Tom Waits - Closing Time

In this first part of a massive twenty four part write up of Tom Waits' history, I take a look at his debut album Closing Time. Closing Time, Tom Waits first full length record came out in early 1973. Recorded back in 1972 by a then 22 year old Tom Waits, it portrays an era of his music that will take a few by surprise if they're only familiar with the modern day Waits. Most recognizably different here is the voice. Waits' trademark booming growl is no where to be found, and instead we are presented with a much more 'normal' style fitting with the folk and jazz driven music he was renowned for at the time. Waits' voice would only change over the next few years after repeated strain through projecting his voice in live performances.

Waits began his career in music in 1970, playing gigs at the Troubadour in Los Angeles. Many of the songs he would perform there would later appear on Closing Time and some on the 1974 follow up album The Heart Of Saturday Night. One night in 1972, Waits was spotted by David Geffen of Asylum Records and Waits was signed soon after, leading to the recording of Closing Time.

Closing Time wasn't a very successful debut, especially in the UK, where it had little to no press cover. The albums only single Ol' 55, was more popularly known to be covered by The Eagles. But that's not to say this was a bad debut album. In fact it is one of the highlights of Waits' lengthy career in music, and that's not something to take lightly.

The style and themes of Waits' first few albums often touch on the lifestyle that he led at the time, playing in bars and hanging out in diners. You could almost imagine him propping up the bar in the seedy underbelly of the city with a cigarette and pot of coffee. Closing Time shows his free spirit and often touches on melancholy, with Ol' 55 representing the idea of escapism and Lonely being a somber piano melody. There are many different styles represented in the album, but everything fits well within the dynamic of the record.

The album was set out to be predominately a jazz fueled affair, but it often shows the folk side of Tom Waits and his obvious Bob Dylan influence. There are many well crafted songs here, and some outright Tom Waits classics. The track Ice Cream Man, definitely the most upbeat tune on the record never fails to put you in a good mood and when the guitar solo comes in it is just fantastic. Strange to think that the track preceding, Lonely, is a song full of such sorrow.

Like many of Tom Waits' records this has gained a cult following, and last year Closing Time was certified gold in the UK selling over 100,000 copies. The album eventually got noticed through many artists performing cover versions of songs on the album, which became common with future Tom Waits releases. There were covers by Tim Buckley, The Eagles (as previously mentioned), Meatloaf and most recently Bat For Lashes.

By no means was Closing Time a bad album. It may not have done very well, but it showed us a glimpse of this rare talent and set the stage for a glorious career.