Tom Waits (1 Viewer)

I don't expect anyone to get crazy about it, but I'm also eager to get my hands on the Cobra Starship CD I ordered when I bought the D and Waits.
 
mjp said:
She's an unusual person primarily known as an actor. I don't know if she can sing, but I know there is more to her than meets the eye (though what meets the eye is not exactly unpleasant).

That's the problem when you have a high profile job, people assume everything else you do is just self-indulgent wanking. And usually it is. But I remember seeing model/actress Milla Jovovich sing (original songs) maybe 10 years ago, and I have to say, it was really fucking good. Not just good-for-a-model good. Then again, maybe I was just drunk enough to enjoy it and it really wasn't so great. All I have are my cloudy memories.

So I reserve judgment on miss Johansson's abilities, but the odds are not in her favor. Hard to be taken seriously, those types.
Click to expand...

well, here she is.

not dreadful, not great. but, you know, not dreadful.
 
Well, she's still got her looks.

I always thought Falling Down was a really good song... hope this hasn't spoiled it for me.
 
it's ok, not bad. not amazing. Not as bad as other hollywood actor types who have tried to become musicians (Jared Leto I'm looking at you)
 
Waits' van broke down on the way to Toledo. Martin Mull and Tom Waits on Fernwood Tonight. I remember this from back then. Key line: I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy.
 
My two favorite Waits quotes, the "I rather have a full bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy." and " I think people use reality to escape form drugs."
 
slimedog said:
My two favorite Waits quotes, the "I rather have a full bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy." and " I think people use reality to escape form drugs."
Click to expand...

(cough)
Rather have a bottle in front of me

Filed under Music by adam | February 19, 2005 | 1977 hits | 5 comments

Tom Waits is featured on this week's American Routes public radio music show (archived here "” real audio link). There's a great interchange where you can't tell if Waits is totally screwing around with the host, or just being himself. Here's the clip (10 second ogg):
Q: I don't want to misquote you, but I think I saw you once said something like "I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy."
A: Oh right right right...
Q: Very succinct and poetic line.
...
A: Mmm... Um, I read that on a bathroom wall.
Q: Oh "” did you really?
A: Uh huh. Yeah.
Q: But it strikes me it's also somebody that sang that at that time that maybe "” drinking was probably pretty important to you at that point?
A: Oh, well, I haven't had a drink in like fourteen years.
Q: But... I... when you said that, my guess would be that you probably were, unless you were totally playing a character...
A: Oh, yeah, I was drinking in those days, yeah, sure.
Q: Yeah, yeah.
​
Apparently, the "lobotomy" quote, often attributed to Tom Waits, is actually written by Atlanta physician Randy Hanzlick. But it's entirely plausible it got to Tom Waits via a bathroom somewhere. I'd believe it.
Update: a commentor points out that Hanzlick himself actually got the quote from graffiti on a bathroom wall. The plot thickens.
Share This


5 comments


  1. Matthew Good Jan 28

    Actually, on that linked page it says that Dr. Hanzlick himself got the quote from a bathroom wall.
  2. Matthew Good Jan 28

    Also, I should say thanks for the heads-up on the Waits interview. Perfect timing too, as I read this about 2 minutes before American Routes came on my local NPR station.
  3. Anonymous Jan 28

    I'm pretty sure that Groucho Marx was the one who came up with the quote, although I can't give you a reference right now...
  4. micah Jan 28

    thanks for pointing this out, I would have never noticed it otherwise. I'm a big Tom Waits fan! I happen to remember the "I'd rather have the bottle in front of me..." as a song I heard on Dr. Demento, "just different ways to kill the pain the same..." it started something like, "Jimmy and I were brothers, but we went down different paths, Jimmy always listened to my mother,
    And me, I never like to take a bath....I might be drunk, but at least I'm not insane!"

  5. gold mine Oct 24

    the "bottle in front of me" quote is most often attributed to Dorothy Parker (Wiki "Algonquin Round Table"). I'm seeing lots of mis-attributions on the web, and its interesting how recent people think this quote is . .
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I was big into Waits for his first 5 or 6 albums. Didn't lose interest, just got too busy to stay current. Anyway, we saw him perform a few times down in L.A. and he was great. I'd say he was completely in control. No doubt he's done some living in his time but I suspect he put that (drinking mostly, I'd guess) behind him early on and any remnant of the lush life in his manner is just stage dressing. A very talented, creative musician. He's great in that Dracula film, as the bug eating Renfield (do I have the name right?)
 
Johansen has a myspace page with some tracks.
http://www.myspace.com/scarlettalbum

I can't tell if I like it or not. A little too processed for my taste. The music and her voice. Heavy on the echo-y reverb. Sounds like theres some sort of harmonising done on her voice. She seems like she can sing but its sort of missing soul. Waits is probably a hard guy to cover because he's Tom Waits! My judgement of her talent is clouded by a desire to bone her. I want to say she sucks because she's hot, then I want to like it because she's hot. Who am I kidding, I don't like it.

Waits is coming to a town near me, but he's sold out already. Piss on Life!
 
goddammit...WHY ISN'T HE COMING TO DENVER??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

fuck it...i seen him live. it was awesome. maybe its worth it if its only a once in a lifetime thing. it was at the Paramount. it was alot of money--would prolly be more now--but i loved every second of it. but i'm older now and SO much more of a fan than i was then! why won't he come to Denver? grrrr....we love him! we did like, THREE encores because we loved him so much!

damn damn damn DAMN...i can't drive to Phoenix!!! DAMN!
 
Yeah...Tom Waits, One Of The best Beat-Musicians...

a very "different" voice indeed... but just a great musician... got everything from him...from Closing Time until Orphans Collection + bootlegs from 1978 (zappa Years) till today...my faourite singer..

imho best albums: Rain Dogs, Closing Time, Blood Money/Alice, Mule Variations
 

Similar threads

PhillyDave
Tom Waits Photo book
Replies
0
Views
1K
PhillyDave
PhillyDave
Pogue Mahone
New Tom Waits Book
Replies
1
Views
2K
roni
roni
zoom man
Tom Waits and Johnny Brewton
Replies
8
Views
3K
Paul B.
P
PhillyDave
Tom Waits Grammy nomination for 2012
Replies
0
Views
928
PhillyDave
PhillyDave
C
Tom Russell art
Replies
21
Views
4K
Short Bus
Short Bus

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Back
Top