Tom Waits: what are his best songs and albums?

[Mac]

I would have to agree with that. I quite like that whole album.

[evenwolf]

And yours, a fine a lsiting of websites which no longer exist!

Thanks man, I haven't checked the waits in a while. Ã, I bet he's produced a dozen new albums.

[Andail]

It's not his best album, but I'll be gone is probably one of his best songs.

EDIT: and, hm, I'll fix some new websites to link soon enough

[Mac]

I'm still a newbie, though I've liked him for a long time. Which other albums would you guys recommend?

[Andail]

Rain dogs. Undoubtedly his best.

[Mac]

Ah! I have the two surrounding albums. I must complete the trilogy.

[evenwolf]

Heck, you know I think [eric] recommended that song to me. Ã,  We've both had love affairs with waits and nick cave.

Frank's Wild Years is not bad at all. Ã,  Some of his albums don't even try to juggle upbeat or good humored songs. Ã,  Like Blood Money. Ã,  I really enjoymany of those songs but can't listen to it if I'm at all depressed. Ã,  I especially love Rain Dogs.

[evenwolf]

Mac, I think you'll enjoy most of his stuff.   Rain Dogs is certainly the place to go first.   His early albums are his lounge singing work (Blue Valentine, Closing Time)  which I have difficulty connecting to.   But I certainly appreciate the period... just not as much as say early Bob Dylan.   Waits completely twisted into a whiskey breathed musical genius.  I love the experimental instruments and the stories in his songs. (Frank's Wild Years, Rain Dogs, Alice, Blood Money)

just download everything right now. 
   

[Mac]

Oh, I think so too hehe.  I've got the Used Songs compilation covering his early years, but I definitely prefer his later stuff. I mean, I love the early stuff too but his more experimental music just...fits with me. But yeah, Rain Dogs will definitely be my next purchase - and I'd rather purchase his music (even though I have downloaded a bunch of his stuff in the past). 'Course, it doesn't help that I've got no money...

[MrColossal]

Tom Waits has a new[?] album[s?] out called Brawlers, Bawlers and Orphans and it's 3 albums of unreleased stuff. It's absolutely amazing. He toured America a little while ago but stuck to the midwest... Screw that!

SSH:

That's the thing though. People believe Bush to be a big stupid guy who doesn't know much about anything and he and the administration are ruining the country... And then on the other hand they believe him smart enough to pull off the big 9/11 conspiracy. True believers adapt! Don't worry!

[Tuomas]

Well, if it comes to that, I'd rather have sex with either one of the Bush girls than Tom Waits, no offence meant.

[Mac]

I'd do Waits. Better than the Bush Tits.

[Chrille]

I was introduced to Waits by eric (The excellent 'I'll be gone' was the song, Bone Machine was the first album I got) It's been a while since I listened to Waits. I did enjoy his last album 'Real Gone' all the way through but for some reason it's not as memorable as some of my favourite albums of his. Looking forward to the hearing the Orphans-set. From what I understand it's a bunch of old covers, songs from soundtracks and some songs that he wrote long ago but didn't record until now.

Swordfishtrombones is my favourite but if I had to pick one it'd be Rain Dogs, simply because it's all great and it's got even more of the good stuff. Frank's Wild Years is also great, as is Bone Machine. He hasn't released anything since then that has appealed to me as much, but I do find Alice, Blood Money and Real Gone to be great albums. Don't care much for Mule Variations.

Don't like pre-Swordfish-Waits as much, but I do enjoy that as well even though I only own The Heart of Saturday Night (The Ghosts of Saturday Night is one of my favourite songs of his) and the Used Songs compilation.

I'd love to see him perform live though he doesn't tour often nor for very long.

[Adamski]

Eric introduced me to Waits too! He had a compilation of tracks at Mittens 04 and since hearing it I've been systematically buying every album. Very much admire his creative scope, and every album is brilliant in it's own right so pick any of them and you won't be disappointed.

[Snarky]

Tom Waits has a new[?] album[s?] out called Brawlers, Bawlers and Orphans and it's 3 albums of unreleased stuff. It's absolutely amazing. He toured America a little while ago but stuck to the midwest... Screw that!

I know. By the time I'd convinced any of my friends to go, the Chicago performance was already long sold out. Friends... is there an upside at all?

[LimpingFish]

I can't listen to Blue Valentine anymore. Not since somebody heard it and said to me "Hey! Did the Cookie Monster cut an album?!"

Now I can't shake that mental image.

[evenwolf]

Totally checking out the new[?] stuff. thanks again eric!

On a side note, I've never seen an artist with so many songs in movies.Ã,  Ã, Well besides the obvious artists.Ã,  But I saw this one Enron documentary with an almost exclusive Waits soundtrack.Ã,  Ã, "The Smartest Guys in the Room"Ã,  if I recall correctly, named after book by the same title.

Anyways, they play "what's he building in there?" as like a theme song for Jeff Skilling and Kenneth Lay.Ã,  Ã, Ah, it made me so giddy.

The other great song choice that comes to mind was opening the film "Things to do in Denver while you're dead" with "Jockey Full of Bourbon." 

[Chrille]

Jockey full of bourbon also opens Down By Law, a truly excellent film. Waits himself also stars. I love (most) Jarmusch movies.

[fred]

Tom Waits is the man. 

His best album? Some years ago I would've said Rain Dogs, or Frank's Wild Years, depending on mood and context. Now I'm not so sure. He seems to get more rage, the older he gets. I'm really looking forward to his next album. I wish he would do some Dylan Thomas. "Rage, rage against the dying of the light".

[Mac]

I quite like Jarmusch as well. Dead Man is one of my favourite films and after seeing Mystery Train it seems likely to me that Mr. Tarantino watched that before making Pulp Fiction.

Also, I have a hard-on for Tom Waits the size of Florida. (Spot the reference anyone?)