Glitter and Doom Live, a double-disc set, marks
Tom Waits' third live effort in his nearly 40-year career, each one summing up his career to the point of its release. The first,
Nighthawks at the Diner issued in 1975 on Asylum, is regarded by many as one of the greatest live albums of all time. The second was
Big Time, released during his tenure at Island in 1986. The musical performances on disc one of
Glitter and Doom Live were culled from
Waits’ historic sold-out tour of the U.S. and Europe. He compiled and sequenced the set himself, intending to make them sound like a single show. The material leans, understandably, on his recordings with the Anti label. There are stellar performances here, such as “Get Behind the Mule” from
The Mule Variations, “Trampled Rose” from
Real Gone, and a haunting version of
Leadbelly’s “Fannin Street” from
Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards, to mention just three of the 17 cuts here. But he goes back to his Island albums too. For instance, there are completely re-visioned readings of “Lucky Day” and “I’ll Shoot the Moon” from 1993’s
Black Rider, and a killer -- though equally revamped -- version of “Singapore” from 1985’s
Rain Dogs. Musically, the performances are flawless, as is the sound on this set. The killer stage band includes
Vincent Henry on woodwinds and harmonica, guitarist Omar Torres,
Patrick Warren on piano and keyboards, Casey Waits on drums/percussion, and
Seth Ford Young on bass. There is also a guest appearance by Sullivan Waits on sax and clarinet;
Tom plays piano and guitar.
Waits decided to ax most of the stage banter from disc one, and instead created a bonus disc in this deluxe package. It is a single 35-plus-minute track called "Tom's Tales," which splices stories and dialogue, reminiscences and spontaneous comedy. ~ Thom Jurek