Waits, Tom
Closing Time
Rare & Collectible Vinyl Records

2018 180gm remaster in shrink. Tom Waits’s debut album, "Closing Time," was released in 1973 on the Asylum Records label, introducing the world to his idiosyncratic blend of jazz, folk, and blues. Produced by former Lovin’ Spoonful member Jerry Yester, the album stands apart from Waits’s later, more experimental work by embracing a relatively mellow, melodic sound. Songs like “Ol’ ’55” and “Martha” showcased his early gift for storytelling and evocative lyricism, painting nighttime urban scenes with a tenderness and vulnerability that would become hallmarks of his songwriting. The arrangements feature gentle piano, brushed drums, and subtle horn touches, lending the record a late-night, introspective atmosphere.