Jon, words fail. I can only offer condolences and vibes for strength.
And yet, Swordfishtrombones wasn't unprecedented. There are hints in his earlier work that point toward it.
Hec, if you haven't in a while, you might give
Heartattack and Vine
a spin. He's still working a lot of his 70's shtick, with many of the same characters, but the lurching, guitar-driven numbers on the album (the title track, "Mr. Seigel", "Downtown") sound like a direct pre-cursor to the howling, Beefheartian stuff he seemed to pull out of nowhere on i Swordfish.
It's also got "Jersey Girl" which was probably his most stunningly gorgeous song to date.
I think this was when he really knew he was trapped in his persona, and by the people he was always working with at the time (I'd guess Bones Howe especially).
Thanks for the condolences. I'm doin' alright (uh huh).
::the role of Hec will be played this morning by JZ, as Hec isn't even halfway through his first cup of coffee::
It's also got "Jersey Girl" which was probably his most stunningly gorgeous song to date.
Hec has mentioned that song in particular a lot around the house if not in the pitch, and I'm fairly sure that it'll get a mention in the book, as he wrote it immediately after meeting Kathleen Brennan; that meeting was the beginning of so very much that led him to
Swordfishtrombones.
Jon, I'm so sorry for your loss.
You know what is great way to start off the day? Sir Duke.
I've followed it up with a little Jackson 5 - I Want You Back and now some Marvin Gaye - You're All I Need To Get By.
Jon, I'm so sorry to hear about your father. You and your family are in my thoughts.
Hec, if you haven't in a while, you might give Heartattack and Vine a spin. He's still working a lot of his 70's shtick, with many of the same characters, but the lurching, guitar-driven numbers on the album (the title track, "Mr. Seigel", "Downtown") sound like a direct pre-cursor to the howling, Beefheartian stuff he seemed to pull out of nowhere on i Swordfish. It's also got "Jersey Girl" which was probably his most stunningly gorgeous song to date.
You're absolutely right. I've come late to my appreciation of Heartattack and Vine as a transitional album into the Swordfish era, but I think that's exactly where Tom was straining at his leash. One From The Heart represents the other half of that transition, I think, where he explored a much broader range of instrumentation and composition.
One From The Heart represents the other half of that transition, I think, where he explored a much broader range of instrumentation and composition.
Also, although he's never really worked with another vocalist the same way, I think working with Crystal Gale really recharged his batteries a bit.
It's funny, a friend in high school introduced me to Small Change and Nighthawks at the Diner which I absolutely loved (the second more as a comedy album than anything, though there are some strong songs). So I was already a fan when Swordfishtrombones came out. I didn't even have to get to side two of that before a) I knew a big change was in works, and b) that I loved that album more than anything I'd heard by him up until that point. In fact, I think I might have ONLY heard Small Change and Nighthawks at that point. I didn't find Heart Attack until I was filling in the back catalog, but it struck me immediately that the seeds were there.
FAQWife just noticed something funny in Kim's NMH book (which is WONDERFUL, by the way). On page four of the photo section there is a picture of the horn chart for one of the songs. The picture is upside-down.
