Tom Waits, Small Change. You couldn’t get away with an album cover like that these days.
I never know when to start with Tom Waits. The trick is just to dive in, strap yourself down and be taken along for the ride. You can’t get all muso-obsessive in understanding what he’s done and where he’s going.
Small Change is no different. It starts with what I call the Waltzing Matilda song, which isn’t even Waltzing Matilda. He then starts to ramble as his bottle becomes increasingly empty.
I won’t call it a masterpiece but then I don’t want musical perfection from Tom Waits. It’s more about the mood. Small Change provides this.
