Reviews (page 2 of 9)
High level of artistry here, solid lyricism and some heartfelt tunes here, though its very light on the bangers compared to swordfishtrombones and a fair bit of clown music. Standouts are Clap Hands, Hang Your Head Down, Time, 9th and Hennepin and Gun Street Girl.
Tom Waits is a guy I never really exposed myself to. You immediately pick up on the eccentric-ness no matter what your first album of his is. This one is no exception, of course. Created as sort of a snapshot of the "outsiders" of NYC, this has hints of Americana amidst some interesting instrumental choices. As in, the marimba, accordion, and a few other brassy instruments were prominent among others (stuff at points that'd probably be more appropriate at a bat mitzvah or something, not that I'd know though). It's all made more seedy thanks to Waits' gruff vocals too, which probably helps the theming here? I found this to be more "fever dream" than "enlightening experience" personally.
Cualquier disco de Tom Waits siempre me va a parecer genial. Rain Dogs es un tanto menos accesible, más experimental, que lo que le he escuchado antes. Pero siempre consigue meterse bajo la piel. Tiene un montón de cosas que en otros discos seguro no aguantaría: aquí todas son únicas, todo lo que propone, por extraño que sea, termina sonando bien. Fan de Tom Waits siempre.
after "bone machine" my expectations are at an all time low. that album was straight ahh and this one sounds very similar to that one... I might just not like tom waits guys! this is going to be 1 hour of nothing icl this sucks ok I was kind of right, it was just a blend of songs that are honestly mediocre, however IT IS better than bone machine. I just hate this mans voice. so I feel it deserves a 2 star for the thought of it. I really liked the guitar on "downtown train" but his voice was so irritating I hated the song.
love the animation of this artist, but this did nothing for me
One of my favourite albums. Tom Waits is a genius. GOAT.
Really makes a guy think. What’s life all about?
Impossible to overstate how badly Tom Waits’ stock has fallen in my eyes. My favourite part of this album was when the title track came on and I thought “Ok I really have to focus and give this a chance, this is the title track of a beloved album”, and then after a prolonged rusty accordion intro Tom goes “Inside a broken clock,” and I thought “COME ON.” My final verdict on Tom Waits is that it’s clown music, and that can’t be overcome by the occasional interesting instrumental ideas or song structures he has. In aesthetic/vibe it is essentially ICP for people who have read one or two of the great American novels. There’s nothing inherently wrong with liking clown music. But I don’t like clown music anymore.
lol What? I normally enjoy concept albums, but this one felt especially strange and out of left field from an artist I had not previously heard of.
I looked back and saw that I gave my previous Tom Waits album two stars. I'd written that I respected it more than I liked it. I was prepared to feel the same way with today's pick. Whether I was in the mood for it, or I truly thought it was better, I ended up liking this much more than the last one. It wasn't just because some of the songs were a bit more accessible (relatively given Waits' vocals), but I liked the presentation of all of it better. Ultimately, I just enjoyed more of the songs than I didn't. Standouts were Clap Hands, Jockey Full of Bourbon, Hang Down Your Head, and Time. I thought I'd like Downtown Train more than I did, as I know the Rod Stewart version.
almost gave this a two because the covers of Downtrain Train rip, but no, it's Tom Waits. He sucks.
Does absolutely nothing for me. 2.5
when you lowkey evil
Not one I would expect to like but it's fun. His voice just works
I don’t know, man. It sounds like the score to a Ronald Dahl movie. Somehow I mean that as a compliment.
Oddball perfection.
Уже бодрее, местами даже есть что-то музыкально интересное. Но манера пения для меня все портит. На первом прослушивание треки не стал добавлять, объем альбома отпугнул от повторного, так что без треков. 5.5/10
Разношёрстный, слегка безумный, с вайбом бродячего оркестра альбом. Голос Тома Уэйтса в комментариях не нуждается. Не совсем моя тема, но определенно весело. Думаю хорошо бы зашло под бурбонный угар в блюз баре в середине ночи. Топ-1 - Clap Hands Топ-2 - Union Square
Who does this guy think he is? The Oogie Boogie guy
Slippery taint and a lot more of that stuff is coming your way and I’m not gonna lie I’m really hard. I’m not gonna go anywhere without it but I’m just gonna be honest and I know I have a boner.
oh god
This is some Dr Demento BS
Rain Dogs Tom Waits 1985 Genres: Folk, Rock Styles: Singer Songwriter, Folk Rock, Alternative Rock, Experimental 1. Singapore (★★★⯨☆) -Contexto: Apertura circense y portuaria. Un narrador invita a embarcarse hacia un lugar exótico y peligroso; más que una ciudad real, “Singapore” simboliza el viaje al mundo de los marginados de Waits. 2. Clap Hands (★★★⯨★) -Contexto: Canción hipnótica y casi tribal. Habla de presencias inquietantes, paranoia y rituales nocturnos; la sensación es más importante que la trama. 3. Cemetery Polka (★★★☆☆) -Contexto: Polka macabra sobre una familia grotesca y recuerdos deformados. Humor negro, resentimiento y decadencia doméstica. 4. Jockey Full of Bourbon (★★★⯨☆) -Contexto: Retrato de un buscavidas borracho que deambula por bares y callejones. Identidades falsas, alcohol y peligro constante. 5. Tango Till They’re Sore (★★⯨☆☆) -Contexto: Un maestro de ceremonias invita a bailar hasta el agotamiento. Celebración decadente del placer, la pobreza y la autodestrucción. 6. Big Black Mariah (★★⯨☆☆) -Contexto: Imagen de una gran carroza negra (o coche fúnebre) avanzando por la noche. Evoca fatalidad, huida y muerte rondando la ciudad. 7. Diamonds & Gold (★★⯨☆☆) -Contexto: Sátira sobre la codicia. Los personajes persiguen riqueza y terminan atrapados por el deseo material. 8. Hang Down Your Head (★★☆☆☆) -Contexto: Balada de arrepentimiento amoroso. Un hombre reconoce su culpa y asume la pérdida de la persona amada. 9. Time (★★⯨☆☆) -Contexto: Una de las canciones más emotivas del disco. Reflexión sobre el paso del tiempo, las heridas y la lealtad de alguien que permaneció cuando todo se derrumbaba. 10. Rain Dogs (★★⯨☆☆) -Contexto: Los “perros de lluvia” son personas desorientadas que ya no encuentran el camino a casa después de una tormenta. Metáfora central del álbum: los perdidos de la gran ciudad. 11. Midtown (★★⯨☆☆) -Contexto: Breve instrumental que funciona como transición. Paseo sonoro por el centro de Manhattan. 12. 9th & Hennepin (★★☆☆☆) -Contexto: Poema hablado sobre una esquina miserable llena de prostitutas, borrachos y soñadores derrotados. Puro cine negro urbano. 13. Gun Street Girl (★★⯨☆☆) -Contexto: Historia de una mujer peligrosa y un narrador fascinado por ella. Amor tóxico, crimen y humor absurdo. 14. Union Square (★★★⯨☆) -Contexto: Retrato coral de una plaza pública neoyorquina. Vendedores, predicadores, músicos y gente anónima compartiendo el mismo espacio. 15. Blind Love (★⯨☆☆☆) -Contexto: Balada country sobre un amor ciego que persiste pese al daño. También habla del deseo de escapar y encontrar un hogar. 16. Walking Spanish (★★★☆☆) -Contexto: Expresión asociada a ir hacia la ejecución o la cárcel. Canción sobre delincuentes, castigo y destino inevitable. 17. Downtown Train (★★⯨☆☆) -Contexto: La pieza más accesible del disco. Un hombre observa pasar a la mujer que ama desde un tren nocturno y sueña con una vida distinta. 18. Bride of Rain Dog (★⯨☆☆☆) -Contexto: Instrumental breve y fantasmal, como música de una boda espectral en medio de la tormenta. 19. Anywhere I Lay My Head (★★★☆☆) -Contexto: Cierre magnífico. Un vagabundo acepta que no tiene hogar fijo: “cualquier lugar donde apoye la cabeza es mi casa”. Resignación, libertad y paz después del caos. -TOTAL = ★★⯨☆☆ (2,68) -Ya escuché otro disco de este artista y no puedo tomármelo en serio, parece música de caricatura y su voz sobreactuada, performática, no es para nada de mi agrado. Debería ser un 3 por redondeo, pero será un 1 definitivo por experiencia.
Im not gonna lie he had me wanting to throw my phone in the Pacific Ocean (I’m on the east coast) for a good chunk of this project. But it wasn’t the worst thing in the world at times so it’s not a one but I can’t give it higher than a 2 because there a lot of trash in here. Well I made it through more of the album and Blind love is a beautiful song. So it just lived up to a 3 for me now because it ended with some really good music.
I initially hated this but I was wrong
Listening to this album felt like watching a movie. I don’t know that it’s something I’d return to much I loved the ambition that clearly went into it and the execution on the brief. I’m really torn on a star rating because maybe this album is actually a five??
this was really effective at creating a mood (perfect mood for marking year 8 assessments!!) which as a whole I enjoyed but more as a novel experience than something I'd want to go back to listen to. but impressively done!
Now this is a goddamn songwriter. Love you Tom Waits you freak
I don't know what a perfectly focused, uncomplicatedly executed Tom Waits album would sound like; whatever it would be, it likely wouldn't sound like *him*. The *Pirates of the Caribbean* cosplay and the two-by-four percussion are part of the deal, at least for this stage in his career. I'm on board with that general idea but I always find myself wanting just a little more out of the rougher stuff on this album; it feels like there's an additional gear Waits is capable of that he doesn't quite get to. And I suspect that's at least in part because, as abrasive as he can be at times, his heart isn't really in it. He doesn't want to alienate his listeners, just to test them a tiny bit to make sure they won't judge him too harshly. At his core he's an open-hearted bard; that explains what Keith Richards is doing here, lending his easygoing style to "Union Square" and "Blind Love," two standouts. The open, sentimental tunes like "Hang Down Your Head" and "Downtown Train" are where Waits' heart really is, and the more dissonant stuff is his attempt to clear space for those. On "Time" he is tenderly, unabashedly Dylanesque, all mama's boys and calendar girls with no direction home. And the closer "Anywhere I Lay My Head" sounds like Springsteen if he'd *actually* been beaten up in a dark alley and lived to tell the tale. I'm happy that Waits finally gets to where he can tackle the anxiety of his influences; my only mild complaint is that he could've gotten there a little sooner. He's really a sweet guy once you get to know him.
Solid. Needs more listens from me, but there's a lot to like here.
Eh
Anyone can play the first two tracks on this album and pretty much know if they are a lifelong Tom Waits fan. This album ranks pretty high for me in his discography and of course its head and shoulders above a lot of the absolute shit I've heard on this list.
was he off sedatives in disney during halloween
guys what are we doing and why am I in a sad spirit halloween Favorite song? Downtown train
This album contains a lot of musicality, some really cool sounds, but just isn't very enjoyable to listen to. Some sections reminded me of Leonard Cohen somehow. I think if the vocals were smoother it would be pretty good
Years ago, I horrified my dad by saying that I preferred Rod Stewart’s version of Downtown Train to the original. I still think that’s a decent cover, but I can understand why my dad was so aghast now - I have come around to Waits a lot since then. I really liked this.
Dark, mysterious, and deeply charming. Great use of weird noises, clanking away, and wonderful romantic stories of card sharps, drunks, and misfits, with melodies ranging from songs that Sam Cooke could have sung to greasy jazz. Is it now common knowledge that the cover photo is not Tom Waits, but is two customers in a bar on the Reeperbahn?
The weirdest stuff I've ever heard... At least it had potential and the instrumental was alright
5/10 - a strange album but not bad, a strange mix of souls, country and random sounds
Some pleasant ditties.
More tales of debauchery, direct from satans’ parlour. Sung by a human ashtray. Enjoyed, but I’m not sure we need upwards of 3 Tom Waits albums on this list? 3/5
I have some friends who love him, he was never my cup of tea. He is certainly talented, but his voice and style are a little grating. There were a couple of tracks on this album that I really liked, like Blind Love, but overall the album didn’t do much for me
Один з небагатьох альбомів Вейтса, який я чув до цього списку альбомів. Я розумію чого цей альбом шанують, супер критика, культовість і все таке. Проте мені не всі пісні тут подобаються. Коли Уейтс заходить в якісь супер гротескні виконання, то мені стає складно такі композиції нормально сприймати. Дуже жанрово різноманітно, від кантрі до кабаре. Класні аранжування, гітара іноді дуже яскрава. Подобається в цілому альбому. але здається, що я до кінця фішку Вейтса поки не викупаю
Том Вейтс на своєму піку (принаймні в той період кар'єри). Тут така варіативність жанрів, що занудьгувати просто неможливо. Є навіть хіти (Clap Hands), що в контексті музики Вейтса взагалі можна сказати рідкість. Також тут можна почути шикарну гітарну роботу Марка Рібо. Ізі 5 від мене.
I love Tom Waits, and Rain Dogs is one of my favorite Tom Waits albums. Rain Dogs is a glorious loveletter to all of those ejected from society. And it has such an incredible sense of place. This is an album that sounds convincingly like picking yourself up off of damp cobbles and walking into the skeeviest bar on earth and talking to anyone who will deal with you. We start with some more conventional songs here before adding some mood pieces into the mix, but everything benefits the same from Tom Waits' persona and presence. This really feels like an album that only he could have made. And it helps that a lot of these songs, like Singapore, Clap Hands, Jockey Full Of Bourbon, Time, Rain Dogs, Gun Street Girl and more are among Tom Waits' greatest. Everything benefits from a completely earnest layer of rust and soil and Rain water, and Tom Waits' lyrics conjure fascinating, vivid images of these people and places, while maintaining the poetry of them. The result of the whole album is almost as though a form of singular, deeply alternative Americana. This is, plainly, a fantastic record, and one of my favorites on the list.
Experimental 80s folk rock. Nightmare before Christmas vibes. ""outsider influences – socialist decadence by way of Kurt Weill, pre-rock integrity from old dirty blues, the elegiac melancholy of New Orleans funeral – into a singularly idiosyncratic American style."
Rain Dogs (1985) is one of Tom Waits' defining records: bruised, theatrical, and strangely beautiful. It's an album that wanders through the back alleys of New York and the imagination with equal conviction, populated by drifters, sailors, lovers, hustlers, and ghosts. Rather than telling a single story, Waits builds an entire world—one that feels both mythic and deeply human. Musically, Rain Dogs is a fearless collage. Folk, blues, jazz, cabaret, Irish folk, Latin rhythms, and experimental rock collide without ever sounding forced. The arrangements are deliberately rough around the edges, with clattering percussion, accordion, marimba, banjo, brass, and Marc Ribot's jagged, expressive guitar giving the album its unmistakable character. The production embraces imperfection, making every song feel lived-in rather than polished. Waits' voice—by this point a gravelly growl unlike anyone else's—becomes less a conventional singing instrument than another storytelling device. He inhabits each character completely, delivering lyrics that balance dark humor, tenderness, surreal imagery, and poetic observation. Songs like "Singapore," "Clap Hands," "Jockey Full of Bourbon," "Time," and "Downtown Train" showcase his remarkable range, moving effortlessly from unsettling carnival music to heartbreaking balladry. The album also marks the height of Waits' creative reinvention during the 1980s. After leaving behind the jazz-inflected barroom style of his earlier work, Rain Dogs fully embraces the experimental direction he began on Swordfishtrombones. Yet despite its adventurous sound, the emotional core remains accessible: these songs are about outsiders searching for dignity, connection, and home in a chaotic world. What makes Rain Dogs endure is its ability to find beauty in decay. It romanticizes neither poverty nor loneliness, but it gives voice to people and places that popular music often ignores. Every listen reveals another lyrical detail, instrumental flourish, or emotional nuance, making it an album that rewards patience and repeated exploration.
The problem with Tom Waits is that half his albums are stone-cold brilliant masterpieces and the other half is him howling while he's plunking around on something he dug out of a junkyard. The brilliant half of this + the brilliant half of "Swordfishtrombones" gets a 5. This album, as it is, does not.
Arguably the worst album ever
A personal all-timer. I don’t know if everyone would give it five starts, but I wish I could give it 10.
3.5 There’s this thing with Tom Waits, in that he makes two kinds of songs. One is a normal, sincere, deep, beautiful song with heartbreaking lyrics. The other type of song he makes is what I like to refer to as a “dark circus” song. You will be able to tell within .5 seconds of the song starting which type of Waits song you’re about to get. The dark circus songs are exhausting, the sincere songs are good. As time goes on, it feels like the dark circus songs take on more and more prominence in his output. Which is a shame, because they’re not his best work, imo. Here, in this album, there’s still a sort of balance, but on relisten, I gladly skipped every single dark circus song, because they’re just silly!
I like aspects of this but still a 3 I think
Tuesday, 28 July, 2026 This is a great record. It’s not always to my taste, but I’m always glad dot exists.
Parts of this sound like what if Tom Waits tried to write a musical inspired by Tim Burton movies that didn’t exist yet
As strange and off putting as Waits voice is and as weird as some of these songs were I think I could grow to like this album.
3.25 - I'm not sure how I hated the last Tom Waits album so much and I kind of dig this one.
Oh yeah! Clap hands for this one.
I like some of his stuff but why does he have like 3 albums on here akready.....
some are really nice some I dont like at all
Some good songs here, particularly Downtown Train, but I just can’t get past his voice (or complete lack of it).
It was ok, but it's not my sort of thing.
I have almost no words to describe how I feel about another Waits masterpiece. Refer to my review of his previous album. This stuff really changed my perception of what good music should be. Extremely interesting, original, surreal work. Another easy 5 stars for Mr. Waits. P.S. This happens to be the same LP which is placed on top of my record player and have been staring at me ever since I've started this list!
Rarísimo como el fulano
Favorite Tom waits hands down. A classic. A bold and perfect piece of art.
I love Tom Waits so much, and this record is a good reason why. This isn’t my favorite record of his, but it’s really not too far off…Mule Variations is, for me, his best. There are a few that really compete with it though, and this is one of them. 10/10
Definitely not the worst of Tom Waits but still...
Great album. Every song is interesting in its own way. If anything, the list needs more Tom Waits
4.5
Nope.
A weird mix of rock and blues and other stuff. Combine with a unique gravely voice and this album will hit hard for someone, just not me.
I like musical theatre. I like rock opera. I like theatrics. But his voice was quite off-putting for my ears and, honestly, made me quite uncomfortable for some reason. Just not for me.
completely horrid, did not like it at all
halloween, carnival, pirate ship music. spoken word poetry. variety of genres, strange but good.
Thoughts before listening: I like Tom Waits, I don't love Tom Waits. Some of his songs are awesome, some are awesome but the carnival barker gravelly vocals throw me off, and some are just too weird for their own good. I know that this is one of his most celebrated albums, so I look forward to hearing it. Review: The album starts out with more of the same gravelly carnival barker Tom that typically turns me off, and I was afraid this was going to be a slog. However, it quickly turns to the better. Songs like "Jockey full of Bourbon", "Tango Till They're Sore", "Big Black Mariah", "Hang Down Your Head", "Time", and "Downtown Train" really drew me in. Tom Waits as storyteller singing (not barking) ballads and bluesy shuffles is the version of Tom Waits that I enjoy. Overall, while this 19 track album could have probably benefited from losing a few of the more abrasive songs, this is a 4-star album to me.
I broadly like Tom Waits, but this isn't the best one of this works. It meanders and almost everything being less than 3 minutes doesn't do it any favors.
I'm just not a fan of Tom Waits. I know people love him but I don't get it.
Probably my fave Tom Waits.
Again, I have to say that I love Tom Waits, but I can't listen to much of his music. I have my favorites but they're not here, and are the more melodic less avant garde songs. I appreciate his weirdness though.
Sorry, I can't help it: COOKIE! But it turns out that the songs I knew are the least interesting ones on the album, because marketing, and the whole thing is pretty impressive for the 80s.
5th album by Tom Waits. This fact doesn't make it better (Tom's performance).
Let marrow bone and cleaver choose While making feet for children's shoes
You need the the songs that sound like they were recorded at an evil circus so that the second half full of ballads hits so much harder.
I think it's fair to say you're not listening to Tom Waits for the anesthetics and acoustics. Waits wears his difficult music as a badge of pride, and as well he should. Rain Dogs is made up of living and breathing characters, written in blood, smoke, bourbon, and ash. Somebody had to write the stories of the downtrodden, the tales of dark alleys, and outcasts and Tom Waits has always been their patron saint. That doesn't mean that every song lands or that you're even going to like the record, but it all carries weight. I wish there was more cohesion, but for a collection of songs dragged across concrete, I think they're doing as well can be expected.
I think I'm finally starting to get Tom Waits. It's been a long journey, but for the first time, I can actually say that I actively enjoyed listening to a Tom Waits album. It still didn't fully click with me as much as I feel like it could, I mean some people out there seem to believe that he is one of the greatest musical geniuses who ever lived, and I'm definitely not quite at that stage just yet. But I did actually like this, I found it interesting, the lyrics were captivating and at times even quite witty and funny. I think it suits this album to have a very simple instrumental, as the focus is more on the lyrics than anything else, as is often the case with folk music. I think that his voice is still definitely an acquired taste, and something I'm still getting used to myself. But on the whole this is by far the most positive I have felt after listening to a Tom Waits album, and I'm now looking forward to discovering the rest of his stuff, and hopefully liking the albums I initially hated.
Great album and more commercial than previous albums.
I have listened to this so many times over the last couple of years. Tango til they’re sore is just incredible, as are so many of the other tracks. The off-kilter piano, the wheezing brass, the tales of carnivals and circus folk, and the percussion sounding like it is being played on pots and pans shouldn’t work but in his hands it does.
I find it hard to judge Tom Waits albums differently as they do sound like variations of a theme but as with most, I enjoyed this. Classically grizzled vocal delivery, with a New Orleans blues/jazz vibe which fit well, this was a nice listen, ‘Time’ in particular.
Argh his voice. Music wise it’s ok not the worst. His voice is special not necessarily very bad but will need some careful arrangement and design to polish and cover the imperfections. But only heard him mumbled, and his coarse grits. Not very pleasant.
was Tom Waits trying to impersonate a pirate on this album? because that is what I was led to believe based on the first song. ill be honest, i didn't absolutely hate this one. it was weird for sure, but i found myself bopping along with some. overall though, i don't ever see myself coming back to tom waits
I don’t understand how Tom Waits has multiple albums on this list. One album? Sure, it’s something you should hear, but not more than that. Quickly putting Mr. Waits back on don not play on my Spotify.
I've been waiting for an album to come along that allows me to finally understand and appreciate Tom Waits. Looks like I'll have to keep waiting because this ain't it.
Thought it was a bit too esoteric to my taste at first, but the album did really grow on me. I was surprised to not be sick and tired of it after 19 tracks. Would listen again.
There’s something theatrical about a lot of Tom Waits songs and certainly the first three tracks here put me in mind of a good Disney soundtrack. This process has made appreciate the gruff mouth full of gravel delivery, which just complements these songs perfectly. If anything it’s a bit too long in the mix on ‘Jockey full of bourbon’
I wanted to hate this. I expected to hate this. I did not. And now I hate myself.
The second Tom Waits album I've heard on the album generator but the first since a read a social media post from someone saying that they always imagine Rowlf from The Muppets when they hear Tom Waits singing. The actual music remains extremely 'discordant Disney villain' which as I said last time, I'm definitely not against. I feel like this ends up being more than the sum of it's parts and I completely cannot justify it.... but I kinda like it. I think the title track really summed up the whole album, and it made me smile. I can't see me ever being a massive Waits fan, but I could see me buying a Best Of. 3/5 (but probably nearer a 3.5)
Having grown up in the 60s/70s and spent time on the road in the 80s after a stint in the American military in Europe where we (my since long-lost and some now-dead friends) listened to European/American punks in grimy underground dance/punk clubs, I first listened to Tom Waits' idiosyncratic album of urban/stray/feral tunes. Now I realize this is an album full of vignettes of those days. And evocative it still is. But being an old man now, I get it: this album either means something to an individual listener as lived experience or it doesn't. A cross between a faded/jaded Kerouac "re: drunk" reader and an urban street punk. This album speaks to me. 5 "terribly misguided transcendent musing" stars.
Loved it
(4/7) a respectable balance of pleasant and unusual
solid
One of my favorite records
- Strange - Can’t finish listening
The first couple songs were great, but the deeper I got into the album, the more forced it felt. I like unconventional music that doesn't follow the normal rules, but you've got to do it with a little bit of class too.
I didn't hate Bone Machine, but I didn't love it either. This album is better for sure. The singing isn't always the most amazing to listen to, but the album as a whole is really good.
the jazz elements are enjoyable, I like the swinging of the tracks but I don't truly like the album, elements that I really like are there but it's not concise enough for me to fully say I'll care about this in a month, I'll remember bits of it tho
There is a better Tom Waits album than this, but only if you ask me. He is the master storyteller, inhabiting the characters in his songs, and rendering the absurd into the entirely plausible. A wonder of a record.
I first listened to this album in the mid 90's and have only revisited it a few times since. I figured out a long time ago that I'm pretty contrarian about music. While this is probably his best album on the list, there are 3 or 4 others I'm reaching for before this one. We like what we like. There are some classics on here, Downtown Train will hit you right in the feels. Go listen to Closing Time and The Heart of Saturday Night and wonder how they didn't make the original list.
This is a masterpiece
Paar grappige tunes
very cool and fun, great lyrics too, some tracks have me more than others though, and overall it doesn't hit every corner of my brain that I'd need for a 5/5, still it's like a 9/10
Brilliant album. Tom Waits is such a unique storyteller and musician, he creates this environment and world you can't help get sucked into. Rich, fun and dark music that draws you in. Love it.
3.16
that’s some crazy shit i’m not gonna lie, kinda a vibe
Very much an experimental album, it can be listened thru, but not great.
I know tom waits is a legend but I couldn’t really listen to this album, his voice and way of singing made me uncomfortable somehow. Which doesn’t make sense, I just think it was an album that felt unfinished and badly mixed, which is overly harsh
I’ve always been more of a cat person.
not for me but downtown train is great
nostalgisch und irgendwie langweilig
I mean it's certainly....interesting. I don't really know how I felt about it though.
My parents saw Tom Waits in San Francisco in the 1970s when they were travelling before they had kids, and they were fans, so I heard his music in my house growing up. Which, perhaps weirdly, means that Tom Waits is a kind of comfort music for me, even though not much about the actual music suggests comfort. Nobody else sounds like Tom Waits. It’s not just that his throaty growl is unique, it’s that the music matches it: Rain Dogs both sounds familiar, drawing from cabaret music, various forms of jazz, maybe the occasional hint of country or blues and so on, but it all comes across as ramshackle and grotesque, like it’s coming out of a junkyard, or some alley dimly lit with oil lamps. It doesn’t sound like 1985, that’s for sure. It says something about how exceptionally musically capable both Waits and Marc Ribot that this album is so listenable despite how out there a lot of this album is. Excellent listen, and I need to listen to Tom Waits more often.
An album I’d like to listen to enough to know well. Excellent.
Tom Waits' music is like having a hangover and getting caught in the rain, and this album was exactly like that but having awoken to find your money stolen and a bruise on your head, hands, and knees. Not all of his stuff hits, in fact, most if it is kinda bad... BUT, songs like Jockey Full of Bourbon and the slam poetry on 9th and Hennepin, do give him so interesting weight in his unique takes on music and lyric. Favorite track was the former aforementioned, with a shoutout to the later.
this fucking sucks. on another day this may have gotten a 2 because of the band, but not today. DNF
Very strange mix of genres. Sort of carnivally and jazzy and he has a very musical theatery and Bluesy voice. Just a strange album altogether. Some good some bad. 3/5
I’d rather listen to this 1000 times than listen to another Elvis Costello album
very random and trippy, I didn't like it that much. There are some good melodies now and then, or things I like but wouldn't listen to.
This doesn't feel like music I'd casually listen to. This feels like something I would dig up from memory if I was making a silly little movie and needed background music for a silly little scene. As a semi-serious person... I can dig it.
My first, unexpected reaction to the opening song was to laugh. It really does sound like Halloween music at first. But opening with that song was just a sign of Tom Waits' boldness and uncompromising approach to his artistic project. You'll either get on board or not, and Waits doesn't care either way. He's created something so odd and anachronistic here. Line by line, the lyrics seem like they could have been written in an 18th century port town or in 20th century New York. You have songs that are practically sea shanties alongside something like "9th and Hannipen", which is like spoken-word poetry from a film noir. I could be crazy, but I think it's a sign of immense creativity that the closest predecessor to what Waits is doing here with his odes to the outcast of '80s New York society who populate these songs would be Charles Baudelaire. Musically, it's pulling from an enormous selection of instruments that are seldom heard at this point in history. It's unbalancing at first, but you quickly notice you're listening to something entirely singular. And despite the (affected?) gruffness of the vocals, Waits doesn't withhold pleasure for the sake of his project either; the warm percussion on this record is especially lovely to listen to.
Best Track - "Downtown Train"
look, tom waits is unapologetically himself. i can tell he's an expert in whatever genre this is, and that this is a layered, complicated album that rightfully has many fans. but god, does it sound like dog water to me. side note: how is it possibly i got TWO tom waits albums directly in a row? literally, what are the chances i'd get a swamp witch double feature? if you need me, i'll be floating facedown in a polluted bog.
i listened to this a bunch of times and honestly it's not half bad. the first five songs are by far the strongest to me, but the rest of the album is weird and interesting and not completely off-putting. definitely more musical than some of his others. this is a 3.5 to me but i'll give it a four because i'm crazy favorites: tracks 1-5, downtown train
Literally has everything you would ever want from a Tom Waits record: his melodic, soul-stirring material ("Downtown Train," "Time"), uptempo urban folk ("Clap Hands," "Jockey"), bizarro avant-garde stuff ("Tango," "9th and Hennepin"), and a familiar jazz/lounge sensibility ("Mariah," "Anywhere"). He remains one of my all-time favorite artists and has for so many years. This is his pinnacle.
Definitely a guy that doesn’t leave a great first impression I’ll say that I thought there was some cool stuff on this album, one of the rare albums where the second half is better than the first. It’s not a pretty voice in any way, but I think his vocals are very well suited to deliver emotional lyrics (which is another highlight of this one). Blind Love and Downtown Train are probably my favorites on this one, I really like the instrumentation Elephant in the room is that voice, that damned voice. I absolutely hated that first song, just super grating and nothing of substance. There’s a couple other songs scattered through the album I didn’t like at all, such as Diamonds and Gold and Jockey Full of Bourbon, though there are like 20 songs on this album so they’re not too in your face at least Not exactly sure how I want to rate this one; it’s a fine album and one I’m pretty confident I’d like more if I listened to it again after getting used to his voice. I think this would be a 4 if the songs I really don’t like were gone, but there’s too much good for this to be anything less than a high 3
Every song sounds like the villain song in a musical
I'm conflicted about this album because there are many things that I liked about it, but it still isn't something that I would listen to regularly. The percussion was the highlight of the album for me. There's a lot of variety and unique percussion instruments used, most notable among which was the dissonant mallet instrument used in several songs. I don't dislike the sea shanty-like songs, but I can't really say the same for the Halloween-sounding songs. It seems like he tried his hand at writing a pop song with downtown train, which was an unexpected style after hearing the rest of the album. His voice is unique like many other artists we've heard so far, but I actually didn't hate his uniqueness as much as a few of others. I'm having a hard time rating this.
The music is zany, bizarre, confusing, yet, I really enjoyed this album. Tom Waits has a horrible voice in the best way possible. It's almost spooky. Speaking of Tom Waits, is he okay? Has anyone checked on him? Is he seeing a therapist? Favorite Track: "Cemetery Polka".
My favourite Tom Waits album. Lovely.
I was not sure of this at the start but as it got going I got drawn in and the second half was much stronger than the first. Loved ‘Gun Street Girl’. 2.5
This is quite something isn't it? First 30 seconds, I thought "I'm going to hate this" but it's grown on me over the 50 minutes. I'll give it a 3 overall - feels like one to revisit.
I have never really got on with TW but this album is more listenable than the others I’ve tried previously - a solid 2 stars. Tom.
So consistent it hurts. Beautiful.
al principio parecia una canción de batalla de pelicula animada y luego se puso bn raro
Listened
Starts like a ramble through some post-apocalyptic carnival.. jarring, dissonant. Tom threw everything he could find into a blender. What the fuck am I listening to? Something clicks. Don't give up.. for it's here that Waits' genius begins to unfurl. The experimentation and all those bonkers instruments start to make sense. Spins: 3 Playlist Additions - Clap Hands - Jockey Full of Bourbon - Time - Rain Dogs - Gun Street Girl - Blind Love - Downtown Train
Just a classic. His voice is absolutely unique and the gravelliness is perfect. We like it the same way we like The Pogues: bit weird and slightly threatening, but also has a slight musical theatre feeling at points. Unlike anything else.
This has such a strange vibe to it. It reminds me of a Disney villain but without the personality that makes a Disney villain a Disney villain. In Clap Hands I was just waiting for him to turn around stroking a cat. Tango till you’re sore had those same vibes. Big black Mariah sounded like a rejected July talk song. Time was actually nice and slow. This is the first one I think I liked. Gun street girl was also ok. This album was just overall very strange. I didn’t hate it, I just didn’t like it. There were definitely bits I enjoyed more than others, especially in the back half of the album. 2.5/5 ⭐️ 164/1089
Really odd. Sounds like a Halloween film soundtrack. Haunting, eerie, strained vocals at times. Unique but not in the best way. 2.5/5
I think I like Bone Machine slighly better, but this is a fantastic album. Tom Waits is very unique, no doubt
I feel like the style isn’t for me, I can’t dance to it or chill listening to it.
I can understand why it's on the list.
Funky. Can't believe this is the guy who did Closing Time.
okay man
This is my first album from the 80s on this project and you see the 1980s and you expect a certain sound right ??? This was NOT what I expected but honestly I quite liked it! It certainly wasn’t boring. Safe to say this years halloween playlist is sorted - I genuinely think they play this in the queue area for the London Dungeon.
Better than the last one but still not over 3 for me
You'll never ever convince me this man's music isn't a practical joke or some kind, like when Garth Brooks pretended to be somebody else. "Downtown Train" fucks, though (when somebody else sings it).
Knee deep in muck
Sounded like Captain Jack Sparrow had made an album about carnival buskers. Wasn't enamoured.
Alas, no matter what my friend and colleague Tim says, I will never like the sound of Tom Waits. Sorry Tim.
Waits continues to surprise me with his music ability. Not all of this album lands for me and there's a bit too much filler for my taste, but I can't pretend I wasn't captivated by some of the high points on this album. This is an easy 5/5 if not for the lack of some song list editing. Some of the best performances from Waits otherwise. Top tracks: Jockey Full of Bourbon, Time, Downtown Train
4.9
4/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/tom-waits/rain-dogs/ Extremely weird album. Part sounds like you're in some twisted old Disney movie, part are gorgeous soulful bluesy songs. I think it's unfair to rate this after 1,5 listen (even if I will do it), because this needs more spins to truly grasp it.
Very "Tom Waits" - but less bedraggled and distressed than "Bone Machine," which I loved. The fact that "Downtown Train" is a Tom Waits song is incredible to me. It's clearly a Big Pop Song, no matter what Tom does to tie it down. I like the songs here, but nothing destroyed me emotionally like "A Little Rain" or "I Don't Wanna Grow Up." It's fine - an album I'll need to listen to again when I have the time to sink into it. THREE STARS
still what? but a little better than the first one i got here......i guess....i don't know
Correcto
Unlike some, I’m not at all put off by the weird and wonderfulness of the style he’s playing for most of this album. It’s actually when he doesn’t do that when I’m struggling. Not because those songs are bad, I just find the moving between the two very much took me out of that headspace which was actually quite jarring in terms of this being cohesive. And given that the album is overly long, cutting those few tracks would have served both to make this a very palatable length and a more cohesive listen So it’s not a perfect album but there is so much to love here.
Totally digging that bluesy, grimy, barroom swagger on this album. Sounds like drunk sailors, busted accordions, street-corner prophets, alley cats, and sad men in wet coats. He takes blues, sea shanties, polka, tango, jazz, folk, spoken-word weirdness, and rock, then runs all of it through this rusted urban dreamworld. It sounds old, but not nostalgic. It sounds theatrical, but not fake. It feels like a city full of damaged characters all singing from different alleys.
I like it! Great surprise
mais uma do tom waits bem parecida com todos os outros que vieram até aqui, mas um pouco melhor? é isso ai
acho que ele masterizou o climinha de boteco frequentado por pseudo-intelectuais e poetas medíocres. tem umas guitarrinha interessante, meio dissonantes, além de uns instrumento maluco fazeno barulho. nem a voz forçada dele me irritou nesse, achei o disco bem sólido. talvez seja o melhorzim dele que passou por aqui
Jumps from Cohen to Springsteen to 60s Disney villain - very original 5
Įdomus pasikkausymas, pasirodo žmonėms jis labai patinka.
People really SHOULD listen to this before they die. Because, dammit, we need to listen to weird music. We need to listen to pop and not resent it. We need to listen to people doing weird shit like this, too! Listenable and curiosity inducing, why the fuck not. Thanks Tom.
Id say swordfish is more my style but this os nothing to scoff at. Its a little less cohesive. A little less experimental. But its alot more laid back and just filled woth good songs. There are a few different modes here, we got the jazz stuff, we got the bluegrass stuff, and id say even some good old pop singer songwriter stuff. You know the simpler songs that flow nice like a river. Amd every one is great. There are some great songs in each category. I saved like 8 songs here. Thats alot even for such a large tracklist. I still love the gravely voice, the instrumentals also do alot for me. Its just good music with alot of variety and fun. Worth the price of admission for sure
This is the 3rd Tom Waits album I listened to and I still don’t ‘get’ it. He writes interesting lyrics I guess and has a unique voice, he is talented for sure but his work is just not for me.
Suena exactamente a lo que tocarían en el bar que atiende Doris en Shrek. Nota: 3.2
Not a big Tom Waits guy, but enjoyed it for what it was.
This surprised me. I’m not a Tom Waits fan, and yet this bizarre circus, cabaretesque oddity strangely mostly worked for me. It was an intriguing listen. 3.5/5
Literally laughed at the first song and figured maybe it was a goofy intro. It didn't get better from there. There were a couple of songs that had some potential but overall this just isn't good and can't be taken seriously. I have zero idea how it garnered and still garners this much acclaim
Tom Waits is an American Treasure and the definition of unique. He's pretty much always gonna get a five from me. Great stuff here. 5
Having this and Trout Mask Replica back-to-back was certainly an experience
Cookie Monster joins the carnival.
It's no secret that Tom Waits, and this album in particular, mean the world to me. Waits has always been a master at shifting his sound - musically, lyrically, and vocally, - to whatever strange world he's about to throw the listener into. I'd say he's at his most "Real Tom" on Bone Machine, still my favourite of his, but on this album Tom balances playing all these very different characters exceptionally well. Like a good chunk of Waits' mid- and late-era albums, this one's pretty difficult by nature. It's always jumping between sounds and is the furthest thing from consistent - you get the discordant, clanging Beefheart worship of the opener 'Singapore', the pretty danceable and almost Latin-inspired guitar of 'Jockey Full of Bourbon', a Springsteen-esque heartbreak rocker with 'Hang Down Your Head', the sombre and very introspective ballad of 'Time', an oddball country-rock jukebox track with 'Blind Love', and a pretty established and widely-covered '80s pop-rock standard with 'Downtown Train' .... ALL ON THE SAME ALBUM. It's admittedly the thing I dislike most about this thing, especially on the second side: it lacks a *strong* sonic identity, but I assume that's the point; the characters Tom plays here are lost, and they themselves have no strong identity, so it only makes sense that the music would follow suit. And the characters Waits plays here are great. There's a large emphasis on being lost and unguided - hence the "Rain Dogs" title. Obviously you have that on the title track, where an ominous organ intro gives way to Waits' barked, Disney-villain-esque singing. The closer 'Anywhere I Lay My Head' is just beautiful, purposefully over-the-top vocally, with Waits' voice cracking as he takes on the character of a homeless man who finally accepts his place in a world where passersby are constantly laughing in their sleeves as they walk by him. Some great storytelling moments here too: 'Time' is composed of three beautifully written and sort of tragic stories, and 'Jockey Full of Bourbon' details a night full of mischief and has maybe the tightest and most infectious guitar and drum groove on this album, and I love the way Tom's hushed vocals sound so slick over it all; he's purposefully far less clunky and more dexterous here. 'Union Square' is similar, with its observational writing; Waits details all the strange people and events he sees downtown. 'Gun Street Girl' has that satisfying edge as well, just super smoky and crunchy, as Waits lazily tells a cautionary tale of impulsive love over this loose, bluesy guitar. 'Tango Till Their Sore' is sung from the perspective of a drunk yearning for death, all while micromanaging the finest details of his funeral and burial. And 'Big Black Mariah' is one of the fattest blues tracks I've ever heard, just absolutely booming and stomping, and maybe the greatest demonstration of Tom's powerful vocals. I think there are a few songs I missed mentioning because I don't want to ramble too too much - they're all so great, and I've listened to this album a million times at this point, so I like every song here to some extent. This is far from a conventional album, but I really do think that there's a song for everyone to love here, given just how varied it is sonically. And the sum of its parts is one of the most enjoyable journeys into the minds of society's troubled outcasts, told through the lens of a generational storyteller and voice. Masterpiece.
Couldn’t shake the thought that it sounded like a Disney villain singing. Decent album overall and a bit out there
This is a strange one, but a great one. I haven't heard much of Tom Waits' music before, but this was excellent. This was released in the middle of the 1980s, yet with the possible exception of "Downtown Train" (an album highlight), it doesn't sound like it is from that time period at all. A really cool, unique atmosphere, and Waits' unique voice adds a lot of character to the songs. I'm sometimes fond of unconventional voices, they can sometimes add a lot to the overall product. This is a fantastic album, and doesn't overstay it's welcome despite having a large number of songs. Alright then, I'm off to relisten to this album and check out more of Tom Waits' discography.
My 3rd or 4th album by Waits and I just don't get it. It's shit.
Maybe it's art to someone, it's just annoying to me.
Is this the best Tom Waits album? Possibly. I loved it.
A weird cool album yet sounds dreadful to my ears
Alternating snatches of horror and heartbreak through which Waits' gravelly voice dances and capers like a madman. A few tracks are just too weird or too schmaltzy to sit nicely.
Oh wow wow, this album is surprisingly good, each of the tracks has it’s own unique feel!
It’s ok
This album is a little out there. I’m not gonna lie and the world definitely tends to build on you, but I think you definitely need to be on the streets in New York drunk to really get the full effect of this album. Hey gave me the song downtown train but everything but the girl does it 100 times better so I’m gonna get this album a solid three grow on me but man it was a weird one for sure drunk on the street of New York or your lost in the back rooms in a carnival setting
Best album ever 5/5
genuinely a borderline unlistenable album. his voice was absolutely impossible for me to enjoy and this whole thing almost sounded like a joke album. will not be giving a favourite song, as i didn't enjoy any of the songs more than just tolerance.
Tom Waits sucks.
Before starting this project I thought that maybe I liked Tom Waits. Like there were a few songs that I thought were ok. When I got his weird fake live lounge album I figured that it was from an early era of Tom Waits the I didn't like. Now that I got this awful circus vibe album I am beginning to think that no, I do not in fact like Tom Waits.
I have never listened to a Tom Waits song before, let alone an entire album. I like a lot of the instrumentation choices and styles that he explores throughout the runtime, but he's got the weirdest, gravelly, "3 packs of cigarettes a day" voice that really throws me off. I think maybe another album of his might suit me more. I honestly don't think I dislike this, but this is one of those "filter" albums where I don't quite "get it" yet. Extra note here: I really liked Downtown Train.
5: 4: Crime of the Century, Arrival 3: Darkness on the Edge of Town, Court and Spark 2: Ramones 1: Rain Dogs
Bit pretentious
Weird and I dig it!
I guess I had no idea what a Tom Waits song sounded like. I was aware people had opinions on his voice. Anyway, this was unexpected. I think I was expecting more traditional rock, so I appreciated the range of different instruments used. I didn’t know what I’d hear with each new song.
This one is more of the same of tom waits. So he is pretty diverse and sometimes it sounds like he is trying to sing. Never paid attention to his lyrics again. Feels like a big part of tom waits vibe.
interesting listen overall, experimental and ahead of its time
Enjoyed this album. I love the syncopation and lyrics. But I can only listen to so much of Tom Waits in a single sitting. Would give a 4 but for that.
A similar vibe to drunken karaoke
477/1089 - It's similar to Swordfishtrombones in it's "hobo-circusness" which is cool if you're in the right mood. It's less experimental but seems to apply the experiments to a larger variety of music. Will probably listen to both again in the future. I think I like Swordfish more for being wackier.
Decent album. His best I think.
Some interesting sounds
Meh
i glaub 4/5? hat ma scho gfallen
ich hab nur so die hälfte gehört, mag seine stimme nicht und die musik ist auch so meh
fav songs: big black mariah hang down your head blind love downtown train anywhere i lay my head gritty, theatrical, emotional 70/100
classic all day long.
wtf was that, i loved it
Una sorpresa agradable y una voz que sin duda debía de conocer
Oh yes. This is one of my top albums of all time, ever since it was lent to me by a friend and it served as my introduction to Tom Wait's incredible body of work. I can't be objective about this, and I could go on forever about it, so I won't start.
He's sure doing something, but I don't enjoy it. 3.
Personal enjoyment: 4/5 Relevance to this list: 5/5
I had the misfortune of drawing two Tom Waits albums in a row. And while Tom may wait, in this case I can not.
I cannot get my head around Tom Waits. Utterly dreadful.
Very showtunes-y, if thats a word to describe it. Not gonna lie, the first song threw me off with the vibe but the album was pretty alright. Downtown Train was probably my favorite. 5.1/10
I get the Tom Waits thing, and also I need to lie down. Rain Dogs is a lot...in the best way, but only when you're ready for it. Highly mood-dependent. Circus vibes. Will revisit when the planets align.
Very interesting. Tom Waits is more a lyricist than a singer, but this music was brilliant, different, and engaging. A fun listen, all in all
I know he is a legend and all that but his style is not my favorite. Probably don't like him for the same reason I don't like Bob Dylan. The lyrics are great but I prefer a more singing approach. The music is good but nothing that really blows me away. Overall not bad but not something that I would listen to again.
No. 1.8
I gotta be honest, there was a lot more to like on here than there was on the last one I listened to. I was worried listening to the first song, but he doesn't do that really annoying voice as much, and there was actually some really appealing writing on here. I still didn't love it, but I can understand the appeal a little more with this one than the last one. Favorites: Cemetery Polka, Time, 9th & Hennepin
Dark and grimy with a strange warm comfort that is found in the lyrics and the instrumentation
How much more of this do I have to endure? And I thought Swordfishtrombones was bad. Well, first of all, words can't even begin to describe how much I hate that album cover. 'Time' is actually a decent song. The rest, though... I can't explain it, honestly. It's so much, yet nothing at the same time. It ranges from some bad song made for an indie horror mascot game to circus vibes to straight-up how I imagine a question mark would sound. I just hate it; I don't want to add anything more. Just make the suffering end already.
How come when I do my jazz jam sessions I don’t have pirates break in and force me to play guitar while they sing circus music straight out of New Orleans?
“If I want a sound, I usually feel better if I've chased it and killed it, skinned it and cooked it.” Every sound on “Rain Dogs” feels as hunted, prepared and sauteed as Tom Waits described. This is most definitely a unique listening experience. More like a collection of tales of vagabonds and outcasts, told to you by a stranger in a bar in exchange for a glass of hooch. Storytelling and folklore that's so vivid, you can almost smell the smoke off his breath as he recounts them to you. The type of stories that are rehearsed and maturing with every telling. I have to admit that I didn't get Tom Waits at first. It took a long time for it to click. But now I appreciate the madman as one of the most original, uncompromising artists of our time. With a voice that sounds somewhere between Oogie Boogie from “The Nightmare Before Christmas”, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins and Heath Ledger’s Joker, he's a unique presence. In fact, he doesn't feel like he's from our time at all. More like a drifter from the 1940s, going town-to-town, telling his stories to whoever lends him their ear. And he's one of the best storytellers of all time, in the same class as Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan and Nick Cave. There's nobody else in the world like Tom Waits. He's a true original, always so uniquely himself through and through. I mean, who else would approach the studio like he did? Hitting a chest of drawers with a two-by-four in a bathroom to get a drum sound. Giving instructions such as “Play it like a midget's bar mitzvah.” He's nutty in the best way possible. Thom Yorke described the experience of travelling through this album better than I ever could: “Every track was a short movie set in a mysterious, circus-like down-at-heel America that I had almost no understanding of, with different characters both in the lyrics and the instruments, an entire universe revealed to me for a few minutes only to drop me at the other end of the block – no idea how I’d got there.” Waits has a seriously dark sense of humour. And a way with language like very few others could manage or master. A real wordsmith. I don't pretend to fully understand what he's singing about all of the time, but there's such visual poetry in his words, that paints a picture and an atmosphere that feels so damn real. “Anywhere I Lay My Head” is such an amazing way to end the album. Finishing on the last lyric would be enough for Waits to sign his John Hancock on this masterpiece, but then the N’Orleans style band kicks in and sends us off in style.
Super weird and diverse. Cool listen
I'm hearing a heavy influence on Modest Mouse.
this is a very peculiar album, probably i need a lot of time to devour it fully. Is some kinda dark blues/punk rock, not so easy to grasp the first time, but probably you get a good listening during a rainy day/night
Far, far better than “Nighthawks at the Diner” and “Swordfishtrombones,” which I already reviewed here. This is more experimental—but also more listenable-than those albums.
It’s good, but more listens are needed.
Favorite Song: Time
That was some of the goofiest shit I’ve ever heard. Sounded like some reject Danny Elfman soundtrack.
This is a great, gray, gravelly album. Tom Waits rumbles his way through the underbelly of New York and finds a haunting beauty there. Everything about this is interesting, and it is moving and witty in equal measures. Favorite tracks: "Clap Hands," "Downtown Train"
Love Tom Waits. And this is one of my favs by him. .
I love everything Tom Waits has done. Great musician, songwriter, poet. Some of the most profane and achingly beautiful music I've ever heard. This album, along with Swordfishtrombones and Franks Wild Years, marked a new and welcome direction for Waits. Welcome to the intriguing dark side.
I liked maybe half of this album, but only kinda. Most of it sounded like something you'd hear while watching violently drunk clowns doing a very raunchy burlesque show.
One of my big “vocal tastes are subjective” staples. I also think Waits does storytelling & world building better than 90% of the artists who are known for that. Also a bold first track that really says “buckle up, we’re getting strange”
Didn’t leave any impact
Wow. This album was so good. The music was really good. Tom Waits used all his voices to bring different emotions to the different songs on the album and it was perfect each time. I had only known of Tom Waits prior to this. Listening to this I want go down the rabbit hole because I was mesmerized by his voice. It’s that good.
I like this quite a lot
Tom is great, like this album
Heartattack and Vine was better. The opening quarter of this album was wildly varied with the polka a particularly obscure one. This album had a fair bit of the extreme gargling, gravelly tones appearing at points that I just don't get on with. I've said it before, but when he angles towards the conventional, I'm more on board.
Tom Waits kind of sounds like if Dr. John were a cartoon villain, but that's a vibe that I really enjoy, as it turns out! Some really beautiful moments here too, which I don't remember being the case in the last Tom Waits album I got.
This is weird nonsense. Naturally i loved it
I now know where Danny Elfman got the inspiration for nightmare before christmas
Just don’t care for this guy’s style or sound.
Fun, weird, quirky, good actor.
Solid
5 outta 5 dawgs, RAINED ON!!!
What? How did I hate listening to this but don’t want it to stop?
Funny, quirky and quite good musocal composition! Liked this ome better than the other one of his
I just don’t like this guy. It feels like he’s having a joke I don’t get but suspect is at my expense.
Very unique, may need to revisit
Tender and grotesque - life laid bare, in all its beauty and ugliness.
Tom Waits is a treasure. He’s also a schtick.
alright, fine. i dig this.
He can be a bit too much for me sometimes, but this album checks all the boxes. “Downtown train” takes on so much more meaning for me as a child of the 80s and Rod dominance.
Muy raro disco, recién el 6 track me llamo un poco mas la atención por ritmos mas conocidos con big black mariah en un sonido mas rockandrolero pero lo demás me deja que desear. Es un disco medio de sonidos para una actuación de circo o lo que escucharías en una pelicula de piratas mientras no hay accion. No es algo que escucharía nuevamente. son 2 los puntos para no ser malo
Can we stop w/ Tom Waits now?
4.5/5 Idk what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this. Not mad though, it’s such a unique collection of songs with a consistent theme, if not some differing musical approaches (does that even make sense? Idk.) Also funny to hear Tom Waits sing after only ever having seen him in movies.
i listened to 5 songs and i couldnt finish.
Je ne savais pas du tout dans quoi je me lançais en mettant cet album. Je n'ai pas tout à fait compris de quoi il s'agissait. Vocalement, Tom Waits est très rocailleux et brut, ce à quoi je ne m'attendais pas du tout. Musicalement parlant, je ne saurais pas vraiment dire ce que c'était. C'est ce que les anglophones appellent les "songwriters", mais au fond, ça ne veut pas dire grand-chose, tant ça regroupe plein de choses. En tout cas, cet album et ce chanteur ont une vraie personnalité, mais je n'ai pas plus accroché que ça. Je suis quand même content de l'avoir entendu, parce que ça avait le mérite d'être original.
A wild, challenging, diverse, weird, and confrontational album, that’s also equal parts tender, heartwarming, and beautiful. This is the full Waits experience in one legendary album. The carnival barking, the drunken spoke word, the gorgeous piano ballads, catchy rockers, and everything in between. You’re in on Waits, or totally out, and I respect both paths. But the weird needs to be celebrated in this beige world, and I’m completely in.
What that Leonard Cohen album should have been.
Pretty good
The album may start with Singapore, but its heart is a rain and whiskey-soaked New York as it travels through its nineteen tracks. And while that might be five to twelve too many songs for non-fans (Tom can be divisive), if you've got any inclination towards any of Tom Waits' incarnations, Rain Dogs has you covered — from herky-jerky trashcan rhythms and off-kilter polkas, tangos, and shanties, to avant-pop, blues, and ballads. All with a raspy voice that doesn't throw anchor in any port — only those rife with adventure and trouble to be had.
Ok
Love me some Tom Waits. No one else like him.
Rain Dogs is a strange album because it has so many different sounds all encapsulated within the 53 minute runtime, some more digestible than others and some that are very strange and really experimental even for my own ears. The one thing that ties it all together beautifully though is the stellar songwriting from Tom that feels so much more personal and honestly depressing at times thanks to the very heavy nature of the themes. This album feels like talking with a small community of people with the stories all not seeming interlinked at first but upon a deeper inspection show these invisible chains that keep them all linked together. Rain Dogs is a striking album in both design and subject as there are plenty of tracks that may repulse the average listener and some that would have you think this is a Bruce Springsteen wanna-be. It is perplexing and a bit hard to chew on, but if you let the taste simmer then it turns out to be a very compelling release. Not my favorite Tom Waits as much as it hurts me to say, but Rain Dogs is an album I haven't been able to stop thinking about since I heard. Some of the finest story-telling I have heard in some time mixed with some of the strangest production I have heard at times. I don't know what is wrong with you Tom Waits, but keep it up.
Downtown train Gun street girl Blind love Clap hands Time Jockey full of bourbon
Cants say I wasn’t intrigued by this dirty blues-pirate dawg. Some gems in there, worth searching around the Waits library.
What the hell is this. Pirate music??
Teeters between circus music made with found antique shop instruments and soulful blues and ballads. It has a certain pull that makes it almost a 4 in my book.
I feel like I gravitate toward later Tom Waits, where his songs are all mistuned pianos, creaking organs and wheezing accordion. But, I feel like this is a good bridge between those albums and his earlier dive-bar balladier stuff. So, in that regard, this may be his best album.
Surprised to enjoy this. Feels like his most accessible album given how often I've experienced Waits as more obsessed with what sounds he can make with shoes and horns while incoherently shouting like a muppet - rather than whether those things all sound, I don't know, listen-able. But this felt gritty and dark with just the right amount of drunk carny weirdness - without devolving into sheer noisiness (the exceptions being Midtown & Union Square & maybe a few others that border annoyingness.) Maybe a high 3 low 4 kind of situation, but grading up given my low expectations.
I actually enjoyed this one. By far I think my favorite tom waits. I really enjoyed the eclectic style of this.
Weird, but not weird enough to be good
I knew he was a “either you love him or hate him” artist but I didn’t know it was because he sounded like that. Genuinely so fucking funny. How are some of you listening to this seriously. He sounds like the troll that lives under that bridge. Tom waits for those goats to cross over. He’s mates with the laughing gnome. What the hell is this.
Wow, I feel like with every album I like his music more, or maybe I just GET it more. This is quite minimal compared to the last ones (at least the 90s one), which obviously lets his voice take centre stage. His voice I think is less abrasive here (on a few songs it is though), which I think is great. I probably said this before, but the atmosphere is the most incredible thing about his music, he's just able to create such a visceral image of dread and dingyness. A great example is the 9th and hennepin song, where he's not actually singing, but it just feels horrifying and suspenseful, where in essence its very simple music. I suppose he's mimicking really old blues singers like from the 1920s and before. Favourite songs: Singapore, jockery full of bourbon, tango till they're sore, diamonds and gold, hang down your head, time, rain dogs, 9th & hennepin, gnu street girl, union square, downtown train. Overall around 7/10
What if Tim Burton was a musician? Here’s your answer. Tom’s music is crazy, gritty, whimsical, bizarre. It’s like watching a rusty circus train swaying back and forth going down the rails. It’s a thing to behold.
How are there three of these on the list?!?! Downtown Train saved the 1 star rating.
Nobody has a voice like Tom Waits
Is there a medication you take before listening to Waits to make his voice enjoyable? Is it a conspiracy against me and my tastes? It's April 1, so perhaps April Fools? I just don't get it, and I suppose I never will.
01) Singapore - 6,5 02) Clap Hands - 6,5 03) Cemetery Polka - 3,0 04) Jockey Full of Bourbon - 6,0 05) Tango Till They're Sore - 5,0 06) Big Black Mariah - 5,5 07) Diamonds & Gold - 5,5 08) Hang Down Your Head - 6,5 09) Time - 6,0 10) Rain Dogs - 5,0 11) Midtown - 3,0 12) 9th & Hennepin - 2,5 13) Gun Street Girl - 5,5 14) Union Square - 6,0 15) Blind Love - 5,5 16) Walking Spanish - 5,5 17) Downtown Train - 7,0 18) Bride of Rain Dog - 1,0 19) Anywhere I Lay My Head - 5,0 TOTAL: 5,05 (51/100) Current ranking: 802/865
I’m still not sure I entirely get Tom Waits, but I still enjoy the ride. 4/5 Highlights: - Clap Hands - Diamonds And Gold
forse come soundtrack ha / avrebbe del potenziale ma così è impossibile da ascoltare per me
Basta tom waits
I remember the day I reviewed "Bone Machine". That album would have my first 1-star review on this site. Unlike "Bone Machine", "Rain Dogs" is pretty good. Waits' voice is off-putting for the first 5 or so songs, but I got used to it. "Time" should get more love. 3 stars for " Rain Dogs".
No context for this one and I am certainly wowed. What an interesting... Thing?
I wish I had more time with this album - I'll probably be revisiting it. Overall I liked the somewhat theatrical cabaret vibes, and the slight spice of Disney villain theme song. Not gonna be for everyone I assume, but I enjoyed my time with it more than I didn't.
Not his best work...
Wow. Reminded me of Glass Animals + Tom Cardy + absurdism. Felt like I needed to be on a fair amount of drugs to really appreciate this.
I was genuinely not prepared for what I got here--did Cemetery Polka inspire Runscape's composer? One must marvel at the infinite possibilities of artistic creation and experimentation. Especially when I don't get it!
His music is just so weird! But strangely kind of fun.
Such a unique and distinctive voice. Possibly a bit too much on this album, think it would have been more engaging if stripped down to 12-13 tracks. The original Downtown Train is a classic.
Tom Waits is a silly little guy. I mean some of these songs are not silly, but so many of them feel like haloween songs. This is not to say I dont like this album, really, the opposite. I most definitely overrate this silly little album. 4/5