Tom Waits' Bad As Me
Perhaps the most notable thing about Bad As Me is simply that it’s any good at all. For all intents and purposes, this album should suck. Waits is a 61 year old songwriter who relies heavily on well-worn formulas with twenty-three previous albums under his belt. If rock history has taught us anything, it’s that he should be well into his stagnant-and-trying-to-recapture-what-made-him-popular phase, churning out shitty albums that only Rolling Stone magazine is clueless enough to give a shit about. But when the albums that made you popular are collections of expertly crafted songs that sound timeless and ancient, getting old can only help.
When it comes down to it, it’s another great Tom Waits album in a long line of great Tom Waits albums. If you like his stuff, you’ll love Bad As Me. And while it’s perhaps it’s his most accessible, rock-and-rolly album in a while, if you’re one of those stupid jerks who doesn’t like him cause of his voice or or cause he’s weird, then this album isn’t going to change your mind. And also I hate you. Either way, if you want to listen, you know where to find it.
