Search - Various Artists :: Step Right Up: Tribute to Tom Waits

Gets better with a little time

prairie_paisano | paisano house, Nebraska | 08/22/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Tom himself is weird, so it's actually appropriate that some of these covers sound a little strange at first. After listening to this album a few times, though, it starts to make sense. In fact, if you keep listening, it begins to make a lot of sense. I actually listened to it so much that my roommate banned it when he was in the room, which illustrates both aspects of this album: it is a little weird, but quite addictive if you take the time to listen carefully.
Tom is always playing around with new or different versions of his own music, so it seems appropriate for other musicians and bands to play around with his music, too. This album covers the whole range of Tom's styles: some of the songs are simply and sentimentally beautiful, i.e., Dave Alvin's rendition of old 55 or Tim Buckley singing Martha (this song alone is worth the price of the entire album), while others are just plain creepy, like the Archers of Loaf's Big Joe and Phantom 309; and the best are somewhere in between: I'm thinking most specifically of Jersey Girl as played by Pale Saints, one of my all-time favorites, cover or otherwise.
A few songs don't quite measure up, such as Downtown by Alex Chilton, but as a whole, the range of artists and approaches illuminates Tom's strengths as a songwriter: even if not every song is a gem, the songcraft of his music still shows through. And when someone gets it right, it's an almost transcendent experience, as in the case of Tim Buckley's Martha, or Frente!'s cover of Ruby's Arms, or Pale Saints' Jersey Girl.
In short, it is a slightly uneven album, but the best is so good it just doesn't matter. If you buy this album, let it air out, so to speak, before you make any hasty judgments. It's well worth the wait."

Give it a break :)

Gene Harrison | San diego | 03/03/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Ok Tom waits has his own unique style with dealing with his work. It's not quite the same hearing other people sing his songs. Yet I can't stop listening to this album. It has some duds but the gems are quite beautifull. The opening track really does the song old shoes justice. Ol 55 sounds really nice with a country singer belting out the tune. And mocking bird is really catchy. The rest of the songs are so so but if you appreciate Wait's song writing these song's are a neat way to explore his work in different form. Of course it's like trying to hold a candle up to the sun, but it is a beautifull candle regardless."