Recommend me a Tom Waits Album

[softegg]

Rain Dogs! is the best one if you ask me.

[opiadream]

the must-haves

small change for 'tom trauberts blues' 'step right up' and 'invitation to the blues'

rain dogs for 'tango til they're sore' 'time' and 'downtown train' before rod stewart defacated on it

and franks wild years for side a and side b

[Bunnyboy]

SwordFishTrombones for the avant-garde clanking stuff, and Nighthawks at the Diner for the whisky-soaked singer-songwriter stuff.

Or then again, pretty much anything by him

[mckenic]

Ha ha,

Im just listening to The Heart of Saturday Night as I type - cool!

I'd say get the early stuff in the bargin bins - you wont regret it (if you do I'll buy 'em off you!).

My favourite at the moment is Rain Dogs!

"We sail tonight for Singapore
Don't fall asleep while you're ashore
Cross your heart and hope to die
When you hear the children cry.
Let marrow bone and cleaver choose
While making feet for children shoes
Through the alley
Back from Hell
When you hear that steeple bell
You must say goodbye to me."

Classic!

Dave

[ocp]

BIG TIME!

[rsmus7]

I´d say swordfish and raindogs are classicals in a Tom Waits collection
But I like the new one even more, -> Blood Money

and there are a few compliations
like
-> Beautyfull Maladies
Kind of best of from the seventies to the nineties

[TechnoWeeniePas]

BIG TIME!

I have to second that one Now if they would only release it on DVD and not just the music/sound track on CD I would be really happy

[puffer]

Obviously, you'd have a hard time going wrong with any Waits album, and without a doubt Swordfish and Saturday Night are undeniable classics. But no one here has mentioned Mule Variations. It's a really raw album, with a great dark sense of humor. And you got to love the lead off cut, "Big in Japan." Musicians in particular should love that.

The new one is shaping up quite nicely; he's incorporating scratches and samples into his palate of clattering beats.

[MickGael]

Everything I love about Tom Waits can be found in the song "Time" from Rain Dogs:

Time

Well, the smart money's on Harlow
and the moon is in the street
the shadow boys are breaking all the laws
and you're east of East St. Louis
and the wind is making speeches
and the rain sounds like a round of applause
Napoleon is weeping in the Carnival saloon
his invisible fiance is in the mirror
the band is going home
it's raining hammers, it's raining nails
yes, it's true, there's nothing left for him down here

Chorus

And it's Time Time Time
And it's Time Time Time
And it's Time Time Time
that you love
And it's Time Time Time

And they all pretend they're orphans
and their memory's like a train
you can see it getting smaller as it pulls away
and the things you can't remmeber
tell the things you can't forget that
history puts a saint in every dream

Well she said she'd stick around
until the bandages came off
but these mamas boys just didn't know when to quit
and Matilda asks the sailors are those dreams
or are those prayers
so just close your eyes, son
and this won't hurt a bit

Chorus

Well, things are pretty lousy for a calendar girl
the boys just dive right off the cars
and splash into the street
and when she's on a roll she pulls a razor
from her boot and a thousand
pigeons fall around her feet
so put a candle in the window
and a kiss upon his lips
till the dish outside the window fills with rain
just like a stranger with the weeds in your heart
and pay the fiddler off till I come back again

Chorus

[Mikael Adle]

Nighthawks at the Diner

[nutsadamus]

This may not qualify, but one of my favorite albums is John Hammond Jr.'s album Wicked Grin, which is him doing all Tom Waits covers with Tom producing.

- 2:19 (Tom Waits)
- Heartattack And Vine (Tom Waits)
- Clap Hands (Tom Waits)
- 'Til The Money Runs Out (Tom Waits)
- 16 Shells From A Thirty-ought Six (Tom Waits)
- Buzz Fledderjohn (Tom Waits)
- Get Behind The Mule (Tom Waits)
- Shore Leave (Tom Waits)
- Fannin Street (Tom Waits)
- Jockey Full Of Bourbon (Tom Waits)
- Big Black Mariah (Tom Waits)
- Murder In The Red Barn (Tom Waits)
- I Know I've Been Changed (trad)

[Philly]

Thanks for your suggestions! I've decided to go with Rain Dogs as a first purchase - I've got a feeling I'll be back for more!

[windchillFactor]

It would be good to remember that there have been many different stages in the career of Tom Waits, each with their own expansion of his style. The Frank's Wild Years era consisting of that, Swordfishtrombones and Rain Dogs (concluding with the live "soundtrack," if you will, of Big Time) is my personal favorite (with Rain Dogs being my first exposure to his music).

His earlier music was, well, let's say less aggressive than the way he might scream out, "Big Black Mariah". His later music went beyond even the experimentation from the late 80's timeframe with interesting results (although possibly less accessible). As the variety of recommendations here would indicate, folks tend to latch on to different eras of Tom's albums, so do experiment as I'm sure you'll find one that is right for you.

Oh, recommendations...I'd go with Rain Dogs, then maybe Blood Money.

[windchillFactor]

Oh, and do try to find a copy of the Big Time movie. That is just stunning.

[opiadream]

It would be good to remember that there have been many different stages in the career of Tom Waits, each with their own expansion of his style. The Frank's Wild Years era consisting of that, Swordfishtrombones and Rain Dogs (concluding with the live "soundtrack," if you will, of Big Time) is my personal favorite (with Rain Dogs being my first exposure to his music).

His earlier music was, well, let's say less aggressive than the way he might scream out, "Big Black Mariah". His later music went beyond even the experimentation from the late 80's timeframe with interesting results (although possibly less accessible). As the variety of recommendations here would indicate, folks tend to latch on to different eras of Tom's albums, so do experiment as I'm sure you'll find one that is right for you.

Oh, recommendations...I'd go with Rain Dogs, then maybe Blood Money.

basically its all good.just different versions of good (but if this were a poll I'd say rain dogs won)
the mans a genius

so after rain dogs, go to rack
cover eyes
grab cd
purchase