I was late discovering Waits. A friend had lent me Rain Dogs and Swordfishtrombones, but they hadn’t really made an impression and it wasn’t until getting Mule Variations from the library that I finally got it. So I probably didn’t hear this until thirty years after release.
The roughness in Waits’ voice isn’t heavily evident in this debut, a lot of which feels like standard 1970s American singer-songwriter. Ol’ 55 and I Hope That I Don’t Fall In Love With You lead off, both strong songs, before Virginia Avenue, a horn heavy bluesy number. The quality songs continue, the first half ending with the lovely Martha. In the second half, Ice Cream Man stands out as an upbeat rocker, leading to the finale - the gorgeous Grapefruit Moon, before the instrumental title track takes us gently to the end. This is a lovely album of songs, and a fantastic debut. Was his direction evident at the time? I doubt it!
4* - a fantastic debut showing Waits’ versatility both as a songwriter and performer.
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