Tom Waits- Franks Wild Years (1987)

If you haven't heard of Tom Waits, then there is something wrong with you.  Not only he is one of the best musicians in our lifetime, with a huge discography, but he has had multiple roles in films to boot.  Tom Waits has been making music, way before I was born, and the level of composition and musicianship is outstanding.  Long has Tom Waits been a quintessential listen for any and all music fan in the 20th/21st century.

Franks Wild Years was released in 1987, has 17 wonderful tracks that come right around an hours worth of music.  I have many Tom Waits albums, and whenever I meet someone who is not familiar with him, this is the album that I recommend.  This album touches on what makes Tom Waits a great composer: Great melodies that engulf his piano/guitar/drum playing all followed up by his unique voice which recites his enigmatic lyrics that bring all types of moods/emotions to the table.  Tom Waits as a whole, not just this album, is great for everyday listening as well as mood specific times.  I can't really say enough about him, in my opinion the only other musician that might be more prolific than Tom Waits, is Frank Zappa! (which if you know Zappa, then you understand the magnitude of that statement, if you don't know Zappa, then why the hell are you reading this blog?!)

This album is a must have, must listen, must everything; honestly this is the type of album that you want to copy off and give to friends so that they aren't left in the dark.  With a wide range of styles and genres being played on this album, there is something for everyone!  This should be bought; feel free to try and download it, but for the music lover/collector, you need this in your library, and in all honesty, you should already have it there.

Official score-4.25/5

Asylum Street Spankers- Spanker Madness (2001)

If you haven't heard of, or not familiar with the Asylum Street Spankers, do so now.   TASS is one of the greatest modern blues/bluegrass/country/jazzy groups ever.  TASS has a long history, too long for this entry, with a huge list of releases; all of which are worth getting, and more than likely will end up being reviewed here at sometime in the future.  If you are looking to see them live, act fast, they are currently on their farewell tour!

Spanker Madness was my first introduction to the band.  I saw this in the used section of a now local defunct book/cd store, and picked it up due to the Reefer Madness reference, and my love of all things weed related; it did not disappoint. 13 great tracks with all things weed/beer related, as well as some tongue-in-cheek stances on the socialization of usage.  I couldn't even start to list, but I suppose I will when I tag this, all the genres that are played on this album.  You could start with blues, head on over to jazz, bring it back with some good old bluegrass inspired sing-alongs then throw in some really spot on Tom Waits style tunage. 

All these songs are catchy, yet intricate and have a great style of vocals; both male/female.  Multiple musicians that make up TASS play their part to the T, and you can tell that inventiveness meets talent on a grand scale. I'm not going to say what you should listen to... well scratch that I will... listen to these guys!  If you don't like any of the genres that are played by TASS, then you'll love this album based on content alone.  Check out their website, buy the album, download the album or go see them live.  And when you do visit their website, you can see their great discography, with music, clothes and videos.

Official score: 4.5/5