New Release of the Week: Tom Waits - The Heart of Saturday Night

Expanding beyond the folk and pop stylings of his first album, Waits’s second studio release ‘Heart of Saturday Night’ established his reputation as a versatile and distinctly American songwriter.

Its bluesy jazz arrangements featured bass, drums, sax and Waits on piano.

The title track, a melancholy ode to Saturday night rituals, and the tenderly romantic hymn-like San Diego Serenade, are enduring classics covered by an array of artists from Diana Krall and Nancy Griffith to folk hero Eric Anderson.

The album also features Diamonds on My Windshield, the first of what would become a signature for Waits, the spoken word-poetry song. Waits delivers these lyrics as pure beat jazz in the stylings of Kerouac, Langston Hughes and Bob Kaufman.

The album has been remastered, and is reissued through the Anti record label.

Sound Pick: Parliament - The Clones of Dr Funkenstein

After Mothership Connection came out in 1975 there was speculation as to whether Parliament could come up with something as good. No problem.

The seminal The Clones Of Dr Funkenstein album was released in 1976 and is one of the P-Funk crew’s finest. It went gold in America, peaking at #20 on the Billboard album chart.

Musical arrangements were courtesy of keyboard player Bernie Worrell and former James Brown horn player Fred Wesley. Studio horn players included the legendary Brecker Brothers.

Every track was a winner with ‘Gamin’ on Ya’ and ‘Children Of Production’ crackling with musical electricity. ‘Getten’ To Know You’ was even a romantic ballad – of sorts. ‘Everything Is On The One‘ was a one song summation of the refreshed Parliament groove philosophy.

Clinton of course played the character of Dr Funkenstein depicted on the iconic front cover whose ‘funk was the best’.