Overlooked Alternatives: The Beatles, Sufjan Stevens, John Wesley Harding, Tom Waits - Page 2

John Wesley Harding - A Bloody Show (DVD): I've seen him called the British Elvis Costello and it makes sense - he's an incredibly literate-sounding songwriter, peppering his songs with witty observations that would do the original Angry Young Man proud. Unfortunately, I honestly have very little to report on this DVD as there's not much info out there to be found - it was shot at Bumbershoot in 2005 and it's "with friends." But I wanted to point it out because I like the guy's music and I know there are others out there who do too.

Tom Waits - Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers, & Bastards (Box Set): This is enticing: a three-disc set of rarities of all types from Waits' long and varied career. Waits did one better than simply throwing together whatever ramshackle, haphazard rarities he had - if he didn't like whatever shape they were in, he rerecorded the songs so they would best represent the material. Maybe some fans may have wanted to hear the originals, but those who simply want to hear the songs will probably be in for a real treat - rather than having to dig through hours of wavering audio quality, the set should flow like regular albums, made all the better because the discs are broken up with a rough style guide. The set's already garnering rave reviews as not only a great box but one of Waits' best outings - how many boxes of rarities do you read that about?

Article Author: Tom Johnson

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