Orphans [Limited] by Tom Waits (CD, Nov-2006, 3 Discs, Anti USA)

Tom Waits has enchanted avant-garde/alternative folk audiences for years with his gravel-voiced songs and introspective lyrics. At first blush, Waits’ voice probably turns off the mildly interested. Which brings us to the point: a Tom Waits fan will thoroughly enjoy his newest release: 'Orphans.'

This is a sprawling three-CD set that surprisingly isn’t excessive. Why? The release is divided into 3 separate entities: 'Brawlers', 'Bawlers' & 'Bastards.' These are not throw-aways like many other ‘rarities’ or odds and sods collections. The 1st CD in the set is 'Brawlers' which is Waits’ rockin’ blues cd and will probably get the most airplay on progressive radio stations. The 2nd cd is entitled: 'Bawlers', which is a euphemism for ballads. This cd appealed to me the most since it opened the singers’s heart and matched his voice better than the other two cds. The third CD is 'Bastards' which includes the trademark carnival-type folk rock style that fans are most familiar with.

There are 2 versions of this cd: the limited edition and the regular edition.

There are 56 songs on this cd, 30 of which are new unreleased ones, but 14 of them have popped on several compilation cds such as soundtracks and the Bridge Benefit cds. A great compilation of Waits material to get you a foothold on his music is: Beautiful Maladies-The Island Years and is recommended for new Waits listeners. 'Orphans' boxed set is reminiscent of Bob Dylan’s Basement Tapes, and will probably be lumped in the category of ‘undiscovered rock jewels’ a few years down the road.

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