and book this man for the podcast now!

Wonderful!
This is a presidential address from a better world.

He mentions Dublin as a stop, that's good enough for me.

There would be more people like Tom Waits.

Favorite Waits quote, around the time of Raindogs: 'Artists say they take a mirror to their work, I took a hammer to mine.' Sadly though his albums interest me less and less, just feel I've got enough Tom Waits to be going on with. He is a peerless songwriter, his existence outside of the celeb bubble and his hatred of being used in advertising (sore point with Mr Hepworth and several others) are things to behold.

He's absolutely CRAZY isn't he?

I've never bought a Tom Waits record. I was mildly curious, but now I have learnt that he is like a geography teacher trying too hard to be friends with sixth formers I don't think I'll bother.

Bonkers.

.....if not, its your loss!

His first half a dozen albums or so are wonderfull. Imaginative lyrics done with a raspy vocal. Tall tales of Puerto Rican whores, one eyed dwarfs and men sleeping on the ground.

Imagine the drunk piano player slumped over the keys in a sleazy dive singing mournfull ballads to an audience of 6. Jazz/Blues/Country.

He changed his producer in the mid '80s(I think), got married and turned to experimental music. Rain Dogs/Franks Wild Years/Swordfish Trombones are the albums of that time and are probably my favourites.

He got even more experimental after those and even though he's my favourite artist, I have to admit that there's quite a lot of that stuff that I still can't get my head around.

Rumour has it that Rowlf The Dog(from The Muppets)was based on Tom Waits. I used to have the album "Old Brown Ears Is Back" by said fictional artist but it's gone now.

Master of the one liner....his lyrics always make me think...then usually laugh.

Go on...try him...Zavvi have quite a few for a fiver.

Waltzing Matilda(Tom Waits)

Wasted and wounded
And it ain't what the moon did
I got what I paid for now
See you tomorrow
Hey Frank can I borrow
A couple of bucks from you
To go waltzing Matilda waltzing Matilda
You'll go waltzing Matilda with me

I'm an innocent victim
of a blinded alley
And I'm tired of all these soldiers here
No-one speaks English
And everything's broken
And my strength is soaking away
To go waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda
You'll go a waltzing Malitda with me

Now the dogs they are barking
and the taxi cab's parking
A lot they can do for me
I begged you to stab me
You tore my shirt open
And I'm down on my knees tonight

Old bushmills I staggered
You buried the dagger
Your silhouette window light
To go waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda
You'll go a waltzing Matilda with me

Now I've lost my St. Christopher
Now that I kissed her
And the one-arm bandit knows
And the maverick Chinaman
with the cold-blooded sigh
And the girls down by the striptease shows go
Waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda
You'll go a waltzing Matilda with me

No I don't want your sympathy
Fugitives say
that the streets aren't for dreaming now
Manslaughter dragnet
and the ghost that sells memories
Want a piece of the action anyhow
Go waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda
You'll go waltzing Matilda with me

And you can ask any sailor
And the keys from the jailor
And the old men in wheelchairs know
That Matilda's the defendant
She killed about a hundred
And she follows wherever you may go
Waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda
You'll go waltzing Matilda with me

And it's a battered old suitcase
in a hotel someplace
And a wound that would never heal
No prima donnas the perfume is on
and old shirt that is stained with blood and whiskey
And goodnight to the street-sweepers,
The night watchmen flame-keepers
And goodnight Matilda too
Goodnight Matilda too.

Waits is definitely an artist it's worth approaching from different angles, and maybe at different times in your life.
These are fairly distinctive albums that show his very different periods:
"CLOSING TIME" / "THE HEART OF SATURDAY NIGHT" - early period, easy voice to listen to, just great song writing. Coulda been Springsteen. Luckily Bruce became that instead and Tom went his own way.
"SMALL CHANGE" - late barfly period - great humour and pathos.
"SWORDFISHTROMBONES" / "RAIN DOGS" - early experimental period - huge carnival of bizarre characters.
"BONE MACHINE" - crazy-guy-in-a-remote-shack period.

Crazy is always a good thing.

I first found out about Thomas through a Springsteen B-Side i.e. "Jersey Girl" from "Heart Attack And Vine"

I then fell in love and wanted to find out more about him. So I brought up most of his vinyl from that second hand record store I used to work in.

I can't stand Rod Stewart's cover versions though, murdering "Downtown Train" and "Tom Traubert's Blues" (see above for those heart felt lyrics) which are unforgivable IMHO.

Songs I love are "Solider's Things" off Swordfishtrombones, Thomas's cover version of "Somewhere" off Blue Valentine, "Step Right Up" off Small Change.

The percussion noise is magical too.

Missed Thomas the last time he played London a couple of years ago. Really wanted to see him as well. Here's hoping for a London gig soon.

Check out this cover of Tom's "Ol' 55" from Amber Rubarth, accompanied by Adam Levy, who both recently toured the UK. To view it you can click here.

Please do more than one UK date this time Tom...

Manchester Bridgewater Hall would be special(!)