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. julianne
    Nov 20, 2006
    10
    amazing....scalding...something for every mood...an education.... eradication...rejuvenation..stupefication....
  2. 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
  3. Matt
    Jan 31, 2007
    10
    Album of the year.
  4. James
    Mar 5, 2007
    10
    Absolutely brilliant.
  5. 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!
  6. 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
  7. EdgewaysS
    Nov 21, 2006
    10
    It is good to have all the varrious things in one spot, and there is onely one Tom waits
  8. PROCK
    Nov 22, 2006
    10
    Even if you don't find a song or two to your liking, the breadth of this thing is enough for anyone (other than an out and out Waits-hater) to find an album's worth (15 or so) gems. There is also no denying that Brawlers is one of the best single discs that Tom has produced.
  9. janv
    Dec 2, 2006
    10
    This is the best album of the year! Waits at his best.
  10. ottoh
    Dec 3, 2006
    10
    brillant
  11. T.S.
    Dec 3, 2006
    10
    Nothing less than a Masterpiece. Where are the votes from Uncut and Q???
  12. JerryJ.
    Dec 6, 2007
    10
    Best release of 2006. By miles.
  13. 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.
  14. 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
  15. 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.
  16. BrandonL
    Nov 21, 2006
    10
    Will this man ever do a regular cross-country tour for the love of god?!!
  17. lujob
    Nov 21, 2006
    10
    the jewel in the mine the teardrop that fires the sky i´m happy ... and for a long time
  18. Matchman
    Nov 21, 2006
    10
    An artist's artist. Always full of soul and only better with age.
  19. shelly
    Nov 20, 2006
    10
    tom waits is beautiful...so is this incredible album.
  20. AndrewCa
    Nov 22, 2006
    10
    He's just getting better and better! It's actually ridiculous.
  21. WaltS
    Nov 27, 2006
    10
    Tom Waits is a rarity in that he gets better as he gets older. He doesn't go out of style, because he was never actually in style, he's just always had a timeless quality about him. After 2004's "Real Gone", which was a slight decline in quality, I thought that maybe Tom had given us all of his best stuff. Then Orphans comes out, a collection that is consistently amazing Tom Waits is a rarity in that he gets better as he gets older. He doesn't go out of style, because he was never actually in style, he's just always had a timeless quality about him. After 2004's "Real Gone", which was a slight decline in quality, I thought that maybe Tom had given us all of his best stuff. Then Orphans comes out, a collection that is consistently amazing and among his best work. Tom is easily the coolest man alive.… Expand
  22. SB
    Nov 30, 2006
    10
    As far as I'm concerned this is Tom's masterpiece. An absolutely astonishing work. The scope is massive and to say that he pulls it off is an understatement. I just don't get how people can rate this as 8/10 or whatever. This is the greatest album by anyone in decades.
  23. laceyc
    Dec 8, 2006
    10
    there's a record for every mood. songs that delve into every corner of the human heart and travel through almost every Amercian song form and era. Beautifiul, haunting, troubling, nightmarish, heartfelt...
  24. mikab.
    Feb 10, 2007
    10
    awesome.
  25. BernatB
    Feb 11, 2007
    10
    Awesome album
  26. 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
  27. KennethE.
    Sep 24, 2007
    10
    I'm a communist and i like this very much.
  28. 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
  29. drewt
    Nov 21, 2006
    10
    tom waits is a hero. and if you don't like his voice, grow up and broaden your horizons. this is one of the best albums you'll ever hear.
  30. DevinB.
    Nov 21, 2006
    10
    Brilliant album by a brilliant, prolific, profound artist. Tom Waits is a true original and a cornerstone of left-of-center american music. A complete creative entity of absolute genius.
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
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.
    Read full review
  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.
    Read full review
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