Tom Waits

[ggw]

Waits is one of those artists I never got around to getting in to.  So give me some advice -- where do I start?  What do I avoid?

[thirsty moore]

For a complete album, check out Rain Dogs.
 
 For a compilation, check out Used Songs 1973-1980.
 
 

Originally posted by ggwâ?¢:
  Waits is one of those artists I never got around to getting in to.  So give me some advice -- where do I start?  What do I avoid?

[Relaxer]

I'd start with his Island records from the 80s. Swordfishtrombones is my favorite of the bunch, but Rain Dogs is usually seen as the classic. Franks Wild Years is also good, and Big Time is a live album drawing from all three of these.
 
 Of his 90s stuff, Mule Variations and Bone Machine are solid.
 
 Of his 70s records, The Heart of Saturday Night is a nice record, but it's when he was more of a Bukowski-ish singer-songwriter, so sounds nothing like the clanky gutteral found-sounds music he's making now.
 
 Beyond one track, I haven't heard the new 3CD set but I've heard it's very tough to get into.

[Vas Deferens]

swordfishtrombones and Bone Machine are the best albums to start...

[RatBastard]

Nighthawks at the Diner
 Franks Wild Years
 Swordfish Trombone

[thirsty moore]

I always thought swordfishtrombones was a Rain Dogs lite.

[thirsty moore]

swordfishtrombones - 1983
 
 Rain Dogs - 1985
 
 What the hell do I know.

[twangirl]

Some of my favorite songs of his are on Small Change, from 1976.

[mbg73]

There's a latter era Waits compilation called "Beautiful Maladies" that's pretty good.  It came out a few years ago.  The new box set is awesome.  I haven't really had time to digest the whole thing, but it's a lot more consistent than I expected.

[amnesiac]

I think I'm gonna attempt the daunting task of going through all his albums in order. All I have right now is Closing Time. I got a long ways to go...

[palahniukkubrick]

Relaxer is on track, though to distill it further: for 70s stuff get Heart of Saturday Night, 80s stuff Rain Dogs, and 90s Mule Variations. All vastly different, all interesting in their own right.

[melmoth]

The new CD is great.  Mule Variation, Rain Dogs, Small Change, Bone Machine.  Also recommended is the VH1 storytellers Bootleg.

[BookerT]

i haven't read magnet in a while but i was reading it a few years ago, and in the column that thought it was mini-chunklet, the guy was talking about tom waits the quote was something along the lines of:
 
 "there are two types of people in this world -- those who absolutely love tom waits and those who 'appreciate what he does.'"
 
 i thought that one went into the "funny cuz it's true" category, especially because i have long been one of those people who doesn't really like him but, y'know, appreciated what he did. i thought he was excellent in "down by law."

[Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer]

I prefer his 70's stuff. After that, too grating.

[pela123]

i second the small change recommendation, as well as beautiful maladies as a good compilation.  of his new stuff I really like Alice