Swordfishtrombones
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Swordfishtrombones | ||
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| Studio album by Tom Waits | ||
| Released | September 1983 | |
| Recorded | August 1982, Sunset Sound, Hollywood | |
| Genre | Rock | |
| Length | 40:31 | |
| Label | Island | |
| Producer(s) | Tom Waits | |
| Professional reviews | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tom Waits chronology | ||
| One From the Heart (1982) |
Swordfishtrombones (1983) |
Rain Dogs (1985) |
Swordfishtrombones is an album by American singer-songwriter Tom Waits, released in September of 1983 (see 1983 in music).
The album is widely regarded as one of Waits's best. Stylistically different from his previous LPs, Swordfishtrombones features reduced string instruments and piano, replacing them with unusual instrumentation and a somewhat more abstract songwriting approach.
Swordfishtrombones peaked at #164 on Billboard's Pop Albums and Billboard 200 albums chart.
[edit] Track listing
All tracks written by Tom Waits.
- "Underground" – 1:58
- "Shore Leave" – 4:12
- "Dave the Butcher" [instrumental] – 2:15
- "Johnsburg, Illinois" - 1:30
- "16 Shells from a Thirty-Ought Six" – 4:30
- "Town with No Cheer" – 4:22
- "In the Neighborhood" – 3:04
- "Just Another Sucker on the Vine" [instrumental] – 1:42
- "Frank's Wild Years" – 1:50
- "Swordfishtrombone" – 3:00
- "Down, Down, Down" – 2:10
- "Soldier's Things" – 3:15
- "Gin Soaked Boy" – 2:20
- "Trouble's Braids" – 1:18
- "Rainbirds" [instrumental] – 3:05
[edit] Personnel
- Tom Waits - Vocals, Piano, Harmonium, Hammond B-3 Organ, Synthesizer, Chair, Freedom Bell
- Randy Aldcroft - Trombone, Baritone Horn
- Ronnie Barron - Hammond Organ
- Eric Bikales - Organ
- Anthony Clark Stewart - Bagpipes
- Greg Cohen - Acoustic Bass, Bass
- Victor Feldman - Marimba, Bass Marimba, Snare, Hammond B-3 Organ, Bass Drum, Bass Drum with Rice, Snare Drum, Brake Drum, African Talking Drum, Dabuki Drum, Conga, Tambourine, Bells, Shaker, Bass Boo Bams, Bell Plate
- Richard Gibbs - Glass Harmonica
- Carlos Guitarlos - Electric Guitar
- Stephen Taylor Arvizu Hodges - Drums, Glass Harmonica, Cymbals, Parade Drum, Parade Bass Drum
- Dick (Slyde) Hyde - Trombone
- Bill Reichenback - Trombone
- Joe Romano - Trumpet, Trombone
- Clark Spangler - Synthesizer Program
- Fred Tackett - Electric Guitar, Banjo Guitar
- Larry Taylor - Acoustic Bass, Electric Bass
- Francis Thumm - Glass Harmonica, Metal Aunglongs
[edit] Miscellanea
A line from the song "16 Shells from a Thirty-Ought Six" reads "I'm gonna whittle you into kindling." On the record, however, Waits intentionally slurs his delivery, with the effect that the line sounds like "I'm gonna wheel you into Canada." Taking this as inspiration, singer-songwriter Dan Bern has composed a song called "Wheel You To Canada"; Bern has specifically cited Waits's song as giving him the idea.
