Tom Waits - Under Review 1971-1982

Half a lifetime’s worth

The glaringly obvious is that no amount of dissection, discussion or conjecture can really nail what makes Tom Waits so important and fascinating. With some great archive live and interview footage, this offers a wealth of interesting fact and opinion for those looking for what it could be. Ultimately, it comes down to the man himself, possibly more of an enigma than Dylan. Taking us just as far as Heartattack & Vine and the One From The Heart soundtrack, the likes of Waits biographer Jay S Jacobs and long-term musical collaborator Bones Howe trace Waits’ development from borderline early 70s folkie (Closing Time) to oracle for the overlooked. It’s a fascinating development of a man who so quickly throws off the shackles of his influences, to create a singular musical and emotional dialect. Some things are skipped over, of course, such as his relationship with Rickie Lee Jones, or first foray into big screen acting. But with a tantalising ending (a clip from the long deleted Big Time VHS, and eminent rock critic Robert Christgau making a case for everything pre-Swordfishtrombones being merely OK), we can’t wait to see what Under Review does with his most dramatic and fearless post-83 work.

Chrome Dreams/Sexy Intellectual | SIDVD 511

Reviewed by Jason Draper
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