This is a live album that isn’t a live album. In a way. It was recorded in the studio but, as it always used to be announced at the start of an episode of Cheers, was recorded “in front of a live studio audience”. Waits wanted to replicate the feel of a jazz club, and so a small audience was invited to the recording, which was performed more or less as single takes.
And mentioning Cheers is apropos, because musically it’s the kind of light and loose jazz that makes the theme tune to Frasier. And the title of one of the tracks here, Eggs and Sausage, reminded me of the title to the Frasier theme as well – Tossed salads and scrambled eggs.
Waits performs in what could be classified as a laid-back growl, often times more like he is reciting beat poetry, but sometimes he breaks out into song and is surprisingly melodic when he does. Something about his voice made me expect him to be perfect at the kind of jazz scat that goes “Za-ba-dee-bee-bop-ow”, which, to my delight, he does almost exactly that. The backing band mostly provide just that, some jazz accompaniment to Waits’ lyrics, but occasionally saxophonist Pete Christlieb does a nice bit of soloing.
I must admit that it got a bit samey after a while, suffering the “side three blues” of most double albums. Waits’ proto-rap mumbled grumbled wordplay is fun, I don’t think for me it would stand up to multiple listens once the novelty had worn off, but I enjoyed the ersatz jazz club atmosphere, really makes you feel like you're in some dark smokey little room some time after midnight.
Nice.
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