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{{For|the song "Bone Machine" by the Pixies|Bone Machine (song)}}
{{For|the Pixies song|Surfer Rosa{{!}}''Surfer Rosa''}}
{{Infobox album|
{{Infobox album|
| name = Bone Machine
| name = Bone Machine
| type = [[Album]]
| type = Album
| artist = [[Tom Waits]]
| artist = [[Tom Waits]]
| cover = TomWaits-BoneMachine.jpg
| cover = TomWaits-BoneMachine.jpg
| alt =
| alt =
| released = September 8, 1992
| released = September 8, 1992
| recorded = Prairie Sun Recording, [[Cotati, California]]
| recorded = [[Prairie Sun Recording Studios|Prairie Sun]], [[Cotati, California|Cotati]]
| genre = [[Experimental rock]]<ref name="Altman"/>
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = [[Rock music|Rock]], [[Experimental music|experimental]]
| length = 53:30
| length = 53:30
| label = [[Island Records|Island]]
| label = [[Island Records|Island]]
| producer = Tom Waits; Associate producer: [[Kathleen Brennan]]
| producer = {{hlist|Tom Waits|[[Kathleen Brennan]] (associate)}}
| prev_title = [[Night on Earth (soundtrack)|Night on Earth]]
| prev_title = [[Night on Earth (soundtrack)|Night on Earth]]
| prev_year = 1992
| prev_year = 1992
| next_title = [[The Black Rider (album)|The Black Rider]]
| next_title = [[The Black Rider (album)|The Black Rider]]
| next_year = 1993
| next_year = 1993
}}
{{Album ratings
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1Score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/bone-machine-mw0000614904 |title=Bone Machine – Tom Waits |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |accessdate=November 17, 2015 |last=Huey |first=Steve}}</ref>
| rev2 = ''[[Chicago Tribune]]''
| rev2Score = {{Rating|4|4}}<ref>{{cite news |url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1992-09-17/features/9203240911_1_star-voice-colosseum |title=Tom Waits: Bone Machine (Island) |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=September 17, 1992 |accessdate=November 17, 2015 |last=Kot |first=Greg |authorlink=Greg Kot}}</ref>
| rev3 = ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''
| rev3Score = A+<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.ew.com/article/1992/09/25/bone-machine |title=Bone Machine |work=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=September 25, 1992 |accessdate=November 17, 2015 |last=Altman |first=Billy}}</ref>
| rev4 = ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''
| rev4Score = {{Rating|3.5|4}}<ref>{{cite news |title=Tom Waits: 'Bone Machine' (Island) |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=September 20, 1992 |last=Willman |first=Chris}}</ref>
| rev5 = ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]''
| rev5Score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref>{{cite journal |title=Tom Waits: Bone Machine |work=[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]] |issue=200 |date=July 2010 |page=77}}</ref>
| rev6 = ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]''
| rev6Score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite journal |title=Tom Waits: Bone Machine |work=[[Q (magazine)|Q]] |issue=73 |date=October 1992 |page=100}}</ref>
| rev7 = ''[[Rolling Stone]]''
| rev7Score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/bone-machine-19921029 |title=Bone Machine |work=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=October 29, 1992 |accessdate=November 17, 2015 |last=O'Connor |first=Rob}}</ref>
| rev8 = ''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide]]''
| rev8Score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/tom-waits/albumguide |title=Tom Waits: Album Guide |work=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=April 11, 2010 |accessdate=November 17, 2015 |last1=Coleman |first1=Mark |last2=Scoppa |first2=Bud |last3=Weingarten |first3=Christopher R. |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130917041844/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/tom-waits/albumguide |archivedate=September 17, 2013}}</ref>
| rev9 = ''[[Select (magazine)|Select]]''
| rev9Score = 5/5<ref>{{cite journal |title=Tom Waits: Bone Machine |work=[[Select (magazine)|Select]] |issue=28 |date=October 1992 |last=Collis |first=Andrew |page=84}}</ref>
| rev10 = ''[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]]''
| rev10Score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite journal |title=What Is He Building In There..? |work=[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]] |issue=175 |date=December 2011 |pages=52–53}}</ref>
}}
}}


'''''Bone Machine''''' is the tenth studio album by [[Tom Waits]], released in [[1992 in music|1992]] on [[Island Records]]. It won a [[Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album]], and features guest appearances by [[Los Lobos]]' [[David Hidalgo]], [[Primus (band)|Primus]]' [[Les Claypool]], [[Praxis (band)|Praxis]]' [[Bryan Mantia]], and [[The Rolling Stones]]' [[Keith Richards]].
'''''Bone Machine''''' is the eleventh [[studio album]] by American singer and musician [[Tom Waits]], released by [[Island Records]] on September 8, 1992. It won a [[Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album]] and features guest appearances by [[David Hidalgo]], [[Les Claypool]], [[Bryan Mantia|Brain]], and [[Keith Richards]]. The album marked Waits' return to studio albums, coming five years after ''[[Franks Wild Years]]'' (1987).


Recorded in a room in the cellar area of Prairie Sun Recording studios, described by Waits as "just a cement floor and a hot water heater", the album is often noted for its rough, stripped-down, percussion-heavy style, as well as its dark lyrical themes revolving around death and decay. The album cover{{emdash}}a blurry, black-and-white, close-up image of Waits screaming while wearing a horned skullcap and protective goggles{{emdash}}was taken by filmmaker [[Jesse Dylan]], son of [[Bob Dylan]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lib.ru/SONGS/whaits/waits92.txt|title= Bone Machine album credits| access-date=2007-11-23|publisher=www.lib.ru}}</ref> The photo is taken from a freeze frame of the Dylan and [[Jim Jarmusch]] directed video for "Goin' Out West". They also directed a video for "I Don't Wanna Grow Up". The latter song was covered by the [[Ramones]] on their last album, [[Adios Amigos (Ramones album)| ''!Adios Amigos!'']] (1995); the former featured in the movie ''[[Fight Club]]'' (1999).<ref>{{cite web|title=Fight Club Soundtrack Guide: Every Song & When They Play| website=[[Screen Rant]]| date=March 14, 2023| url=https://screenrant.com/every-song-in-fight-club-movie/}}</ref> ''Bone Machine'' won the [[Grammy Award|Grammy]] for [[Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album|Best Alternative Music Album]].<ref>{{cite web| title=35th Annual GRAMMY Awards| url=https://www.grammy.com/awards/35th-annual-grammy-awards}}</ref>
''Bone Machine'' marked a return to studio material for Waits, coming a full five years after his previous studio album, ''[[Franks Wild Years]]'' (1987). The album is often noted for its dark lyrical themes of death and murder, and for its rough, stripped-down, percussion-heavy [[blues rock]] style.

''Bone Machine'' was included on many Best Albums of the 1990s lists, including [[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] where it was number 49,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/5923-top-100-albums-of-the-1990s/6/|title=Staff Lists: Top 100 Albums of the 1990s|accessdate=2012-03-25}}</ref> and ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' where it was number 53.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-best-albums-of-the-nineties-20110427|title=100 Best Albums of the Nineties|accessdate=2012-03-25}}</ref>


==Recording and production==
==Recording and production==
''Bone Machine'' was recorded and produced entirely at the Prairie Sun Recording studios in [[Cotati, California]] in a room of Studio C known as "the Waits Room," in the old cement hatchery rooms of the cellar of the buildings.
''Bone Machine'' was recorded and produced entirely at the Prairie Sun Recording studios in [[Cotati, California]], in a room of Studio C known as "the Waits Room", located in the old cement hatchery rooms of the cellar of the buildings. Prairie Sun's studio head Mark "Mooka" Rennick said, "[Waits] gravitated toward these 'echo' rooms and created the ''Bone Machine'' aural landscape. [...] What we like about Tom is that he is a musicologist. And he has a tremendous ear. His talent is a national treasure."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metroactive.com/papers/sonoma/02.18.99/prairiesun1-9907.html|title=Dream Maker:Prairie Sun Recording Studio chief Mark "Mooka" Rennick is a musician's best friend|access-date=2007-11-23|last= McDermid | first= Charles | publisher=MetroActive Music}}</ref>

Mark "Mooka" Rennick, Prairie Sun studio chief said:

<blockquote>[Waits] gravitated toward these "echo" rooms and created the ''Bone Machine'' aural landscape. [...] What we like about Tom is that he is a musicologist. And he has a tremendous ear. His talent is a national treasure.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metroactive.com/papers/sonoma/02.18.99/prairiesun1-9907.html|title=Dream Maker:Prairie Sun Recording Studio chief Mark "Mooka" Rennick is a musician's best friend|accessdate=2007-11-23|last= McDermid | first= Charles | publisher=MetroActive Music}}</ref></blockquote>


Waits said of the bare-bones studio, "I found a great room to work in, it's just a cement floor and a hot water heater. Okay, we'll do it here. It's got some good echo."<ref name=thrasher>Interview with Brian Bannon for ''Thrasher'' magazine, February 1993; collected in ''Innocent When You Dream'' p.146</ref> References to the recording environment and process were made in the field-recorded interview segments made for the promotional CD release, ''Bone Machine: The Operator's Manual'', which threaded together full studio tracks and conversation for a pre-recorded radio show format.
Waits said of the bare-bones studio, "I found a great room to work in, it's just a cement floor and a hot water heater. Okay, we'll do it here. It's got some good echo."<ref name=thrasher>Interview with Brian Bannon for ''Thrasher'' magazine, February 1993; collected in ''Innocent When You Dream'' p.146</ref> References to the recording environment and process were made in the field-recorded interview segments made for the promotional CD release, ''Bone Machine: The Operator's Manual'', which threaded together full studio tracks and conversation for a pre-recorded radio show format.


''Bone Machine'' was the first Waits album on which he played drums and percussion extensively. In 1992, Waits stated: "I like to play drums when I'm angry. At home I have a metal instrument called a conundrum with a lot of things hanging off it that I've found - metal objects - and I like playing it with a hammer. I love it. Drumming is therapeutic. I wish I'd found it when I was younger."<ref>Peter Orr. "Tom Waits at work in the fields of the song" Reflex, issue 28, October 6, 1992; as quoted on [https://www.tomwaitsfan.com/tom%20waits%20library/www.tomwaitslibrary.com/instruments/percussioninstruments.html Percussion Instruments] on TomWaitsFan.com, accessed 13 November 2020</ref>
==Artwork==
The cover photo, which consists of a blurred black-and-white, close-up image of Waits in a leather skullcap with horns and protective [[goggles]], was taken by [[Jesse Dylan]], the son of [[Bob Dylan]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lib.ru/SONGS/whaits/waits92.txt|title= Bone Machine album credits| accessdate=2007-11-23|publisher=www.lib.ru}}</ref> He wears this same outfit in the video for "Goin' Out West" and "I Don't Wanna Grow up".


==Critical reception==
==Covers and soundtracks==
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref name="Huey">{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/bone-machine-mw0000614904 |title=Bone Machine – Tom Waits |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=November 17, 2015 |last=Huey |first=Steve}}</ref>
| rev2 = ''[[Chicago Tribune]]''
| rev2score = {{Rating|4|4}}<ref name="Kot">{{cite news |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1992/09/17/tom-waitsbone-machine-island-starstarstarstareven-waits-admirers/ |title=Tom Waits: Bone Machine (Island) |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=September 17, 1992 |access-date=November 17, 2015 |last=Kot |first=Greg |author-link=Greg Kot}}</ref>
| rev3 = ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''
| rev3score = A+<ref name="Altman">{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/article/1992/09/25/bone-machine/ |title=Bone Machine |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=September 25, 1992 |access-date=November 17, 2015 |last=Altman |first=Billy}}</ref>
| rev4 = ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''
| rev4score = {{Rating|3.5|4}}<ref name="Willman">{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-09-20-ca-1719-story.html |title=Tom Waits 'Bone Machine' Island |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=September 20, 1992 |access-date=May 28, 2024 |last=Willman |first=Chris}}</ref>
| rev5 = ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]''
| rev5score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Tom Waits: Bone Machine |magazine=[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]] |issue=200 |date=July 2010 |last=Male |first=Andrew |page=77}}</ref>
| rev6 = ''[[NME]]''
| rev6score = 8/10<ref name="Staunton">{{cite magazine |title=Humerus Anecdotes |magazine=[[NME]] |date=September 5, 1992 |last=Staunton |first=Terry |page=34}}</ref>
| rev7 = ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]''
| rev7score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Formidable |magazine=[[Q (magazine)|Q]] |issue=73 |date=October 1992 |last=Gill |first=Andy |page=100}}</ref>
| rev8 = ''[[Rolling Stone]]''
| rev8score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/bone-machine-197035/ |title=Bone Machine |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=October 29, 1992 |access-date=November 17, 2015 |last=O'Connor |first=Rob}}</ref>
| rev9 = ''[[Select (magazine)|Select]]''
| rev9score = 5/5<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Tom Waits: Bone Machine |magazine=[[Select (magazine)|Select]] |issue=28 |date=October 1992 |last=Collis |first=Andrew |page=84}}</ref>
| rev10 = ''[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]]''
| rev10score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine |title=What Is He Building in There..? |magazine=[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]] |issue=175 |date=December 2011 |last=Gill |first=Andy |pages=52–53}}</ref>
}}


In a rave review for the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', Chris Willman wrote that "Waits waxes equally fatalistic on morality and mortality" on ''Bone Machine'', and that even "amid all this casual morbidity", the album's "[[lo-fi music|low-fi]], home-studio" sounds make the album "so much—in a manner of speaking—fun."<ref name="Willman"/> "Rhythmically," said [[Greg Kot]] of the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'', "it's the most varied and impressive group of songs Waits has written, and damaged voice and all, the tunes are unshakable."<ref name="Kot"/> ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''{{'}}s Billy Altman noted that although listeners may find themselves "shocked, thrilled, or just plain unnerved by some startling image or sound" while listening to ''Bone Machine'', "beneath his hellacious bellows{{nbsp}}... and grotesque arrangements{{nbsp}}... lurks a caring, humanist heart."<ref name="Altman"/> ''[[NME]]'' writer Terry Staunton summarized the album as "scary, mournful, morbid and easily one of Tom's best."<ref name="Staunton"/>
A number of the songs from ''Bone Machine'' have been used in a number of film [[soundtrack]]s, and have been covered by artists in varying genres.


Retrospectively, [[AllMusic]] reviewer Steve Huey deemed ''Bone Machine'' "Waits' most affecting and powerful recording, even if it isn't his most accessible", noting the album's "chilling, primal sound" and fixation with "decay and mortality, the ease with which earthly existence can be destroyed."<ref name="Huey"/>
"Earth Died Screaming" is featured in the 1995 film ''[[12 Monkeys (film)|12 Monkeys]]''.


''Bone Machine'' was included on several "Best Albums of the 1990s" lists, being ranked at No. 49 by ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/5923-top-100-albums-of-the-1990s/ |title=Top 100 Albums of the 1990s |website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |date=November 16, 2003 |access-date=March 25, 2012}}</ref> and No. 53 by ''[[Rolling Stone]]''.<ref>{{cite book |chapter=100 Best Albums of the '90s |chapter-url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/100-best-albums-of-the-90s-152425/tom-waits-bone-machine-157014/ |access-date=March 25, 2012 |title=The '90s: The Inside Stories from the Decade That Rocked |publisher=[[Harper Design]] |year=2010 |isbn=978-0-06-177920-6 |pages=282–297}}</ref> The album was also included in the book ''[[1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die]]''.<ref>{{cite book |chapter=Tom Waits: Bone Machine |last=Heller-Nicholas |first=Alexandra |title=1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die |title-link=1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die |editor-last=Dimery |editor-first=Robert |publisher=[[Universe Publishing]] |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-7893-1371-3 |page=694}}</ref> [[Elvis Costello]] included it on his list of essential albums, highlighting "A Little Rain" and "I Don't Wanna Grow Up".<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2000/11/elvis-costello-500-favorite-albums |title=Costello's 500 |magazine=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]] |issue=483 |date=November 2000 |access-date=May 28, 2024 |last=Costello |first=Elvis |author-link=Elvis Costello}}</ref>
"Dirt in the Ground" was featured on the 1998 movie, "[[Jerry and Tom]]." "Jesus Gonna Be Here" is featured in the 2005 film ''[[Domino (2005 film)|Domino]]'', in which Waits appears, and has been covered by the gospel group [[The Blind Boys of Alabama]] on their album "Spirit of the Century" (2001).

"Goin' Out West" is featured in the 1999 film ''[[Fight Club (film)|Fight Club]]'' and has been covered by [[Queens of the Stone Age]],<ref>{{cite web | title= QOTSA Cover Tom Waits, Elliott Smith on "Sick" Single | url= http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/page/news/43414-qotsa-cover-tom-waits-elliott-smith-on-sick-single | accessdate= 2007-11-25 | publisher= Pitchfork | url-status= dead | archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20080109024704/http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/page/news/43414-qotsa-cover-tom-waits-elliott-smith-on-sick-single | archivedate= 2008-01-09 }}</ref> [[Gomez (band)|Gomez]], [[Widespread Panic]], [[Gov't Mule]], [[Jimmy Barnes]], and [[Australia]]n [[blues]] guitarist [[Ash Grunwald]].

"I Don't Wanna Grow Up" was covered by [[Ramones]] for their final studio album ''[[¡Adios Amigos!]]'', by [[Petra Haden]] and [[Bill Frisell]] on their collaboration ''Petra Haden & Bill Frisell'' (2003), by [[Hayes Carll]] on his ''[[Trouble in Mind (Hayes Carll album)|Trouble in Mind]]'' (2008), by [[Scarlett Johansson]] on her debut album, ''[[Anywhere I Lay My Head]]'' (2008), by [[Squeeze (band)|Squeeze]] on the deluxe version of their album Cradle To The Grave, and by [[Emily Kinney]]'s character, [[Beth Greene]], on [[The Walking Dead (season 4)|''The Walking Dead'' fourth-season episode]], "[[Infected (The Walking Dead)|Infected]]" (Kinney's musical influences also includes Waits among others).

Danish band [[Kellermensch]] covered "Dirt in the Ground" on their 2009 [[Kellermensch_(album)|debut album]].

[[Joan Baez]]'s 2018 release used ''[[Whistle_Down_the_Wind_(album)|Whistle Down The Wind]]'' as its title track. Her recording also includes an additional Waits cover, "Last Leaf", from his ''[[Bad_as_Me|Bad As Me]]'' (2011) release.

==Chart information==

{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Chart
! Peak position
|-
| [[Switzerland]]
| 21
|-
| [[The Billboard 200|The ''Billboard'' 200]] (1992)
| 176
|}

==Legacy==

The album was included in the book ''[[1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die]]''.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Robert Dimery|author2=Michael Lydon|title=1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition|accessdate= |date=23 March 2010|publisher=Universe|isbn=978-0-7893-2074-2}}</ref>


==Track listing==
==Track listing==
Songs written by Tom Waits and [[Kathleen Brennan]], except where noted.

{{tracklist
{{tracklist
| title1 = Earth Died Screaming
| title1 = Earth Died Screaming
| length1 = 3:39
| length1 = 3:39
| writer1 = Waits
| writer1 = [[Tom Waits]]
| title2 = Dirt in the Ground
| title2 = Dirt in the Ground
| length2 = 4:08
| length2 = 4:08
| writer2 = {{hlist|Waits|[[Kathleen Brennan]]}}
| title3 = Such a Scream
| title3 = Such a Scream
| length3 = 2:07
| length3 = 2:07
Line 111: Line 75:
| title5 = Who Are You
| title5 = Who Are You
| length5 = 3:58
| length5 = 3:58
| writer5 = {{hlist|Waits|Brennan}}
| title6 = The Ocean Doesn't Want Me
| title6 = The Ocean Doesn't Want Me
| length6 = 1:51
| length6 = 1:51
Line 117: Line 82:
| length7 = 3:21
| length7 = 3:21
| writer7 = Waits
| writer7 = Waits
| title8 = A Little Rain (for Clyde)
| title8 = A Little Rain
| length8 = 2:58
| length8 = 2:58
| writer8 = {{hlist|Waits|Brennan}}
| title9 = In the Colosseum
| title9 = In the Colosseum
| length9 = 4:50
| length9 = 4:50
| writer9 = {{hlist|Waits|Brennan}}
| title10 = Goin' Out West
| title10 = Goin' Out West
| length10 = 3:19
| length10 = 3:19
| writer10 = {{hlist|Waits|Brennan}}
| title11 = Murder in the Red Barn
| title11 = Murder in the Red Barn
| length11 = 4:29
| length11 = 4:29
| writer11 = {{hlist|Waits|Brennan}}
| title12 = Black Wings
| title12 = Black Wings
| length12 = 4:37
| length12 = 4:37
| writer12 = {{hlist|Waits|Brennan}}
| title13 = Whistle Down the Wind (for [[Tom Jans]])
| title13 = Whistle Down the Wind
| length13 = 4:36
| length13 = 4:36
| writer13 = Waits
| writer13 = Waits
| title14 = I Don't Wanna Grow Up
| title14 = I Don't Wanna Grow Up
| length14 = 2:31
| length14 = 2:31
| writer14 = {{hlist|Waits|Brennan}}
| title15 = Let Me Get Up on It
| title15 = Let Me Get Up on It
| length15 = 0:55
| length15 = 0:55
| writer15 = Waits
| writer15 = Waits
| title16 = That Feel
| title16 = That Feel
| writer16 = Waits, [[Keith Richards]]
| writer16 = {{hlist|Waits|[[Keith Richards]]}}
| length16 = 3:11
| length16 = 3:11
}}
}}


==Personnel==
==Personnel==
===Performance===
* [[Tom Waits]] - vocals (all songs), Chamberlin (1,6,9), percussion (1,3-6,15), guitar (1,3,5,12,14,16), sticks (1), piano (2,13), upright bass (7), conundrum (9), drums (10-12,16), acoustic guitar (14)
* [[Tom Waits]] {{ndash}} lead vocals (all tracks), Chamberlin (1, 6, 9), percussion (1, 3–6, 15), guitar (1, 3, 5, 12, 14, 16), sticks (1), piano (2, 13), upright bass (7), conundrum (9), drums (10–12, 16), acoustic guitar (14)
* [[Bryan Mantia|Brain]] - drums (3,9)
* [[Kathleen Brennan]] - sticks (1)
* [[Bryan Mantia|Brain]] {{ndash}} drums (3, 9)
* [[Kathleen Brennan]] {{ndash}} sticks (1)
* [[Ralph Carney]] - alto saxophone (2,3), tenor saxophone (2,3), bass clarinet (2)
* [[Ralph Carney]] {{ndash}} alto saxophone (2, 3), tenor saxophone (2, 3), bass clarinet (2)
* [[Les Claypool]] - bass guitar (1)
* Joe Gore - guitar (4,10,12)
* [[Les Claypool]] {{ndash}} bass guitar (1)
* Joe Gore {{ndash}} guitar (4, 10, 12)
* [[David Hidalgo]] - violin (13), accordion (13)
* Joe Marquez - sticks (1), banjo (11)
* [[David Hidalgo]] {{ndash}} violin (13), accordion (13)
* Joe Marquez {{ndash}} sticks (1), banjo (11)
* David Phillips - pedal steel guitar (8,13), steel guitar (16)
* [[Keith Richards]] - guitar (16), vocal (16)
* David Phillips {{ndash}} pedal steel guitar (8, 13), steel guitar (16)
* [[Larry Taylor]] - upright bass (1,2,4,5,8-12,14,16), guitar (7)
* [[Keith Richards]] {{ndash}} guitar (16), backing vocals (16)
* [[Larry Taylor]] {{ndash}} upright bass (1, 2, 4, 5, 8–12, 14, 16), guitar (7)
* [[Waddy Wachtel]] - guitar (16)
* [[Waddy Wachtel]] {{ndash}} guitar (16)


===Production===
Produced by Tom Waits.
* Tom Waits {{ndash}} producer
Associate Producer: Kathleen Brennan
* Kathleen Brennan {{ndash}} associate producer
* Biff Dawes {{ndash}} recording (1{{ndash}}7, 9{{ndash}}12, 14{{ndash}}16)
* Joe Marquez{{ndash}} recording (8, 13)
* [[Tchad Blake]] {{ndash}} mixing (1{{ndash}}15)
* Biff Dawes {{ndash}} mixing (1{{ndash}}15)
* Joe Marquez {{ndash}} mixing (1{{ndash}}15), second engineer
* Joe Blaney {{ndash}} mixing (16)
* Shawn Michael Morris {{ndash}} third engineer
* [[Bob Ludwig]] {{ndash}} mastering
* Frances Thumm {{ndash}} "musical security guard"


==Charts==
Recorded by Biff Dawes, except " Whistle Down the Wind" and "A Little Rain" recorded by Joe Marquez. Mixed by [[Tchad Blake]], Biff Dawes, and Joe Marquez. "That Feel" mixed by Joe Blaney at Studio 900.
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
2nd Engineer: Joe Marquez,
|+ Chart performance for ''Bone Machine''
3rd Engineer: Shawn Michael Morris
! scope="col"| Chart (1992)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position
|-
{{album chart|Australia|41|artist=Tom Waits|album=Bone Machine|rowheader=true|access-date=October 27, 2022}}
|-
{{album chart|Austria|22|artist=Tom Waits|album=Bone Machine|rowheader=true|access-date=October 27, 2022}}
|-
{{album chart|Netherlands|31|artist=Tom Waits|album=Bone Machine|rowheader=true|access-date=October 27, 2022}}
|-
{{album chart|Germany4|42|id=1496|artist=Tom Waits|album=Bone Machine|rowheader=true|access-date=October 27, 2022}}
|-
{{album chart|New Zealand|36|artist=Tom Waits|album=Bone Machine|rowheader=true|access-date=October 27, 2022}}
|-
{{album chart|Norway|15|artist=Tom Waits|album=Bone Machine|rowheader=true|access-date=October 27, 2022}}
|-
{{album chart|Sweden|38|artist=Tom Waits|album=Bone Machine|rowheader=true|access-date=October 27, 2022}}
|-
{{album chart|Switzerland|21|artist=Tom Waits|album=Bone Machine|rowheader=true|access-date=October 27, 2022}}
|-
{{album chart|UK2|26|date=19920913|rowheader=true|access-date=October 27, 2022}}
|-
! scope="row"| US [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]]<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-200/1992-09-26/|title=Billboard 200: Week of September 26, 1992|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|access-date=October 27, 2022}}</ref>
| align="center"| 176
|}


==References==
Musical Security Guard: Frances Thumm.
Mastered by [[Bob Ludwig]] at Masterdisk

==Footnotes==
{{reflist|2}}
{{reflist|2}}


;Sources
==References==


* {{cite book|first=Mac|last=Montandon|title=Innocent When You Dream: Tom Waits the Collected Interviews|publisher=Thunder's Mouth Press|year=2005|isbn=0-7528-7394-6}}
* {{cite book|first=Mac|last=Montandon|title=Innocent When You Dream: Tom Waits the Collected Interviews|publisher=Thunder's Mouth Press|year=2005|isbn=0-7528-7394-6}}


{{Tom Waits}}
{{Tom Waits}}
{{Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album}}

{{Authority control}}


[[Category:Tom Waits albums]]
[[Category:Tom Waits albums]]

Latest revision as of 03:32, 19 July 2024

For the Pixies song, see Surfer Rosa.
Bone Machine
Studio album by
Tom Waits
ReleasedSeptember 8, 1992
RecordedPrairie Sun, Cotati
GenreExperimental rock[1]
Length53:30
LabelIsland
Producer
Tom Waits chronology
Night on Earth
(1992) 		Bone Machine
(1992) 		The Black Rider
(1993)

Bone Machine is the eleventh studio album by American singer and musician Tom Waits, released by Island Records on September 8, 1992. It won a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album and features guest appearances by David Hidalgo, Les Claypool, Brain, and Keith Richards. The album marked Waits' return to studio albums, coming five years after Franks Wild Years (1987).

Recorded in a room in the cellar area of Prairie Sun Recording studios, described by Waits as "just a cement floor and a hot water heater", the album is often noted for its rough, stripped-down, percussion-heavy style, as well as its dark lyrical themes revolving around death and decay. The album cover—a blurry, black-and-white, close-up image of Waits screaming while wearing a horned skullcap and protective goggles—was taken by filmmaker Jesse Dylan, son of Bob Dylan.[2] The photo is taken from a freeze frame of the Dylan and Jim Jarmusch directed video for "Goin' Out West". They also directed a video for "I Don't Wanna Grow Up". The latter song was covered by the Ramones on their last album, !Adios Amigos! (1995); the former featured in the movie Fight Club (1999).[3] Bone Machine won the Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album.[4]

Recording and production

[edit]

Bone Machine was recorded and produced entirely at the Prairie Sun Recording studios in Cotati, California, in a room of Studio C known as "the Waits Room", located in the old cement hatchery rooms of the cellar of the buildings. Prairie Sun's studio head Mark "Mooka" Rennick said, "[Waits] gravitated toward these 'echo' rooms and created the Bone Machine aural landscape. [...] What we like about Tom is that he is a musicologist. And he has a tremendous ear. His talent is a national treasure."[5]

Waits said of the bare-bones studio, "I found a great room to work in, it's just a cement floor and a hot water heater. Okay, we'll do it here. It's got some good echo."[6] References to the recording environment and process were made in the field-recorded interview segments made for the promotional CD release, Bone Machine: The Operator's Manual, which threaded together full studio tracks and conversation for a pre-recorded radio show format.

Bone Machine was the first Waits album on which he played drums and percussion extensively. In 1992, Waits stated: "I like to play drums when I'm angry. At home I have a metal instrument called a conundrum with a lot of things hanging off it that I've found - metal objects - and I like playing it with a hammer. I love it. Drumming is therapeutic. I wish I'd found it when I was younger."[7]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[8]
Chicago Tribune[9]
Entertainment WeeklyA+[1]
Los Angeles Times[10]
Mojo[11]
NME8/10[12]
Q[13]
Rolling Stone[14]
Select5/5[15]
Uncut[16]

In a rave review for the Los Angeles Times, Chris Willman wrote that "Waits waxes equally fatalistic on morality and mortality" on Bone Machine, and that even "amid all this casual morbidity", the album's "low-fi, home-studio" sounds make the album "so much—in a manner of speaking—fun."[10] "Rhythmically," said Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune, "it's the most varied and impressive group of songs Waits has written, and damaged voice and all, the tunes are unshakable."[9] Entertainment Weekly's Billy Altman noted that although listeners may find themselves "shocked, thrilled, or just plain unnerved by some startling image or sound" while listening to Bone Machine, "beneath his hellacious bellows ... and grotesque arrangements ... lurks a caring, humanist heart."[1] NME writer Terry Staunton summarized the album as "scary, mournful, morbid and easily one of Tom's best."[12]

Retrospectively, AllMusic reviewer Steve Huey deemed Bone Machine "Waits' most affecting and powerful recording, even if it isn't his most accessible", noting the album's "chilling, primal sound" and fixation with "decay and mortality, the ease with which earthly existence can be destroyed."[8]

Bone Machine was included on several "Best Albums of the 1990s" lists, being ranked at No. 49 by Pitchfork[17] and No. 53 by Rolling Stone.[18] The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[19] Elvis Costello included it on his list of essential albums, highlighting "A Little Rain" and "I Don't Wanna Grow Up".[20]

Track listing

[edit]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Earth Died Screaming"Tom Waits3:39
2."Dirt in the Ground"
4:08
3."Such a Scream"Waits2:07
4."All Stripped Down"Waits3:04
5."Who Are You"
  • Waits
  • Brennan
3:58
6."The Ocean Doesn't Want Me"Waits1:51
7."Jesus Gonna Be Here"Waits3:21
8."A Little Rain"
  • Waits
  • Brennan
2:58
9."In the Colosseum"
  • Waits
  • Brennan
4:50
10."Goin' Out West"
  • Waits
  • Brennan
3:19
11."Murder in the Red Barn"
  • Waits
  • Brennan
4:29
12."Black Wings"
  • Waits
  • Brennan
4:37
13."Whistle Down the Wind"Waits4:36
14."I Don't Wanna Grow Up"
  • Waits
  • Brennan
2:31
15."Let Me Get Up on It"Waits0:55
16."That Feel"
3:11

Personnel

[edit]

Performance

[edit]
  • Tom Waits – lead vocals (all tracks), Chamberlin (1, 6, 9), percussion (1, 3–6, 15), guitar (1, 3, 5, 12, 14, 16), sticks (1), piano (2, 13), upright bass (7), conundrum (9), drums (10–12, 16), acoustic guitar (14)
  • Brain – drums (3, 9)
  • Kathleen Brennan – sticks (1)
  • Ralph Carney – alto saxophone (2, 3), tenor saxophone (2, 3), bass clarinet (2)
  • Les Claypool – bass guitar (1)
  • Joe Gore – guitar (4, 10, 12)
  • David Hidalgo – violin (13), accordion (13)
  • Joe Marquez – sticks (1), banjo (11)
  • David Phillips – pedal steel guitar (8, 13), steel guitar (16)
  • Keith Richards – guitar (16), backing vocals (16)
  • Larry Taylor – upright bass (1, 2, 4, 5, 8–12, 14, 16), guitar (7)
  • Waddy Wachtel – guitar (16)

Production

[edit]
  • Tom Waits – producer
  • Kathleen Brennan – associate producer
  • Biff Dawes – recording (1–7, 9–12, 14–16)
  • Joe Marquez– recording (8, 13)
  • Tchad Blake – mixing (1–15)
  • Biff Dawes – mixing (1–15)
  • Joe Marquez – mixing (1–15), second engineer
  • Joe Blaney – mixing (16)
  • Shawn Michael Morris – third engineer
  • Bob Ludwig – mastering
  • Frances Thumm – "musical security guard"

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance for Bone Machine
Chart (1992) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[21] 41
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[22] 22
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[23] 31
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[24] 42
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[25] 36
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[26] 15
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[27] 38
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[28] 21
UK Albums (OCC)[29] 26
US Billboard 200[30] 176

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Altman, Billy (September 25, 1992). "Bone Machine". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  2. ^ "Bone Machine album credits". www.lib.ru. Retrieved 2007-11-23.
  3. ^ "Fight Club Soundtrack Guide: Every Song & When They Play". Screen Rant. March 14, 2023.
  4. ^ "35th Annual GRAMMY Awards".
  5. ^ McDermid, Charles. "Dream Maker:Prairie Sun Recording Studio chief Mark "Mooka" Rennick is a musician's best friend". MetroActive Music. Retrieved 2007-11-23.
  6. ^ Interview with Brian Bannon for Thrasher magazine, February 1993; collected in Innocent When You Dream p.146
  7. ^ Peter Orr. "Tom Waits at work in the fields of the song" Reflex, issue 28, October 6, 1992; as quoted on Percussion Instruments on TomWaitsFan.com, accessed 13 November 2020
  8. ^ a b Huey, Steve. "Bone Machine – Tom Waits". AllMusic. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  9. ^ a b Kot, Greg (September 17, 1992). "Tom Waits: Bone Machine (Island)". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  10. ^ a b Willman, Chris (September 20, 1992). "Tom Waits 'Bone Machine' Island". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  11. ^ Male, Andrew (July 2010). "Tom Waits: Bone Machine". Mojo. No. 200. p. 77.
  12. ^ a b Staunton, Terry (September 5, 1992). "Humerus Anecdotes". NME. p. 34.
  13. ^ Gill, Andy (October 1992). "Formidable". Q. No. 73. p. 100.
  14. ^ O'Connor, Rob (October 29, 1992). "Bone Machine". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  15. ^ Collis, Andrew (October 1992). "Tom Waits: Bone Machine". Select. No. 28. p. 84.
  16. ^ Gill, Andy (December 2011). "What Is He Building in There..?". Uncut. No. 175. pp. 52–53.
  17. ^ "Top 100 Albums of the 1990s". Pitchfork. November 16, 2003. Retrieved March 25, 2012.
  18. ^ "100 Best Albums of the '90s". The '90s: The Inside Stories from the Decade That Rocked. Harper Design. 2010. pp. 282–297. ISBN 978-0-06-177920-6. Retrieved March 25, 2012.
  19. ^ Heller-Nicholas, Alexandra (2006). "Tom Waits: Bone Machine". In Dimery, Robert (ed.). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. Universe Publishing. p. 694. ISBN 978-0-7893-1371-3.
  20. ^ Costello, Elvis (November 2000). "Costello's 500". Vanity Fair. No. 483. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  21. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Tom Waits – Bone Machine". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  22. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Tom Waits – Bone Machine" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  23. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Tom Waits – Bone Machine" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  24. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Tom Waits – Bone Machine" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  25. ^ "Charts.nz – Tom Waits – Bone Machine". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  26. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Tom Waits – Bone Machine". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  27. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Tom Waits – Bone Machine". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  28. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Tom Waits – Bone Machine". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  29. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  30. ^ "Billboard 200: Week of September 26, 1992". Billboard. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
Sources
  • Montandon, Mac (2005). Innocent When You Dream: Tom Waits the Collected Interviews. Thunder's Mouth Press. ISBN 0-7528-7394-6.
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