With a voice like gravel and lyrics like rain, Tom Waits captivates his audiences with his sound, a combination of blues and jazz.

Tom Waits is as talented as he is underrated. His sound is one that you can relax to with a cigarette hanging from your lip under dim lighting, watching the rain fall outside your window on a dark as silk night, waiting for your love to return to you, even though you know they are never coming back. The music has a thick and rich floating sound like a French Café at night.

As talented as Waits is, he is also crazy. Not that being crazy is a bad thingof course, especially for a musician. Waits’ craziness adds so much to his lyrics and his sound; it seems he marches to the beat of his own drummer, one living inside his head. He creates lyrics that flow like poems from the diary of a madman with a guitar and some interesting tales to tell about life, love and death. Some of my favorite songs are “Alice,” “How It’s Gonna End,” and “Hold On.”

Tom Waits has been called one of the most under-appreciated artists; he has such talent and passion for his music that you can feel it in his songs and in his voice. His music affects you on a deep level-you can relate to what he is singing about. If you can’t, then you must not be human or have no soul for music within you. Give Tom Waits a listen, and pay some respect to a music legend.