Tom Waits makes over MOJO

It seems like it's been ages since MOJO was a worthwhile read and the new publisher of the formerly entertaining and informative UK music magazine no doubt understands their sad predicament. This week they've taken bold action to try to make up for MOJO's woeful editorial shortcomings by bringing in Tom Waits to guest edit their 200th issue. In case you haven't heard, inviting celebrity musicians to makeover an issue is the hot new media trend for publications with dwindling readerships (see the Globe & Mail). Hey, it's worth a shot. Waits couldn't do any worse than MOJO's regular staff.

Apart from the bonus of not having to look at yet another MOJO cover shot of the Beatles, Rolling Stones or Bob Dylan, the special Tom Waits issue (July 2010, out soon) features an exclusive encounter between Hank Sr. fan Waits and Hank Williams III where hillbilly death metal, Minnie Pearl and haunted houses are up for discussion,  an in-depth interview with Waits' hero Harry Belafonte conducted by songwriter/producer Joe Henry, along with various lists of Waits' favourite books, films and songs. Most Waits fans will want to grab a copy for the cover-mounted Step Right Up! CD which was selected and sequenced by the man himself for your listening pleasure. Most of the song choices aren't terribly obscure or surprising coming from Waits but it's a much better selection than you might expect from someone who has never heard of James Carr.

Here's the track listing:
1: Sixteen Tons - Tennessee Ernie Ford
2: John the Revelator - Son House    
3: Ramblin' Man - Hank Williams, Sr.
4: Just Walkin' in the Rain - Prisonaires
5: Drown In My Own Tears - Ray Charles    
6: Honey in the Rock - Blind Mamie Forehand
7: Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go - Hank Ballard and the Midnighters
8: No More Auction Block - Paul Robeson
9: Dorothy Mae - Howlin' Wolf    
10: Sylvie - Harry Belafonte
11: I Was Young When I Left Home - Bob Dylan
12: Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet - Gavin Briars with Tom Waits
13: Ball N' Chain - Big Mama Thornton
14: Ich bin von Kopf bis Fuß auf Liebe Eingestellt - William Burroughs
15: When You WIsh Upon A Star - Cliff Edwards

MOJO's Ross Bennett presents his selection of the best Tom Waits webvids (including the following Fernwood Tonight spot with Martin Mull and Fred Willard from 1977) right here.