Tom Waits

Closing Time

First released1973

Closing Time was Tom Waits' debut album, recorded in 1973 at the Royale Recording Studios in Los Angeles. The album was produced by Jerry Yester and engineer Bones Howe, who helped shape Waits' distinctive vocal style and instrumentation. The recording featured live instrumentation with a focus on piano and jazz-influenced arrangements, capturing Waits' emerging artistic vision during the early 1970s Los Angeles music scene. The production approach emphasized intimate, character-driven songwriting that would become a hallmark of Waits' career. The album's sparse, conversational aesthetic was a deliberate artistic choice that set it apart from mainstream rock production of the era.