Sold Date: September 13, 2020
Start Date: August 28, 2020
Final Price: $39.99 (USD)
Seller Feedback: 6338
Buyer Feedback: 30

TOM WAITS ~ 2 LP Lot ~ CLOSING TIME & SMALL CHANGE 

A pair of vinyl albums, linked by the common theme of both being by Tom Waits, and offering the chance to enjoy his unique hybrid of Bluesy Jazz, early to mid 1970's era...

Includes Ol' 55, Tom Traubert's Blues, Jitterbug Boy, Rosie and, oh yes, Martha...

Probably both 1980's re-issues.

Various pictures uploaded, sleeve close ups, front and rear, disc - apologies for the tripod reflection - and views of the label details. Check them over carefully, they are part of the description, too...

Please read the record grading guide below and familiarize yourself with the grades used. Goldmine standards adhered to, plus full description in all aspects.

I strive to grade fairly, and have never sold a record without listening to it first.

Visual grading is not an option at all.

Tracklisting, for both albums -

- See pictures of either the sleeves, or the label details for tracks.

First up...

Closing Time

Vinyl grading - VG++

Sleeve grading - VG+

'Tom Waits'' debut album is a minor-key masterpiece filled with songs of late-night loneliness. Within his chosen narrow range of the cocktail bar piano and muttered vocals, Waits and producer Jeryy Yester manage to deliver a surprisingly broad collection of styles, from the jazzy "Virginia Avenue" to the uptempo off-kilter funkiness of "Ice Cream Man." The acoustic guitar folkiness of the tender "I Hope That I Don't Fall in Love with You" is an upside-down take on the Laurel Canyon sound, while the saloon song "Midnight Lullaby" would have been a perfect addition to the repertoires of Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett. Waits' entire musical approach is highly stylized and his lovelorn lyrics can be sentimental without penetrating too deeply, but they still get the job done since these are song portraits in miniature. The frameworks of most of the songs come from the songwriter's literary obsessions with Charles Bukowski and Jack Kerouac. Waits also has a gift for gentle, rolling pop melodies; his original scenarios are strikingly visual on the best songs, such as "Martha" - which Yester cleverly and discreetly augments with strings - and the now iconic "Ol' 55." Waits' original version is far superior in conveying the early-morning emotions after leaving a lover's room to the Eagles'' hooky hit cover - which ultimately guaranteed Waits an income for life. Closing Time quietly announced the arrival of a talented songwriter whose self-consciousness, wry barroom humor, and solitary melancholy made him a standout from virtually all of his peers, and certainly difficult to pigeonhole...'

Released on - Asylum

Catalogue number - SD 5061 SP

US issue.

Produced by - Jerry Yester

Duration -  45 minutes.

Matrix numbers -

Side One - SD 5061 A    (previous etchings have been marked over by pressing plant, it seems...)

Side Two - SD 5061 B     (...as above, previous etchings superseded...)

This LP I have graded as being in VG++ condition. Both sides play through with no jumping, skipping or any other audio horrors, very light and isolated surface noise, as per grading.

The sleeve I have graded being in VG+ condition with light scuffing to the edges, minor bumps to the corners and the usual light shelfwear as per age and vintage.

The labels are in very good condition, with no major defects, see close-up pictures uploaded.

The inner liner is plain.

Next up...

Small Change

Vinyl grading - VG++

Sleeve grading - VG

'The fourth release in Tom Waits' series of skid row travelogues, Small Change proves to be the archetypal album of his '70's work. A jazz trio comprising tenor sax player Lew Labackin, bassist Jim Hughart, and drummer Shelly Manne, plus an occasional string section, back Waits and his piano on songs steeped in whiskey and atmosphere in which he alternately sings in his broken-beaned drunk's voice (now deeper and overtly influenced by Louis Armstrong) and recites jazzy Beat-influenced poetry. It's as if Waits were determined to combine the Humphrey Bogart and Dooley Wilson characters from Casablanca with a dash of On the Road's Dean Moriarty to illuminate a dark world of bars and all-night diners. Of course, he'd been in that world before, but in songs like "The Piano Has Been Drinking" and "Bad Liver and a Broken Heart," Waits gives it its clearest expression. Small Change isn't his best album. Like most of the albums Waits made in the '70's, it's uneven, probably because he was putting out one a year and didn't have time to come up with enough first-rate material. But it is the most obvious and characteristic of his albums for Asylum Records. If you like it, you also find yourself admitting that you love this whole era in his career, and rightly so...'

Released on - Asylum

Catalogue number - 7E 1078 SP

US issue.

Engineered by - Bones Howe

Duration -  50 minutes.

Matrix numbers -

Side One - 7E 1078 A SP

Side Two - 7E 1078 B 5 RE SP

This LP I have graded as being in VG condition. Both sides play through with no jumping, skipping or any other audio horrors. 

The sleeve I have graded being in VG+ condition with light scuffing to the edges, minor bumps to the corners and

The labels are in very good condition, with no major defects, see close-up pictures uploaded.

The inner liner has lyrics both front and rear, no seam or edge splits.

Any questions, email and I'll help if I can.

Two albums, one convenient package and almost 2 hours of 1970's Tom Waits...what's not to like?

Thanks for looking!

:o)

Buy-it-Now, $39.99

Postage - USA - Free Shipping...nice!

Overseas orders welcome - $24, wherever.

* Records are posted in dedicated record mailing boxes with 2 corrugated cardboard stiffeners.

GRADING GUIDE. (Goldmine Standard)

* Gradings range between - for example - VG, VG+ and VG++. In some cases, for example again, VG- may be used.

MINT (M) Absolutely perfect in every way. Often rumored but rarely seen, and if it is not just out of the pressing plant it is unlikely that, personally, I would ever use this grading.

NEAR MINT (NM OR M-) A good description of a NM record is ?it looks like it just came from a retail store and it was opened for the first time.? In other words, it?s nearly perfect. NM records are shiny, with no visible defects. Writing, stickers or other markings cannot appear on the label, nor can any ?spindle marks? from someone trying to blindly put the record on the turntable. Major factory defects will be absent. If played, it will do so with no surface noise. NM covers are free of creases, ring wear and seam splits of any kind.

VERY GOOD PLUS (VG+) or EXCELLENT (E) A good description of a VG+ record is ?except for a couple minor things, this would be Near Mint.? VG+ records may show some slight signs of wear, including light scuffs or very light scratches that do not affect the listening experience. Slight warps that do not affect the sound are OK. Minor signs of handling are OK, too, such as telltale marks around the center hole, but repeated playing has not misshapen the hole. There may be some very light ring wear or discoloration, but it should be barely noticeable.VG+ covers should have only minor wear. A VG+ cover might have some very minor seam wear or a split (less than one inch long) at the bottom, the most vulnerable location. Also, a VG+ cover may have some defacing, such as a cut-out marking. VG++ is a step up from VG+ generally.

VERY GOOD (VG) Many of the imperfections found on a VG+ record are more obvious on a VG record. VG records lack most of the original gloss found on factory-fresh records. Groove wear is evident on sight, as are light scratches deep enough to feel with a fingernail. When played, a VG record has surface noise, and some scratches may be audible. Minor writing, tape or a sticker can detract from the label. They remain a fine listening experience, just not the same as if it were in better shape.VG covers will have many signs of human handling. Ring wear in the middle or along the edges of the cover where the edge of a record would reside, is obvious, though not overwhelming. Some more creases might be visible. Seam splitting will be more obvious; it may appear on all three sides, though it won?t be obvious upon looking. A small pen or ink mark, or an original price sticker may be noticeable.

GOOD (G), GOOD PLUS (G+) or VERY GOOD MINUS (VG?) Good does not mean bad! The record still plays through without skipping, so it can serve as filler until something better comes along. But it has significant surface noise and groove wear, and the label is worn, with significant ring wear, heavy writing, or obvious surface damage to the label. A Good to VG? cover has ring wear, has seam splits obvious on sight and may have even heavier writing.

POOR (P) and FAIR (F) Records that have obvious damage, they are cracked, impossibly warped, or skip and/or repeat when an attempt is made to play them.

Please note :-

A word about Shipping and Delivery times.

I offer Free Shipping on nearly all of my Buy-It-Now items, and on Auction items a fairly priced Shipping charge (which includes USPS service and the cost of a dedicated mailer suited to the particular item).

Items are shipped within 3 day of the order being placed. Sometimes they are shipped the same day, sometimes on the third day.

It's 'shipping within 3 days', end of.

Records, all formats, 45's, vinyl LP's and 78's are all shipped by Media Mail, which is an Economy service and, in general, can take a few days longer.

However, if you want it delivered Priority or 1st Class, ask beforehand, it's not a problem and I can make the necessary adjustments.

Thank you for reading this.

:o)