I became a Tom Waits fan less than a year ago, when I was moved by a radio broadcast of "Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis" (from the 1978 album "Blue Valentine"). On December 22, 1975, Waits appeared on the PBS programme "Soundstage"; filming had taken place the previous month. He was featured in a double-bill opposite jazz musician Mose Allison, of whom Waits was a big fan (I didn't see the Mose Allison component of this episode). Waits, for his part, is described as a "young musician who finds his inspiration in the half-deserted streets, garish neon signs, and the midnight cafés." He opens the proceedings with a non-instrumental (that is, nothing except his own finger clicking) version of "Eggs and Sausage" (from the 1975 live album "Nighthawks at the Diner"), which rolls off his tongue like poetry. I love how Waits captures the gritty, desolate feel of a late-night diner by focusing on the tiny details: the dubious food, the bored waitress, the lonely customers. Later, Waits performs "Nighthawk Postcards" (probably my favourite song from that album) similarly without music. Also included in the episode are musical performances, before a studio audience, of "Semi-Suite", "Diamonds On My Windshield", "Drunk On The Moon", "Better Off Without A Wife," "The Heart Of Saturday Night," and "San Diego Serenade." Many of these I hadn't heard before, which made for interesting viewing. Waits is accompanied by Kenny Soderblum on alto sax, and Jim Atlas on upright bass.
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