For I am a raindog too

[moje]

Here's a shout out to Mr. Tom Waits, cause jesusmotherofgodinheaven.

[jebreject]

   

[SPACERACE]

Yes.

A little while ago, when she still used AIM, my friend would send me Tom Waits lyrics out of the blue, and she had this uncanny skill to know exactly what to send, and when. It was nice.

[Good Intentions]

Got my first Tom Waits album this summer (winter to you first-worlders). Rain Dogs, go figure. I love it, and I don't really understand what it is that makes it so great. Get more Tom Waits albums seems like the logical next step in this puzzle...

[Bernard]

You might want to rent Jim Jarmusch's 'Down By Law' -- it's a great film on its own, but also works well as an extended video for Rain Dogs.

[JamesSchneider]

I've said it before, but anyone who doesn't own Frank's Wild Years by Tom Waits is completely out of their mind. He's easily my favorite artist of all time, and I think that Frank's is his best work. John doesn't agree.

[Tripewriter]

I don't agree either. Bone Machine all the way!

[davy]

I've said it before, but anyone who doesn't own Frank's Wild Years by Tom Waits is completely out of their mind. He's easily my favorite artist of all time, and I think that Frank's is his best work. John doesn't agree.

i listened to franks the other day for the first time in a while and was really blown away. i wouldn't go as far as to say its his best, but i'd be pretty comfortable calling it his most underheard and most underrated.

rain dogs is easily my favorite. small change is next, then bone machine.

[rockmeamadeus]

Small Change?? NICE choice... is that the one with the Kerouac homage spoken word piece goodness on it?? Lemme check my albums... got it on tape somewhere.......
Ahhh screw, it was Foriegn Affairs I was thinking of... this is the one with the semi-creepy hooker on the cover.... TOTALLY sweet album... TOTALLY sweet.
Huge fan of Frank's and Rain Dogs and well all his stuff (most definatly on of my favorite musicians) but there's also a fucking big place in my heart for Closing Time.
There just seems to be no better album for driving home through the dawn from a concert with your lady-friend in the passengar seat asleep. I challenge you to name a better one.

[jebreject]

How are the newer records?  Mule Variations, Real Gone, etc.?  I've never really given them a chance.

But yeah, I can totally see how Tom Waits could be someone's favourite artist of all time.  He's up there for me, that's for sure.

[davy]

How are the newer records?  Mule Variations, Real Gone, etc.?  I've never really given them a chance.

But yeah, I can totally see how Tom Waits could be someone's favourite artist of all time.  He's up there for me, that's for sure.

i like mule variations quite a lot. it's more straight-ahead rock n roll than anything else he's done, but it's still most definitely a tom waits album. it won some grammys, so you know it can't be too inaccessible. blood money and alice are nice, but don't hold up all that well as individual albums in their own right. much more mellow than anything he's done. lots of strings, spare instrumentation, ballad-tempos, etc.

real gone will kick your ass. it's maybe the boldest album i've ever heard by someone over 50. it's hardcore...the most challenging listen since bone machine. very noisy. on the whole, it's a downer, but i think it's pretty great (haven't really made up my mind yet).

small change, by the way, is the album that has "step right up" on it, which is one of his most famous songs, and very much in that kerouac spoken-word vein.

[rockmeamadeus]

Fuck yeah, I say to the Real Gone. It's the album that sits on a prominent place upon my shelf, one that beckons to me to play it, one that I ALMOST play every day, but get distracted by other things. Sounds so great... other than that, fygmynts assertation is dead on.

Tom Waits is #1 on my list of 'People I'd fucking love to have a beer with'. Can you imagine how cool that would be?

'Hey Tom... want a PBR?'
'Sure' he rasps.

Coolness ensues...

[boganlux]

"That can't be the same fish, John. The first fish is still in my pants."

-Tom Waits

[JamesSchneider]

"That can't be the same fish, John. The first fish is still in my pants."

-Tom Waits

Fishing with John is amazing! "How would you keep the cheese on the hook, Tom?" "Well, you'd tie it on with a little piece of, you know, underware."