Tom Waits, Alice Review

“Tom Waits' Alice is an example of the wonderful,...”

Written on: 05/05/2004 by testerhall

Good Points
Phenominal lyricism, musically and emotionally complex tracks draw the listener into the bleak, fragile beauty of this character study!

Bad Points
Since this is actually the musical tracts of a play, it is unfortunate that there are very few (at least here in the US) who will get a chance to see it.

General Comments
Tom Waits' Alice is an example of the wonderful, abstract quality that we have come to expect from the most recent additions to the Waits catalogue. If your wife, or husband as it were, can't get beyond "Heart of Saturday Night", then this album will be one to be played when you're alone, which is perfect as much of the music is a deeply personal study of characters from the play "Alice". With complex twists and a never ending play on words and imagery, this is not an album to put on for background music. For those who are afraid that this album may border on the "dismal", there are such wonderful heavy jazz tracks as "Kommienezuspadt".