Back in the Crowd
{{Infobox song
| name = Back in the Crowd
| cover = Tom Waits - Back in the Crowd single.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Tom Waits
| album = Bad as Me
| released = {{Start date|2011|9|27}}
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| length = {{Duration|m=2|s=49}}
| label = ANTI-, Epitaph{{cite web | url=http://www.anti.com/releases/back-in-the-crowd-single/ | title="Back in the Crowd" in Anti Records | accessdate=August 11, 2013}}
| writer = Tom Waits, Kathleen Brennan
| producer = Tom Waits, Kathleen Brennan
| prev_title = Bad as Me
| prev_year = 2011
| next_title =
| next_year =
}}
"Back in the Crowd" is a song by American rock musician Tom Waits. It is the second single and seventh track from Waits' seventeenth studio album, Bad as Me.{{cite magazine | url=http://exclaim.ca/MusicVideo/ClickHear/tom_waits-back_in_crowd | title=Tom Waits - "Back in the Crowd" | magazine=Exclaim! | date=September 27, 2013 | accessdate=August 11, 2013}}{{cite magazine | url=http://thequietus.com/articles/07069-tom-waits-new-single-back-in-crowd | title=New Tom Waits Single Available | magazine=The Quietus | date=September 27, 2013 | accessdate=August 11, 2013}} Written and produced by Waits and his wife Kathleen Brennan, the song was released on September 27, 2011 as a digital download via iTunes and Spotify.
Music
"Back in the Crowd" is a guitar-driven Latin-influenced midtempo ballad.{{cite web | url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/28/tom-waits-back-in-the-crowd-bad-as-me_n_985076.html | title=Tom Waits' 'Back In The Crowd,' Second Track Off 'Bad As Me' | work=The Huffington Post | date=September 28, 2011 | accessdate=August 11, 2013 | first=Rao|last=Mallika}} It features guitar work from Los Lobos guitarist and vocalist David Hidalgo and longtime collaborator Marc Ribot.{{cite web | url=http://www.stereogum.com/825121/tom-waits-back-in-the-crowd/mp3s/ | title=Tom Waits – "Back In The Crowd" | website=Stereogum | date=Sep 27, 2011 | accessdate=August 11, 2013 | first=Tom|last=Breihan}}
Tom Waits described the song as "an old fashioned jukebox tune for a slow dance with your girl (or guy)."{{cite web | url=http://www.clashmusic.com/news/tom-waits-releases-new-single | title=Tom Waits Releases New Single | magazine=Clash | date=September 27, 2011 | accessdate=August 11, 2013 | first=Robin|last=Murray}}
Critical reception
Upon its release, the song received mainly positive reviews. Thom Jurek of Allmusic described the song as "the wasted lover's plea in the West Texas mariachi."{{cite web | url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/bad-as-me-mw0002212266 | title=Tom Waits - Back in the Crowd | website=Allmusic | accessdate=August 11, 2013 | first=Thom|last=Jurek}} Filter magazine wrote: "the song is obviously short and oftentimes tinged with bittersweetness", also adding that "Waits' deep croon evokes the sadness found in the song's mellow melody and lyrics."{{cite magazine | url=http://filtermagazine.com/index.php/news/entry/look_tom_waits_is_back_in_the_crowd | title=LOOK: Tom Waits Is "Back In The Crowd" | magazine=Filter | date=September 27, 2011 | accessdate=August 11, 2013}} Luke Larsen of Paste magazine praised the song, reporting that "the song sort of just casually shows up and then disappears, but its mood is infectious."{{cite web | url=http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2011/09/hear-new-tom-waits-song-back-in-the-crowd.html | title=Hear new Tom Waits song, "Back in the Crowd" | magazine=Paste | date=September 28, 2011 | accessdate=August 11, 2013 | first=Luke|last=Larsen}} Katie Hasty of Hitfix described the song as a "The Southwestern, nylon-string-enhanced loner ballad" and "a trending bawler," also further explaining that "she just slow-danced by herself and had a good cry."{{cite web | url=http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/immaculate-noise/posts/listen-tom-waits-bring-back-a-bawler | title=Listen: Tom Waits' 'Back in the Crowd' is a bawler | website=Hitfix | date=September 27, 2013 | accessdate=August 11, 2013 | first=Katie|last=Hasty}} Michael Roffman of Consequence of Sound indicated that "the song doesn’t sound like a track that’s on an album titled Bad as Me", while commenting that it is "most likely something your grandparents danced to after the war."{{cite web | url=http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/09/check-out-tom-waits-back-in-the-crowd/ | title=Check Out: Tom Waits – "Back in the Crowd" | website=Consequence of Sound | date=September 27, 2011 | accessdate=August 11, 2013 | first=Michael|last=Roffman}}
Personnel
- Tom Waits - vocals, guitar, production, writing credits
- Marc Ribot – guitar
- Casey Waits – drums
- David Hidalgo - guitar, percussion
- James Whiton – bass
- Kathleen Brennan – production, writing credits
Chart positions
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{official website|tomwaits.com|Official Tom Waits website}}
{{Tom Waits}}
Category:Songs written by Tom Waits