TOM WAITS – BAD AS ME
As he approaches the end of four decades of releasing music, Tom Waits could well do like many of his peers and release a Best Of, certainly there is a plethora of more than worthy material. Instead, in true Waitsian style, he has done his own take. For Bad As Me, his first release of new material in seven years, sees Waits paying tribute to his many influences influences, and drawing elements from his long career into one spectacular place. Waits’ roots in blues, R’n’B, jazz and rockabilly are all strongly evident; from the insistent horns that open Chicago, to the Elvis rockabilly of Get Lost this is Tom Waits at his most enjoyable. Appearances by Keith Richards, Flea and Charlie Musselwhite add to the carnival atmosphere, alongside regular Marc Ribot and son Casey Waits on drums. His exploration of percussion is not forgotten, most notably on the stomping Hell Broke Luce and the title track. These tracks are interspersed by the balladeer – plentifully evident here with carny Pay Me, the mariachi Back in the Crowd or Last Leaf, which would not have been out of place on Closing Time. What makes this collection work so well together is that they all punch in and out, short and sharp tunes that groove. Damn he is good.
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