Review Summary: A step back into the roots of Tom Waits and his influences.
Many seem to overlook the brilliance of Tom Waits' earliest work, in particular his sophomore release, The Heart of Saturday Night. The album, released in 1974, sees Waits continue with the jazz influenced sound that he debuted on Closing Time. It is a release that exposes us to a dreamier side of Tom that becomes less and less frequent the further one delves into his discography. It says a lot about an artist when his first two releases are among his best, especially when referring to someone like Tom Waits who hasn’t ever released a truly bad record.
The heart of Tom’s second album is in his vocal performance. Those who are familiar with the nicotine and bourbon soaked rasp that Tom Waits is so known for, may at first be surprised by the clarity of his voice. Whether this change is in part due to production, or Tom's efforts to stick to a more traditional style, is unclear. What is clear, however, is that the vocals in this release are part of what give the album the dreamy tone that makes it so successful. Tracks like Drunk On The Moon and Semi Suite exhibit his surprisingly impressive range. Diamonds On My Windshield and The Ghosts Of Saturday Night aren’t even sung, but the addition of spoken word is an indicator for the experimentation that Tom planned to play with in later albums. Although the gravely vocals that Tom is recognized for may add a rougher quality to his music, it’s nice to see that the man doesn’t in any way need to rely on the fact that he’s unique to make good music.
For the most part, The Heart of Saturday Night uses a more classical form of instrumentation than other Tom Waits releases. A few tracks are backed by a heavy bass rhythm, giving them a bluesy quality. The title track, (Looking For) The Heart of Saturday Night, is as close to folk as Tom ever really gets, using two acoustic guitars to give a tone strangely reminiscent of Harvest-era Neil Young. It is true that the element of instrumental experimentation that makes albums like Rain Dogs so exciting seems to be lacking on this release. However, his inclusion of the occasional string accompaniments to underscore the bounding melodies, or his use of horns on tracks like Depot, Depot and Semi Suite, still elevate this release to a high quality of musicianship.
What is perhaps the most formidable aspect of Tom Waits’ The Heart of Saturday Night lies not in instrumentation or vocals, but in accessibility. His sophomore release is not only a good place for Tom Waits newcomers to start, but also an essential for the most die-hard fans to add to their collection. It is albums like these in Tom’s discography that set him apart as an artist who is able to transgress genre and style, yet still retain his ability to make great music.
Favorite tracks: Semi Suite, (Looking For) The Heart Of Saturday Night, Drunk On The Moon
