Tom Waits

Have you ever accidentally deleted every file on your hard-drive? Well I have and let me tell you, once the nausea subsides, it is a complete pain in the ass! Especially if you haven't taken any measures to back up irreplaceable stuff. Fortunately, I had taken such measure for my writing and personal files, but I did lose every piece of media - movies, music and pictures that I "owned"!

As far as the music collection goes it means you have to go through an arduous process of re-ripping all the CDs you own, recovering licenses for all the legitimate downloads and hunting again for all the "not-so-legal" downloads (come on, we may as well all confess...). It does, however, have an interesting side-effect, in that you are forced to re-asses your musical priorities and tastes - as in you first go to replace the stuff that you just cannot live without. And, for me, I was interested to find that I went straight for the Tom Waits discography I had "acquired" a few months back and listened to a fair amount, but not exhaustively. Is my sub-conscious telling me Tom Waits is my new favourite artist?

It's a big possibility. It requires a certain mood, usually, but for variation and consistent genius the guy is almost in a league of his own. OK, not too many happy songs - we are in the land of bums and booze and divorce and tragedy - but he does it all so well, he just is the everyman down on his luck, and I love it! It is real music, with real instruments and a feel for the old; a sentimentality and soulfulness that is a real treat. It affirms the loneliness and desperation in us all and makes it somehow OK.

The recent release of Orphans: Bawlers, Brawlers and Bastards, is universally considered one of his best ever works - which at the age of 58 is testament to the longevity of one of the most respected figures in the business. I guess your average Joe or Johanna could not name a single tune he rasps, but he is an album artist not a pop-star - his work has meaning and a purpose, is considered and erudite in a working class way. It is grimy and soiled and guilty and forlorn and altogether brilliant from top to bottom!

Recent news that he will play the UK for the first time in 20 years is very exciting! Whether I will manage the £95 price tag is debatable. A once in a lifetime gig, for sure, but I don't know about that - just how good can one set be? Well, knowing the man, it will be unforgettable and worth every dirty dime!