Swordfishtrombones
Encyclopedia
Swordfishtrombones is an album by American singer-songwriter
Tom Waits
, released in September 1983
. It was the first album that Waits produced himself.
Stylistically different from his previous LPs, the album moves away from the piano
and string orchestra
arrangements of the late 1970s, replacing them instead with unusual instrumentation and a somewhat more abstract
songwriting approach.
The album peaked at #164 on the Billboard
Pop Albums and 200 albums charts. In 1989, Spin Magazine named Swordfishtrombones the second greatest album of all time. In 2006, Q placed the album at #36 in its list of "40 Best Albums of the '80s."
Side One
Side Two
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Tom Waits
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
, released in September 1983
1983 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1983.-January-April:*January – ZTT Records is founded.*January 8 – The UK singles chart is tabulated from this week forward by The Gallup Organization...
. It was the first album that Waits produced himself.
Stylistically different from his previous LPs, the album moves away from the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and string orchestra
String orchestra
A string orchestra is an orchestra composed solely or primarily of instruments from the string family. These instruments are the violin, the viola, the cello, the double bass , the piano, the harp, and sometimes percussion...
arrangements of the late 1970s, replacing them instead with unusual instrumentation and a somewhat more abstract
Abstraction
Abstraction is a process by which higher concepts are derived from the usage and classification of literal concepts, first principles, or other methods....
songwriting approach.
The album peaked at #164 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Pop Albums and 200 albums charts. In 1989, Spin Magazine named Swordfishtrombones the second greatest album of all time. In 2006, Q placed the album at #36 in its list of "40 Best Albums of the '80s."
Track listing
All tracks written by Tom Waits. Arranger Frances Thumm. Recorded by Tim Boyle and Biff Dawes. Mixed by Biff Dawes at Sunset Sound Studios, Hollywood, CA.Side One
Side Two
Personnel
- Tom Waits - Vocal (1, 2, 4, 5-7, 9-14), Chair (2), Hammond B-3 Organ (3), Piano (4, 15), Harmonium (6, 8), Synthesizer (6), Freedom Bell (6)
- Victor FeldmanVictor FeldmanVictor Stanley Feldman was a British jazz musician, best known as a pianist.-Early history:...
- Bass Marimba (1, 2), Marimba (2,10), Shaker (2), Bass Drum with Rice (2), Bass Boo Bams (3), Brake Drum (5), Bell Plate (5), Snare (5, 11), Hammond B-3 Organ (7), Snare Drum (7), Bells (7), Conga (10), Bass Drum (10), Dabuki Drum (10), Tambourine (11), African Talking Drum (14) - Larry TaylorLarry TaylorLarry Taylor is an American bass guitarist, best known for his work as a member of Canned Heat from 1967. Before joining Canned Heat he had been a session bassist for The Monkees and Jerry Lee Lewis...
- Acoustic Bass (1, 2, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14), Electric Bass (10) - Randy Aldcroft - Baritone Horn (1, 7), Trombone (2)
- Stephen Taylor Arvizu HodgesStephen Hodges (musician)Stephen Hodges is an American percussionist and composer. He is best known for his work with Tom Waits, Mike Watt, T Bone Burnett, and film director David Lynch.- Discography :*Tom Waits - Swordfishtrombones...
- Drums (1, 2, 5, 11, 13), Parade Drum (7), Cymbals (7), Parade Bass Drum (14), Glass Harmonica (15) - Fred TackettFred TackettFred Tackett, an American native of Arkansas, is an accomplished songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Originally a session player on guitar, mandolin, and trumpet, he is best known for his longevity as a member of the band Little Feat....
- Electric Guitar (1, 5, 13), Banjo Guitar (2) - Francis Thumm - Metal Aunglongs (2), Glass Harmonica (15)
- Greg CohenGreg CohenA native of Los Angeles, bassist Greg Cohen has been playing in various acclaimed music groups since the '60s. He is perhaps best known for his work with John Zorn's Masada quartet; more recently he has been touring with Ornette Coleman, and performed on Coleman's much-praised Sound Grammar...
- Bass (4), Acoustic Bass (10, 12, 15) - Joe Romano - Trombone (5), Trumpet (8)
- Anthony Clark Stewart - Bagpipes (6)
- Clark Spangler - Synthesizer Program (6)
- Bill Reichenbach - Trombone (7)
- Dick (Slyde) Hyde - Trombone (7)
- Ronnie BarronRonnie BarronRonnie Barron was an American actor, keyboardist, organist, and white soul singer during the 1970s. He was known for his work as a session musician for several artists, as well as his collaborations with Dr...
- Hammond Organ (9) - Eric Bikales - Organ (11)
- Carlos Guitarlos - Electric Guitar (11)
- Richard Gibbs - Glass Harmonica (15)