Множество жизней Тома Уэйтса

by Patrick Humphries, Патрик Хамфриз

In a career spanning 30 years, Tom Waits has recorded over 20 albums including Small Change and Blue Valentine and has had his songs covered by a vast array of artists including Bruce Springsteen, Meatloaf and Johnny Cash. This is a critical overview of Waits’ career, including a discography and filmography.

Genres: Music, Biography, Nonfiction

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Writer and journalist Patrick Humphries is the author of acclaimed biographies of Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, and Richard Thompson. He lives in London, England.

Reviews

[Matthew Cranford · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not a biography. It was more like a poorly written review of every Tom Waits album and movie. When I say "poorly written," I don't mean it was unclear. Patrick Humphries has no problem getting his point across. The problem is, he has no point. I have learned more about Tom Waits by listening to his albums than I have by reading this biography. You're better off going to Wikipedia.

There are a few moments of interest throughout the book. The pictures are nice. And some of the information presented was new to me, mostly in regards to his film career. But the author sounds like he's out to prove himself as a (VERY pompous) writer, rather than provide any relevant or previously unknown information about Mr. Waits. Every sentence and every paragraph became more and more annoying until I finally gave up at chapter 25. The author seemed like he was trying to show off his writing skills by using very pretentious, overly-dramatic language. His opinion was flagrantly thrown in to each chapter. Which is odd... I mean... this is a BIOGRAPHY. Of Tom Waits. Not of Patrick Humphries. I don't give a fig for what the author thinks of each particular song on each particular album, which, yes, he does indeed go through, song by song, giving his opinion and review.

I will most likely end up reading the rest of the book at some future date, but I am out of patience for this crap at the moment. Two stars, simply because it's basically the only Tom Waits biography to date, and because there are a few moments worth reading, but overall this has been a huge disappointment.

[Erik · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a disappointment this book turned out to be. This just might be the worst "biography" I've ever read. Thanks to the author's constant repetition and entire chapters dedicated to other writers and directors, this 300 page book feels twice as long. Still coasting on an interview he did with Waits 30 years ago and his fondness for "namechecking", this book is less a look at a man's work and more an outlet for Humphries to act as critic - taking every opportunity to expound his opinions as facts - covering everything from rating the albums and the songs he feels work and don't work to his own political beliefs. And all of this is done mimicking Tom Waits writing style. It's painful and reads like a third grade book report. Do yourself a favor and buy a copy of The Lyrics of Tom Waits: The Early Years. It's far more insightful than this waste of paper. And that's not just my opinion, it's a fact.

[B. Graves · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not crazy about this book. I don't really recommend it to anyone.
The writing is awful - someone needs to reign in this writer. There are whole chapters about other people. For example. There is a whole chapter about Francis Ford Coppola (who ties in with Mr. Waits because they've done extensive work together) and then at the beginning of the next chapter, Waits has already married Kathleen Brennan - who hadn't even been mentioned yet. It's skipping major, important things and replacing them with pointless stories and history.

There is little about Mr. Waits himself since he's such a secretive person. This I understand. I just don't understand filling a huge book with album opinions and too much information about things that don't matter.

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

1 star if you're not a fan. My wife meant well, getting me this, but this is a pretty bad book. It did pull back the veil some, had some good quotes and stories, but only if you're willing to sift through a ton of crap: pointless history lessons, paragraph upon paragraph of lets-try-to-write-like-Tom-Waits gushing over the man, and (I'm not a Waits scholar but) several factual errors. Good cover photo.

[Conor · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice overview of the creative life of one of the greats. The author, however, felt the need to offer critical opinion of Waits' work that bogged the book down. Why write a biography of a guy who made so much supposedly "unlistenable" music. It's fine to prefer 70s Tom, but there's lots of us who love Bone Machine.

[Mike O'Brien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite Humphries' annoying deviations and some unbelievable utterances ('surely few would listen to Waits' roaring rants, set against a backdrop of staccato hubcap percussion and telegraph wire guitar, for fun' - um, yes they would!) it's just good to read about this singularly unique, but skillfully evasive musician.

[Evan Dilauro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Right subject, wrong author. Veering between pedestal praise and clunky subjective opinion, Humphries gives one of our greatest living treasures a Saigon shoeshine. Informative but suspect, read with caution.

[Chuck · Rating 2 out of 5]

While providing context is an important piece of a relevant biography, in this effort you are immersed in backgrounds of Tom's "idols", contemporaries, and more than you need to know about Francis Ford Coppola. This book would have been better if it was just a collection of quotes and "Tomisms".

[Escapist · Rating 3 out of 5]

I discovered Tom Waits in my youth and I am surprised to still have him around everywhere, where true music, style and sales are. The German translation of this book sucks sometimes. But I get the impression, that the guy who wrote this book met the artist one day and they had some kind of a connection.
It made me buy two vinyl records though. And I will buy 2 more...

[Sashko Liutyj · Rating 2 out of 5]

Безтолкова біографія, з якої про Тома ти не дізнаєшся ровним щьотом нічого.

[Michiel Mestdagh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could be better, this what-they-called-a-book. Not a very nice opener for the career of Waits!

[Andrew Murawa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yuck. Great subject, poorly executed.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Other than being a chronicle of the career and primarily professional life of Mr. Waits, this book failed to live up to its subject. Now, admittedly the subject is larger than life to begin with. I have been caught in Tom Waits' musical spell for going on ten years, now. The span of his career, and the development from project to project has intrigued me at least as much as the music itself. His various pursuits and personae, and the incredible passion for the purity of his art (most notably his refusal to "sell out", refusing all commercial licensing of his music and going so far as to embroil himself in numerous lawsuits throughout the 90's to ensure his stand) are a breath of fresh, smoke-filled air in the otherwise sterile and boring atmosphere of cookie-cutter music produced today.

With a story buried beneath numerous, layered stains of blood and whiskey, I thought the book could be nothing less than fascinating itself. It should find the truths behind the tall tales, or prove that the tales are just as important a part of the man regardless of whether they are true or not. And yet, lists of songs and albums create far too many doldrums between the more interesting revelations of this publicly enigmatic story. And while it is important to know which album followed which when tracing an artist's development, entire chapters devoted to the catalog of what-came-next really slowed my progress.

The lackluster prose didn't help much, either. Waits' work is poetry. One can't deny the importance of his impact (Scarlett Johansson recorded an entire album of Waits covers for her debut, not to mention covers by the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Rod Stewart, et al.). Waits makes others great by his greatness. Unfortunately the subject was all that made this book worthwhile.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having long been a fan of the music of Tom Waits, I was interested in reading what I understood to be his biography. As it turned out, this wasn't a biography in the conventional sense. The author apparently only interviewed Waits once, in the 1980s, and did not have access to Waits or anyone close to him in putting together this book. His research seems to have consisted of listening to the albums, watching the movies that Waits has appeared in, and reading interviews that Waits gave to various music journalists over the years. The book has its entertaining moments because the music is interesting and Waits has a good sense of humor. The author gives little reviews of the albums and critiques Waits' acting performances. He fails to provide any insight into Waits as a person or musician because he didn't get very close and Waits is very close-mouthed about his personal life and the way in which he and his wife create his music. The book is therefore of limited value, though it isn't boring or completely worthless. Because I'm in a generous mood today, I decided to award the book two stars, though 1 1/2 would probably be more accurate. Not recommended, but not loathed either.

[Suz · Rating 4 out of 5]

The wry adage about ‘a riddle wrapped in an enigma’ fits blues singer Tom Waits as comfortably as that of his faithful Trilby.

The man defies logic and description as a songwriter, raconteur and character actor. His witticisms—pearls such as “I’d rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy”—have infiltrated modern lexicon, seeping into the consciousness of pop culture auteurs in spite of the fact that most likely don’t know his work.

Justly compared with Dylan and Springsteen as a songwriter, Waits refuses to rest on his laurels, or an established style, when moulding his albums—moving from deep blues to horror-pop, with steam engine—style percussion or 12-bar piano for accompaniment.

Even the ambivalent will find this detailed, thoughtful and extraordinarily well-researched biography enthralling.

[Ben · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed learning more about one of my favorite musicians, but I did not enjoy the book's author. His reviews of Waits' albums were boring and his take on movies was more boring than his take on music as a whole. The author loses objectivity throughout the book (assuming he ever had it to start with). There are also points where the book turns into an autobiography of the author's experiences interviewing Waits, seeing him in concert and listening to his albums which is not necessary.
That said, I learned a great deal about Waits' music career. The insight into Waits' film career was equally entertaining. It's worth reading, you just have to put the author to the side as you read.

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Of the several widely available biographies on Tom Waits, this one should be last on the list. Uninspired, poorly edited, lazily written, and unfocused. Believe you me. I like to think I know from Tom Waits books.

[Mat Joiner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd give this two and a half stars if I could. Waits has had an interesting life, but Humphries is so wrapped up in his own music-journo style that I can't say I enjoyed the book. He rolls out a lot of dustbowl-bard cliches and it gets in the way of Waits' own story. Readable, but that's about it.

[mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is a good and, apart from the introduction, very readable background to the man and his music. If you like his style it's worth a look.

[Stephaña]

What a thoughtful Yule gift, no?

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goddamn Tom Waits is pretty freaking awesome.

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Tom.

[Brock Williams · Rating 1 out of 5]

full of interesting facts, but it felt like it was written by a high schooler who just copied his note cards

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Learned a lot of new things and enjoyed the narrative style of this book.