When I listen to Bad As Me,В I feel like IвЂ™m listening to a timeless Classic Album: one that music snobs and casual listeners alike keep hearing about, like DylanвЂ™s Blood On The Tracks or something by Miles Davis. Each track is drastically different, but somehow they manage to sit with each other nicely. Overall, this album is an eclectic and exciting collection of all the things that have influenced todayвЂ™s music. This song sums their feelings up nicely, and feels very modest вЂ“ almost like a confession. Now itвЂ™s their duty to introduce new artists to the job, and their influence on culture is beginning to show вЂ“ something I imagine would be slightly unsettling to someone whoвЂ™s still alive to see it. Both Waits and Richards have been playing music and abusing their bodies for a long, long time, but are still alive and surviving. What makes it noteworthy is that Keith Richards plays guitar and sings backing vocals on this track, someone who certainly knows what the song is about. ItвЂ™s a ballad, with Tom reflecting on how heвЂ™s managed to survive this long when so many of his peers havenвЂ™t. ItвЂ™s just another example of WaitsвЂ™ ability to play any style, and to play it well.Дirectly preceding вЂњHell Broke LuceвЂќ is the song вЂњLast Leaf,вЂќ coming in with surprising beauty.

However, the song keeps bringing me back to listen again and again. The lyrics also contribute to the uneasy feeling, with some disturbing imagery painted out for the listener. The tribal-sounding drums, distorted bass riffs (as played by Flea from RHCP), and growling, demonic vocals add up to create something extremely unsettling. ItвЂ™s a song about war, and how horrifying it gets for those on the front lines. ThereвЂ™s one track, вЂњHell Broke Luce,вЂќ thatвЂ™s just terrifying. It has to be twisty to match his vocals, because otherwise thereвЂ™s no way a piano could match the contours and inflections of his voice on this track. At the end, a piano comes in and takes over his vocals with a few twists and turns. Musically, вЂњPay MeвЂќ is quite diverse a finger-picked Spanish guitar leads the melody for most of the song, with an accordion and violin holding the harmony in the distance. вЂњThey pay me not to come home,вЂќ he sings, and their money keeps him on the road until heвЂ™s nearly finished. This is aВ song about the pain and exhaustion that comes with touring, and how it ends up being unsatisfying. Of course, the whole album isnвЂ™t just potent blues and jazz songs there are a few beautiful ballads, like вЂњPay Me.вЂќ A mournful reflection on the trials of touring as a musician, this song shows that Waits has been tried and pushed to the limits by his career touring. ItвЂ™s easy to forget the guy singing this is 63, thereвЂ™s so much energy. This song screams of teenagersвЂ™ hormones, and how Tom just wants to run off and вЂњget lostвЂќ with his girlfriend. TomвЂ™s lyrics could be sung just as easily by a teen with slicked back hair wearing a biker jacket, and thatвЂ™s how theyвЂ™re written.

However, the вЂњRollвЂќ is necessary for accuracy this song brings to mind early 50вЂ™s-style rockabilly, with a fast beat and lots of jazzy playing. Remember how I said this album was everything but Rock & Roll? This track is the exception. The lyrics are bluesy, too, all about leavinвЂ™ home and moving to the big city of Chicago.ДЄ few tracks later, the song вЂњGet LostвЂќ comes on with a clap and thud. The drums start shuffling, and Waits comes in with a bluesy growl in his voice. After a moment of twangy banjo and sax, the REAL horns come in with a blast. ItвЂ™s disconcerting, but (somehow) itвЂ™s also pretty cool sounding. Take the opening track, вЂњChicago.вЂќ It feels like the studio engineer hit вЂњrecordвЂќ just a few seconds after the band started playing, and youвЂ™re a little late to the party. Tom Waits has always been a versatile artist, and he sure shows it on his newest offering. In fact, itвЂ™s everything but! As one goes from track to track, thereвЂ™sВ soul, jazz, folk, some Spanish-sounding ballads, and more. Tom WaitsвЂ™ newest album, Bad As Me, feels like a nice change from boring olвЂ™ Rock & Roll.

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