Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards
by Tom Waits
  • Record Label: Anti
  • Release Date: Nov 21, 2006
User Score
8.7

Universal acclaim- based on 170 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 149 out of 170
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 170
  3. Negative: 15 out of 170

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  1. lorem
    Apr 1, 2020
    8
    A massive album, with an impressive number of songs, a retrospective one, I could say, giving you the feeling that all of Tom's interpretive styles are condensed here.
  2. JaneMetascore
    Dec 18, 2019
    6
    At the end of the day Tom Waits didn't make it, and the 70's never happened. All these different eras of Tom Waits were repugnant. Over all Tom's stylizations are behind the times, like he never heard about it, and just does his schtick.
  3. bjk
    Oct 3, 2011
    10
    I love Tom Waits voice the same as I do John Lee Hooker, Bob Dylan and Neil Young. It's true that some people just won't get the appeal. So why bother listening and writing a review. If you don't get it, admit it and move on to your safe and predictable muzak. Waits is one of the most amazing American singer-songwriters ever. He is right up there with Hooker, Dylan and Young. This is oneI love Tom Waits voice the same as I do John Lee Hooker, Bob Dylan and Neil Young. It's true that some people just won't get the appeal. So why bother listening and writing a review. If you don't get it, admit it and move on to your safe and predictable muzak. Waits is one of the most amazing American singer-songwriters ever. He is right up there with Hooker, Dylan and Young. This is one of his best but also highly recommend Alice and Blood Money from 2002. Art is meant to disturb. Those turned off by his voice, lyrics, sound, etc...should stick with American Idol. Don't expand your horizons. It's too difficult.… Expand
  4. jjenglishroots
    May 16, 2011
    9
    I must confess I didn't know a lot about Tom Waits until I heard this. I know I have heard some of his songs covered by other artists, but I had never really listened to him specifically until this, and I was blown away by how good it was! He has a gruff growl, almost a side-of-the-road Delta blues voice. His lyrics are just amazing to read through, and how he uses his voice to tell theI must confess I didn't know a lot about Tom Waits until I heard this. I know I have heard some of his songs covered by other artists, but I had never really listened to him specifically until this, and I was blown away by how good it was! He has a gruff growl, almost a side-of-the-road Delta blues voice. His lyrics are just amazing to read through, and how he uses his voice to tell the stories in his lyrics is just as fascinating. Disc 3, even for its strangeness, is great to listen to. I didn't like every song on the set, but there were few that I didn't like.… Expand
  5. IanB.
    Oct 3, 2009
    10
    Quite easily my favorite artist of all time (or maybe Leonard Cohen ). No he does not have a very nice singing voice, but the emotion that he conveys in his songs is better and more important than a person who can hold a note. Though not his best album it is still amazing...fine Disk 3 is pretty difficult even for me, a Waits fanboy, to swallow but at the price it sells with the number of Quite easily my favorite artist of all time (or maybe Leonard Cohen ). No he does not have a very nice singing voice, but the emotion that he conveys in his songs is better and more important than a person who can hold a note. Though not his best album it is still amazing...fine Disk 3 is pretty difficult even for me, a Waits fanboy, to swallow but at the price it sells with the number of great songs on it Disk 1 and 2 more than make up for 3 (any why not get some weirder stuff as an added bonus?). It won't beat Blood Money or Rain Dogs or Mule Variations but it will beat pretty much everything else out there.… Expand
  6. TimothyA
    Sep 26, 2009
    9
    Life in all its raw woodbine broken doll glory.
  7. LynC.
    Jan 9, 2009
    9
    His songs often make my cry. I can't begin to understand why. There is no one like him.
  8. ChrisV.
    Jul 31, 2008
    10
    This album is truly a work of art. I pity those on here who don't get Mr. Waits but in a way I'm glad he divides opinion. He's almost a yardstick of musical taste. If you love him, you have it, If you don't, you don't!
  9. EoinB.
    Jan 26, 2008
    10
    After more than a year with this album I'm still lost for words on how best to pay it tribute. Incredibly beautiful.
  10. Dirty
    Jan 11, 2008
    10
    Had always known of him, but this being my first of his albums - amazing. Sure the third lacks the quality of the first two, but the majority of artists in the charts today could not right more than one song of their own, and then play and sing them in away that is so unique and perfect for the lyrics. This guy is special when you get under the surface of that gravelly voice. In fact the Had always known of him, but this being my first of his albums - amazing. Sure the third lacks the quality of the first two, but the majority of artists in the charts today could not right more than one song of their own, and then play and sing them in away that is so unique and perfect for the lyrics. This guy is special when you get under the surface of that gravelly voice. In fact the voice is the cream on top. I hope those that rated an 0 can put it on again, sit down in the right mood one night ,with a top drop of red, and let go of their Pop ideals.… Expand
  11. TheDudeVG
    Dec 20, 2007
    10
    Mark L., I believe you have a rather big cd collection of Britney Spears and Mariah Carey... I ain't going to explain the difference between them and the likes of Tom Waits and Bob Dylan, because I think everybody listens to what they like. About the album... If I could keep my breath for more then 3 hours I would... indescribable
  12. Jon-E.K
    Dec 13, 2007
    8
    Its definately one of Waits better albums, wonderful lyrics shouted, sung and brawled out with a rough raspy and varied vocal, that most people with a wide music vocabulary will be charmed by. Everything from the Stories about gritty outlaws, loners and bottom life dwellers to the experimental rhythmic composition is artfully execute in his own bizarre style. I found the bastards disk to Its definately one of Waits better albums, wonderful lyrics shouted, sung and brawled out with a rough raspy and varied vocal, that most people with a wide music vocabulary will be charmed by. Everything from the Stories about gritty outlaws, loners and bottom life dwellers to the experimental rhythmic composition is artfully execute in his own bizarre style. I found the bastards disk to be my favorite, because it was more experimental, it had a darker tone to it, much like Black Rider had. To them who can't get over his voice or claim that he can't sing, for one he's much better than most singers out there, he uses his voice like an instrument, its the pillar which upholds the whole composition. In fact he says this better himself.. "At the center of this record is my voice. I try my best to chug, stomp, weep, whisper, moan, wheeze, scat, blurt, rage, whine, and seduce. With my voice, I can sound like a girl, the boogieman, a Theremin, a cherry bomb, a clown, a doctor, a murderer - I can be tribal. Ironic. Or disturbed. My voice is really my instrument." Tom wait's quoted from Anti- article.… Expand
  13. JerryJ.
    Dec 6, 2007
    10
    Best release of 2006. By miles.
  14. MarkL.
    Oct 23, 2007
    0
    I can't believe that this album is even getting talked about. He is the Worst singer in the entire history of music. He's so terrible, that if the songs had any chance of becoming mediocre, no one would ever know because of the sheer terror shrieking into their ears by his crap of a voice. Tom Waits may have something going for him to even be a musician this long, but whatever I can't believe that this album is even getting talked about. He is the Worst singer in the entire history of music. He's so terrible, that if the songs had any chance of becoming mediocre, no one would ever know because of the sheer terror shrieking into their ears by his crap of a voice. Tom Waits may have something going for him to even be a musician this long, but whatever that something is, it's certain that it isn't talent.… Expand
  15. KennethE.
    Sep 24, 2007
    10
    I'm a communist and i like this very much.
  16. PaulW
    Jul 28, 2007
    10
    What can we say? This is another incredible offering from one of the most prodigious, influential and talented songwriters to grace the latter half of the 20th or early 21st century.
  17. NoneofYourBuisiness
    Jun 2, 2007
    10
    This album is the pinnacle of great music. The album consists of songs Mr. Waits has covered, songs that were previously unreleased, and a couple of new ones. Orphans has changed my whole perspective on music, given that this was my first Tom Waits album. It's a 3 disc set separated by theme/mood. Disc 1, Brawlers, has a gruff core reminding you of early Johnny Cash, but wrapped with This album is the pinnacle of great music. The album consists of songs Mr. Waits has covered, songs that were previously unreleased, and a couple of new ones. Orphans has changed my whole perspective on music, given that this was my first Tom Waits album. It's a 3 disc set separated by theme/mood. Disc 1, Brawlers, has a gruff core reminding you of early Johnny Cash, but wrapped with the twisted trademark strangeness of Waits. Disc 2, Bawlers, is a set of moody (sometimes gushy) songs that have a country undertone; which, kind of ironically, has a cover of an early Johnny Cash song. Disc 3, Bastards, is albeit the hardest disc to get through, but is a masterpiece all the same. It consists of some parody songs that always somehow have an underlining meaning with a couple of spoken-word tracks one of which has Mr. Waits reading directly from the National Geographic. All-in-all Orphans' beautiful strangeness should draw and overwhelm anyone. Easily the best he's ever done.… Expand
  18. James
    Mar 5, 2007
    10
    Absolutely brilliant.
  19. JosephK
    Feb 18, 2007
    10
    Perfect in every sense of the word. If you're already a Waits fan and don't like this album, you're a communist. If you son't like Tom Waits... well, you're already a commie so it doesn't matter, does it?
  20. SteveA
    Feb 12, 2007
    9
    Tom Waits, delivers again.....what an album!
  21. AlbertP
    Feb 12, 2007
    10
    At first, listening to the three cds was a daunting task. I've since loaded the entire collection into my iTunes library and when a song comes up unexpectedley in a shuffle I realise that each of them is a masterpiece.
  22. BernatB
    Feb 11, 2007
    10
    Awesome album
  23. mikab.
    Feb 10, 2007
    10
    awesome.
  24. Judy
    Feb 9, 2007
    10
    Tom Waits has created a 3-CD journey into his psyche. Over the past 10 years Mr. Waits has made some of the most consistent records around. His songwriting has been great, but I kept getting the feeling that I was listening to a parody of Tom Waits. It's hard to say what was missing, but whatever the hell it was, is pleasantly absent on Orphans. If you are a Waits lifer, you gotta Tom Waits has created a 3-CD journey into his psyche. Over the past 10 years Mr. Waits has made some of the most consistent records around. His songwriting has been great, but I kept getting the feeling that I was listening to a parody of Tom Waits. It's hard to say what was missing, but whatever the hell it was, is pleasantly absent on Orphans. If you are a Waits lifer, you gotta have this one.… Expand
  25. j
    Feb 8, 2007
    9
    I just HAD to comment in reply to someone else's comment. Tom Waits, a Springsteen rip off??? Are you kidding me? Never talk about music again. You didn't even spell Springsteen correctly. Just stay away from anything related to music.
  26. Matt
    Jan 31, 2007
    10
    Album of the year.
  27. JimM
    Jan 22, 2007
    9
    Waits said that he wanted Orphans "to be like emptying our pockets on the table after an evening of gambling, burglary, and cow tipping" which makes his 1985 lyric "Seems that my pockets were filled up with gold" seem prophetic. This collection of odds, ends, and new songs is as powerful and important as anything he has done in the last 15 years. I gave it a 9 because Bastards isn't Waits said that he wanted Orphans "to be like emptying our pockets on the table after an evening of gambling, burglary, and cow tipping" which makes his 1985 lyric "Seems that my pockets were filled up with gold" seem prophetic. This collection of odds, ends, and new songs is as powerful and important as anything he has done in the last 15 years. I gave it a 9 because Bastards isn't as strong as the first two discs but it serves a purpose and its oddness is quarantined on its own disc so it doesn't hurt the magnificence of the other two discs.… Expand
  28. molo
    Jan 22, 2007
    10
    If you like Tom Waits, you have a good chance of liking this album. The first to discs are hands down excellent Waits Albums in and of themselves; they don't rise above themselves but they almost refuse to falter. Things grow much more subjective when the final disc comes around, which is also the disc that most people have something to say about. It's experimental. It's If you like Tom Waits, you have a good chance of liking this album. The first to discs are hands down excellent Waits Albums in and of themselves; they don't rise above themselves but they almost refuse to falter. Things grow much more subjective when the final disc comes around, which is also the disc that most people have something to say about. It's experimental. It's origanal. It's creative. It's dense. This is a disc clustered full of spoken word tracks and songs where guitars sound like anything but guitars. Personally, I consider it Bone Machine Part Deux, and it's my favorite in the set, which is why I gave the album a 10. In other words, discs one and two work to prepare you for disc three. If you like disc three, you love the album. If you don't, well, you'll want you money back. Album of the year, easilly.… Expand
  29. R
    Jan 15, 2007
    2
    Totally overrated record
  30. Marc
    Jan 5, 2007
    3
    Ok there are a few good songs scattered on these 3 CD's and over the years Waits has written and performed a lot of music that I really like. The problem is he has writtten a lot of lousy material. I challenge anyone that gave this disc a 10 to sit through the third cd more than once. Go on I dare ya!
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Awards & Rankings

2
#2 Best Album of 2006
26
#26 Most Discussed Album of 2006

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
92

Universal acclaim - based on 32 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 32 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 32
  3. Negative: 0 out of 32
  1. AllMusic
    90
    Orphans is a major work that goes beyond the origins of the material and drags everything past and present with sound and texture into a present to be presented as something utterly new, beyond anything he has previously issued.
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  2. Amazon.com
    90
    This set stands alongside Waits's finest work.
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  3. Observer Music Monthly
    100
    An outstanding musical creation... that nods to almost every known genre of American music, and some that have yet to be named.
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