MUSIC: 'Come on Up to the House — Women Sing Waits' is outstanding

Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2019/11/27/come-on-up-to-the-house-women.html

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Super great album. My personal favorite track is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJTjYwulE1A

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I want to love it but already the title track doesn’t - IN MY VIEW - hold a candle to this version:

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Adding to the list of great women performng Tom Waits: Sara Watkins doing Pony (it’s on her first album)

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Also note: streams free if you’re an Am*z*n Pr*m* subscriber

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His chronological age has almost caught up to where his voice was when he was 23!

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Bette Midler was a Tom Waits fan from way back.

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As was Nanci Griffith: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3yeEvMEy1s

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My view as well. This is a regular part of my heavy rotation. This version carries a homey warmth commensurate to the lyrics that the new release lacks.

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oh ffs, Scarlett Johansson’s Tom Waits cover is just fine. Certainly nothing to be terrified about.

As for this album, I went straight to the Iris Dement, and she didn’t disappoint.

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As long as we’re nominating: It’s a shame they overlooked Diana Krall, who’s covered Temptation a number of times. Way good.

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Holly Cole did an album of Waits covers in 1995; I haven’t listened to it in ages but I had it on heavy rotation for a looooong time.

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This album would not be complete without Iris Dement

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That’s fantastic, and it never struck me before how much Iris Dement reminds me of Victoria Williams, who I wish was still well enough to be on this album.

I will not be satisfied until Jolie Holland does a version of “The Heart of a Saturday Night.”

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When I noticed comments were turned off for the Scarlett Johansson video, I figured there was no point in listening to it.

Scarlett Johansson’s album of Waits’ covers has the support of Waits himself, and it’s a lovely piece of work, beautifully recorded.
Rod Stewart’s cover of ‘Downtown Train’, on the other hand…

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Aw, no God’s Away on Business?

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That cover came out just about the time I was discovering Tom (1990?); I didn’t find out it was a cover for another year or two. Rod’s version is vastly inferior, but it’s still a good enough song that I liked it a lot until I came to know better.

Cookie Monster did that one best.

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