Editing Mule Variations (section)

==Reception==
{{Album ratings
<!-- Reviewers -->
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1Score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="am">{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/mule-variations-mw0000048101 |title=Mule Variations – Tom Waits |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=November 24, 2015 |last=Erlewine |first=Stephen Thomas |author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine}}</ref>
| rev2 = ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''
| rev2Score = B+<ref name="ew">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.ew.com/article/1999/04/30/mule-variations |title=Mule Variations |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=April 30, 1999 |access-date=June 22, 2012 |last=Browne |first=David |author-link=David Browne (journalist)}}</ref>
| rev3 = ''[[The Guardian]]''
| rev3Score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="guardian">{{cite news |title=Fowl play |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=April 16, 1999 |last=Cox |first=Tom}}</ref>
| rev4 = ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''
| rev4Score = {{Rating|4|4}}<ref name="latimes">{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-apr-25-ca-30829-story.html |title=Waits' Adventures Take Bluesy Turn |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=April 25, 1999 |access-date=November 24, 2015 |last=Hilburn |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Hilburn |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307163110/http://articles.latimes.com/1999/apr/25/entertainment/ca-30829 |archive-date=March 7, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>
| rev5 = ''[[NME]]''
| rev5Score = 7/10<ref name="nme">{{cite journal |url=http://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews/19990320141832reviews.html |title=Tom Waits – Mule Variations |journal=[[NME]] |date=April 20, 1999 |access-date=November 24, 2015 |last=Bailie |first=Stuart |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000817163746/http://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews/19990320141832reviews.html |archive-date=August 17, 2000 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
| rev6 = ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]''
| rev6Score = 9.5/10<ref name="pm">{{cite web |url=http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/8562-mule-variations/ |title=Tom Waits: Mule Variations |work=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |date=April 27, 1999 |access-date=June 22, 2012 |last=Hooker |first=Zack}}</ref>
| rev7 = ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' 
| rev7Score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name="rs">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/mule-variations-19990513 |title=Mule Variations |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=May 13, 1999 |access-date=June 22, 2012 |last=Ratliff |first=Ben}}</ref>
| rev8 = ''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide]]''
| rev8Score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref name="RS">{{cite book |chapter=Tom Waits |last1=Coleman |first1=Mark |last2=Scoppa |first2=Bud |title=[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide|The New Rolling Stone Album Guide]] |publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]] |edition=4th |year=2004 |editor1-last=Brackett |editor1-first=Nathan |editor2-last=Hoard |editor2-first=Christian |isbn=0-7432-0169-8 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/854 854–55] }}</ref>
| rev9 = ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]''
| rev9Score = 6/10<ref name="spin">{{cite journal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ayeEJMF-CZUC&pg=PT11 |title=Tom Waits: Mule Variations |journal=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]] |volume=15 |issue=5 |date=May 1999 |access-date=November 24, 2015 |last=Vowell |first=Sarah |author-link=Sarah Vowell |page=147}}</ref>
| rev10 = ''[[The Village Voice]]'' 
| rev10Score = A−<ref name="rc">{{cite news |url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv599-99.php |title=Consumer Guide |work=[[The Village Voice]] |date=May 18, 1999 |access-date=November 24, 2015 |last=Christgau |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Christgau}}</ref>
}}

Upon its release, ''Mule Variations'' received widespread critical acclaim. [[AllMusic]] reviewer [[Stephen Thomas Erlewine]] stated that "the album uses the ragged cacophony of ''[[Bone Machine]]'' as a starting point, and proceeds to bring in the songwriterly aspects of ''[[Rain Dogs]]'', along with its affection for backstreet and backwoods blues, plus a hint of the beatnik qualities of ''[[Swordfishtrombones|Swordfish]]''. So ''Mule Variations'' delivers what fans want, in terms of both songs and sonics" and awarded the album four out of five stars.<ref name="am" /> Former ''[[Village Voice]]'' editor [[Robert Christgau]] gave the album an A− rating and praised the songwriting of Waits and his wife [[Kathleen Brennan]], saying "together they humanize the percussion-battered ''Bone Machine'' sound, reconstituting his '80s alienation effects into a [[Delta blues|Delta]] harshness with more give to it."<ref name="rc" /> [[David Browne (journalist)|David Browne]] of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' said that ''Mule Variations'' "restores the wizened humanity{{snd}}and a more traditional sense of songcraft{{snd}}to [Waits'] music", gave the album a B+ rating and concluded that Waits was "the last of the classic American tunesmiths."<ref name="ew" />

''[[Hot Press]]'' reviewer [[Peter Murphy (broadcaster)|Peter Murphy]] described the album as "an emotionally forthright record" and called it "a record of at least two minds: scuffed rooming-house madrigals [...] contrasted with big, fat, bleeding heart ballads."<ref name="hp">{{cite web|url=http://www.hotpress.com/music/reviews/albums/Mule-Variations/442085.html|title=Mule Variations|work=[[Hot Press]]|last=Murphy|first=Peter|author-link=Peter Murphy (broadcaster)|access-date=June 22, 2012}}</ref> Zach Hooker of ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]'' awarded the album a 9.5 out of 10 rating, describing it as "a great album" and further saying that "sonically, it picks up where ''Bone Machine'' left off, but drops some of that album's artifice: the clattering, trebly out-back-of-the-shed sound is still here and the inexplicable presence of [[Primus (band)|Primus]] persists."<ref name="pm" /> ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' said that the album "contains the most blues of any album [Tom Waits has] made" but added "the problem is that it's more of the same", describing it as "the latest installment of discourse" and awarding the album three out of five stars.<ref name="rs" />

''Mule Variations'' was a moderate commercial success. The album charted in 14 countries worldwide upon its release, including debuting at number 30 on the United States [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]]<ref name="bb">{{cite magazine|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=tom waits|chart=all}}|title=Mule Variations – Tom Waits {{pipe}} Billboard.com|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|access-date=June 22, 2012}}</ref> and number 1 on Norway's [[VG-lista|album chart]].<ref name="nor">{{cite web|url=http://norwegiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Tom+Waits&titel=Mule+Variations&cat=a|title=norwegiancharts.com – Tom Waits – Mule Variations|work=norwegiancharts.com|publisher=Hung Medien|access-date=June 22, 2012}}</ref> The album was certified gold in Canada in July 2001 after selling over 50,000 copies<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.musiccanada.com/GPSearchResult.aspx?st=Mule+Variations&sa=Tom+Waits&smt=0|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130130054149/http://www.musiccanada.com/GPSearchResult.aspx?st=Mule+Variations&sa=Tom+Waits&smt=0|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 30, 2013|title=Gold and Platinum Search|work=[[Music Canada]]|access-date=June 22, 2012}}</ref> and as of April 2009 had sold more than 500,000 copies worldwide.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.popmatters.com/pm/post/73476-tom-waits-mule-variations-video-collection-video|title=Tom Waits – "Mule Variations" Video Collection (video) < PopMatters|work=[[PopMatters]]|last=Zupko|first=Sarah|date=April 22, 2009|access-date=June 22, 2012}}</ref> ''Mule Variations'' won the [[Grammy Award]] for [[Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album|Best Contemporary Folk Album]] at the [[42nd Grammy Awards]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.grammy.com/nominees/search?artist=Tom+Waits&title=&year=1999&genre=All|title=Past Winners Search {{pipe}} GRAMMY.com|work=[[Grammy Award|Grammys]]|access-date=June 22, 2012}}</ref> and was nominated for [[Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance|Best Male Rock Vocal Performance]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://articles.cnn.com/2000-01-04/entertainment/grammy.noms.01_list_1_songwriters-duo-whitney-houston/2?_s=PM:SHOWBIZ|title=42nd Annual Grammy Awards List of nominations – Page 2 – CNN|work=[[CNN]]|date=January 4, 2000|access-date=June 22, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100923143411/http://articles.cnn.com/2000-01-04/entertainment/grammy.noms.01_list_1_songwriters-duo-whitney-houston/2?_s=PM:SHOWBIZ|archive-date=September 23, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2010, ''Mule Variations'' was awarded a platinum certification from the [[Independent Music Companies Association]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.impalamusic.org/arc_static/docum/04-press/2009/PR%20-%2020101004.htm |title=color |website=www.impalamusic.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170827010000/http://www.impalamusic.org/arc_static/docum/04-press/2009/PR%20-%2020101004.htm |archive-date=2017-08-27}} </ref> which indicated sales of at least 500,000 copies throughout Europe. As of 2006, sales in the United States have exceeded 440,000 copies, according to [[Nielsen SoundScan]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.chron.com/entertainment/music/article/Tom-Waits-dark-strange-inspirations-for-Orphans-1669419.php|title=Tom Waits' dark, strange inspirations for Orphans|date=19 November 2006}}</ref>