Music Moment – Mule Variations by Tom Waits

Singer and songwriter Tom Waits has had several interesting career shifts, but none so resonating as when he recorded his 1999 album, Mule Variations. It ended up winning him a Grammy award for “Best Contemporary Folk Album” and a nomination for “Best Male Rock Performance”.

The album is a culmination of his previous work and experiments. Waits started as a jazz-influenced ballad singer, then had a brush with mainstream recognition after writing the soundtrack for the Francis Form Coppola film, One from the Heart. He reinvented himself in the mid-1980s in order to be more experimental, delving into a variety of non-traditional instruments, rhythms, and songwriting styles. He also began to incorporate influences from everywhere – jazz, blues, cabaret, folk, country,  avant-garde, and world music.

I’ve been a Waits fan for many years and the 25th anniversary of this recording felt like a good time to pick it up on vinyl. Yes, I only had this in digital format. I think vinyl is really the best way to appreciate his music. It’s more raw than digital and feels like it fits his voice and musical style. 

He brought in an interesting variety of musicians to bring the music to life. Les Claypool and Les LaLond from Primus, blues harmonica maestro Charlie Musselwhite, and Larry Taylor of Canned Heat, to mention a few. The different styles and musical backgrounds give the songs an interesting vibe. They don’t sound like anything I’ve heard before.

This is a double album, so there’s a lot to unpack here. A few of my favorites include the opener, “Big In Japan”, which sounds like a mash-up of Captain Beefheart and some unearthly Americana. I also enjoy “Get Behind the Mule”, “The Eyeball Kid”, and “Chocolate Jesus”. The truth is, however, I really love the entire album.

If you aren’t familiar with Waits, this may not be the best introduction to his discography. I’d say his earlier work is more accessible to a general audience. But if you enjoy an artist who pushes the boundaries a bit, Mule Variations is a good place to start.

Here’s the official audio for “Big In Japan” and I’ve posted the lyrics beneath. 

I got the style but not the grace
I got the clothes but not the face
I got the bread but not the butter
I got the winda but not the shutter

But I’m big in Japan I’m big in Japan But heh I’m big in Japan

I got the house but not the deed
I got the horn but not the reed
I got the cards but not the luck
I got the wheel but not the truck

But heh I’m big in Japan I’m big in Japan I’m big in Japan

I got the moon I got the cheese
I got the whole damn nation on its knees
I got the rooster I got the crow
I got the ebb I got the flow

I got the powder but not the gun
I got the dog but not the bun
I got the clouds but not the sky
I got the stripes but not the tie

But heh I’m big in Japan I’m big in Japan I’m big in Japan

Heh ho they love the way I do it
Heh ho there’s really nothing to it

I got the moon I got the cheese
I got the whole damn nation on their knees
I got the rooster I got the crow
I got the ebb I got the flow

I got the sizzle but not the steak
I got the boat but not the lake
I got the sheets but not the bed
I got the jam but not the bread

But heh I’m big in Japan I’m big in Japan I’m big in Japan
I’m big in Japan, I’m big in Japan.

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RB