Tom Waits
The Early Years

THE REVIEW

THE YOUNG 'OLD TOM'

If not all 'Waitsian' fans were aware that besides the Tom Waits who is dark, black, eccentric, mythological, fantastic, raspy, with a dirty and fascinating sound that made him famous and unmistakable, there also existed a drunken and smoky jazzman Waits of the American nights ("The Heart Of Saturday Night", "Nighthawks At The Diner"...); even fewer people knew that there was also a west-coast singer-songwriter Waits in the early '70s, with a still pure voice and romantic and conventional lyrics, just like many others in America during those years.

It was made known to the wider public by an album that hit the stores in '91, but containing demo songs by Tom Waits recorded (in a more or less amateur way) in '71 (even before "Closing Time" to be clear): "The Early Years". An anonymous American singer-songwriter appears who mostly accompanies himself with classical guitar, piano, and a voice that had not yet taken on its characteristic artistic roughness. For this reason, Waits might appear somewhat unrecognizable to those who have listened to his recent and wonderful works. And even those who know him very well inevitably ask me from the first notes of the album: "X: Paolo, but who is singing here? P: Tom! A: Yeah right, come on, who is really singing here?" However, the result is excellent. All 13 tracks hit the mark. Catchy and calm, sweet and romantic singer-songwriter ballads ("Had Me A Girl", "Midnight Lullabye", "Little Trip To Heaven", "Frank's Song"), other tracks with also a touch of blues and more upbeat rhythms ("Ice Cream Man", "So Long I'll See Ya", "When You Ain't Got Nobody").

Some tracks will be revisited and rearranged in post-'71 albums, while others represent genuine unreleased material. "The Early Years vol. 2" will follow (always in the same vein), with fewer unreleased tracks and more drafts of future successes. Those who love only the Waits after 'Thrombones' will wrinkle their noses, but those who also appreciate cleaner and more traditional blues music will certainly enjoy it. Hard to believe, but even 'old Tom' was young once.