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The Black Rider is an album by Tom Waits, released in 1993 on Island Records, featuring studio versions of songs Waits wrote for the play The Black Rider, directed by Robert Wilson and co-written by William S. Burroughs. The play is based on the German folktale Der Freischütz, which had previously been made into an opera by Carl Maria von Weber. The play premiered on March 31, 1990, at the Thalia Theater in Hamburg, Germany. Its world English-language premiere occurred in 1998 at the Edmonton International Fringe Festival.

Waits's would later collaborate with Wilson on the plays Alice (1992) and Woyzeck (2000), the music to which were released on the albums Alice and Blood Money, respectively.

Track listing [link]

All songs written by Tom Waits, except where noted. Recorded in 1989 by Gerd Bessler at his Music Factory in Hamburg, Germany (2, 3, 6–9, 14–16, 19, 20), and in 1993 by Tchad Blake at the Prairie Sun Recording Studios in Cotati, California (1, 4, 5, 10–13, 17, 18). Musical Director Greg Cohen. All songs mixed by Biff Dawes At Sunset Sound Factory, Hollywood, CA.

1. "Lucky Day (Overture)" – 2:27
   • Tom Waits – vocal, calliope
   • Ralph Carney – sax
   • Bill Douglas – bass
   • Kenny Wollesen – percussion
   • Matt Brubeck – cello
   • Joe Gore – banjo
   • Nick Phelps – French horn
   • Kevin Porter – trombone
2. "The Black Rider" – 3:21
   • Greg Cohen – bass, percussion, banjo, viola
   • Tom Waits – organ, vocal
3. "November" – 2:53
   • Tom Waits – piano, banjo, vocal
   • Greg Cohen – bass, accordion
   • Don Neely – saw
4. "Just the Right Bullets" – 3:35
   • Matt Brubeck – cello
   • Kenny Wollesen – percussion
   • Joe Gore – banjo
   • Ralph Carney – bass clarinet
   • Tom Waits – vocal, piano
   • Larry Rhodes – bassoon
   • Bill Douglas – bass
   • Francis Thumm – organ
5. "Black Box Theme" (instrumental) – 2:42
   • Tom Waits – Chamberlin
   • Don Neely – saw
   • Bill Douglas – bass
   • Matt Brubeck – cello
   • Kenny Wollesen – percussion
   • Nick Phelps – French horn
   • Larry Rhodes – bassoon
   • Joe Gore – banjo
6. "'T' Ain't No Sin" (Walter Donaldson / Edgar Leslie) – 2:25
   • William S. Burroughs – vocal
   • Tom Waits – marimba, Emax
   • Greg Cohen – bass clarinet, Emax
7. "Flash Pan Hunter/Intro" (instrumental) – 1:10
   • Henning Stoll – Contrabassoon
   • Stefan Schäfer – bass
   • Volker Hemken – clarinet
8. "That's the Way" (music: Waits, lyrics: Burroughs) – 1:07
   • Hans-Jorn Braudenberg – organ
   • Henning Stoll – viola
   • Stefan Schäfer – bass
   • Volker Hemken – clarinet
   • Tom Waits – vocal
9. "The Briar and the Rose" – 3:50
   • Hans-Jorn Braudenberg – organ
   • Henning Stoll – viola
   • Stefan Schäfer – bass
   • Volker Hemken – clarinet
   • Tom Waits – vocal
10. "Russian Dance" (instrumental) – 3:12
    • Tom Waits – Emax strings
    • Matt Brubeck – cello
    • Linda Deluca – viola
    • Bill Douglas – bass
    • Kathleen Brennan, Clive Butters, Tom Waits, Francis Thumm, Joe Marquez – boots
11. "Gospel Train/Orchestra" (instrumental) – 2:33
    • Linda Deluca – viola
    • Nick Phelps – French horn
    • Larry Rhodes – bassoon
    • Kevin Porter – trombone
    • Ralph Carney – bass clarinet
    • Joe Gore – guitar
    • Kenny Wollesen – percussion
    • Bill Douglas – bass
    • Matt Brubeck – cello
12. "I'll Shoot the Moon" – 3:51
    • Kevin Porter – trombone
    • Francis Thumm – organ
    • Bill Douglas – bass
    • Ralph Carney – sax
    • Kenny Wollesen – percussion, marimba
    • Joe Gore – guitar
    • Matt Brubeck – cello
    • Tom Waits – vocal
13. "Flash Pan Hunter" (music: Waits, lyrics: Burroughs) – 3:10
    • Ralph Carney – bass clarinet
    • Matt Brubeck – cello
    • Joe Gore – banjo
    • Larry Rhodes – bassoon
    • Bill Douglas – bass
    • Francis Thumm – organ
    • Kenny Wollesen – percussion
    • Don Neely – saw
    • Tom Waits – vocal
14. "Crossroads" (music: Waits, lyrics: Burroughs) – 2:43
    • Tom Waits – guitar, Chamberlin, vocal
    • Greg Cohen – bass
    • Gerd Bessler – viola
15. "Gospel Train" – 4:43
    • Tom Waits – train whistle, vocal, conga, log drum
    • Greg Cohen – percussion, bass
    • Ralph Carney – bass clarinet
    • Bill Douglas – bass
16. "Interlude" (Greg Cohen) (instrumental) – 0:18
    • Henning Stoll – bassoon
    • Christoph Moinian – French horn
    • Volker Hemken – clarinet
17. "Oily Night" – 4:23
    • Matt Brubeck – cello
    • Kenny Wollesen – percussion
    • Bill Douglas – bass
    • Ralph Carney – sax, bass clarinet
    • Nick Phelps – French horn
    • Kevin Porter – trombone
    • Larry Rhodes – contra bassoon
    • Joe Gore – banjo, guitar
    • Linda Deluca – viola
    • Featuring "The Boners"
18. "Lucky Day" – 3:42
    • Tom Waits – organ & vocal
    • Bill Douglas – bass
    • Ralph Carney – baritone horn
    • Matt Brubeck – cello
    • Kenny Wollesen – percussion
    • Joe Gore – guitar
19. "The Last Rose of Summer" – 2:07
    • Tom Waits – organ, vocal, Chamberlin
    • Greg Cohen – bass
20. "Carnival" (instrumental) – 1:15
    • Tom Waits – Chamberlin, Emax
    • Greg Cohen – bass

Hans-Jörn Brandenburg, Volker Hemken, Henning Stoll, Christoph Moinian, Dieter Fischer, Jo Bauer, Frank Wulff, and Stefan Schäfer were The Devil's Rhubato Band (Hamburg); Ralph Carney, Bill Douglas, Kenny Wollesen, Matt Brubeck, Joe Gore, Nick Phelps, Kevin Porter, Lawrence "Larry" Rhodes, Francis Thumm, Don Neely, Linda Deluca were The Rhubato West Group (San Francisco).

Songs performed in the play, but not included on the album: "Chase the Clouds Away" and "In the Morning".

Alka-Seltzer release [link]

Side one [link]

1. "Black Rider (Opening)"
2. "November"
3. "The Right Bullets"
4. "The Briar and the Rose"
5. "George Schmid"
6. "Chase the Clouds Away"
7. "Flash Pan Hunter"

Side two [link]

1. "Instrumental"
2. "? by W. S. Burroughs"
3. "In the Morning"
4. "Gospel Train"
5. "I'll Shoot the Moon"
6. "Instrumental"
7. "The Last Rose of Summer"

References [link]