Tom Waits Is 60 Years Old Today

Today marks the 60th birthday of one of my favourite artists of all time: Tom Waits. Waits is a man who seemingly has no sense of the normal process of time because he somehow gets cooler and more relevant with each passing year. In a world where youth is king, Waits has forged an incredibly long and consistent career making music and movies while hovering just on the periphery of mainstream pop culture. Yet, artists as wide ranging as Bruce Springsteen, the Ramones, Scarlett Johansson, Tori Amos, the Eagles, 10,000 Maniacs, Diana Krall, Steve Earle and Rod Stewart have covered Waits tunes over the years. For me, he is the prime example of how to grow old gracefully.

I can't think of another artist who has remained this vital at 60. Neil Young and Bob Dylan come close but those guys aren't putting out the best music of their careers at this phase of their lives. Case in point is Waits' recent double live album Glitter And Doom Live, culled from shows on his brief 2008 tour. Far from a greatest hits album, Waits focuses on songs from his stellar recent albums such as Orphans, Real Gone and Mule Variations. His rollicking version of "Goin' Out West" is probably the best thing to blast out of my speakers all year.

I'll be the first to admit that Waits is an acquired taste. I can see how his gruff voice can be a bit off-putting for a first time listener and his Swordfishtrombones era might be too avante garde for the average rock/pop fan but he definitely rewards a listener with patience and an attention span. I liken it to developing a taste for Guinness or Scotch.

So Happy Birthday Tom. I'd rather a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy indeed.

... submitted by JJ