Episode 116 - Mule Variations by Tom Waits

It’s difficult to imagine a world without Tom Waits. You may not be a fan, or even at all familiar with his music, but he’s been such a well known cult musical figure for so long that he’s taken on an almost mythical air. And mystical. And mythological. Basically, anything that starts with m and ends in al.

That’s largely because he remains something of an enigma. An intensely private person, fans only really know him through his music, and his music is weird.

This week Chris brings his 12th studio album Mule Variations to the table, obstinately proclaiming that it is an unsung classic. We try to give his entire 16 album catalogue a once over and manage to drag this our discussion to a conclusion in just over an hour and half. If you’re not a fan of Waits, it’s unlikely this episode will do much to change your opinion, but hey, you might just learn something in the process.

Is Mule Variations an unsung classic? Only you can decide.