2006: A dimly lit, triumphant year of Tom Waits

Forget the year-end platitudes, celebrating politicians and scientists for their accomplishments. My year-end list ends with one name and Tuesday's release of new music sealed it. For whatever happened in 2006, the soundtrack is almost entirely Tom Waits (with a little Jenny Lewis and TV on the Radio sprinkled into the mix).

But the croaking bard of California beat them all this year. I expected the two albums Waits released on the same day in 2002 would not be soon surpassed, but the moment rumblings of a tour reached my ears in late Spring, that changed.

But here are the highlights:

1. The nine-city tour through the South and Midwest, bringing his unique show within travel distance for many fans who never saw him before (and for the many hipsters who snapped up tickets yet don't know the first song from Tom Waits, but I digress). I wrote about the Louisville show it August, so I'll just repeat this sentiment: for any music lover, it's a great feeling to cross off the top musician on your list of people to see perform before they/you die.

2. bootleg concerts trickling onto the Internet from said tour, casting some songs I found unbearable in a fresh, forgiving light through new musical arrangements.

3. Orphans, the 3-disc box set which overloaded the diehard fan with new material and a sampling of rare cuts (though the suicide bomber, Bush-bashing "Road to Peace" is overwrought and immediately stale; he addressed the issue much better with 2004's "Day After Tomorrow").

For years I wondered why Waits, who churned out songs for soundtracks and tribute albums with great ease, never assembled them for a proper album. He trumped all of that by burying the non-album tracks among new tunes.

4. The countless interviews and live performances on television. For a man with a reclusive reputation, he got around in 2006.

Maybe it's my own mood and position that drive my immersion in all things Waits.

But right now, Sinner's Grove isn't a bad place to hang out with hard-luck, wayfaring friends. At least its soundtrack is great.