release date: Sep. 8, 1992
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,88]
producer: Tom Waits, Kathleen Brennan
label: Island Records - nationality: USA
Track highlights: 1. "Earth Died Screaming" - 2. "Dirt in the Ground" - 3. "Such a Scream" - 4. "All Stripped Down" - 5. "Who Are You" - 7. "Jesus Gonna Be Here" - 8. "A Little Rain" - 10. "Goin' Out West" (4 / 5) - 12. "Black Wings" - 13. "Whistle Down the Wind" - 14. "I Don't Wanna Grow Up"
11th studio album from Tom Waits follows the release of the soundtrack Night on Earth (Apr. '92) is his first studio album featuring his wife Kathleen Brennan as 'associate producer' - she is credited as co-producer on Big Time (Sep. 88).
After what could be described, with some goodwill, as a trilogy of albums with an approximately uniform style starting with Swordfishtrombones (1983) and ending with Frank's Wild Years (1987), with this Waits takes another big step into a musical territory of experimental rock, and now with the use of stronger distorted vocals and more pronounced use of a variety of percussion. However, the album still features signature ballads such as "Who Are You", "A Little Rain", and "Whistle Down the Wind".
This album in particular took me some time to understand as something unique - which it really is, once you are ready for it, but my first impression was really not positive.
Bone Machine peaked at number #26 on the UK albums chart and it generally fared better in Europe, although, the album earned Waits the award "Best Alternative Music Album" at the 1992 Grammy Awards.
The album is Waits' so far final to be featured in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die" along with a total of five other Waits releases.
Recommended.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]
