Our man-on-the-street Eric Molinsky returns to revisit Big Black Mariah, talking about lyric comprehension and the quality of Waits's voice in relation to bed frames and animated characters.
Music extracts used for illustrative/review purposes include:
Big Black Mariah, Big Time, Tom Waits (1988)
Big Black Mariah, Rain Dogs, Tom Waits (1985)
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For this very material song about the riches of the world, we delve into the metaphysical as Eric, Sam and Martin debate some of the semi-hallucinatory worlds that Waits creates in his music, or perhaps that a warm studio makes its occupants feel. With the intersection of real and Imaginary Worlds (plugplugplug), Rain Dogs continues it’s meander through the urban landscapes of America.
Music extracts used for illustrative/review purposes include:
Diamonds & Gold, Rain Dogs, Tom Waits (1985)
Deep Blue Sea, The Complete Bowdoin College Concert, Traditional/Pete Seeger (1960)
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Whoop-whoop! That’s the sound of the critique, as Eric, Martin and Sam revisit the criminal underbelly of Waits’s version of America through this latest track from Rain Dogs. With the demonization (and possibly supernaturalisation) of the police in both this as well as our much more political interval track, we discuss the interaction between authority figures and minorities in the US, as well as the idea of Waits role as “guide” through some of the semi-unreal worlds found in his songs.
Music extracts used for illustrative/review purposes include:
Big Black Mariah, Rain Dogs, Tom Waits (1985)
Sound of da Police, Return of the Boom Bap, KRS-One (1993)
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Song by Song extends a warm welcome to Eric Molinsky of the Imaginary Worlds Podcast, joining us for the latest track from Rain Dogs. As we pick through how Waits presents himself in both the songs as well as his PR appearances, we get to look at the humour in his writing, and more of the ideas of how to represent worlds through music and lyrics. Also spider-venom dancing.
Music extracts used for illustrative/review purposes include:
Tango Till They're Sore, Rain Dogs, Tom Waits (1985)
The Masochism Tango, An Evening Wasted With Tom Lehrer, Tom Lehrer (1959)
Tom Waits on Late Night With David Letterman 2/6/86, via YouTube (1986)
A playlist of Rain Dogs promo videos, via YouTube
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