Tom Waits - Standing on the Corner - 10 CD Box Set

 

I took a chance on this set after getting an ad for it on Facebook - something that I almost never look at, but for $50 for 10 CDs of prime live Waits, I thought I would take a chance. Lo and behold, this is actually pretty great! Excellent quality - each CD is from a live radio broadcast - live material from 1973 - 1979, with a number of the performances being solo and some of the radio shows include interviews in between the tunes, with the first one, at least, including Tom on his (relatively) best behavior, not screwing with the DJ too much and actually being reasonably coherent!

I love this period of Waits' music, probably because that's when I discovered him, and the performances are all terrific, with him playing some excellent piano and guitar (apparently, he was more comfortable on piano, though, or, at least he thought it was more sonically filling for solo sets) and his vocalizing is always wonderfully Waits-ainly unique, especially on his acapella/rap-like segments - he truly was incredible with his narratives.

About half way through the collection a band joins Tom, which is a nice change of pace, although he does a fine job of accompanying himself - I just love the swing of the band. (Although he manages to do "Step Right Up" acapella and make it work! Wait - is there a bass there just almost audible? I guess so, but just barely.) By the '77 live show, there is a full live band - apparently touring the Small Change album - that is quite audible'n'swingin' and there's a raucous audience, as well. Kind of odd hearing him singing "I Never Talk To Strangers" by himself, but it does still work, and "Pasties and a G String" is given a new bump'n'grind that the crowd flips over. The rest of the CDs are all with some version of the band doing his material up through Blue Valentine. The musicians are always beyond top-notch and the performances are always varied, never doing any one song quite the same. There is an overlap of material throughout the CDs - he and his fans obviously had live favorites that he kept in the set - but I never tire of hearing them since each take is quite different as Waits ad-libs, improvises, throws in bits of other songs and scats through familiar numbers, changing up the takes. I had no issue listening to all 10 CDs in a row! I remember as a kid I wanted live versions to mimic the record, but now I really dig the variations that musicians put into their performances.

Here's the link to get the full set lists for each CD and, whoa! Apparently, the set is already sold out! I just bought this a few days ago - glad I was able to cop one! Actually, now that I compare, the link is not completely accurate as to the track listings, but you get the idea!

This is truly a terrific collection - really glad that I found it. If you dig this period of Waits, when he was still more of a beatnik/jazzbo, you will absolutely love this set! Highly recommended!