from "Nighthawks at the Diner." There's no real creativity on display, no monologue that breaks out in the middle to give the show personality. Yes, Waits does break into comedic bits now and then, but it's a bit underwhelming for him to only play music mostly from three albums, even if they are a symbolic trilogy. With that said, it's a strong three-album run that ranks among his best work. It's hard not to love the music and it stands out, even more, when he puts passion behind every note. It's just that where everything that's happened before had some ingenuity to it, this is a bit too commonplace to truly be innovative or exciting. All it really does is make a strong case to get out there and see Waits perform live. The music speaks for itself and he manages to make his gruff voice work for the most part. Still, there's not much here beyond that, save for a joke here or there. It's good if you want reassurance to go see him but settle for the studio versions otherwise.

Coming Up Next: "Bone Machine" (1988)

Album Rankings

This section is dedicated to ranking the albums from best to worst in hopes of finding which Tom Waits album is the best.

1. "Rain Dogs" (1985)
2. "Blue Valentine" (1978)
3. "Swordfishtrombones" (1983)
4. "Small Change" (1976)
5. "Frank's Wild Years" (1987)
6. "Heartattack and Vine" (1980)
7. "The Heart of Saturday Night" (1974)
8. "Nighthawks at the Diner" (1975)
9. "Foreign Affairs" (1977)
10. "Closing Time" (1973)
11. "Big Time" (1988)
12. "One From the Heart" (1982)

Song Rankings

This section is dedicated to finding the best songs from each album and comparing them to each other in hopes of finding which one is Tom Waits' best song.

1. "Hang Down Your Head" from "Rain Dogs" (1985)
2. "Whistlin' Past the Graveyard" from "Blue Valentine" (1978)
3. "I Wish I Was in New Orleans" from "Small Change" (1976)
4. "Way Down in the Hole" from "Frank's Wild Years" (1987)
5. "Way Down in the Hole" from "Big Time" (1988)
6. "Martha" from "Closing Time" (1973)
7. "Jersey Girl" from "Heartattack and Vine" (1980)
8. "Shore Leave" from "Swordfishtrombones" (1983)
9. "Potters Field" from "Foreign Affairs" (1977)
10. "Eggs and Sausage" from "Nighthawks at the Diner" (1975)
11. "Please Call Me Baby" from "The Heart of Saturday Night" (1974)
12. "Picking Up After You" from "One From the Heart" (1982)