Back in the Crowd

"Back in the Crowd"
Single by Tom Waits
from the album Bad as Me
Released September 27, 2011
Format Digital download
Genre Rock, Latin
Length 2:49
Label ANTI-, Epitaph[1]
Writer(s) Tom Waits, Kathleen Brennan
Producer(s) Tom Waits, Kathleen Brennan
Tom Waits singles chronology
"Bad as Me"
(2011)		 "Back in the Crowd"
(2011)

"Back in the Crowd" is a song by American rock musician Tom Waits. It is the second single and seventh track from Waits' seventeenth studio album, Bad as Me.[2][3] Written and produced by Waits and his wife Kathleen Brennan, the song was released on September 27, 2011 as a digital download via iTunes and Spotify.[4]

Music

"Back in the Crowd" is a guitar-driven Latin-influenced midtempo ballad.[5] It features guitar work from Los Lobos guitarist and vocalist David Hidalgo and longtime collaborator Marc Ribot.[4]

Tom Waits described the song as "an old fashioned jukebox tune for a slow dance with your girl (or guy)."[3][6]

Critical reception

Upon its release, the song received mainly positive reviews. Thom Jurek of Allmusic described the song as "the wasted lover's plea in the West Texas mariachi."[7] Filter magazine wrote: "the song is obviously short and oftentimes tinged with bittersweetness", also adding that "Waits' deep croon evokes the sadness found in the song's mellow melody and lyrics."[8] Luke Larsen of Paste magazine praised the song, reporting that "the song sort of just casually shows up and then disappears, but its mood is infectious."[9] Katie Hasty of Hitfix described the song as a "The Southwestern, nylon-string-enhanced loner ballad" and "a trending bawler," also further explaining that "she just slow-danced by herself and had a good cry."[10] Michael Roffman of Consequence of Sound indicated that "the song doesn’t sound like a track that’s on an album titled Bad as Me", while commenting that it is "most likely something your grandparents danced to after the war."[11]

Personnel

Chart positions

Chart (2011) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)[12] 73

References

  1. ↑ ""Back in the Crowd" in Anti Records". Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  2. ↑ "Tom Waits - "Back in the Crowd"". Exclaim!. September 27, 2013. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "New Tom Waits Single Available". The Quietus. September 27, 2013. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Breihan, Tom (Sep 27, 2011). "Tom Waits – "Back In The Crowd"". Stereogum. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  5. ↑ Mallika, Rao (September 28, 2011). "Tom Waits' 'Back In The Crowd,' Second Track Off 'Bad As Me'". The Huffington Post. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  6. ↑ Murray, Robin (September 27, 2011). "Tom Waits Releases New Single". Clash. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  7. ↑ Jurek, Thom. "Tom Waits - Back in the Crowd". Allmusic. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  8. ↑ "LOOK: Tom Waits Is "Back In The Crowd"". Filter. September 27, 2011. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  9. ↑ Larsen, Luke (September 28, 2011). "Hear new Tom Waits song, "Back in the Crowd"". Paste. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  10. ↑ Hasty, Katie (September 27, 2013). "Listen: Tom Waits' 'Back in the Crowd' is a bawler". Hitfix. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  11. ↑ Roffman, Michael (September 27, 2011). "Check Out: Tom Waits – "Back in the Crowd"". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  12. ↑ "ultratop.be - Tom Waits - Back In The Crowd". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved April 22, 2012.

External links