Bad as Me
His first top-10 album in the US, and his first all-new set in seven years.
Tom Waits, 2011
- Released
- 21 October 2011
- Label
- Anti-
- Producer
- Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan
The album's title track went on sale as a single on 23 August 2011. It was his first album of entirely new material since Real Gone, and his first release through the Warner organization since Heartattack and Vine. It entered at number 6 on the Billboard 200 and number 2 on the Top Rock Albums chart, his first US top 10. By 2013 it had sold 190,000 copies.
Waits confirmed the influence of Captain Beefheart, who had died earlier that year. Guests include Keith Richards, who plays guitar and sings on one track, Marc Ribot, David Hidalgo, Charlie Musselwhite, Flea and Les Claypool.
Metacritic averaged 88 from 40 reviews. Will Hermes of Rolling Stone gave it four stars and called it Waits's most sharply focused record since Swordfishtrombones and Rain Dogs. Mojo placed it ninth and Uncut thirteenth among the albums of 2011, and it was nominated for the Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album.
Personnel
- Tom Waits vocals, guitar, piano, percussion, banjo, tablas, pump organ
- Marc Ribot guitar
- Clint Maedgen saxophone
- Casey Waits drums
- David Hidalgo guitar, violin, accordion, bass guitar, background vocals
- Ben Jaffe trombone, bass clarinet, tuba
- Charlie Musselwhite harmonica
- Patrick Warren keyboards
- Keith Richards guitar, vocals
- Augie Meyers vox organ, piano, accordion
- Flea bass
- Les Claypool bass
- Larry Taylor guitar, bass
- Karl Derfler engineer, mixing
- Bernie Grundman mastering
More from Tom Waits
Closing Time (1973), The Heart of Saturday Night (1974), Nighthawks at the Diner (1975), Small Change (1976), Foreign Affairs (1977), Blue Valentine (1978), Heartattack and Vine (1980), Swordfishtrombones (1983), Rain Dogs (1985), Franks Wild Years (1987), Bone Machine (1992), The Black Rider (1993), Mule Variations (1999), Alice (2002), Blood Money (2002), Real Gone (2004), Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards (2006)