Heartattack and Vine

Infobox Album
Name = Heartattack and Vine
Type = Album
Artist = Tom Waits


Released = September 1980
Recorded = June 16-July 15 1980 Filmways/Heider Studio B, Hollywood, California
Genre = Rock, Jazz, Blues
Length = 43:42
Label = Asylum
Producer = Bones Howe
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|3|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:64120r8ac48b link]
*Robert Christgau (B) [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=Tom+Waits link]
*"Rolling Stone" Rating|4|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/tomwaits/albums/album/142925/review/5940992/heartattack_and_vine link]
Last album = "Blue Valentine"
(1978)
This album = "Heartattack and Vine"
(1980)
Next album = "One From the Heart"
(1982)

"Heartattack and Vine" was Tom Waits' last album on the Asylum label. This album serves as a slight precursor to Waits' later, more experimental style he developed on Island Records. His recognizable "growl" from "Swordfishtrombones" onwards is clearly heard for the first time here.

Bruce Springsteen covered "Jersey Girl" as part of his live shows throughout the 1980s. The song "Saving All My Love For You", however, is a totally different song from one of the same title written by Gerry Goffin in the middle 1960s and made famous by Whitney Houston in 1985. "On The Nickel" was recorded for the Ralph Waite film of the same name.

Track listing

All songs written by Tom Waits.

# "Heartattack and Vine" – 4:50
#*Vocal & Electric Rhythm Guitar - Tom Waits
#*Bass - Larry Taylor
#*Drums - "Big John" Thomassie
#*Tenor & Baritone Saxes - Plas Johnson
# "In Shades" – 4:25 (Instrumental)
#*Electric Rhythm Guitar - Tom Waits
#*Electric Lead Guitar - Roland Bautista
#*Hammond Organ - Ronnie Barron
#*Bass - Larry Taylor
#*Drums - "Big John" Thomassie
# "Saving All My Love for You" – 3:41
#*Vocal & Piano - Tom Waits
#*Bass - Jim Hughart
#*Chimes & Percussion - Victor Feldman
#*Strings Arranged and Conducted by Bob Alcivar
# "Downtown" – 4:45
#*Vocal & Rhythm Electric Guitar - Tom Waits
#*Hammond Organ - Ronnie Barron
#*Electric Guitar - Roland Bautista
#*Bass - Larry Taylor
#*Drums - "Big John" Thomassie
# "Jersey Girl" – 5:11
#*Vocal & Electric Guitar - Tom Waits
#*12-String Guitar - Roland Bautista
#*Bass - Greg Cohen
#*Drums - "Big John" Thomassie
#*Keyboard Glock & Percussion - Victor Feldman
#*Orchestra Arranged and Conducted by Jerry Yester
# "'Til the Money Runs Out" – 4:25
#*Vocal - Tom Waits
#*Drums - "Big John" Thomassie
#*Hammond Organ - Ronnie Barron
#*Electric Guitar - Roland Bautista
#*Bass - Larry Taylor
# "On the Nickel" – 6:19
#*Vocal - Tom Waits
#*Piano - Michael Lang
#*Orchestra Arranged and Conducted by Bob Alcivar
# "Mr. Siegal" – 5:14
#*Vocal & Electric Guitar - Tom Waits
#*Electric Lead Guitar - Roland Bautista
#*Piano - Ronnie Barron
#*Bass - Larry Taylor
#*Drums - "Big John" Thomassie
# "Ruby's Arms" – 5:34
#*Vocal & Piano - Tom Waits
#*Bass - Greg Cohen
#*12-String Guitar - Roland Bautista
#*Orchestra Arranged and Conducted by Jerry Yester

Musicians

* Bob Alcivar - String Arrangement, Orchestral Arrangement, Conductor
* Ronnie Barron - Hammond Organ, Piano
* Roland Bautista - Electric Guitar, 12-String Guitar
* Greg Cohen - Bass
* Victor Feldman - Percussion, Chimes, Glockenspiel
* Jim Hughart - Bass
* Plas Johnson - Tenor Sax, Baritone Sax
* Michael Lang - Piano
* Larry Taylor - Bass
* "Big John" Thomassie - Drums
* Tom Waits - Vocals, Electric Guitar, Piano
* Jerry Yester - Orchestral Arrangement, Conductor

Chart information

* This album was Tom Waits first album to crack the Australian Top 40, reaching 30.
* "Heartattack and Vine" was also Waits' best-selling album in the US until "Mule Variations", spending three months on the Billboard Hot 200 and peaking at #96 [Whitburn, Joel; "Joel Whitburn’s top pop albums, 1955-1996"; published c. 1996 by Record Research Inc. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, ISBN 0898201179] . (For comparison, none of his Island albums made the Billboard Top 150).

References