Actually i am a fan but I am scared, very scared. In an age when record budgets are tight it baffles me that someone somewhere thinks that this is an idea worth pursuing.

Since we know that good shantooces tend to make rubbish actresses (hi, Di!) while rubbish shantooces can turn out to be reasonably competent thespettes (hi, Cher!), it's surely not unreasonable to expect a non-rubbish album from the woman who, by almost universal acclaim, is the most inept actress getting regular above-the-title work today.

Isn't she quite a good actress (Lost In Translation was ace) ??

But it is really really scary and I reckon it will probably be a very in demand kitsch item in about 10 years time. Nice to see in the article that Waits gaver her his blessing - well sort of.

Still after Rod Stewart absolutely massacred Downtown Train some years ago, I doubt whether any cover of his songs will come close to being that atrocious....so maybe he can rest easy and just count the dosh.

Other fantasy Hollywood/hip music crossover albums?

What about the Cruiser covering Bob Dylans songbook? Or Sean Penn making a political LP of Redskins and Clash covers? Bruce Willis slaughtering old soul classics - oh, hold on hasn't he done that already?

The lady sings Tom Waits thing had been done before

Holly Cole did an album of Tom waits songs - which was cool jazz trio syle - but kinda lost the whole Waitsiness of the songs.

hey - shes been an actress of class and distingtion - choosing great movies and enhancing them - sure this will be wonderful too!