There's something about Tom Waits and all his many would-be imitators on the radio these days that nobody else, no matter how great and innovative a musician, can come close to in gravelly greatness. I love waking up to regular, rowdy old Waits tracks, courtesy of DJ Brian Griffith on the Morning KRSH.
Though most everyone else I know has passed Waits in the street at least once or twice or occasionally been seated in his general vacinity at one of our local eateries, here in Southern Sonoma County, I don't know that I'd pick him out from lots of sixty-something, ageless, bowler-hat-wearing guys that look not unlike him around here. That's a good thing for Waits, who most certainly must enjoy being left in peace to enjoy his life in this laid-back part of the country, just as much as the next person.
Jon Pareles of The New York Times propelled little old Petaluma to the front page (and continued at length on page 18) of the Arts & Leisure section of the newspaper this Sunday, after a visit to the railroad tracks behind Rhinehardt's defunct truck stop for a rare interview with the man himself in a cluttered, black Suburban.
This interview follows the release of Waits' new "Bad as Me" album, his first in seven years. Recently inaugurated into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, it was time for new material from the much-studied singer songwriter who first emerged in the 70s.
Pareles captures the 'grizzled troubadour' remarkably well in this comprehensive piece that's well worth a read.
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