LOS ANGELES, CA (Anti- Records) - In response to the stellar reviews and tremendous demand for TOM WAITS' just-released limited edition 3-CD set "ORPHANS: BRAWLERS, BAWLERS AND BASTARDS" (released Nov. 21 on Anti-), a new "paperback" version of the collection is quickly being assembled for immediate release.
The new version - not a limited edition release - contains all 56 tracks that are found on the collector's edition, bound within a scaled down 24 page "paperback" version of the "ORPHANS" booklet.
As quickly as the CDs are leaving store shelves, the sensational reviews are pouring in.
Rolling Stone calls "ORPHANS" "A definitive album," while The Detroit Free Press notes "the one-of-a-kind Waits unleashes a dizzying and dazzling collection," and Harp is so enthralled with the set's "delightful madness" that they're already holding out "hope for a Volume 2."
The Houston Chronicle proclaims, "'ORPHANS' plays out like a twisted three-part opera, a lovingly assembled mix of old and new, loud and quiet, sad and mad - all those conflicts that make Waits' albums fascinating like a firefly."
The Boston Globe claims the 3-disc set to be "some of the best and most vital work of Waits long career," whereas the Los Angeles Times calls it "a fulfillment of the ideal Waits...This is one to salt away to sustain you through many winters of the soul," and the Philadelphia Inquirer hails as nothing less than a "career-defining circus act."
Crowning the set a "Mojo Instant Classic," Mojo's 5-star review says, "Masterpiece isn't the right word for such a profusion of profound delights...exhibition is better...With his unfussy brushstrokes, umber hues, and humanely honest delight in warts and all, [Waits] is the Rembrandt of modern music."
Pitchfork calls "ORPHANS" "About as perfect a summary of Waits' appeal as can be found on the open market...smoking-gun evidence of Waits' remarkable longevity...enough to add another layer of invulnerability to the already untouchable critical status of Tom Waits."
And Entertainment Weekly gives "ORPHANS" an "A," noting that the collection "Adds a truckload of characters to [Waits'] dramatis personae...often dressed in scrap-yard percussion and sublime guitar noise, each - from hobo to suicide bomber - familiar, compelling, and tugging out empathy."
Fans will also be able to hear live music from Tom's summer tour and a current interview on NPR's "World Café" on December 15.
Following "ORPHANS'" release, WAITS took to the stage and the easy chair a week ago as a performer and guest on the "Late Show with David Letterman" (Monday, November 27). The next night WAITS brought down the house - literally - on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," as the bathroom ceiling collapsed around him just prior to the show. As only the venerable WAITS can do, he proceeded to piece together a brilliant performance from amidst the dust and debris.
