2023 Marks forty years since Tom Waits releasedSwordfishtrombones, ushering in a new and critically acclaimed musical era for Waits and his longtime songwriting and production partner, Brennan. Waits went from 70s-era bluesy, boozy wordsmith and melodist with seven albums behind him to sound sculptor, miner of the subconscious, abstract orchestrator, sonic cubistwhile retaining his innate lyricism, melodic invention, humanity. As he put it in a 1983 interview: I tried to listen to the noise in my head and invent some junkyard orchestral deviationa mutant apparatus to drive this noise into a wreck collection. Its a Waits-arranged pastiche, a variety of atmospheres from different sound planets. There is the warped, marching-army-ants music of Underground, an impressionist chant about people living below cities, but there was also the poignancy of the spare piano ballad, Soldiers Things, the good bar yarn, Franks Wild Years, the tender, minimalist paean to Waits wife and muse, Kathleen, Johnsburg, Illinois, and the raggedy anthem to neighborhood chaos, In the Neighborhood.

OnSwordfishtrombones, Waits has made a breakthrough hes found music as evocative as his words. Waitss grumble of a voice now bounces off a peculiar assortment of horns and percussion and organ and keyboards, as if hed led a Salvation Army band into a broken-down Hong Kong disco. Its as if hes shifted from monologues to screenplays – Jon Parales January 1984 – GQ Magazine

The album is newly remastered for the first time ever from the original EQed production master tape and personally overseen by Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan. Mastered by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering under the guidance of Waits longtime audio engineer, Karl Derfler. The album packaging has also been restored. Available on 180g black vinyl.

Tracklist

A1. Underground
A2. Shore Leave
A3. Dave The Butcher
A4. Johnsburg, Illinois
A5. 16 Shells From A 30.6
A6. Town With No Cheer
A7. In The Neighbourhood
B1. Just Another Sucker On The Vine
B2. Frank’s Wild Years
B3. Swordfishtrombone
B4. Down, Down, Down
B5. Soldier’s Things
B6. Gin Soaked Boy
B7. Trouble’s Braids
B8. Rainbirds