Year in Rock 2011 Nominee: Tom Waits

TOM WAITS
Hell Broke Luce

From: Bad As Me
Released: October 25

Often eccentric, sometimes bewildering and always entertaining, Tom Waits has been padding his formidable resumé for the better part of forty years.  In fact, he's been at it for so long that he's one of very few musicians on the face of the planet you're surprised to hear has released only seventeen studio albums.

Okay, so the numbers are skewed just a pinch; his various appearances and contributions are pretty much too numerous to mention, plus Bad As Me is his first new album in seven years.  Nonetheless, it seems like his recorded output is much more staggering in volume than it actually is.  I suppose if there's a reason to be found for the long delays between albums it could be his age.  I prefer to operate under the assumption that he takes his time, making sure an album is worthy of presentation before it's released.  In any event, you can't name many (if any) other artists who have maintained not only their artistic integrity but also the undivided respect and admiration of fans and critics alike quite the way Tom Waits has.

It's clear that he loves his work; at a time when the majority of acts have long since abandoned all hope of creating honest art and opted for the endless compilation/casino tour cycle, Tom Waits is not only still making new music, he's making some of the best music of his career.  Slimmed down from his normally grand concepts, Bad As Me is as concise a record as Waits has released in recent memory, a smash-and-grab platter that hits the ground running, crams as much entertainment value as it can into 45 minutes, and makes its exit before you're ready for it to end.  It's a thrilling and diverse carnival of sounds, shifting effortlessly from the exasperated Raised Right Men to the jubilant Get Lost to the mournful Face to the Highway to the wistful Kiss Me to the cantankerous Hell Broke Luce.  It's a great record that was worth waiting seven years for, and it's been rewarded not only with widespread critical acclaim, but also with the highest sales chart debut (#6) he's ever had.  And, in a world where airwaves are dominated by talentless hacks and manufactured shit candies, it's about time we fans of true art had our voices heard.  Our distinctive, gravelly, smoky, cherished voices.