This album consists of demo songs, some of which have never previously seen the light of day, taken from Tom Waits's early years (duh), before he become the musical genius that he's considered today. Granted, these songs are all well-written and performed; yet they lack something of the latter work. Nevermind, though; THE EARLY YEARS, VOLUME 1 serves as a good introduction to the pre-SWORDFISHTROMBONES years of Waits career, and is also a fine addition to already-exististing Waits collections. The sparse arrangements offer a sense of intimacy; some of the recordings, such as "Little Trip to Heaven," are even better than the versions that made the record.