Mule Variations专辑介绍
99年，Tom Waits就在Epitaph推出了他的专辑《Mule Variations》。这依然是一张根源布鲁斯的作品，与《Bone Machine》相比少了很多的实验性，但配上Waits的陈年沙嗓音和LO-FI音效却显得更为粗犷和质感。
《Mule Variations》基本延用了Tom Waits的老制作班底，监制与音乐合作作者是他的妻子Kathleen Brennan，吉他是80年代中期后几乎御用的吉它手Marc Ribot和另一位同样追随他多年的Greg Gore，贝司手是来自Primus的Les Claypoolc以及同时担任Bass和Upright Bass的Larry Taylor和Joe Gore。
《Big In Japan》的歌名让人想起85年那首《Rain Dogs》，因为它们都用了亚洲这个主题。开始的节奏来自于他在墨西哥某酒店以小型录音机收录的他自己的人声节拍和敲打衣橱所制造出的鼓效，而Waits的表现更像一个在醉酒后在街头发酒疯的流浪汉，因为演唱的压抑和人声的处理，使得他那粗沙粒的嗓子并不太明显，却更有种浑厚的力量，老搭档Cold Water的蓝调吉它在Waits泡制的单调的Funk节奏中尽情地肮脏着，那几声忽起忽落的管乐合鸣，更像是某个夜总会的彻夜狂欢的片断。《Lowside of the Rord》里Waits的嗓音像是一只懒洋洋的猫，干涩的吉它、催眠的喇叭承递出一种最原始、最黑、最脏的蓝调乐；《Hold On》是一首慢拍的乡谣作品，LO-FI的粗犷和厚重代替了乡谣传统的光亮和鲜活。
《House Where Nobody Lives》里出现了轻柔的钢琴，吉它的音色也像是被擦亮了，透明感开始承现出来；而《Pony》适合在暗夜独处闭室里听，吉它干涩的擦弦声依稀有中东音乐的意思，在最背后一直响着的管风琴，再没有教堂里那样神圣与庄严，却更多了忧郁和感伤， 《What’s He Building？》可以归结到Waits的Experimental（实验音乐）创作体系中，依稀中感觉和华人音乐家刘索拉的一些创作很有点灵犀相通的意思。无意识的电波杂音、钟声、金属撞击、桶的倒地声、猫叫、还有依稀的印度尼西亚打击乐和许许多的真实噪音都被禁闭在一个实验意境里，构造出了独属于这个老头的既旧又黑的美学主张。结尾曲《Come on up tothe House》里Waits的嗓音出现得是如此的突兀，几乎被他吓了一大跳，如果没有那口痰，Waits倒真可以去百老汇的舞台试试。
《Mule Variations》肯定没有《Bone Machine》那样具有实验性和让人震憾，但是如果你喜欢真实的世界的话，那么专辑里传递出的昏暗又破旧的美学却肯定能让你一遍又一遍地听下去。只是先要提醒你，Tom Waits的音乐就是一个陷阱，进去了想要出来可就难了。
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Tom Waits grew steadily less prolific after redefining himself as a junkyard noise poet with Swordfishtrombones, but the five-year wait between The Black Rider and 1999's Mule Variations was the longest yet. Given the fact that Waits decided to abandon major labels for the California indie Epitaph, Mule Variations would seem like a golden opportunity to redefine himself and begin a new phase of his career. However, it plays like a revue of highlights from every album he's made since Swordfishtrombones. Of course, that's hardly a criticism; the album uses the ragged cacophony of Bone Machine as a starting point, and proceeds to bring in the songwriterly aspects of Rain Dogs, along with its affection for backstreet and backwoods blues, plus a hint of the beatnik qualities of Swordfish. So Mule Variations delivers what fans want, in terms of both songs and sonics. But that also explains why it sounds terrific on initial spins, only to reveal itself as slightly dissatisfying with subsequent plays. All of Waits' Island records felt like fully conceived albums with genuine themes. Mule Variations, in contrast, is a collection of moments, and while each of those moments is very good (some even bordering on excellent), ultimately the whole doesn't equal the sum of its parts. While that may seem like nitpicking, some may have wanted a masterpiece after five years, and Mule Variations falls short of that mark. Nevertheless, this is a hell of a record by any other standard. Waits is still writing terrific songs and matching them with wildly evocative productions; furthermore, it's his lightest record in years -- it's actually fun to listen to, even with a murder ballad here and a psycho blues there. In that sense, it's a unique item in his post-Swordfish catalog, and that may make up for it not being the masterpiece it seemed like it could have been.