Title: Not as good as "Closing Time"
Review: This record is dominated by the slightly derivative style that Waits spent about half of "Closing Time" working on -- the 40s' jazzy pop tune. Lyrically, this record is less about love and more about the poetic description of the nightlife, but there are still no narratives and little musical innovation. The songs themselves are often sketchy and soundalike -- in fact, very little sticks with you afterwards with a few exceptions: the spoken "Diamonds On My Windshield" and "the Ghosts of Saturday Night," the simple, moving "Heart of Saturday Night" and the sweet "San Diego Serenade." This isn't to say that the album isn't enjoyable, it's just that Waits hadn't found his groove yet.
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