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Beauty And The Beast

Scarlett Johansson Takes On Tom Waits

By Joseph Friedrichs, 5-22-08

There’s always been a sense of allure that follows the vibrations of Scarlett Johansson’s voice. It’s husky. It’s mysterious. It’s all the way sexy.

That’s why I was fascinated and anxious last fall when I heard Johansson was planning to release an album covering songs of one my favorite musicians, Mr. Tom Waits.

The actress-turned singer released her debut album “Anywhere I Lay My Head,” a collection of Waits covers, this week.

I’ve listened to “Anywhere I Lay My Head” about a dozen times through during the past two days, and I proudly admit that I’m falling down with love for it.

The album, released by Rhino Records, features 10 Waits covers and one original co-written by Johansson and TV On The Radio guitarist David Sitek. Johansson brought Sitek in to produce the record, which was recorded during a five-week stint at a remote studio in Louisiana. “Anywhere I Lay My Head” is not revolutionary. The framework is an inexperienced musician singing ballads composed by one of the most unique musical masterminds to date. Johansson’s voice, albeit luring on film, is not outstanding in the recording studio. What captivates me about this album is that the end product sounds nothing like a Tom Waits record and yet still works. Johansson makes no attempt to impersonate the craggily, scraggly tones that catapulted Waits into his own category of sound.

It’s true Johansson can’t compete with Emmylou Harris or Alicia Keys when it comes to vocals. And there’s also no mistake in the fact the words Johansson sings on “Anywhere I Lay My Head” are so compelling simply because the fact a mad genius wrote them, that being Waits with a little help from his partner Kathleen Brennan. However, on a number of the tracks, particularly “Fannin Street” and “Falling Down.” I prefer the Johansson covers to the Waits originals.

As an added feature to the purchasing “Anywhere I Lay My Head” Johansson scribbles short explanations in the liner notes as to why each song landed on the album. For example, for the cover of “Fannin Street” Johansson writes: “I loved Tom Waits’ original and found it extremely haunting. I thought I could sing it, and I found it very charming. I just had no idea that David Bowie was going to end up doing this song with me.”

That’s correct, David Bowie. To add some pepper to the Johansson salt on the record, Bowie appears on two songs providing backup vocals. David Bowie and Scarlett Johansson belting Tom Waits songs. What would I pay to see that live? Probably a soul or two.

Speaking of live music, Tom Waits has announced his 2008 summer tour in the United States. The shows, going under the title of the “Glitter And Doom Tour” start June 17 in Phoenix and come to an end July 5 in Atlanta, at least as far the U.S. sanction of the tour.

And if you were to ask me, are you going to see the first three nights of the tour in Phoenix and El Paso, my answer would be the following: “You bet your ass I am.”

And as far as “Anywhere I Lay My Head” goes: Go buy the record, it’s absolutely worth it.

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