A lot of people really hate Tom Waits, but they might be converted by his newest release, probably his best CD. It's got a wide range of songs, from catchy, raucous tunes to tender ballads. Never once is the same kind of song repeated on "Mule Variations"; Waits constantly scratches, sneers, and shouts, which is why a lot of people might dislike the CD. But for those with open minds and an interest in non-mainstream music, "Mule Variations" will prove to be satisfying indeed.

One of the strong points of Waits' music is his lyrics; they're a very important element, and the music would definitely be lacking without Waits' strong, interesting lyrics that add so much depth and mix perfectly with the music. Such moving, lyrical, almost agonizing songs as "Hold On", "The House Where Nobody Lives", and "Georgia Lee" (maybe the best song on the album) go so well with the dark, twisted imagery of "Black Market Baby" and the distorted pageants of "Big in Japan" and "Filipino Boxspring Hog"...it's no wonder that this album has garnered such unanimous praise.

And of course there's Waits' voice, which goes all over the place. There's the sneering "Big in Japan", the crooning "Hold On", the animalistic, growling "Cold Water".

- The album kicks off with "Big in Japan", a song with an interesting beat, and horribly distorted lyrics. It's a rather silly song, but it's still good.

- "Hold On" is an amazing ballad, one of Waits' best songs. Waits' singing is soft and moving, as he sings about a lost love:

Down by the Riverside motel, it's 10 below and falling
By a 99 cent store she closed her eyes and started swaying
But it's so hard to dance that way
When it's cold and there's no music
Well, your old hometown is so far away
But, inside your head there's a record that's playing, a song called
Hold on, hold on, you really got to hold on
Take my hand, I'm standing right here and just hold on.

- "House Where Nobody Lives" - a ballad-style song talking about the broken dreams and lost loves of the people who used to live in a house. It's quite moving, in the same vein of "Hold On".

- "Black Market Baby" - an incredibly strange, lengthy song, a tribute to a "black-market baby". The music is quite slow, somewhat creaky, very atmospheric, and Waits sings in a wonderfully raspy voice such lyrics as "My eyes say their prayers to her / Sailors ring her bell / Like a moth mistakes a light bulb / For the moon and goes to hell / She's my black-market baby / She's a diamond that wants to stay coal." Believe it or not, this song can get stuck in your head for hours on end!

- "What's He Building?" is a spoken-word song with fascinating musical accompaniment, a bit reminiscent of stuff like "Romeo is Bleeding", only Waits' voice is a lot more compelling and humorous. Waits hilariously parodies nosy suburban neighbors wondering about a strange man in their neighborhood. The music - really nothing more than a series of clangings of bells and bizarre feedback - never drowns out Waits' voice as he describes the bizarre goings-on at the house:

What's he building in there? What the hell is he building in there?
He has subscriptions to those magazines…he never waves when he goes by
He's hiding something from the rest of us…He's all to himself…
I think I know why…He took down the tire swing from the pepper tree
He has no children of his own, you see... He has no dog,
And he has no friends and his lawn is dying.
And what about all those packages he sends? What's he building in there?
With that hook light on the stairs. What's he building in there?
I'll tell you one thing - he's not building a playhouse for the children.

- "Georgia Lee - a good, old-fashioned weeper, where Waits eulogizes a murdered girl: "Why wasn't God watching, why wasn't God there for Georgia Lee?" This song makes even me choke up - it's so sad (and manipulative, but after all, that's really the intention, isn't it?) how Waits describes the place where Georgia was found, the troubles her parents had with her, the sun rising and shining on Georgia's grave. It's sad, but incredibly beautiful.

- "Filipino Boxspring Hog" - a raucous song with a great beat, where Waits describes all kinds of strange denizens with surreal lyrics; each stanza ends with a refrain of "Cookin' up a Filipino boxspring hog!" It's a bit of a shock, after the weepy "Georgia Lee", but it's great fun.


All in all, this is one of Waits' best releases. It's surprisingly listenable (after stuff like "Bone Machine" and "Black Rider", it's pleasantly surprising), and of course it features Waits's inimitable singing, and his remarkable lyrics. The songs I've spoken of here are only a start; every track on this CD is absolutely great. I couldn't think of a better way for a Waits newbie to start.


Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: At Work