Cath Carrol, �Tom Waits�
This biography comes under a line of books entitled �Kill Your Idols.� Other biographies include Beck, The Clash, and Leonard Cohen. The cover blurb for the series states that these books are �opinionated biographies of artists whose careers have resisted easy classification and whose success is best measured off the chars, in their influence on our popular culture.�
Taken out of blurb-speak, if the author thinks a certain album sucks, or if they acted like a jackass, they�ll say so. It�s a nice idea, especially with too many biographies written from drooling fans, or �serious� academics. Adding a point of view to the history can help liven up the writing.
Of course, if the author interjects a point of view, they have to be ready for others to disagree with it. So when Carroll derides Waits� �Nighthawks at the Diner� album, I automatically don�t like them.
And I�m starting to reach the opinion that biographies shouldn�t be written about people until they�re dead. Waits has put out three albums since this book was released, and so when Carrol mentions that Waits signed to Epitaph for a one-album deal, they look a little silly.
It�s like when my friend�s roommate was doing free tattoos. I very seriously considered getting the Dead Kennedys symbol. After all, I loved the band and they were broken up. They couldn�t put out shit albums like Bad Religion or turn into assholes playing stadiums for 40 bucks a ticket, like Rancid. When they �reformed,� I was SO happy I never went under that needle.
Plus the fact that getting a band tattoo is the act of a dopey 16 year-old.
