Tom Waits - The Black Rider

This album is a collection of songs from a musical that Waits and William S Burroughs wrote and had performed. As a consequence, this albums main flaw is it's disjointed structure as the music has been taken out of context. However after listening to this album a few times over the last week, I've realized just how amazingly a large number of the tracks stand on their own. It does fall pray to a few uneventful instrumentals and the odd bizarre spoken word piece. But I really can hear some of the Waits' finest work in here. The haunting "Just The Right Bullets" being a grand example. With Tom's raspy voice being the main focus for this dark little track. The same could be said for "Crossroads" as well as a number of other pieces from the record. Had the album not been so awkwardly set out, I could easily put this up with "Bone Machine", "Alice", "Mule Variations" and "Rain Dogs".

If you've dismissed this record in the past. I'd recommend you try to stop listening to it as a whole and give each track a separate bit of attention. The number of pieces that have the ability to completely stand on their own will surprise you.


Tom Waits - Just The Right Bullets
Tom Waits - Russian Dance
Tom Waits - I'll Shoot The Moon
Tom Waits - Crossroads

Related posts:
Tom Waits - Bone Machine
William S Burroughs - Dead City Radio

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