Gramma Waits
I've been slightly obsessed with Tom Waits lately. I got nearly all of his stuff from my friend Ryan months ago and while I usually listen to party shuffle on iTunes constantly I found that it's not really the way to listen to Tom Waits. His stuff is so varied from album to album... and he's such an acquired taste, that it's kind of tricky to really get into him one song at a time. I decided to start with his first album "Closing Time". I suggest you check it out if you haven't.
One thing that comes to mind whenever anyone speaks or hears about Tom Waits is that voice. Everyone has their own analogy for it.
Back in the "Closing Time" days, his voice sort of reminded me of Springsteen's. From then on Tom Wait's "singing" voice sounds like every character Frank Oz ever did (cookie monster, yoda, miss piggy among many others) after a bottle of shit whiskey, a few cheap cigars and a sandpaper chaser.
Now here's the weird part... yesterday I blogged about my paternal grandmother's odd way of speaking....
Today I watched many Tom Waits videos on youtube....
Today I came across one video where he sounds exactly like my grandmother.
The slight accent that you can't place... the rasp...
It's her. Same speaking voice as Tom Waits.
Well, 15 years ago when she smoked like a chimney. (Just like Tom)
Gramma Hooker.
Watch.
One thing that comes to mind whenever anyone speaks or hears about Tom Waits is that voice. Everyone has their own analogy for it.
Back in the "Closing Time" days, his voice sort of reminded me of Springsteen's. From then on Tom Wait's "singing" voice sounds like every character Frank Oz ever did (cookie monster, yoda, miss piggy among many others) after a bottle of shit whiskey, a few cheap cigars and a sandpaper chaser.
Now here's the weird part... yesterday I blogged about my paternal grandmother's odd way of speaking....
Today I watched many Tom Waits videos on youtube....
Today I came across one video where he sounds exactly like my grandmother.
The slight accent that you can't place... the rasp...
It's her. Same speaking voice as Tom Waits.
Well, 15 years ago when she smoked like a chimney. (Just like Tom)
Gramma Hooker.
Watch.
posted by Hooker at 11:01 PM
8 Comments:
The song "Going Out West" off of "Bone Machine" is probably one of my top 5 favorite songs of all time. You should check it out if you haven't.
I'll listen in a few. I'm sure it's been played many times over the past week but I haven't taken note.
Have a question for you: I have the picture of Tony. I want to mail it to you (it's a print, not digital) to see if you can work with it for that portrait we were talking about--if you still want to do it. I don't know your email address to ask this so I went to your blog.
Maybe I can get your address from Andy and send the photo.
Let me know if you think you'll have time to do that, ok?
And, re. Tom Waits, I love him-
my favorites of his:
Ruby's Arms
Jersey Girl
I Hope That I Don't Fall in Love With You
The Piano Has Been Drinking (not me)
all awesome songs.
judy, check out my online portfolio...
www.hookermedia.com
and then send me an email from there.
the Ocean doesn't want me today..
i just started coming on here...so i'm a little late with this comment. but...ummmm, thank you for that video. i've been a tom waits fanatic for 11 years now and i don't know if i've ever really bothered to check out an interview with him.
his speaking voice is pretty hilarious in that video. i saw him live about 7 years ago and it was different...a little less gramma.
i love that man. love.
also, the painting of my dad is amazing, i'm so, so excited about it.
yeah definitely hit up "tom waits" search on youtube.com
and i'm psyched about the painting too. i wish i could see him when he sees it.
Come on up to the house!
I once read a great review about Tom Waits. Oh wait! Here it is!
(a sample:)
"It's as though after all these years, Tom finally has nothing left to prove. He can drink more than you, smoke more than you, write a better song than you, act in a Francis Ford Coppola movie better than you and pass out on a piano like nobody's business. And goddamn, can he make a record."
I always thought that summed it all up quite nicely.
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