Because of the length of CDs, many albums originally identified as “double albums” now fit on one cozy CD disc. That means 70-minute opuses by such artists as Soundgarden, Tori Amos, Metallica, and the Beastie Boys are labeled as singular albums. Unfortunately, this means that artists now see the challenge of making a double album as having to record almost two hours worth of music. This usually results in an inferior product (see Smashing Pumpkins, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Wu-Tang Clan’s double-album efforts matched up against their single album predecessors).

Double CD-albums are usually regarded as bloated excesses. The usual critic consensus says that if these albums were paired down to a single-CD, the album would be immeasurably better. But this conventional wisdom gets turned on its head when it comes to an even more audacious feat: the triple album. Many critics admired Prince’s Emancipation for its ambition far more than the songs that were included in its awesome 3-CD packaging. The Magnetic Fields’ magnificent 69 Love Songs is regarded as one of the best albums of the ‘90s. Sure, it would be an almost flawless double-album, but the fact is that for each of the three discs, the band batted at least a .800.

The most recent notable three-disc compilation comes from Tom Waits. Orphans isn’t necessarily a triple-album by the purest of definitions. 14 of the songs were found on other albums or soundtracks. Others were rarities. 30 songs are considered new. But the uniformity and sound quality of Orphans merits the album be treated as an actual “album” instead of a “best of” or “B-sides” collection.

Orphans is divided into three titles for each of the discs: Brawlers, Bawlers, and Bastards. There are exceptions in each of the discs, but generally, Brawlers represents Tom Waits’ most recent output, such as the beat-box-infused elements of Real Gone; Bawlers contains the sentimental, cornpone side of Waits; and Bastards contains the abstract side (even for Waits) of his output, including some spoken word pieces.

In the age of digital downloads, artists have resorted to packing their albums with a ton of extras to get audiences to buy the physical product. Orphans is no different. And while downloading the album digitally won’t take away any of the album’s impact, it is beautifully packaged, including more than twenty pages of pictures and an overall layout that looks like a yellowed novella from your grandparent’s attic.  

Despite several songs appearing on previous albums and compilations, there is uniformity throughout most of the album. Old-style instrumentation, such as harmonica, pump organs, and orchestral arrangements create a feeling of old-style ‘30s and ‘40s blues. Credit can be given to an all-star lineup of supporting musicians, including Charlie Mussellwhite and John Hammond (harmonica), Les Claypool (bass, what else?), and Collin Stetson (sax).

Thanks to the quality of the tracks for each of the three albums, this approach works wonderfully for a listener. While Orphans is considered to be a complete work, it also works very well on an individual level. Judging by Waits’ previous output, it would be perfectly feasible to envision any of Orphans’ three discs as a legitimate follow-up to Real Gone.

The age of the iPod shuffle certainly makes this collection more digestible for listeners. Put next to your other 30-6,000 other songs on your iPod, you can appreciate the head-shaking quirkiness of “King Kong,” the Tom Waits at the top of his game “Bottom Of The World” and the “love them or hate them” covers of tracks like “Young At Heart” and “Sea Of Love.” But Waits fans owe it to themselves to give Orphans at least one full listen in its entirety. It’s an album that only Tom Waits could have made. And it’s a feat that few artists could have accomplished.

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