Hi friends, welcome to Peanut Gallery. Every Wednesday here at MusicOlogy, we'll be presenting two classic albums from the same iconic band or artist and asking you... the smart, savvy, blindingly attractive Ology readers... to debate amongst yourselves over which record reigns supreme. Individual songs, concepts, music videos, lyrics, album artwork—everything's on the table here, folks. Give us your best argument in the comments section below. We'll announce the winner at the beginning of next week's Peanut Gallery face-off.
Last Week's Winner:
We pitted The Dresden Dolls' self-titled debut album and sophomore effort Yes, Virginia… up against each other in a battle to the... well, not death, but something definitely painful. A lot of great votes, thoughts and favorite song picks came "pouring" (well, maybe more like "strongly trickling"… is that a thing?) in this week. With 7 votes over Yes, Virginia's 4, however, it looks like Amanda and Brian's first album is still everyone's favorite. Kudos to everyone for throwing in their two cents… and to the not-so-silent minority of vocal No, Virginia fans! Hopefully we'll have another Dresden Dolls album to pit it up against someday.
This Week's Match-Up:
Pour yourself a little drop of poison—we're barking and moaning over Tom Waits' debut album Closing Time (1973) versus his mid-'80s masterwork Rain Dogs (1985).
(Editor's Note: This week's album blurbs come courtesy of indispensable MusicOlogy intern Katie Zaborsky. Go follow her!)
Before Tom Waits recorded Closing Time, he was a regular at a folk music club in Los Angeles, and the sentimental cabaret melodies he was used to performing influenced his wistful debut album. Waits was adamant about making a "jazz album," a vision that complemented his smoky voice and lovelorn lyrics; his producer, Lovin' Spoonfuls member Jerry Yester, encouraged Waits to develop a folksier sound. The result—a stunning album comprised of heartbreaking piano-and-strings melodies ("Grapefruit Moon"), meandering trumpet arrangements ("Virginia Avenue"), and guitar-backed ballads ("I Hope That I Don’t Fall In Love With You").
Classic Songs: "Martha," "Grapefruit Moon," "Ol' 55," "Ice Cream Man" and "I Hope That I Don't Fall In Love With You."
Several dozen whiskeys and cartons of smoked-to-the-filter Marlboros later, Waits began experimenting with offbeat instrumentation and more eccentric storytelling. Rain Dogs, the second album in a trilogy of releases characterized by his new musical direction, received critical acclaim for its eclectic influences and Waits’ malleable vocals, expertly shifting from his characteristic screech ("Anywhere I Lay My Head") to a softer, more intimate delivery ("Time"). Intensely atmospheric and outside the realm of categorization, Rain Dogs is a gritty, dissonant depiction of an urban underbelly. (It's also worth noting that shortly before this stylistic shift, Waits married Kathleen Brennan, a songwriter who would become his collaborator on many future projects. Proof that creative output doesn't die with marriage. Ahem.)
Class Songs: "Downtown Train," "Time," "Rain Dogs," "Clap Hands" and "Anywhere I Lay My Head."
Okay, ladies and gentlemen... it's in your hands now. Hit up the comments section below and let us know which Tom Waits album deserves to take home the glory. We'll declare a winner this time next week. See you all then!
RayGun Sharpader :
"Rain Dogs", easily. "Closing Time" has its merits, but if it wasn't the first album by Tom Waits no one would be discussing it 39 years later.
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