Gold would surely have been the obvious choice, not because Waits’ voice reminds one of the Spandau Ballet dirge, but because that’s what his 2006 triple album ‘Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers and Bastards’ achieved in terms of sales. What the first ever vinyl release will be though is red, grey and blue – it’s a triple album after all. So that’s yet another reason to be camping outside the Friendly Local Record Store (FLRS) on the evening of the 20th of April.
The three album collection is divided by genre: ‘Brawlers’ is filled with raucous blues and full-throated juke joint stomps; ‘Bawlers’ is classic lyrical Waits songs, including Celtic and country ballads, waltzes and lullabies; and ‘Bastards’, well that particular album is a collection of experimental music and strange tales. Strange Tales? Isn’t that Waits’ stock in trade? Anyway, Grammy nominated for Best Contemporary Folk Album and certified Gold in the US, UK and Canada, the ‘Orphans’ three-disc collection was called “a definitive album” by Rolling Stone. So get that sleeping bag and a hot thermos ready to be able to see the guy (and it’s going to be a guy) in front of you in the queue buy the last copy your FLRS was supplied with.
Here’s a tune that is not on any of these limited vinyl releases.
