Brawlers being the noisy, cranky songs that have occupied much of Waits's output since Swordfishtrombones in 1983 (although the fantastic Road to Peace could probably have been included on any of the discs). Bastards is a mix or weird covers (Heigh Ho from Snow White), Kerouac and Bukowski poetry readings, tall stories and jokes told at concerts.
Bawlers however represents the more romantic and sentimental songs that Waits has always been so good at.
Prior to the release I already had a few of these songs as they were released on sountracks that I had picked up in sale bins. These included Jaynes Blue Wish, Long Way Home (from Big Bad Love), Little Drop of Poison, (The End of Violence), and Walk Away (Dead Man Walking). Waits even covered two Ramones' songs, The Return of Jackie and Julie on Brawlers and Danny Says on Bawlers. I particularly like the latter.
It is the schmaltziness of Bawlers that I am repeatedly drawn to with some of Waits' best latter day songs. The aforementioned songs are great tasters and Norah Jones did a great cover of Long Way Home. John Hammond did a great version of Fannin Steet but I always enjoted Tom's original. The collection finishes on a great high with a great cover of Young at Heart, a song that Sinatra made his own. While I like Sinatra's version I think I prefer Tom's.
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