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Swordfishtrombones (33 1/3) | 
 enlarge | Author: David Smay
Publisher: Continuum
Category: Book
List Price: $10.95
Buy New: $5.79
You Save: $5.16 (47%)
New (30) Used (9) from $5.47
Avg. Customer Rating:  3 reviews
Sales Rank: 216031
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 129
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 6.5 x 4.7 x 0.3
ISBN: 0826427820
Dewey Decimal Number: 781.64092
EAN: 9780826427823
ASIN: 0826427820
Publication Date: December 15, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Two entwined narratives run through the creation of Swordfishtrombones and form the backbone of this book. As the 1970s ended, Waits felt increasingly constrained and trapped by his persona and career. Bitter and desperately unhappy, he moved to New York in 1979 to change his life. It wasn't working. But at his low point, he got the phone call that changed everything: Francis Ford Coppola tapped Tom to write the score for One From the Heart. Waits moved back to Los Angeles to work at Zoetrope's Hollywood studio for the next 18 months. He cleaned up, disciplined himself as a songwriter and musician, collaborated closely with Coppola, and met a script analyst named Kathleen Brennan - his "only true love". They married within 2 months at the Always and Forever Yours Wedding Chapel at 2am. Swordfishtrombones was the first thing Waits recorded after his marriage, and it was at Kathleen's urging that he made a record that conceded exactly nothing to his record label, or the critics, or his fans. There aren't many love stories where the happy ending sounds like a paint can tumbling in an empty cement mixer. Kathleen Brennan was sorely disappointed by Tom's record collection. She forced him out of his comfortable jazzbo pocket to take in foreign film scores, German theatre, and Asian percussion. These two stories of a man creating that elusive American second act, and also finding the perfect collaborator in his wife give this book a natural forward drive.
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| Customer Reviews:
 Too much Smay, not enough Waits October 9, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book was an extremely disappointing addition to the 33 1/3 series. After reading the excellent 33 1/3 book about Paul's Boutique, I moved immediately to this one. While there is some information about how the songs were written and recorded, to get to it you have to slog through pages and pages of David Smay's made-up "Chuck Norris Facts"-like tales of Tom Waits. Click the Search Inside link above and read the first chapter to see what you're in for - the whole book is like that. Maybe this is great for David Smay fans, but Tom Waits fans are better off reading a different book.
 I Know David Smay October 1, 2008
The writer of this book, David Smay, is a friend of mine. I've always enjoyed his writings in Scram Magazine. He once did me the honor of asking me to write a chapter in one of his books. That's my one claim to fame. Now, back to David: He's a true music lover, all genres. I didn't know what to expect when I received his book Swordfishtrombones. I read the book in one night. It's well-written and has a lot of info about Tom Waits. What makes this particular volume of 33 1/3 so unique is the way David ventures off on historical wonderland paths. His knowledge has no bounds and the way he makes connections with everything in the universe make this a fascinating read. If you want a good read that never talks down to the reader, get this book and hold onto it forever. Read it at least once a year. I only have one other book that I read once a year: The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. Absolutely no connection between the two books, but they're both on planes of their own. David: call me. gk
Come on, any book about most any Waits album is welcome February 14, 2008
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
And it turns out, this one keeps the spirit of the album by not being a dry reporting or an academic exercise. The author honors this key turning point album in Waits' career with the creative dignity it deserves. I kept finding info bits in it that I liked, that I didn't know and I'm a bit Waits fan. As per the 33 1/3 series he breaks down the album song by song and appears to strive to not have any bland sentences. Don't think I found one. Glad I bought it. If yer a fan, you really should. If yer not into Tom Waits, forget it, this is a fan's delight.
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