Tom Waits
The Heart Of Saturday Night

THE REVIEW

Late night, darkness, a bustling metropolis filled with unknown people walking, the lights of neon signs and cars reflected on puddles, extinguished cigarette butts, clouds of tobacco, beer mugs, prostitutes, indistinct murmur in the background, laughing kids, a deep-voiced storyteller bent over the piano, jazz, blues... the heart of Saturday night... solitude viewed with detachment, seen from above, never a hint of anger...

1974: Second album by Tom Waits, the most jazz album in his diverse discography, a journey into the night of American metropolises. Time for reflection, no action. Searching for something that nobody will ever find, as it doesn’t exist. Tom has realized this and doesn’t follow others in the search, but remains still, watching astonished and resigned at the scene, that’s what "(Looking for) The Heart Of Saturday Night" is, the splendid title track with its captivating slow jazz. The desolation, the melancholy without any regret, the resignation of this track are to be savored like the harsh, dry, bitter, stinging but warm aftertaste left in the mouth by a glass of straight whiskey. It's my favorite track among the eleven on the album.

There's no point in mentioning the best songs; they're all beautiful, meant to be listened to from the first to the last, without interruption, letting oneself be lulled by the slow, reflective notes of this album. It requires the right setting, the right state of mind, the right moment, to play this album and make 'the heart of Saturday night' beat again.