From the first strangulated “aaargh” to its final, rumbling growl 16 songs and 73 minutes later, Tom Waits’ first official live album since 1988’s <I>Big Time</I> captures every oblique aspect of the singer/songwriter’s funhouse mirror persona. This 2008 tour document cherry-picks superb performances from his European and American dates (with two tracks recorded at Atlanta’s Fox Theatre on July 5, 2008) as Waits’ gargled-with-razor-blades voice slices through highlights and obscurities predominantly derived from his more recent catalog. A multitalented, five-piece band brings ragged yet sophisticated energy as the singer ignites audiences with his edgy carnival barker/drunken pirate vocals and tattered ballads of humanity’s forgotten everyman wandering down life’s darkened, seedy backstreets. While a DVD of his very visual style would have been a most appreciated addition, a bonus 40-minute disc of hilarious spoken patter helps provide a fuller representation of a typical Waits show in all its magnificently loopy glory. 5 out of 5 stars
