Bone Machine (studio album) by Tom Waits

Another wild Tom Waits album, not as great as Rain Dogs or even Swordfishtrombones, but songwriting, singing and atmosphere is very clearly still there.

A very dark and atmospheric album that could be the most haunting experience Waits has ever created. It is so full of suspense and tension that it is near impossible to not be put on edge by the music on here. Right from the start we are warned about the tone of this record with the phenomenal The Earth Died Screaming which might possibly be the greatest opener ever on a Waits record. It perfectly encapsulates what this record is and if you don't enjoy that song then this record probably isn't for you. Waits then continues the quality throughout the rest of the record and while it can be a little scattered and lost at some points it is still a fairly consistent listen. Lyrically, it is just as brilliant as ever with so many songs that are just a joy to explore and his vocal delivery feels more emotional and easier to connect to than on previous works. The instrumentation is experimental, diverse and full of life which is what we come to expect on his albums and this is amongst his best. Overall, another genius and fantastic release from Tom Waits and while this might not be his best album the fact that it is this amazing is a testament to how brilliant of an artist he is and is a testament to his consistency and his staying power.

This is the album to listen to while waiting for the gates of hell to open.

I just played the game Disco Elysium. This album has the same dark and desolate vibe.

From Jboy56 03/08/2022 19:53

Tom is tom.

Intense.

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From Sandrof1969 02/18/2018 19:19

Il mio primo album di Tom Waits è rimasto anche uno dei miei preferiti, anche se nel corso degli anni ha avuto, nei miei favori, alcuni alti e bassi. Oggi lo ritengo, tra i suoi dischi migliori, quello dove, forse per l'ultima volta, l'autore sposta ulteriormente i confini della propria musica: nei bassifondi ci si era già arrivati e con esiti da urlo. Qui si arriva, in alcuni brani, dritti all'inferno senza che questo suo interpretare una sorta di diavolo buono diventi una posa, come a mio avviso avverrà in seguito. Non c'è "Mule variations" che tenga: per me l'ultimo capolavoro di Tom Waits è questo.

From Daydreamer 10/19/2017 22:37

Tom Waits' second best album, and it isn't much below Rain Dogs.

Very dark sounding album with an almost industrial sound in places. Like almost every Waits album it is a bit inconsistent but the highs are incredibly high.

Even though the album is quite diverse, the ballads are easily the best tracks for me here, with some of Tom's most passionate and emotional vocal performances.

Bone Machine has to be considered somewhat of a masterpiece, it is probably on a par with Rain Dogs as Tom Wait’s best album. But whereas Rain Dogs is often quirky, Bone Machine has a much darker feel to it with songs such as Dirt In The Ground, Earth Died Screaming, Murder In The Red Barn and Black Wings. But Black Wings and Dirt In The Ground in particular are both brilliant tracks, the lyrics of Black Wings contain some wonderful imagery but don’t listen to it alone at night!

Bone machine, is Tom Waits' industrial album. It's dark, unsettling, and has a kind of mechanical sound to it, like it was recorded in some nightmarish factory. First track, earth died screaming, is actually one of the more challenging songs, as if he wanted to scare the daylights out of any casual passers by. Such a scream, in the colosseum, and, murder in the red barn, all have this similar eeriness about them. Although, somewhere underneath all this doom and gloom are some of Waits' loveliest songs, a little rain, and, whistle down the wind, are both great, and, who are you, is superb too, although a little darker. My favourite tracks are the alt.rock of, goin' out west, and the utterly fantastic, I don't wanna grow up. That feel, featuring Keith Richards, is a brilliantly sloppy closer to a strange and unique album. The ultimate Tom Waits in hell record.