Swordfishtrombones

Untitled

Swordfishtrombones is an album by American singer-songwriter Tom Waits, released in September of 1983 (see 1983 in music). It was the first album that Waits produced himself and is marked as such by a sense of artistic freedom that would increasingly characterize his later work.

Stylistically different from his previous LPs, Swordfishtrombones moves away from the piano and string orchestra arrangements of the late seventies replacing them instead with unusual instrumentation and a somewhat more abstract songwriting approach.

Swordfishtrombones peaked at #164 on Billboard's Pop Albums and Billboard 200 albums chart.

In 1989, Spin Magazine named Swordfishtrombones the second greatest album of all time.

"Town with No Cheer" was covered by actress Scarlett Johansson on her album of Waits covers, Anywhere I Lay My Head.

Track listing

All tracks written by Tom Waits.

1. "Underground" – 1:58
2. "Shore Leave" – 4:12
3. "Dave the Butcher" (instrumental) – 2:15
4. "Johnsburg, Illinois" – 1:30
5. "16 Shells from a Thirty-Ought-Six" – 4:30
6. "Town with No Cheer" – 4:22
7. "In the Neighborhood" – 3:04
8. "Just Another Sucker on the Vine" (instrumental) – 1:42
9. "Frank's Wild Years" – 1:50
10. "Swordfishtrombone" – 3:00
11. "Down, Down, Down" – 2:10
12. "Soldier's Things" – 3:15
13. "Gin Soaked Boy" – 2:20
14. "Trouble's Braids" – 1:18
15. "Rainbirds" (instrumental) – 3:05

Personnel

• Tom Waits – vocals, piano, harmonium, Hammond B-3 organ, synthesizer, chair, freedom bell
• Randy Aldcroft – trombone, baritone horn
• Ronnie Barron – Hammond organ
• Eric Bikales – organ
• Anthony Clark Stewart – bagpipes
• Greg Cohen – acoustic bass, bass
• Victor Feldman – marimba, bass marimba, snare, Hammond B-3 organ, bass drum, bass drum with rice, snare drum, brake drum, african talking drum, dabuki drum, conga, tambourine, bells, shaker, bass boo bams, bell plate
• Richard Gibbs – glass harmonica
• Carlos Guitarlos – electric guitar
• Stephen Taylor Arvizu Hodges – drums, glass harmonica, cymbals, parade drum, parade bass drum
• Dick (Slyde) Hyde – trombone
• Sebastian Power - harmonica, electric guitar, steel guitar
• Bill Reichenbach – trombone
• Joe Romano – trumpet, trombone
• Clark Spangler – synthesizer program
• Fred Tackett – electric guitar, banjo guitar
• Larry Taylor – acoustic bass, electric bass
• Francis Thumm – glass harmonica, metal aunglongs