10 Incredible Instrumentals That Deserve Your Attention

7. Tom Waits - Closing Time

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGWJ5XiwbV0 Find it: Closing Time (1973) When Tom Waits released his first LP Closing Time in 1973, he set the tone for an extraordinary career that has so far spanned sixteen albums and five decades. During that time Waits' work has been characterised by versatility and experimentation, spanning film, stage, and poetry as outlets for his many talents. Closing Time the album is a startling insight into Waits' more conventional beginnings, showcasing a well-balanced collection of singer-songwriter fare and a voice that had yet to acquire all of the venom of his later years. Just as impressive is the lovely title track, which calls last orders on the album with a sombre, melancholy piece of jazz. As the title suggests, 'Closing Time' is the perfect companion to lonely hours spent ruminating on the events of the evening, with Waits' forlorn piano carrying mellow elegance alongside weary trumpet and a shuffling double bass. It's a song that wears its heart on its whisky-stained sleeve - the musical equivalent of staggering home in a creased suit and a loosened bowtie. Like the album on which it appears, 'Closing Time' isn't Waits' most revolutionary moment - but his humble, direct melodies arguably make it one of his most moving.