Primary Movers #3 Tom Waits

Sometimes for those of us not artistically inclined it is hard to understand the process by which a musician creates music or an actor portrays a character. It is especially astounding when an individual can excel at both tasks, and do so with an utterly unique style. It may seem as though there is an excess of actor/musicians out there these days but I challenge you to name more than a handful who do it well. Tom Waits has succeeded where most fail by creating, both in his acting and in his musical career something distinct.

I was first introduced to Mr. Waits by way of an excellent movie entitled “Down By Law” written and directed by the brilliant Jim Jarmusch. Mr. Waits plays Jack, one of three prisoners who escape a New Orleans prison. Mr. Jarmusch’s black and white camera and gritty set pieces work perfectly with Mr. Waits’ portrayal of the disaffected outlaw. The cautious friendship that evolves as the three prisoners spend time together in and out of prison makes for some incredibly affecting cinema. Below you can watch a short clip of the movie, Tom Waits is the guy on the right, you may also recognize the Italian guy named Roberto Benigni from “Life is Beautiful”.



As must happen with most who see the movie I sought out more of Mr. Waits’ material and was pleased to find a great deal to investigate. He has played a variety of roles in both small and large budget films, most notably The Fisher King and Bram Stoker's Dracula.

While he brings a great deal of value to acting it is his musical composing and performance that really sets him apart. I am working my way through his sizable catalogue and while I cannot speak to the entire list, the music I have heard has not disappointed. Although not well known in the United States his music, like many other great musicians, is well known abroad. His music often takes the form of narratives, the combination of his gritty, unrefined voice coupled with elements blues, jazz, and Vaudeville and is often immediately recognizable. For those of you who have listened to Captain Beefheart’s, Trout Mask Replica you will recognize the experimental tone and disregard for many musical conventions characteristic in much of Mr. Waits’ music. You may also recognize his voice from the Primus song Tommy the Cat.

What I find particularly attractive about many of his albums is the breadth of musical genres sampled, all while retaining a central feel to the album. Rain Dogs, my personal favorite at the moment, is full of jarring rhythms and unusual instrumentation provided by marimba, accordion and various percussion instruments. Mr. Waits’ sings along with lyrics seemingly chosen for rhythm rather than for sense. While it makes for a chaotic and sometimes cacophonic record and it does provide for interesting musical exploration and a downright enjoyable musical experience. Watch below for an example of Mr. Waits’ skillful songwriting from his album Mule Variations with a song entitled “Hold On”.



Another of Mr. Wait’s admirable qualities is his complete refusal to allow the use of his material in commercials. He has even gone so far as to sue companies who use his music. Frito Lay had approached him to use one of his songs in an advertisement and Mr. Waits declined. Instead, Frito Lay hired a Waits sound-alike and made the commercial. Mr. Waits won the lawsuit, becoming the first artist to successfully sue a company for using an impersonator without permission.

Although I do love writing about music and movies it is clearly no substitute for the real thing, so if you like what you have heard and read go listen to a record, make sure to give it a little time, his records like so many good ones take some time to figure out.