Song by Song

Sam and Martin debate Waits's influences as a singer and performer and his relationship to Frank Sinatra, and the ways they break expectations of songs and draw audiences in. Marble eggs also feature somehow. Song by Song is Martin Zaltz Austwick and Sam Pay; two musicians listening to and discussing every single Tom Waits track in chronological order. website: songbysongpodcast.com twitter: @song...

Things kick up a gear as Martin and Sam discuss the energetic outlier of Closing Time's second half. Discussion includes explicit lyrics, comic-book ice-cream sellers and the swing era of the Big Band. Song by Song is Martin Zaltz Austwick and Sam Pay; two musicians listening to and discussing every single Tom Waits track in chronological order. website: songbysongpodcast.com twitter: @songbysongp...

Sparse and open orchestration, dissonant ringing and obscure meaning all feature in the discussion of what Sam considers the most interesting song of the album, with debate over vocal authenticity vs technical ability and musical theatre performance. Song by Song is Martin Zaltz Austwick and Sam Pay; two musicians listening to and discussing every single Tom Waits track in chronological order. web...

Utterly unable to keep their minds out of the gutter, Martin and Sam get seriously stuck on one particular lyric, but push through to talk about Closing Time as an album, falsetto singing and courtly language. Song by Song is Martin Zaltz Austwick and Sam Pay; two musicians listening to and discussing every single Tom Waits track in chronological order. website: songbysongpodcast.com twitter: @son...

Sam and Martin reach the iconic, eulogic apex of Closing Time, as Tom Waits makes a long-distance call to an old flame. Narrative structure and resolution, Sam's hatred of oboes and the Meatloaf reading of Gilliam's Brazil all come up. Honestly. Song by Song is Martin Zaltz Austwick and Sam Pay; two musicians listening to and discussing every single Tom Waits track in chronological order. website:...

Lulled by children's rhymes and traditional tunes, Martin and Sam start to talk about Waits's lyrical content (or lack thereof), as well as personality vs. persona, tenderness compared with romance and a magpie attitude to language and songs. Song by Song is Martin Zaltz Austwick and Sam Pay; two musicians listening to and discussing every single Tom Waits track in chronological order. website: so...

We finally get some real disagreement with this fourth track from Closing Time, Old Shoes (& Picture Postcards) - as the Dylan influence starts to show Sam rails against the pointlessness of the track while Martin defends the folk influences of Waits. Strong feelings and not-very-strong language feature. Song by Song is Martin Zaltz Austwick and Sam Pay; two musicians listening to and discussing e...

Closing Time continues with Virginia Avenue, a wander through the late night streets of 1970s LA and through a song that both Martin and Sam seem to have forgotten about until today. Trumpet players, the voice as instrument and background storytelling all feature in the discussion. Song by Song is Martin Zaltz Austwick and Sam Pay; two musicians listening to and discussing every single Tom Waits t...

Sam and Martin follow track one of Closing Time with the bold choice of track two, I Hope That I Don't Fall in Love with You, discussing counting elephants, authenticity of space and the brutality of live performance. Song by Song is Martin Zaltz Austwick and Sam Pay; two musicians listening to and discussing every single Tom Waits track in chronological order. website: songbysongpodcast.com twitt...

Tom Waits's first album, Closing Time (1973) opens with Ol' 55, a mournful ballad of late night and early morning driving. Martin and Sam kick things off with discussion of covers, quaaludes, intrusive guitar players and driving a Buick Roadmaster in reverse. It's a Buick, Martin, a Buick… Song by Song is Martin Zaltz Austwick and Sam Pay; two musicians listening to and discussing every single Tom...

Welcome to Song by Song - we are Martin Zaltz Austwick and Sam Pay; two musicians who, out of some obsessive completist compulsion, have decided to listen to and discuss every single Tom Waits track in chronological order. Join us weekly, episode by episode, song by song. In Season One, we will plunge headlong into Closing Time, Tom Waits's 1973 debut album. website: songbysongpodcast.com twitter:...