Tom Waits

I just acquired Mule Variations. It was one of the few albums missing from my Tom Waits library. Now, I know this album is a few years old, but man, I am floored by this one...been listening to it all day. It could be a new addition to the top 5. Almost like a mix of the moods you hear on Bone Machine and Rain Dogs.

I just wanted to share that. What's your favorite Waits album? I think in the end, Swordfishtrombones is mine.

Top 5 (In no particular order)

Swordfishtrombones
Blue Valentine
Black Rider
Rain Dogs
Mule Variations

Swordfishtrombones
Bone Machine
Rain Dogs
Blood Money
Closing Time

Frank's Wild Years was the first one I ever heard, and still my favorite along with The Heart of Saturday Night.

I don't love The Heart of Saturday Night as a whole, but Diamonds on my Windshield is one of my favorite Wait's songs.

Edit: due to the fact that I am illiterate.

[Edited on Apr 11, 2004 by twasbrillig]

i like swordfish trombones, black rider, alice and well shit almost all of them even the oldies...

Franks Wild Years & The Heart of Saturday Night

I prefer his first 4 cd's
Closing Time
The Heart Of Saturday Night
Nighthawks At The Diner
Small Change

I havent really listened to Blood Money or Alice too much yet but they're pretty darn good from what I've heard.

Wasted and wounded, it ain't what the moon did
I've got what I paid for now
see ya tomorrow, hey Frank, can I borrow
a couple of bucks from you, to go

I'm an innocent victim of a blinded alley
and I'm tired of all these soldiers here
no one speaks English, and everything's broken
and my Stacys are soaking wet

now the dogs are barking
and the taxi cab's parking
a lot they can do for me
I begged you to stab me
you tore my shirt open
and I'm down on my knees tonight
Old Bushmill's I staggered, you buried the dagger in
your silhouette window light go to go

now I lost my Saint Christopher now that I've kissed her and the one-armed bandit knows, and the maverick Chinamen, and the cold-blooded signs
and the girls down by the strip-tease shows go

no, I don't want your sympathy, the fugitives say that the streets aren't for dreaming now
manslaughter dragnets and the ghosts that sell memories
they want a piece of the action anyhow go

and you can ask any sailor, and the keys from the jailor
and the old men in wheelchairs know
that Mathilda's the defendant, she killed about a hundred
and she follows wherever you may go

and it's a battered old suitcase to a hotel someplace
and a wound that will never heal
no prima donna, the perfume is on
an old shirt that is stained with blood and whiskey
and goodnight to the street sweepers
the night watchman flame keepers
and goodnight to Mathilda to


Small Change, eternally

top 5 in no particular order:

Raindogs
Alice
Blue Valentines
small change
swordfishtrombones

For 3 months (after alice and blood money came out) i would listen to alice, blood money, and mule variations back to back all night while sleeping. i loved it.

Blood Money
Raindogs
Bone Machine
Small Change
[insert any other Tom Waits album here]

He's a good man, but Blood Money has a sentimental value.

"Alice" or "Bone Machine"

[Edited on Apr 11, 2004 by DiamondGeezer]

Swordfish Trombones

[Edited on Apr 11, 2004 by Russula]

my current two favorites are Small Change and Heartattack and Vine. i'm always up for tom waits disscission.

Nighthawks at the Diner, hands down. Its Tom unplugged, pure raw raspy whiskey throat genius.

I love Blood Money; it means a lot to me because the first university show I did was Georg Bruchners Woyzeck, which is what the Blood Money musical is based on. Small Change was my first and it blows me away every time. I'd love to do Step Right Up as a monologue.

Frank's Wild Years

Nighthawks is rad, but Raindogs and Heart of Saturday Night will always be my favorites. Tango Till They're Sore is one of the best songs ever written.

rain dogs was the first i ever heard, and still in my top three, along with blood money and bone machine

my friend is a HUGE tom waits fan...a few weeks ago he bought a cd of his...i cant remember the name but it was an really rare entire soundtrack to a movie that he and some woman wrote together...it sounded great-but fate had that my friend accidentally broke it when taking it out of the case a few days later...he was so devastated that he didnt hang out for days!!

Blood money JUST for the song Coney Island Baby.......*dreamy sigh*. Well that and Misery

definitely Swordfishtrombones!

Rain Dogs... hands down. I like his movies quite a bit as well.

With his wife, Kathleen Brennan? Maybe this?

I just started a group Bad Liver and a Broken Heart for Tom Waits fans. Cheers!