release date: Sep. 24, 1977
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,68]
producer: Bones Howe
label: Asylum Records - nationality: USA
Track highlights: 2. "Muriel" - 3. "I Never Talk to Strangers (feat. Bette Midler)" - 5. "A Sight for Sore Eyes" (4 / 5) - 6. "Potter's Field" - 7. "Burma-Shave" - 9. "Foreign Affair" (4 / 5)
5th studio album by Tom Waits following one year after his landmark album Small Change is also his fourth consecutive album with Bones Howe as producer.
Once again Waits produces a fine collection of songs, although my impression tells me that the album is a bit of a repeat of what he has released up until this point, which in a way might sound like he is stagnating, with no real musical development, but one could then argue that he is simply sticking to a highly original style, and why necessarily change what has proven to work?
The album differs from his other releases by being close to a concept album with a detective-narrator, Nickel, who is an eyewitness to a 'film-noir-Chandler-esque-murder-story' of sorts. Bette Midler and Waits formed a couple in the years '76 / 77 and she sings on track #3.
Some artists don't need to show much artistic development - especially when they continue to make fine and relevant songs, and this album do contain several fine compositions like the ones highlighted above.
