Tom Waits, in his own words, as filtered through the editorial bias of a variety of journalists and presenters, is an entertaining read. There's not a great deal to talk about when it comes to the book itself - it's a mostly chronological collation of interviews the notoriously press-shy Waits gave to promote the various albums he thwacked out, from the 70s beat-jazz Closing Time, past the seminal 80s departure Swordfishtrombones and Frank's Wild Years trilogy, through the noisy but pared-back 90s Bone Machine and Mule Variation, up to the box-set of Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers and Bastards, the unreleased songs a large portion of which, if you believe Waits' apocryphal tale, were ransomed back to him from a bootlegger in Russia. They're great if difficult interviews, showcasing all that is darned cussedly mule-stubborn, charmingly irreverent, and cuttingly acerbic in the Waits psychological composite.
What is great about this book is that it gives the reader the opportunity to re-visit some brilliant albums with all the contextual info you could wish for. I would dig out the relevant album whilst reading each chapter and hum along with his growling and howling, listening with fresh ears and a genuine appreciation.
Like with Barney Hoskyns' Lowside of the Road, it's hard not to get a little bit more excited about Tom Waits as you read more of the scant details there are available, hear in your mind the trademark gravel in his guts as he diverts another hack with a fascinating snippet about vulturine feeding habits, and for that I'm grateful to Maher for his research. But as a work in its own right, it's just another book of interviews with and articles about a singer-songwriter and his work. I reckon if you didn't already have a passing awareness of Waits this would not necessarily leap off the shelves at you. It's a shame as his words and music could inspire a broad church even as retailers and reviewers pigeon-hole him as 'alternative'. Still, I'm glad it exists, and it makes me happy to remember Waits is still out there, collecting oddities and building something in his basement...
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