Tom Waits was asked about his favorite records of all time.
And guess what he picked…
“Peculiar, innovative, soulful, and reasonably undiscovered, with a deeply expressive voice and challenging and unusual topics for songs. Kurt Weill with a revolver. Her cracked vocals and surreal lyrics make for an odd and familiar ride. She and producer T- Bone Burnett make her face yellow and her hair red, and give her a third eye, and together they make tough records. She’s Dusty Springfield via Marianne Faithfull with a dash of Jackie De Shannon, but very much her own woman.”
Man, he can throw off a better description of Sam than I’ve been able to concoct in all my twenty years of writing about her…
So THAT’S why his new album has some songs that sound like they were inspired by the “Fan Dance” sessions.