Heartattack and Vine
Studio album by
Tom Waits
ReleasedSeptember 9, 1980 (1980-09-09)
RecordedJune 16-July 15, 1980
StudioFilmways/Heider Studio B, Hollywood, California
Length43:42
LabelAsylum
ProducerBones Howe
Tom Waits chronology
Blue Valentine
(1978) 		Heartattack and Vine
(1980) 		One from the Heart
(1982)

Heartattack and Vine is the seventh studio album by Tom Waits, released on September 9, 1980,[1] and his final album to be released on the Asylum label.

"On the Nickel" was recorded for the Ralph Waite film of the same name. It was later used as the theme song for the 1985 "The Atlanta Child Murders" miniseries. "Heartattack and Vine" was recorded again later by Screamin' Jay Hawkins. In 1993 this version was used without Waits' permission in a Levi's commercial, for which Waits took legal action and won a settlement.[2] Jean-Luc Godard used "Ruby's Arms" in his 1983 film First Name: Carmen. Bruce Springsteen performed "Jersey Girl" live (and was joined onstage by Waits to sing it on August 24, 1981), including it in his retrospective "Live/1975–85".[3]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
Christgau's Record GuideB[5]
Classic Rock7/10[6]
Mojo[7]
Pitchfork8.5/10[8]
Q[9]
Rolling Stone[10]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[11]
Uncut[12]

Though critical of the album in many respects, including Waits' vocal delivery and the "morbid pathos" of the ballads, Stephen Holden of Rolling Stone wrote that "Tom Waits finds more beauty in the gutter than most people would find in the Garden of Eden," and referred to him as a "unique and lovable minor talent."[10]

The album was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[13]

Track listing

All songs written by Tom Waits.

Side One

No.TitleLength
1."Heartattack and Vine"4:50
2."In Shades" (Instrumental)4:25
3."Saving All My Love for You"3:41
4."Downtown"4:45
5."Jersey Girl"5:11

Side Two

No.TitleLength
1."'Til the Money Runs Out"4:25
2."On the Nickel"6:19
3."Mr. Siegal"5:14
4."Ruby's Arms"5:34

Personnel

Charts

Chart (1981) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[14] 31
United States (Billboard 200)[15] 96

References

  1. ^ "Releases". Anti-. p. 1. Archived from the original on March 8, 2018. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
  2. ^ "Tom Waits's Levis Copyright case". Tom Waits Library. Archived from the original on 16 November 2007. Retrieved 23 November 2007.
  3. ^ JensdePens (2011). "Tom and Bruce - Jersey Girl - Full Version - 1981". YouTube. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
  4. ^ Jurek, Thom. "Heartattack and Vine – Tom Waits". AllMusic. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  5. ^ Christgau, Robert (1990). "Tom Waits: Heartattack and Vine". Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s. Pantheon Books. ISBN 0-679-73015-X. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  6. ^ Johnston, Emma (May 2018). "Tom Waits: Reissues". Classic Rock. No. 248. p. 98.
  7. ^ "Tom Waits: Heartattack and Vine". Mojo. No. 200. July 2010. p. 76.
  8. ^ Deusner, Stephen M. (March 24, 2018). "Tom Waits: The Asylum Era". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  9. ^ "Tom Waits: Heartattack and Vine". Q. No. 73. October 1992. p. 101.
  10. ^ a b Holden, Stephen (February 5, 1981). "Heartattack And Vine". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 12, 2013.
  11. ^ Coleman, Mark; Scoppa, Bud (2004). "Tom Waits". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 854–55. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  12. ^ Gill, Andy (December 2011). "What Is He Building in There..?". Uncut. No. 175. pp. 52–53.
  13. ^ Fulford-Jones, Will (2006). "Tom Waits: Heartattack and Vine". In Dimery, Robert (ed.). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. Universe Publishing. p. 467. ISBN 978-0-7893-1371-3.
  14. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 331. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  15. ^ Whitburn, Joel; Joel Whitburn’s top pop albums, 1955–1996; published c. 1996 by Record Research Inc. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, ISBN 0-89820-117-9

External links

Tom Waits
Authority control databases
Categories