The more I see of Tom Waits from that period, musically and onwards, the less I find to admire in his work. When I first went to see him perform back in the late seventies I liked his down and out jazzy blues singing. But over the years he has developed into a caricature of himself, to the point of being completely unintelligible. Such was the case of his version "It's All Right With Me". Whatever he was attempting to do or say has just been lost in what looks to be a sea of self-indulgence.
Aside from Tom's misguided attempt, and my own personal issues with U2's bombastic self-interest (we're very important and sincere, you can tell because we're always frowning and intense) the music on this CD and the videos on the DVD are wonderful. In very small print on the back cover there is a notice from the disc's distributor, Shout Factory, which states that all royalties they receive from the sales of the disc will go to existing U.S. organizations dedicated to fighting AIDS.
This is not an attempt to cash in on a project from the past for self-interest, but a sincere effort to continue on with the work that the original project started. That gives you two very good reasons for buying this package; great music and helping to support the fight against HIV/AIDS.
You can preview the Debbie Harry and Iggy Pop video of "Well Did You Evah!" in both Small and Medium Windows Media format and Small and Medium Quick Time movie modes by following the individual links.
Article comments