Reviews (page 3 of 9)
I hated this slightly less than I typically hate tom waits
3- Stars (7/15)
The best album ever!!!
Jeden z jeho najlepších albumov. Tento mám rád.
Some good songs, some funny songs, and some freaky ones. Circus esque with gutteral blues - a theatrical experience
Peautiful
I adored Tom Waits and I have heard this a time or two- always a pleasurable revisit!
todo lo bueno del swordfishtrombones + las mejores baladitas springsteenianas de alguien que no es springsteen. en los últimos años han pasado tantas veces en universal el cover chafa de rod stewart de downtown train que me saqué de pedo con lo buena que es la original al oirla de nuevo. el disco con el que conocí a tom waits y me hice fan inmediata. anywhere i lay my head es uno de los mejores tracks finales que existen; alguna vez pensé que si me moría querría que la pusieran en mi funeral
You got to love Tom waits. He's not a great singer but he makes great songs. It's definitely recognizable as music but not like anything else you hear.
Musical theater at times, country in others, and orchestral. I like the gravely voice, but not an album I would return to.
Absolutely hate Tom Wait's voice, it really takes away any enjoyment I might have from the instrumental. I get what he was going for, but just not my thing. Maybe I would like this more if it were Halloween. I always end up not liking artist with several albums in this challenge, so until we meet again Tom Waits. Favorite Track - Singapore Least Favorite Track - Blind Love ⭐️⭐️
Saved? ✅ Would listen again? ✅ Would recommend to anyone? 🤔 Would buy on Vinyl? ✅
I hate him, he sounds like a drunk person with bronchitis
Fascinating album. I’ve never bothered to listen to him before that much. I wish it didn’t remind me of the theme from black books so much
It’s like being forced to listen to Tim Burton’s brain.
At times, Waits sounds like a whiskey-informed sage, sharing hard learned lessons of life, love, and regret. At other times, he sounds like a drunk muppet. What he doesn’t sound like is Rod Stewart. And I’m ok with that.
Like a Jean-Pierre Jeunet movie is album form; I like it.
4.5
I genuinely think this is one of the greatest records of all time. No one does anything like this.
Rowdy and elegant
I will never, ever understand the appeal. He has the voice of a character in a cartoon designed to be irritating. Unlistenable.
I did Tom Waits voice and style. Wasn't quite in the mood for it today but don't have many complaints. Not sure what sets it out above his other albums
What a strange, strange man. There’s something delicious about how weird some of this stuff is. I gravitate towards the more accessible tracks but the New Orleans style witch doctor songs add some fun spice. Clap Hands and Anywhere I Lay My Head are standouts, but Downtown Train steals the show.
Tom Waits is definitely an acquired taste. This sounds like a Gilbert & Sullivan operetta done in New Orleans blues style. Not really my cup of tea. 2.5 if possible.
This was tough to listen too. At its best Tom Waits' voice sounds like Howlin' Wolf but at its worst it sounds like Oogie Boogie from Nightmare Before Christmas. Given this, I thought the strongest tracks on here were the bluesier songs and the weakest were almost all of the others. Most of the songs on here sounded like musical theater but maybe that's because I can't believe this is someone's real singing voice. I feel like this is what those who don't like Bruce Springsteen's voice think it sounds like but I think they are a world apart in quality and skill.
Lyrics that are absolutely bananas. A voice like someone gargling gravel. And I loved it.
Any Tom Waits album is a remarkable journey, and this is a great one.
Nah
I swear, sometimes he sounds like a hurt animal. I really like so much about him but I just can’t get around that voice at times. 2.5
A harsh 3. If the album was cut down it could probably be a 4 for me.
I just cannot get into this guy. Sometimes there are moments where I think there’s a chance, but then he comes in with his raspy and disconnected voice and then we’re back to square one. Power to those that dig him.
Well, that was interesting.
No me gusto. Se mantiene siempre igual.
Wayyyyy tooo long this - Tom is a weird guy
what even is this
In a bit of a bad mood when listening
Bad... really bad
3.5
Æ skjønne ikke helt det her. Æ takle ikke sjørøver greia, får vondt av å høre på det. Men det e et par 10/10 låter her, Hang Down Your Head, Time og Downtown Train e dødsbra.
ANOTHER goddamned Tom Waits album?!? Might as well change it to "1001 Tom Waits Albums You Must Hear Before You Die". So I skimmed this one and the music is a shade more interesting than other TW albums we've had to endure. Still sucks, though.
No
The Venn diagram of Tom Waits music, bad Bruce Springsteen impersonators, and axe murderers is a circle. I just do not understand the appeal of this man. When he sings normally it’s actually good, which is why “Time” is my favorite song on the album. Also liked “Downtown Train” even though it was a chaotic mess. This was probably my “favorite” Tom Waits album so far, but the bar is in hell.
When I listen to Tom Waits I always initially find him annoying and think I'm not going to enjoy the album. After a while however, I start to enjoy myself. The same was true with Rain Dogs. I didn't like it as much as Bone Machine, but it still just about gets a four from me.
This was some really good music!
This is a hard one. At the start I was thinking two stars and it sucked. Then it got better and was in four star range. I considered averaging to three but what the hell, it’s getting four.
I don't care if you don't like the type of music. This is absolutely genius based on the fact that there was nothing like it when it first came out and it's still very groundbreaking. Not as abrasive as Swordfishtrombones but it's pretty much a mix of early jazz and blues, proto-american music from the 1910s, Screamin' Jay Hawkins impersonation and played by a band of circus freak with a homeless barfly with a whiskey soaked voice as the crooner. This is pure beauty. Of the ugly kind.
Super awesome! I love Tom Waits and wish I were a rain dog too, but I always feel like he’d think I’m a nerd and wouldn’t like me when I listen, so I never do.
I do not like this. Tom Waits is not for me. I do not understand how these albums end up in this list.
STOP Tom Waits
You can’t just mumble ‘bout a one-legged clown in a rainstorm And call it symphony cause the city cascades when wet A growl is just a cough looking for a melody to call home, And noise don't get soul just ‘cause you scraped it from a shoe Now I just need to down a bottle and throw a box of instruments down the stairs, right?
Classic, sheer variety and quality of the record is amazing. Favorite track: downtown train other picks: clap hands, gun street girl, time, hang down your head
Fuck Tom Waits.
8/10 Canción favorita: Time
Bit too hard work. Veers wildly between relatively normal bluesy folk and the insane rantings of the deranged hobo. I won't be coming back for another listen.
Another very good Tom Waits album, but I think I liked Heart Attack and Vine more. There's a strange, but alluring blending of blues and pirate shanties that no other artist could ever pull off in a million years. I also had no idea Waits wrote Downtown Train. It was my favorite Rod Stewart song, and now I know why. Needless to say, Waits' version obliterates it.
Odd but tasty music
Dude is a poet
Toller Typ
A joy to listen to. Waits was at his best on this one.
Sounds like he took some of the more bizarre songs from Swordfishtrombone and made an album around it, pretty cool assortment going on
So richtig warm werde ich wohl nicht mit dem Tom Waits
I don’t like it. The music is definitely unique, but it still ultimately feels like a singer-songwriter album. Yes, the instrumentation is very unconventional, but the album as a whole still retains that minimal, relaxed, vocal-forward vibe most singer-songwriter records have that I don’t enjoy. There was just nothing to get excited about. 5/10
Cookie Monster has been drinking again...
I cling to this record like Linus does to his blanket. Waits keeps you warm.
DNF. Conceptually love the lyrics and approach to production. In actuality, unlistenable. Listened to: NYC to Denver flight
this is better than other album i've heard from him
I have mixed feelings about this one. There were a couple of fun tracks that I enjoyed listening to, but it felt overall a bit lengthy. It's a solid 2 (and a half!) for me.
Atmospheric music (Jazz and its infinite sub-genres) filled with figurative rambling that rarely goes anywhere... That's Tom Waits. His weirdness does on grow on you...like mold. You can keep cutting it off to get to the tasty cheese beneath, but ultimately it just keeps growing back, until eventually everything great about the cheese is completely subsumed in decay. Sounds kind of like a Cirque Du Soleil musical routine only without the extreme gymnastics to entertain the eyeballs. If I have to engage in Tom Waits odd ballery, that is easy on the figurative language and hard on the ears, I prefer to listen to BONE MACHINE. Otherwise, not really a fan of Tom Waits. Honestly when I need that kind of avant garden jazz, I'll just listen to Angelo Badalamenti, or otherwise, I'll just listening to scores from Cirque Du Soleil albums. You get the weirdness, and because they are often singing in French or Hungarian, I still cannot make out anything they are singing about. Otherwise, too much poetry, not enough music. Only track I truly enjoyed was "Downtown Train", and only when others cover it. Sincerely, this is the kind of music that I might enjoy in a live setting, but I would seek to listen to at home. A novelty live act thing to do once every few years on a lark, rather than a diet that brings pleasure at home.
Couple of good songs
Couldn’t listen to it all the way its that bad wtf is this?
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. 5/10
What can you say about Tom Waits, other than the obvious he's one of a kind, sui generis, in a category of one. And maybe: you either love him or hate him (or, possibly: you have to be in the mood - love him one day, hate him the next). All I can say is I'm glad he exists, and has persisted (for decades, now), and, although it took me a little while to get there, I've been a fan of his for quite a while now. Since he IS in a category of one, arguably, it's difficult to rate him: he's only competing with himself. But, anyway, I'll give it 4 stars. lol
Refreshingly different from everything on this list so far. Different instrumentation, different vocal delivery (just listen to the first few seconds of the last track), and different subjects. When it's not giving schadenfreude, its everywhere from the fun of a circus to the glum of watching a drunken vagabond dance. Terrific storytelling and worldbuilding. I would give it a 4 if I was rating objectively, but instead I subjectively give it a 3 because I don't think its an album I would go back to often.
I don't know what kind of circus pirate 50s surf music this album is going on about. Interesting? Certainly. Listenable? Debatable. I'm just confused about this one.
Great album. My favorite track are Time, Downtown Train, Rain Dogs, Clap Hands, Hang Down Your Head, Blind Love, Gun Street Girl.
Love the variety and lyricism on this. 4.5/5.0: Excellent
A lot of variety, every song sounds different. There were a few that weren't as great but none of them are long so it doesn't really drag the album down.
Such an oddball record! But I enjoyed it. Feels like Nick Cave with a dash of Captain Beefheart.
Marimba, niet m’n ding
Had no idea what to expect, and I absolutely loved it. So unique and brooding.
Je sais pas ce que je viens d'écouter, mais j'ai pas détesté.
From "Singapore" onward, I begin to understand what influence Tom Waits had over Primus. This is probably the most palatable Tom Waits album I've heard post-Nighthawks. It's no secret that I'm not a Tom Waits fan, but my mind is changing thanks in part to this album generator forcing me to confront my feelings about Waits head-on. Rain Dogs isn't too far removed from Swordfishtrombone in terms of style or songwriting. There's still the carnival style instrumentation, drums that go thwomp, and Waits rasping and barking over all of it. But then, then are also songs where Waits shows focus. I think I like Rain Dogs more than Swordfishtrombone for that reason. However, there's enough of that twisted cabaret style to put me off. I like Tom Waits the cool lounge singer, rather than Waits the crazed vagrant.
Okay Tom Waits, maybe there's something to your music after all. But I still despise your vocal performance. You sound like a kid who signed up for Choir to get an easy A and who scoffs at the mere idea of singing with effort.
This album was fascinating. It sounds off-kilter and almost carnival-like sometimes, then other songs have a more streamlined (but still eclectic instrumentally) sound. Sometimes the discord was a bit uncomfortable (and "9th and Hennepin", whew). But mostly I enjoyed and was drawn in by the instrumentals. The range of musical styles and sounds is impressive. Love the blues tunes the most. As well as vocal delivery, he goes from a gravelly folk style, to Louis-Armstrong-style jazz singing, to wild blues growls and wails. I loved almost all of the vocals, the gravelly voice gets me again.
Weirdly reminiscent of Tim Burton films
This album was interesting. It sounds like if the boogieman from the nightmare before Christmas decided to make an album.
Tom waits is weird and talented, but this was not enjoyable to listen to.
3.7
His voice does not seem like it fits him
2 stars because I love tom waits other stuff
If you read about Tom Waits, you'll find that writers always struggle to define his genre. Is it jazz, or blues, or banging on trash cans? Is it theater or cabaret or something dredged up from a swamp around New Orleans? Is it a fusion of all these? He's a hard one to define, and I've always appreciated that about him. My favorite album is not on the 1001 list and that's Swordfishtrombones which preceded Rain Dogs, and I recommend living in that one for a while. Both are 5/5 for me.
This is a brilliant album that is an experience. I love Swordfish Trombone, but to me this album is less about tracks and individual songs and more about an audio narrative. I love the way this album builds sonically from street sounds and atmosphere into a coherent expression of city life (NYC). Downtown Train, while clearly the most accessible and commercial track on the album emerges almost as a resolution to the building musical soundscape. So enjoyable.
Ridiculously stacked album. All bangers. Waits really paints a perfect picture, and he doesn't even need lyrics to do that either. The instrumental itself is enough to give my brain and setting and it's characters. His stuff works on such a subconcious level I don't even try thinking what the song looks like, I just see it playing in my head. Insanely talented, I don't think he's ever made a bad album. Or even any below "great"
Noen låter minner meg for mye om Springsteen, men heldigvis er 95% piratmusikk!
Tom Waits har mye bra i repertoaret, men det her fikse æ ikke. Mislike dette av samme grunn som æ mislike Kaizers.
En skikkelig manbearpig! Halvt kul, halvt fin og halvt ko-ko.
Kom meg ikke lengre enn til cemetary polka. Dette er som å høre en dårlig Tim Burton-film. Pass. Hørt på vegen langt utpå vidda.
Klarer ikke å like det, klarer ikke å hate det. Clap Hands og Blind Love er gode, men den whisky-stemmen er bare parodisk.
Impossible to define or categorize. Gruff Folk Rock? ;-)
Okay, I get why Tom Waits is divisive with his sound. But this album kinda sounds like a bunch of other artists, just funneled through the lens of experimentalism. Like the bastard spawn of Nick Cave, Harry Nilsson, Bruce Springsteen, and expermental bands like Diablo Swing Orchestra (deep pull there, lol), but obviously all those artists were likely inspired by Tom Waits vs the other way around. Weirdly, I kinda enjoy it. Don't think I'd ever go back to it, but its definitely good, and very interesting. Never a boring moment on this album.
*Some of the alternative blues with the raspy voice is good *Overall I have never liked Waits' vocals and this does not help *At times if feels like an attempt to do a Trout Mask Replica type album, but its not even close to that level of interesting music
pretty funky. had a cool grumbly voice but didn’t love the lyrics.
I LOVE everything about this album except his voice for some reason. It's really weird because I love Cohen and Dylan and all of the other bad singer, but his voice irritates me. Everything else is still so perfect it gets a 5
I wouldn’t go so far to say I liked this album, but it was interesting as a work of art. Definitely the better tom waits album in my opinion. It’s bizarre but objectively well done. Seems kind like a cop out to give it a 3, but here we are
Good album overall - particularly liked “Clap Hands” and “Union Square”. Definitely different though.
7/10 Best songs: Clap Hands, Big Black Mariah, Anywhere I Lay My Head I've always been conflicted about my feelings towards Tom Waits. I find half of his music absolutely brilliant, and the other half nigh on unlistenable. And... that's exactly how I feel about this album. It's definitely something that everyone should listen to at least once, but I'm not totally sure they'd like it. I'm of the opinion that the second half (the B side) is a bit of a bore. All of that being said, I do sort of wonder if I'd be able to turn myself into a Tom Waits fanboy if I listened to his stuff on repeat - I could plausibly see myself becoming obsessed with enough listens.
60.
What the fuck
This is my 2nd Tom Waits album. I am not any more impressed than the first time. The first song sounds like "This Is Halloween" from The Nightmare Before Christmas, a movie I really don't care about. I will probably never like an album by this man, sorry I saw someone online say Cameron Winter's voice reminds them of Tom Waits, and in reading this I first thought they were crazy but my second thought was "huh, okay, maybe I'll give Tom Waits another try." Yeah, still no thank you.
The lounge singer goes to the carnival…so I know this is the crown jewel in the catalog but it’s not my favourite. I lean more lounge than circus. Still love him. Mule Variations will always have top pickings.
There's just too much Tom Waits on this list. The songs, Clap Hands, Jockey Full of Bourbon and Time, are pretty good. But the carnivalesuqeness of this wears me down fast. It's too bad because he has a beautiful voice as is showcased on the last song, Time.
The Bill Lynch version of Pet Sounds
This was a bit slow moving for me. I generally like Waits, with Nighthawks being my personal favorite. This was my first listen to Rain Dogs, so my reaction may change in the future.
Gets less annoying as it goes on
This one seems too gruff and annoying for my taste.
My favorite Waits album on this list, and possibly my favorite of his full stop (I'm also partial to Mule Variations). I don't think anyone paints vivid character-and-place portraits with their lyrics and music like Waits. His music is the best I've come across at invoking the feelings of both longing/regret as well as the beauty of life's little details. Just a master of his craft.
Witzig.
I'll search for comprehensive information about this classic album to ensure an accurate and well-rounded review. **Rain Dogs** (Island Records, 1985) stands as the crowning achievement of Tom Waits’s “Island Trilogy”—the alchemical middle ground between the skeletal experimentation of *Swordfishtrombones* (1983) and the theatrical excess of *Franks Wild Years* (1987). Recorded at RCA Studios in New York City and co-produced with his wife Kathleen Brennan, the album marks the moment Waits fully abandoned his beat-poet-barfly persona of the 1970s for something far more fractured and enduring: a junkyard orchestra of found sounds, Weimar cabaret, and gutter-blues poetry that redefined what American songwriting could sound like in the Reagan era. --- ### **Production & Musical Architecture** The sonic signature of *Rain Dogs* is immediately confrontational. Waits and Brennan assembled a ragtag ensemble—featuring guitarist **Marc Ribot** (in his first collaboration with Waits), drummer Stephen Hodges, bassist Larry Taylor, and a surprising cameo by **Keith Richards** on three tracks—to create what critic Robert Palmer described as “rhythmically irresistible, uniquely powerful” textural chaos . The production rejects 1980s gloss entirely. Instead, Waits pursues what guitarist Ribot called “orchestra accuracy with back-alley blues” —a tension between precision and entropy achieved through: - **Unconventional percussion:** Marimbas, brake drums, doorbells, and a massive 32-inch bass drum create rhythms that clatter rather than swing - **Brechtian instrumentation:** Accordions, muted brass, and pump organs evoke Weimar-era cabaret, filtered through Captain Beefheart’s angular experimentalism - **“Wrong” notes as aesthetic:** Ribot’s guitar playing deliberately avoids blues clichés, favoring drunken, off-kilter lines that mirror the instability of the lyrics The result is a “junkyard orchestra” aesthetic—organic, raw, and deliberately anti-professional. It sounds like it was recorded in a basement near the East River at 3 a.m., which, spiritually, it was. --- ### **Lyrical Content: Cinema of the Dispossessed** If the music creates the alleyways, Waits’s lyrics populate them with ghosts. Working from his recent relocation to New York City, Waits adopts a cinematic, panoramic approach to character studies that rivals Charles Bukowski and Damon Runyon . **The opening triptych** establishes the rules immediately: - **“Singapore”** drops us onto a diseased whaling ship with surreal imagery (“While making feet for children’s shoes”) that signals this won’t be linear storytelling - **“Clap Hands”** delivers the album’s manifesto in its marimba-driven creep: *“Steam, steam, a hundred bad dreams / Goin’ up to Harlem with a pistol in his jeans”* - **“Cemetery Polka”** transforms family reunion gossip into a grotesque polka, name-checking “Uncle Vernon” and “Auntie Maime” with dark affection Waits’s word-choice operates like physical texture. In **“9th & Hennepin”** he sketches a diner counter where the waitress has a “tattooed tear / One for every year he’s away,” while outside, “the wind is making speeches / And the rain sounds like a round of applause” . These aren’t metaphors chosen for elegance; they’re weathered, specific, and bruised. The ballads provide necessary oxygen amid the clatter. **“Time”** contains perhaps Waits’s most devastating couplet: *“The things you can’t remember tell the things you can’t forget / That history puts a saint in every dream”* . Meanwhile, **“Downtown Train”**—later a hit for Rod Stewart—functions as the album’s one concession to pop structure, though Waits’s original remains ragged, desperate, and unmistakably his . --- ### **Themes: Lost Scents and Urban Decay** The title **“Rain Dogs”** refers to dogs lost in a storm who cannot find their way home because the rain has washed away their scent. This becomes the central metaphor for the entire record: displacement, loss of bearings, and the impossibility of return . The album’s New York is not the gentrifying city of Wall Street excess, but a **pre-gentrification underworld** of card sharps, immigrants, and broken romantics. Tracks like “Union Square” and “Gun Street Girl” map a geography of marginalization, while **“Blind Love”** (*“You’re east of East St. Louis and the wind is making speeches”*) posits geography as emotional state . There’s a persistent **tension between romance and grit**. Waits finds beauty in rust—finding the “Roosevelt dime” shining in the gutter, celebrating the “crumbling beauty” with tattooed tears. It’s an album about resilience rather than redemption; the characters endure, they don’t transcend. As the closing track **“Anywhere I Lay My Head”** declares over a Dixieland funeral march: *“I learned to be alone”* . --- ### **Influence & Cultural Legacy** Few albums have so thoroughly redrawn the map for alternative music. **Thom Yorke** of Radiohead cites *Rain Dogs* as a formative influence, praising its cinematic quality where “every track was a short movie set to music” . **Nick Cave** drew from its narrative well for his own character-driven songwriting, while hip-hop producers like **DJ Shadow** sampled its percussive textures . The album’s reach extends into the mainstream through **“Downtown Train,”** which Rod Stewart took to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1989, providing Waits with financial stability while ironically sanitizing the song’s desperation . Its influence on film is equally profound—the track **“Jockey Full of Bourbon”** features prominently in Jim Jarmusch’s *Down by Law* (1986), starring Waits himself, cementing the album’s visual aesthetic in cinema . Critically, the album has achieved canonical status: - **Pitchfork:** 10/10 (2025 reappraisal), ranked #8 best album of the 1980s - **Rolling Stone:** #357 on the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (2020) - **NME:** #105 on their 500 Greatest Albums list --- ### **Pros & Cons** #### **Pros** - **Unprecedented sonic innovation:** The “junkyard orchestra” approach created a template for experimental Americana that remains unmatched in its cohesion despite its chaos . - **Peak lyrical achievement:** Waits’s image-making here is at its most precise and devastating; every line feels carved rather than written . - **Emotional range:** The ability to move from the abrasive clatter of “Big Black Mariah” to the tender bruise of “Time” demonstrates rare artistic versatility . - **Ensemble chemistry:** The interplay between Ribot’s guitar, Richards’s loose rhythmic sense, and Waits’s percussive direction creates a band sound that feels telepathic . - **Timeless production:** Unlike many 1980s records, the deliberate rawness avoids dated synthesizers or drum machines, sounding as alien and fresh today as in 1985 . #### **Cons** - **Deliberately abrasive aesthetic:** The clanging percussion, off-key brass, and “wrong-note” guitar work can be actively unpleasant on first listen—or for listeners seeking melodic comfort . - **Vocals as acquired taste:** Waits’s gravel-throated growl, fully committed to character work, alienates listeners who find it theatrical to the point of parody . - **Inconsistent pacing:** With 19 tracks and nearly an hour of music, the album’s constant tonal shifts—from polka to tango to blues—can feel disjointed or exhausting rather than dynamic . - **Obscurity for obscurity’s sake:** Some critics argue that tracks like “Midtown” (an instrumental) or “Bride of Rain Dog” prioritize atmosphere over substance, suggesting Waits’s commitment to weirdness occasionally overrides editorial discipline . - **Accessibility issues:** For fans of Waits’s earlier, jazz-tinged piano ballads (*Closing Time*, *Blue Valentine*), this represents a bridge too far into experimentalism . --- ### **Conclusion** *Rain Dogs* is not an album that meets you halfway. It demands that you descend into its New York City of rain-slicked streets, broken accordions, and busted narrators. Yet for those willing to make the trip, it offers one of the most complete artistic visions in popular music—a world where beauty and ugliness are not opposites but siblings, where every clang and whisper serves the architecture of the song. Forty years after its release, it remains the definitive Tom Waits statement: the moment when the “poet of America’s non-nine-to-fivers” (as Robert Christgau described him) found the precise sonic vocabulary to match his literary ambitions . It is, as *Pitchfork* noted in its perfect-score retrospective, “a romantic and carnivalesque masterpiece” that captures the sound of civilization’s rust eating away at the American dream—beautiful, broken, and ringing like a bell you can’t unring .
Not my jam
Favorite Track: Downtown Train
Tom Waits is a smug, uninteresting charlatan that uses a gravely voice and back alley imagery to make himself appear to be a TRUE artist. A man of the people. The REAL people. The ones you wouldn’t dare spend time with. But Tom Waits will! He’ll get fucked up with a one armed go-go dancer. He’ll knife fight with a junkie!! It reminds me of Joe Rogan using psychedelics as a personality. It’s more interesting than my 9-5, but it’s also not that interesting. He’s Jim Morrison without the charisma, talent or good looks. Cant lie though the second half of this album had moments. He was also good in Licorice Pizza.
Music for men who think they look cool while wearing stupid hats
This is one of the weirdest, most “out there” albums we’ve had. It reminds me of some of the cool stuff that Harry Nilsson did, but with a grumbly hardass, cigarette forward spin on it. Its not all amazing (a lot of it is kinda annoying), but its all so unique that I am regularly turning back to a few of these tracks. Cool percussion throughout Loved me Big Black Mariah.
Alright I agree swordfishtrombones is a tough listen and maybe this just sounds comparatively better, but it’s not all bad. This one has more real songs and sounds a little less like a homeless guy hitting a shovel on his trashcan fire. Hang Down Your Head, Time, Blind Love, Walking Spanish, Downtown Train. All pretty good! Sounds like Bruce if he just chewed a bunch of glass, or I guess if he chewed more glass than he already has. I look pretty cool in this fedora, don’t I?
Good
Bit unsettling to listen to. It clearly succeeds at what it’s going for, but I couldn’t get past Waits’s vocals. Sounds like Bruce Springsteen smoked a carton everyday for 5 years. Some of the songs themselves would be good had they been done by someone else. One song in particular I really liked but needed a cover version to be able to listen to.
i always tire of his deal after 4-5 songs but i do think he has a lot of awesome stuff to offer
Rain Dogs was the collective noun Len Houmous used to use for his wives 5-9. 4.2 9/19 Time
A struggle for me. Feels a bit emperors new clothes - what am I missing? I generally don't listen to lyrics so the genius of the lyrics is mostly wasted on me.
Rain Dogs I’m not sure if I have listened to this before, I think I might be getting it mixed up with Swordfishtrombones, although I’ve definitely heard Downtown Train. Anyhow, of the TW albums we’ve had on the list and the ones I’d heard previously this is probably my favourite. It’s almost satirical in its level’s of Tom Waitness, tales of sailors, pirates, sad people, urban degradation, dwarves and people losing legs etc, but atmospherically it captures an odd, intimate, late night in a bar vibe in a way the confected Nighthawks at the Diner didn’t. It gets off to a great start with Singapore and Clap Hands, the latter reminding me of the music from the subterranean levels in Super Mario World. Jockey Full Of Bourbon is more conventional, but also has a kind of swaying discomfort to it, while Tango Till They’re Sore is more conventionally Tom Waits with its New Orleans jazz feel. Some of the guitar on Big Black Mariah is distinctively Keith and its a great bluesy track. Hang Down Your Head is less idiosyncratic and more direct, a great forlorn careworn track, the pump organ giving a nice bit of softness against the jaggedness of his voice. Time ends the first side on a great note, a lovely track. I’m not as keen on the start of the second side, I don’t find the instrumental Midtown and Spoken Words 9th and Hennepin that compelling, but Gun Street Girl is excellent, some clanging and some back porch bluesy guitar make a great combination. Keith’s second appearance on Union Square is a Tom Wait’s version of Chuck Berry, followed by the country-esque Blind Love, which puts me in mind of Odelay. Downtown Train alongside Hang Your Head is a more conventionally structured song, with a more direct melody and it's a great song. Anywhere I Lay My Head has possibly his most exaggerated vocal, but it's a pleasingly odd track, moving from funereal to bar room stomp, and definitely feels like an influence on Radiohead’s Life in a Glasshouse. It’s not perfect, it does feel like a few tracks too many, with a couple of lulls, but it is a great album, and I’ll go for a high 4. 🌧️🐕🦺🐕🦺🐕🦺 Playlist submission: Gun Street Girl
Like 'Nighthawks at the Diner' this successfully builds a dark Lynchian world of ne'er-do-wells and outsiders - Puerto Ricans with wooden legs, one-armed dwarves, and jockeys full of bourbon. The lyrics are typically fantastic - so Uncle Vernon is "as independent as a hog on ice" and Uncle Bill has a tumour "as big as an egg". I'm not sure it reaches the mind-blowing heights of his 1975 masterpiece, but nevertheless it's an engrossing and exceptional treat.
Jazz rock vibes, all feels very dark and moody, New Orleans. Love his voice.
HATE HIS VOICE
Rv
Tim Burton movie about the bayou soundtrack music, until you get to the part where he turns into absolutely hammered Bruce Springsteen on "Downtown Train" (and others).
Rusty voice gets annoying in parts but boy is there a lot of creativity packed into a short space here. Like a sad whiskey-soaked Danny Elfman
Horrible mixing vocals are scary. Stop growling in my ear. Weirdly some songs are somewhat nice without vocals, while others are genuinely bothersome
Dogshit.
I didn't realise I needed an album in my life that sits at the intersection of New Orleans Blues, sea shanties, noir vibes and gritty, boozy folk music but I absolutely did.
Très particulier, pas déplaisant. Coup de coeur pour le premier titre "Singapore" !
Not an artist I enjoy listening to. I see others really rate this artist but for me it's a miss
Jockey Full of Bourbon and Downtown Train are two of the best written songs
Tom Waits. Well I wait too Tom. I wait for you to give me an album that gets me going.
Honestly with the cult status of this album I was expecting something a lot better.
I've got to check out more Tom Waits, as I like what I've heard from the list so far. His raggedy piano playing, on a piano that sounds like it's not quite tuned right, is at times reminiscent of Thelonius Monk's playing. Liked Songs Added: Big Black Mariah Time Downtown Train
It’s like listening to someone with clay feet run.
Good
Okay, Tom Waits
Consistently inconsistent in his creative pursuit, Waits has a winner here.
First track and I’m already thinking this is going to be a struggle to get through. Vocally unique - haunting, swamp-like, pirate-like in parts. ‘Jockey full of bourbon’ is actually quite good, good rhythm. Never heard anything like this in popular music, almost sounds like it should be in a film or a musical. The odd bit of beauty, for example ‘Time’ shining sun-like through this dark and gloomy cloud of an album.
It's giving Disney movie villain
Its like our 5th tom waits and I'm still not getting the big deal
While I did get something out of the earlier tracks and their wacky percussion this guys and his weird one off style feels massively over represented. (I appreciate him for adding variety, but variety of variety would be better maybe?)
Evil Muppets music
Odd voice, some interesting songs but not really for me. Seems like a cool guy though, Irish wife was involved in his work taking a more odd turn.
strange theater performance music?? like i could see someone on stage performing these
I expected this to be weirder than it was, kind of disappointed. All the ingredients of a Tom Waits album are there and it's certainly wackier than a conventional album, but I expected more after listening to the likes of Bone Machine. It's alright but not really more than that.
Unique, but not for me. Favorite from album: Hang Down Your Head
Interesting. Unique vocals.
Unlistable
This album feels like the musical equivalent of a Tim Burton film. Its odd sensibility and quirkiness are fully on display, deliberately disheveled with off-key piano chords, warped tempos, and Tom Waits’ creepy, scratchy vocals. It plays out like a seedy Tijuana carnival, freaks paraded for all to see while Waits hammers at the piano and a monkey dances onstage, passing a hat through the crowd. It’s an unmistakable showcase of his signature sounds and warped imagination. I didn’t hate the album, but that doesn’t mean I’ll ever feel the urge to return to it.
Typical for him. It's odd and quirky and that's all it ever is. The off key piano and tempos and scratchy vocals get old quick.
Decent.
I'm a pessimist so thijs album was half shit
I dont consider this real music, actually
I HATED this DNF Best Song: N/A Rating: 2/10 Stars: 1
All told, this wasn't nearly as bad as I expected. His voice typically grates on me, and yeah at times it does so here, but I actually enjoyed some of this. I like the New Orleans jazz vibe of Tango Till They're Sore. A few songs I can see replaying.
Good
My fourth Tom Waits album and today. Four. I appreciate that this guy was somehow influential and there are enjoyable elements in his weird, DIY, mouthful-of-nails-voiced schtick but nobody in this world is going to get through three or even two of his albums and think "shit, I simply CANNOT DIE WITHOUT HEARING MORE". I'm going to go back and listen to yesterday's Robbie Williams album again now. This is what you've done to me, Dimery. I hope you're happy.
Pretty spooky. This could have been higher if I cared to listen better.
The first 20 seconds of the opening track made me want to turn it off immediately but I suffered through half of this until I gave up. This would be a two star for the instrumentals but that would be giving it too much credit. Clown music written exclusively for annoying people to love.
what the fuck is this shit this album isnt even worthy of capitalization or punctuation
I hate everything I've ever heard from Tom Waits, and this didn't surprise me at all.
Ah Tom Waits...brilliant one minute and borderline unlistenable the next, song after song, record after record. ‘Rain Dogs’ is no exception.
I didn't realise Tom Waits wrote "Downtown Train", and there is a story going around that he might just have written it with the intention of having it covered by people with better singing voices than his own, so as to make lots of money. Whether that's true or not, it's the best song on this album, which otherwise can only appeal to listeners who have acquired the special taste for Waits' music, which I have not.
Not his best album
gritty, weird, theatrical, and eclectic, rich with imagery of urban life, grotesques, and broken beauty, blending cabaret, jazz, rock, and experimental sounds
This is a fantastic album with a very distinct sound. This is very nearly a 5 for me, but could use just a little bit more focus, and it is a bit mood dependent.
Another songwriter who can't sing for shit. Shit lyrics, swampy and incoherent music. Absolute ass.
Whadda beauddie!
Hated it
2/5
Laughable inclusion Dnf
Do I recognise that I enjoyed this album because it’s considered the creative peak in a long and storied career? Or do I recognise that this album is considered the creative peak in a long and storied career because I enjoyed it? 4/5
Nightmare carnival organ music you hear after your 9th rail whiskey in a basement bar
I really like this dirty, dark blend of blues, folk or whatever it is. It's quite original and there are so many styles on this album. This album feels like a Tim Burton movie about a Caribbean drunk bum during Halloween. The storytelling across these songs is fucking amazing. At first, I didn't get it and thought it was a mismatch, not for me. But it gets better the more you listen. I listened to it twice today. I guess it's the seventh great album in a row. 4/5 —————————————— Liked songs: — Hang Down Your Head — Time — Gun Street Girl — Union Square — Walking Spanish
Tom may be Waiting for the Dogs in the Rain but holeh moleh did I hate the off-tune jazzy moments in this album, which were unfortunately quite a lot. The first and fourth songs had quite nice moments, and I think it was the fifth that was pretty alright, but there were bits that were just so annoying, it was crazy.
Did not finish. WTF is this crap
This was interesting! His voice is so unique. And his lyrics. Not something I would go back to and listen as a whole album. But definitely glad I heard it. Songs sound like they could be on a movie soundtrack. Very unique
.
No me gustó.
Not a fan
Album 8 Top 3 favorites off the album: Tango Till They're Sore, Time, Clap Hands My first thought was, "bizarre," and then I listened to the whole album and really, really enjoyed it. It *is* bizarre. Waits doesn't spoon feed you meaning; I had to think about this one. Still thinking about it, really. Sonically and texturally, this album is unlike anything I have ever listened to. There's a gritty feeling to the whole thing, but often something lighter in sound floating over top. Another short one for today, but only because this is one I have to revisit when I'm not at work. There's a lot going on, and I'm intrigued.
Sere muy cerrada de mente?? Que es esto??? Todas las canciones suenan a un viejo en un pelicula de disney contandote una historia, no entiendo el puntaje de aoty no se si sere yo wtf se siente como musica de halloween
Excellent but it sounds like a willy wonka nightmare
A voice like a watermelon in a food processor. Which is actually a good thing
Quite a weird album, sounds like it should be the soundtrack for The Nightmare Before Christmas. Unique sound and a unique voice. Couldn’t get into this one.
Waits' voice is gratingly bad in this, but some of the instrumentals were cool. I liked the NYC concept in it.
This is my last Waits album on the list and it’s the one where it finally clicks for me. I liked Bone Machine as well but this feels like his quintessential work. He takes you to all the dirty corners of America unlike any other artist I can think of. You never know what avenue he’s going down next. It’s always strange yet familiar. Rating: 4.8
Some people love him but I just don't get it
Tom Waits is ridiculous. Too complex to just enjoy in the background, too weird to legitimately say, "this is my thing".
Something of an eclectic mix here, but tied together by the raw power of Waits' voice.
A riotous ride, roughly how I imagine the inside of an empty whisky bottle might sound.
Kind of not a great christmas eve album?
Bluesy carnival music heard in a bar at 3am. I love the dark humour in the lyrics, and the tribal percussion under the swaggering guitar.
It's almost like Tom Waits started pretending to be a half crazed homeless person so people would leave him alone on mass transit and he is now stuck and cannot change back. That or this is just mad genius coming through, his voice is so noticeable that I can hear a Tom Waits song and know it's him because of how he sings.
Standouts Time Gun Street Girl
Quite an interesting concept album.
Wild and varied it’s a lot to take in. I still prefer Swirdfishtrombones as a concise musical statement that I like to revisit. Here some songs feel like almost pop songs despite the chaos while other feel like they are sewn together ilike a crazed quilt.
have listened before i can see how influential this is (was definitely hearing a lot of fetch the bolt cutters). i HATE his voice tho and so much of it feels so unlistenable. second half better than the first fav: hang down your head? i guess?
Rain Dogs is, by some distance, the best Tom Waits album I’ve listened to so far. That’s not to say it’s without its problems. There are some genuinely horrible moments, most notably Anywhere I Lay My Head, which really highlights everything I dislike about his voice. The remastered version’s take on Downtown Train is also particularly unpleasant and does the album no favours. That said, unlike other Tom Waits albums I’ve tried, Rain Dogs does at least show a much wider sense of variety. There’s more going on here musically, and for the first time I actually found myself enjoying a handful of tracks. Clap Hands, Diamonds and Gold, and Hang Down Your Head all stood out as songs I could appreciate in isolation. Even so, those highlights aren’t quite strong enough to pull me back for repeat listens. While this is clearly his most listenable album for me, it still doesn’t fully convert me. Favourite tracks: Diamonds and Gold, Clap Hands Least favourite tracks: Anywhere I Lay My Head; I also didn’t enjoy the title track Rain Dogs Album artwork: A cool and distinctive album cover
perfetto considerando che sono nel mezzo della lettura del tropico del cancro di miller. stesse vibes decadenti.
The vibe and general sound of this album, I like a lot.
Started off as a high 2 / low 3, ended with some low-mid 4 stuff, so evens out at the good ol’ non-existent 3.5
Feels like something I'd like more on relistens.
Carnivalesque
I've tried to get into him before. The early stuff clicked immediately, this takes a bit longer. Listened to it twice and it's getting there
A begrudging 3. You can't deny his unbelievable talent, especially in lyrics and instrumentation. I like some of the New Orleans-style jazz, but most of his music isn't for me. This album made me feel uneasy, though it seems like that was the point
I think this requires some more listens for me. Musically I thought this was really interesting, but I’m not sure what to think of the vocals. At times they were okay, other moments were just annoying.
I like how eclectic this one was! I've had trouble getting into Tom Waits before because of his voice but I think I've gotten used to it and have come to like it at this point.
honk honk
love the carnival vibes, so fun
Tom Waits in full carnival barker mode. Very strange, very interesting. Side B gets quite beautiful in contrast to the oddity of Side A. Tom Waits is such a fascinating character. There are records of his I'm much more into but there are some really cool moments here.
I've heard at least two covers of his music without having heard the originals. His style is growing on me, but sometimes covers are better. ^^;
Ça atteint à la perfection le centre de la zone de mon cerveau dans laquelle il n'y a aucune activité cérébrale.
Tom Waits walks the plank. Yarr landlubbers, it be difficult to conjure up pirate themed stuff. Yarrr uhh maps and DOUBLOONS and scurrrvy yarr. Let's uhh rob a maritime vessel. Rain Dogs seems to ride that line between poetic, humour-tinged genius and hackneyed showtunes cut from high school productions of either Robin Hood or Peter Pan. The start of this album brought to mind the latter, yet as this kept going, the silly lyrics and absolute grit of some of the tracks brought me the old feeling that I was hoping for from a Tom Waits record. This feeling was short lived though. Many songs had me questioning how I'd ever enjoyed Tom Waits. I'd been entranced before, why now does this feel like a fitful dream? Some of this was great, the rest, underwhelmed me with its musicality, and overwhelmed me with its stench. Ol' Rain Dogs smelled a bit like wet dog, and I'm starting to think they should be outside hounds. I'll be nestled inside the Nighthawk diner listening to tongue-in-cheek avant-garde poetry, trying to forget the stinkier cuts on Rain Dogs. 2.5 HIGHLIGHTS: Tango Till They're Sore, Big Black Mariah, 9th & Hennepin, Walking Spanish
Torture
Rain Dogs is theatrical like indie films of yore, budding with freakish absurdity and vice. Waits transports us to the back alleys and the outskirts of town where depression mixes with longing and conflict is ripe; a nuanced beauty!
Oh man, yes. All the bullshit bands and singers are almost worth listening to in the knowledge that people who rate Slipknot and Christina Aguilera 5 stars are also being made to listen to Tom Waits. Hell yeah. Loved Singapore when I heard it years ago and this album is basically the purest, more classic form of Tom Waits, growling and guttural, dirty and dark, all sinister jazz and evocative lyrics. It always sounds like you're listening to Tom Waits at 1 AM in a run-down, gloomy bar in some downtown where you don't want to be. I haven't looked at any other reviews yet but I just KNOW that there are going to be people saying things like "I can't hum along and this guy can't sing." Makes me sick. Yup, here we go, here's one from the top ten highest-rated reviews: "This album was weird and jarring! If I can give 0 stars, I would!" Well, I LIKE weird and jarring, more of it, please, less Van Halen.
really fun, really quirky album. obviously i know that tom waits gets even more off-kilter and quirky on subsequent albums, but this one threads a nice line between the craziness and the more conventional, while still being pretty listenable and accessible. this album does make me out to be a hypocrite, with the amount of times on here that i have complained about demented circus music, which this definitely is. but for some reason, it really works for me with tom waits. the sleazy, smoke filled cabaret vibe he likes to give off really really works well for him and his voice and it just makes more sense for me here.
2/10
What a joy to finally be made to listen to a full Tom Waits album. It was more than the sum of it's parts for sure.
Decent - very distinctive voice and sound - enjoyed
Fantastic
A world without Tom Waits would be a sadder world.
Album 986 of 1089 Rain Dogs - Tom Waits (1985) Rating : 5 / 5 As someone who already counts Waits as a favorite, I came into this one fully familiar - and still walked away impressed all over again. Rain Dogs sits right in that sweet spot of his career where the reinvented, rough-edged, junkyard-poet version of Waits is firing on all cylinders. This is the era where he really became Tom Waits, and it shows. What I love about this album is the sheer variety. He bounces between styles and moods without ever losing the thread of who he is. Every track has its own personality, its own little world, and somehow he makes all those worlds fit together. Whether he’s leaning into a crooked carnival rhythm, a battered blues shuffle, or one of his aching ballads, the songwriting is top-tier throughout. And of course, there’s “Downtown Train,” which went on to be covered by Rod Stewart, Bob Seger, Patty Smyth, and probably half the bar bands in America. But hearing it here - in its original, slightly ragged, honest form — reminds you why Waits is in a different league. He just writes differently. I originally had this marked at 4.5/5, but the more I thought about it, the more it didn’t feel right. This album is simply too good - too creative, too original, too Waits - not to give it the full 5. One of his defining works from one of his most compelling eras.
I know he's very divisive, and I get it, but I do enjoy Tom Waits. I'm generally a fan of an idiosyncratic voice, and a somewhat depressing tune, so he fits the bill. I don't love when he does his carnival of the damned vibe, but hankfully not too much of it on this record, other than the opener. Time remains my favorite track of the album.
Another classic from Mr Waits
tom waits makes music for cartoon villains who run dark evil factories that produce excessive amounts of smog and evil doohickies. thats literally the only way i can describe this music, and its fucking awesome
Yet another trash ass Tom Waits album. What the hell is wrong with this list?
Sounds like a drunk uncle singing karaoke while murdering a clown.
Album for lost dogs who cant find their way home since the rain washed away the scent. Downtown music made for misfits and unfortunate. Sound is made out of unconvetional instruments like chair, bins, junked drum set.
Another album of demented carnival music, for a 1980s idea of a 1930s depression era travelling circus - hokey accordians and a carnival barker lead singer warbling on about film noire protagonists, twisted lovers, and dark dealings in the underworld. His voice is not as obnoxious here as on some of the other albums. But. the best bit of this by miles is the dark twisted demented guitar work of Marc Ribot - pure skronk: bluesy leads through the looking glass, huge leaps in the melody, harmonic minor scales, sharp overdriven tone, repulsive and alluring all at once. Lots of very fun raunchy saxaphone leads, swinging jazzy grooves, and lively bass lines.
I recently listened to Swordfishtrombones and absolutely loved it, 5/5. When I saw that this was loosely a follow up album, part 2 of a "trilogy" of sorts, I was excited but apprehensive. How could Rain Dogs possibly live up to its predecessor? For me, the answer is it didn't, but it certainly didn't fall flat either. This album was great! It had a few songs that were more... "Normal sounding"? Does that make sense? Some guitars and things that felt more straightforward and less experimental. Overall the whole album feels less weird than Swordfishtrombones, and that was probably a good thing at the time from a "writing another album" standpoint, but it doesn't quite capture the magic for me in the same way. Still a very solid offering, and in spectacular Tom Waits fashion.
Listening to this felt like I was in The Nightmare Before Christmas, but also like I was at the sock hop idk; really liked Downtown Train though!
Det här albumet är curveball efter curveball. Vissa låtar fattar jag inte hur de kommit med på albumet och sen kommer Blind Love som är hur nice som helst. Högst oklart, helt enkelt.
I mina öron, extremt stökigt. Så svårt att lämna ett omdöme som faktiskt beskriver hur skivan låter. Man måste nog lyssna själv. För mig är det inte. Tom Waits har en cool röst och ett par, bluesiga låtar är najs. Även om jag inte lyssnar på genren. Men förutom dessa få spår, är det mesta väldigt okonventionellt och i mina öron experimentellt. Nae, sorry.
My last Tom Waits album. He's been my favorite new discovery from this project. I've gone through many of his albums by now, with plans to go through all of them eventually, but I left Rain Dogs unheard until now. I don't think this album is as strong as Bone Machine or Swordfishtrombone, but I enjoyed it regardless. The second half of the album isn't as strong as the first, even if it has "Downtown Train," so the second half drags and hurts the album at the end of the day. Rain Dogs fits perfectly in Waits' discography: his early blues from the seventies, with the experimental rock music in the eighties and later. "Time" is so bluesy that it sounds like it could be off his first album. "Downtown Train" is quintessential rock. In typical Waits fashion, he experiments in other genres. "Clap Hands" is an extremely catchy folk song, a genre that usually doesn't have catchy songs. The title song uses an accordion to become jazz. The piano and horn in "Tango Till They're Sore," another jazz song, are slightly off key but it works. "Jockey Full Of Bourbon" even uses mambo to sound like it should be part of some old-time noir film. Waits has such a talent for songwriting, and the lyrics on Rain Dogs are no exception. I just love how he crafts his stories and characters. Even if he simply describes several characters without any plot or connecting pieces, as in the abrasive "Cemetery Polka," there's something so captivating by the way he growls "Uncle Vernon." "9th & Hennepin" might contain some of the best Waits lyrics yet as he describes a woman that "there's nothing wrong with her $100 won't fix." And then there's "Big Black Mariah," a slang term for a hearse, because only Tom Waits could write a story involving a hearse. The sound effects throughout allow this album to stand out. They're natural in a way that I didn't realize how natural sound effects could be musically. "Singapore" is realistic sounding at the end in particular with rain and some sort of tense aspect, deliciously discordant in a way that only Waits can do. "Gun Street Girl," with a steady blues beat, uses a blue note for its clang--I suspect it was some sort of bell on a boat. The album is good, but too many songs were misses for me, which was a surprise for someone who can find a lot to enjoy with nearly any Waits song. Several of these songs will be on my regular rotation, at the very least. I'd say this is a 4.5 but not high enough to round up.
This album was a Journey. Not "Journey" as in the band, but just such a trip that it felt like it needed emphasis. This is classic Waits with his dirty grungy take on blues, however it's essentially a concept album about pirates and/or the spirit of being a pirate. This album introduces a lot of interesting swashbuckly characters and thoughts, and of course with it comes Waits' own take on loosely adjacent sea shanty music. Tom Waits, again continues to be a mixed bag for me, but something about this album was more appealing for me, AND I love a concept album, so he earned himself a 3 from me this time.
2.5 (53:46, 19 tracks, 1 is spoken word, 1985, 9th album) Experimental Weird genre, apparently I have to get used to Tom Waits as he has 5 albums on the list. Didn't love it, didn't hate it. Some good instruments. Album takes from so many different genres it's hard to define. Waits voice is gravelly. The album is best described as avante garde. I like the song Downtown Train the most but it seems out of place on this otherwise weird album.
The circus sideshow aesthetic really fits. Still not my bag tho.
I feel like I'm the victim of an elaborate practical joke where people are pretending to like this shit. I don't understand how else Rain Dogs (or any Tom Waits album for that matter) can get a perfect score from pretty much every critic. Putting Tom's voice aside (which is hard to do), there's so many other annoying sounds throughout many of the tracks. The clown horns on Singapore and whatever is being used for the drums/percussion on Clap Hands, as an example. Most of the first half of the album is completely intolerable. I'm giving this a 2 rather than a 1, because I don't feel like it's entirely without it's merit. There's a few songs that are ok, and one which I thought was good ('Blind Love') - however, I will not be returning to any of them ever again.
Halloween spookies. Unique, but not my thing. 2*
Godawful.
7/10… art blues / heartland rock / *1985
Truly a rough start to this album. But as a whole I think it's pretty cool and unique. Clap Hands is a legitimately fun song. I also liked Tango Til They're Sore. It's funny that this album is full of accessible songs like Downtown Train, while also being peppered with songs that will probably give Dani nightmares. I also had fun reading about how this guy would piss off recording engineers running around hitting random objects with a 2x4 and refusing to use a drum kit or pre- made effects.
if the drunken sailor from Drunken Sailor sampled the soundtrack to a point and click pirate adventure game for their beat poetry and ballads about the urban dispossessed of new york city. or like bruce springsteen gargled sand before his recordings. i listened to most of it while i was playing a cowboy game and it kinda fit ngl. favorite song is Hang Down Your Head
Rating: 8/10 Sorry Tom Waits I wasn’t familiar with your game Really did not expect this because I thought Waits was just a guy with a guitar or something, but this is the kind of completely unique rock unlike anything I’ve heard. My closest comparison I’ve listened to is Nick Cave and now I’m pretty sure he was just influenced by Waits. If anything this album was a little long but not a big deal. I should check out more of Tom Waits’ experimental work, and could see myself really loving this years down the road
Very awful It's got it all: - These vocals annoy me - Yo dude let's put this really funny loud song in the middle - Blues - I didn't think it could get any worse but then he goes and covers Downtown Train the boomer anthem Both a bad album and also hits most of the things I don't like in music 1.3/10
Yeah I'm Tom Wait-ing for a good song. Not many dogs out of 10 lizard wizards
Would not buy.
Maybe it was just the day, but this felt like Halloween music with a random top 40 edit thrown in the middle.
Kinda weird vibe, not bad though
yeeeeass
weird but i liked it
Really weird in a really good way
When I am in the mood to listen to ominous carnival sideshow music I will play this, but that does not happen to often
> The Beatles
I liked this album far more than I initially thought I would.
Het is dat je weet wie Tom Waits is en wat hij nog meer gemaakt heeft, want verder zit je je enkel maar af te vragen: waar luister ik eigenlijk naar? Vaak klinkt het alsof Koekiemonster een geestverruimende stroopwafel heeft gegeten en aan het musiceren is geslagen. Met potten en pannen, een banjo, een ouwe piano, een harmonium en meer op zolder gevonden instrumenten. Eén verstild nummer (Time), een beetje jazz, verder gekkigheid die maar niet boeiend wil worden. Tom kan beter dan dit. Vraag is of hij dat ook wil.
Tja, deze hadden we al gehad toch? Ruwe pratende stem met wat rare geluiden. Toch wel sfeermakend. Hoe vaak moet ik dat nog opschrijven? 2,5 ster
Tja, voor de zoveelste keer Tom Waits. Ik snap niet zo goed waarom de beste man er zo vaak in moet staan. We kennen het trucje inmiddels en je houdt ervan of je vindt het helemaal niks. Ik kan het aardig hebben en dit is zeker geen slecht album, maar ze hadden hier echt moeten selecteren qua albums. Een vergeetbare 3 maar weer eens.
The amount of Tom Waits on the project is baffling. This is the first album I actually connected with so maybe it's working. Just an absolutely wild take on instrumentation and vocals.
That was unexpectedly hard work.
this was really fun i loved it
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is this? Too weird for me.
Love this one
This is my second Tom Waits album this book is going to force down my throat until I submit to adoring everything about him and his music. Okay, it isn't that bad, but five albums is still a lot of albums for a guy who is more of a niche type of artist. The songs on Rain Dogs are shorter than the ones on Bone Machine (the other album I heard) and I have been looking forward to hearing this one. I'm still not exactly sure how he comes up with his songs or how Waits gets such a loyal following, but alas, I've only tried to get into him a few hundred times. No one can accuse him of being boring. As always, I could have done without the instrumentals, though they were short and non-invasive. I did enjoy Bone Machine more than Rain Dogs, though if someone is looking to get into Tom Waits then I would probably recommend this album over Bone Machine. There are good songs here.
Not for me
Wtf is this opening, what in the Russian polka. This is Halloween ahh opening. Oh the whole album is like this. I like it, probably wouldn’t revisit but it’s good fun. Give my Umbrella to the rain dogs. 9th and Hennepin is my favourite so far Gun street girl also bangs It’s like jazz folk raspy country, I like it.
i feel like this is supposed to be some kind of masterpiece but it's not for me sorry
++: Singapore, Clap Hands, Jockey Full of Bourbon, Big Black Mariah, Midtown, Gun Street Girl, Union Square, Blind Love, Walking Spanish, Downtown Train, Anywhere I Lay My Head +: Tango Till They're Sore, Diamonds & Gold, Time, 9th & Hennepin +-: Rain Dogs, Bride of Rain Dog -: Cemetery Polka, Hang Down Your Head 8,2/10
At first I was a bit skeptical, but it's definitely good music. I think the issue is that this is the kind of music that only resonates with me in a intimate live setting, and the lyrics don't resonate with me. (Proper review pending for later)
This works best in its entirety and is proof that a schtick - here, the XXL blues growl, the marimba clatter and the ticker tape feed of street life tropes - can become brilliant with enough conviction and effort. Enjoyed this more than expected, though as much as something to think about as to listen to. Always a jolt of happiness seeing Robert Quine cameo. Is this his only track with Keith Richards? Ribot shines.
It's OK but I much prefer his barfly period to this Beefheart one. The songs aren't really that much fun to listen to, and it's not as clever as it thinks it is, a bit one-note in theme and sound. Contrast to e.g. Closing Time which is up there in my top 10(ish). [EDIT: Didn't grow on me in the meantime. Maybe I'm a tedious romantic but TW's first few albums with his real singing voice are so much more enjoyable. I can identify a "challenging" album by the fact most of the songs are quite short (<3 min) yet still feel interminable. The 2:46 of "Singapore" could be a life sentence.]
I don't know if I'm just getting used to tom waits but I felt like this was the best album we've had by him. I think we had an earlier one which had this sort of off kilter, slightly sinister sea shanty/carnival feel to it but it was even more prevalent here and it really worked. This is the only waits album I think I'll go back to but who knows, might be the start of me really getting into it.
Many of the songs have a disturbing carnival theme. Singapore, Cemetery Polka, Jockey Full of Bourbon, and Hang Down Your Head were jolly good. He either wails, or whisper-sings. Don't mind either. I think I'm a convert. One of his good albums. I bet he reeks of Marlboro Lights, yellow fingers and yellow guitar strings.
Feel like we've had a lot of Tom waits albums now! Must be up there with the most appearances. This was a pretty good one, one of the more coherent. Downtown train is not only similarly named to a Springsteen song, but almost sounds like it could've been written by him. Anywhere I lay my head was good too 3.5
What the fuck
Spooky swampy but also genuinely endearing, the back half is some of his finest work
First song I listened to was a 0/10, but the second one, "Clap Hands", was amazing. Also highly recommend "Cemetery Polka." I am still currently listening to songs from this album as I type this so overall the album was absolutely amazing.
This kinda blew my mind. I hate the album cover so I thought I was in for a rough listen, which was almost confirmed by my first listen of the first song. However, the longer I listened, the more I fell in love with this album and sound altogether. Tom Waits is such a visceral, guttural voice and lyricist, rife with age, smoke, mysticality, adventure, and so much more. It's bold to put something out there so 'out there' that is completely unique from everything else. This album is weird and bizarre but infectious. Combining so many different sounds and instruments. Makes me want to further my Tom Waits journey.
Hate this
This one caught me off guard in a good way. I knew Tom Waits from a few songs and never really cared for his voice, but it works well with the off-beat and colorful instrumentation across the album. There are some really soulful moments between the weird stuff too. I enjoyed it way more than I expected.
tosi ainutlaatunen i'll give him that. must tuntuu etten ollu oikeessa mindsetissä tätä kuunnellessa koska tää on tosi spooky ja vähän triggeröi ehkä jotain ahdistuksen tunteita mussa mut vaan koska olin jo vähän ahistunu.. siisti ääni ja cool konsepti kuitenki!
I know Tom Waits' music, never been a huge fan, but I liked this one!
This album sounds like it was written for a Disney villain
Just about half-way through and not really enjoying it at all. It's not turn it off bad, just more of the same of based on the other 3 or 4 albums of his I've heard via this site. I fail to see why he's so highly regarded. This has got 2 stars written all over! It got marginally better in the second half, but not enough to swing it to 3 stars.
Listened with my teen. Within first 2-3 tracks he said "What genre is this?! Disney villain?!" And honestly I think he nailed it yet again.
Alright it's been 3 albums now, it's official. I don't like this guys shtick. It's not bad it's just not for me. 2/10