Rain Dogs

Always love Tom! He may bot be for everyone, but his voice and music ability is awesome!

This is a fantastic album!

Too weird

Two Tom Waits albums in as many weeks is too Tom's too many thanks. Actually even one was over my limit. Two stars too.

I don’t know what this is but I love it. Blues, must have inspired less claypool. Reminds me of mix of less primos, Tim Burton and a great storyteller.

Tom Waits at its best.

I think Downtown Train has potential, but Tom Waits might be my least favourite singer ever. I think his vocals are agonising on the entire album. Unfortunately some of the instrumentals are also agonising.

I live next to Tom Waits and he came into the Apple store I was working at at the time. I have heard some of his music, do enjoy it very different. Excited to check this out. I really enjoy this style of music.

Unique set of songs from a guy that defies genre by going somewhere between rock and modern sea shanty

There are moments when I think I like it but they always go away.

Oh I Love this album. I'm transported when I listen to this, to some dingy world before this, with one armed dwarves and paladins hats. I don't even know what that is! Rod Stewart can keep downtown train though. Five stars.

Average

Discovered this eventually about 15 years ago, loved it immediately. I't ramshackle and poetic ramblings suit me down to the ground and it really is quite original. Always thought the guitar sounded like Keef Richards had accidentally stumbled into the studio after midnight and just decided to record something, turns out that is Keef on some tracks. Perfect. 'Downtown Train' despite its commercial success just sounds like a breath of fresh air here after so much heartache and gin soaked derangement. MTV Friendly oddness of the highest order.

Oddly overrated. Not TW’s best

Y’know

Growly and raw, but lots of songs remind me of other songs.

This is my 4th Tom Waits album on this list. Two I really didn’t like, one I really did. This one kind of falls in the middle. There are some great songs on here, particularly Clap Hands and Time. But there are also some definite misses, and it probably didn’t need to be this long

It’s no Heart Attack and Vine (the GOAT) but it’s at its best still leaning even further into the scuzzy fictional characters that reek of old-timey New Orleans folklore

I'm here for Marc Ribot's playing

Finally something decent from this guy!

Brilliant and fascinating album from Tom Waits where he creates abstract, dark and mysterious cabaret jazz songs. One of a kind stuff.

TW's masterpiece, and an utter embarrassment of riches. The genius is in the blending and balancing all his various personae and tendencies (and many different modes of instrumentation) and creating songs that are a bit more accessible (which is how he transcends Beefheart) for having clear structures and being more self-contained than his more exploratory work. High literary quality to the snapshots of life on the edges. The growl and deadpan and edgy heartbreak of the vocals are best managed for overall effectiveness. First few cuts set the right tone that just keeps getting richer and richer. "Tango Till They're Sore" is the first full-on gem. Then the middle sequence of "Hang Down Your Head" and "Time" and "Rain Dogs" gets this into classic territory; the performances (which can be overly performative) deliver real pathos. "9th & Hennepin" is his most poetic cut – no small claim for this artist – and "Gun Street Girl" is among his most memorable. "Walking Spanish" is strong, too. And rounding out things are the authentically excellent "Blind Love" and "Downtown Train" and "Anywhere I Lay My Head" – they seem almost effortless in their perfection. This is a powerful summation of all his previous work and a compendium-foundation for all the innovations to come. A stunning achievement and easily one of the best records of the '80s.

Interesting, better than the other Tom Waits record I got. If I came across this at a record store, 50/50 shot I might buy it.

Ooga Booga-musik

Noteworthy songs - 808080808 Magical Dream - Kinda catchy synth, but the rest is bland. Ancodia - Good background noise. Cobra Bora - Actually kind of cool, reminds me of Bomberman Hero. Pacific 202 - N64 vibes, but melody isn't great. Donkey Doctor - Nothing too special, weird ending. 808080808 - Really cool beginning. A little slow in the middle but stays interesting enough. Sunrise - Nothing remarkable. The Fat Shadow - Eerie. Very short.

Muito peculiar. Tem que estar com paciência. De fato, como muitos reviews aqui, parece um pirata bêbado cantando uma história, do começo ao fim. Apesar de ser um som bem peculiar, não me agradou, pois a diferença está "toda" nesse fator do cantar meio arrastado tipo bebado com uma levada comum e como se tivesse contando uma história, e não na musicalidade diferenciada. A levada comum é meio folk, meio blues, ora orquestrada, ora somente um banjo. Passo longe. Tentou ser diferente mas não inovou em algo relevante.

Weird pirate vibes. Unique sound but sometimes too much dissonance for me. Not bad but not going into the rotation

Clap Hands Cemetery Polka Tango Till They’re Sore Gives me Halloween in the Bayou vibes. Creepy but in a kind of good way. A kind of sound you don’t hear every day.

Chato

Bear with me....at first I was super confused...then it reminded me of "Money Makes the World Go Round" from Caberat (which made me think of Schitt's Creek) and then the album started to make more sense if I listened to it as a soundtrack for a musical. All those weird Lousiana/Bayou characters (except Hang Down your Head, that is a New Yorker) signing and narrating all of these crazy bad evil things happening around them. I am not sure if I would listen to it again, but it helped me contextual the music and be able to get past the initial weirdness to appreciate it.

I have a couple of Tom Waits albums in my collection but this is not one of them. Loved this album. It's a great mix of some sort of bizarre junkyard soul, spiritual, new orleans circus jazz. Great album!

As this album progressed, I went on a journey from “What the hell is this?” to “Ok, I kinda dig it, it’s getting better” to “I think I love him.”

Amazing.

I thought I hated Tom Waits but i guuuueeeeess nooooooot

First time I ever heard Tom (and knew who I was listening to) was the first album of his I had on this generator... Heartattack and Vine. Ever since I've been a huge fan! He's so experimental with what he does which keeps it fresh. I love his dirty blues style!! Favourite songs: Walking Spanish, Union Square, Big Black Mariah, Downtown Train Gun Street Girl, Clap Hands, Tango Till They're Sore, Singapore, Hang Down Your Head, Time, Blind Love Least favourite songs: Bride of Rain Dog 5/5

An all time favourite

kinda ok not a huge fan of his voice but nice songs

I just don't get it

First listen Saved 1/19 Top track: Clap Hands

Beautifully weird masterpiece

What else

i want to go back in time and stop myself from ever learning about this website

Out of everything I’ve heard so far from Tom Waits, this is one of my favorite albums. The album sits solidly on a blues foundation but is also experimental, quirky, and features playful instrumentation. It’s produced in a raw, stripped-down, and gritty way, and when you add Tom Waits’ gravelly voice on top of that, it gives the album a lot of texture. I don’t think this is an album for everyone, but for those who can appreciate it, you’ll hold on tight to this one. It will definitely be a good album to revisit in the future.

I mostly know Tom through his work with Primus Starting out I get a feeling this may be a slow burn rather than an easier listen. Definitely a unique sound My rating does not come from a place of wisdom.

Pure poetry!

Some interesting choices were definitely made here. It's pretty good, but it's a lot.

Virkelig en speciel plade... Ikke stor musik, men alligevel en samling af numre som jeg ikke helt kunne lade være med at holde af. Tænker der er sange som godt kunne bruges i en piratfilm eller lignende :)

Det er vildt nok det her. Det er så meget Tom Waits, men nu når jeg aldrig har brugt vanvittigt meget tid med ham, så er det svært at forstå på et gennemlyt. Heldigvis flyder det super nemt, og variere vanvittigt meget, super sjovt lyt, men nok ikke dét her album jeg vender først tilbage til med Tom.. Kom lige til at lyttet til den igen. Det er altså ret sejt!

Ved ikke hvad jeg skal sige af kloge ord om det. Waits stemme er unik og fantastisk. Musikken holder min interesse. Det er som at albummet tager en på en rejse ind i storbyen. Stemningsfuld. Interessant.

Interesting quirky album. Liked it better than some of the other waits albums

Silly but better than Bone Machine.

Better with every listen.

It feels like this album is somehow super strange and pretends to be normal. It’s unpleasant to listen to each track as if it was torn from different albums of the same strange ones. 1/5

I found his voice to be incredibly grating, only made it ~1/3 of the way through the album before I had to turn it off. Doubt I’ll be coming back to it any time soon.

#232. Tom Waits. Again? The last album of his I listened to was literally the worst album I have ever listened to in my entire life. That is not hyperbole or exaggeration. Seriously it filled me with rage that it even exists. Like fuck man, I'm still pissed off and that was months ago. Thankfully, this album is not nearly as bad. It's still not good or anything, but you know, compared to Heartattack and Vine, this is lightyears ahead. It's fucking weird, it seems like he was going for some kind of Halloween kid's movie soundtrack vibe or something, but there were a few songs that were almost listenable. This album is borderline between one and two, but because of the simmering rage that remains from my last experience with this asshole, I'm going to have to round down and go with just one. 1/5: terrible. Song added to playlist: Cemetery Polka I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link

One of my favourite albums of all time. Marc Ribot's solo in Jockey Full of Bourbon is one of the best solos of all time, especially with Keith Richards chugging away behind him. Funny to see that the ratings are almost all 1 or 5 with nothing in between. I think this is what artists should aspire to, and I think Tom Waits would appreciate this. 5 for me!

oh this guy is freaky 4/5

Close to a four

I prefer his ballads to the shouty songs.

That was rough

Its Tom Waits, of course its good.

It honestly sounds like the inside of my head these days. It gets a little less crazy and thrilling as it goes on, but still, it's Tom Waits and I'm never complaining about that

Two days of Tom Waits? After this I think I'm going on a four-day bender and waking up next to my new exotic dancer bride in a cheap Tijuana motel with no money and someone else's boots.

This was interesting but not really my thing. I may try to listen to it again, but am not sure at this point.

Not my favorite Tom Waits, but it's Tom Waits. You can't go wrong with Tom Waits. Never heard a bad project from the guy. Never even a bad song from him.

Tom Waits seems really out of time and out of place, sounding like a NYC subway performer, or maybe a 50s cabaret singer, or a slam poet who accidentally wandered into a recording studio. I don’t always love Waits’ music, but I love the weird shit he does and how much he’s been able to experiment over 4 decades while keeping relatively the same feel to his music. Hard to say whether or not this is my favorite Tom Waits album, I like just about everything I’ve heard equally.

I love Tom Waits and this might be my favorite of his. It's not the right record for any time, but driving alone late at night there isn't a better record.

Didn’t really care for this on the whole.

I didn't want to like it as much as I did.

Uniquely different, creative, & definitely not my thing.

Interesting and theatrical but not my cup of tea :(

If I didn’t know going in that this was released in 1985, I never would have believed it. Timeless, it feels like your whiskey-soaked uncle rasping crazy anecdotes at you after a drama-filled family dinner.

Very interesting but not my style

Never been a fan of Waits

I couldn't do it

I'd never listened to this whole album before. 9th and Hennepin is brilliant. I could listen to Blind Love nonstop all day. And Downtown Train is one of the best songs written. Tom Waits is one of the greatest poets of our time. LOVE.

It's definitely Tom Waits. I've tried over and over again, but I just don't get it.

In a mix of quick successive ~2 minute tracks and slightly longer more complex ones, Waits’ 55 minute blues-driven effort is an interesting listen, primarily due to the somewhat alternative vocals. The slightly more drawn-out Clap Hands and Gun Street Girl are the standouts for me, not to discredit the remainder of the album’s (shorter) catalogue.

Iconic and memorable. More listenable than I'd expect for this style.

Inconsistent but it certainly has its moments (clap your hands, gun street girl, union square). At its low points it sounds like the bad guys’ theme in a Tim Burton cartoon, which really isn’t that bad.

3.5 With a gigantic caveat. I have always been aware of Waits but have never really got into the music for whatever reason. One listen probably isn't enough to "get it" or appreciate it on a next level. That being said I thought the percussion stood out more than anything, unique and set the tones for each song

i was dreading listening to another Tom Waits album. but i shouldn’t have been this time!! this one was very Robots sounding in a way i’m guessing his other one i listened to wasn’t? i don’t remember why i gave it a one but this is apparently a big improvement

Fucking hell why is Tom waits so unbearable. I can't get on board and there so many albums. I'm happy to accept I am ignorant and just don't know it. But I remain unmoved. Irritating.

Sometimes I love Tom Waits, sometimes I can't stand him. I definitely struggle to listen to a whole album...

No notes.

"Rain Dogs" is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Tom Waits. It is a loose concept album about the urban dispossessed of NYC. There is a broad spectrum of musical styles and genres on the album so the listed genre is experimental which covers everything. It is part of a Tom Waits' 1980's album trilogy which also includes "Swordfishtrombones" and "Frank's Wild Years." The album hit #8 in the UK and #188 in the US. It had wide-spread critical acclaim and is considered one of the best albums of the 1980's. The album starts out with a pounding percussion, double bass, trickling guitar and trombone in "Singapore." This is very vaudeville. Waits is telling of a one-eyed sailor from Singapore. The first single was "Jockey Full of Bourbon." A James Bonds-esque guitar, a bossa nova beat, a trombone and Waits whispering. Top that! Very film noir. "Hang Down Your Head" is a straight-forward rocker. Tom's actually singing a very sad song as he is telling the woman he loves to leave him since she is love with another. The highlight of the first side is "Time." Accordion and acoustic guitar. Great lyrics as he describes a death angel coming to take people when it's their time. Or is it their time? Beautiful song. "Blind Slide" adds a slide guitar. Hey, this is country rock and Keith Richards shows up on guitar and backing vocals. Waits is just belting it out. His girl left him but he'll find her with his blind love. Waits goes almost pop music on "Downtown Train." Waits with emotional vocals sings about falling in love with a girl he sees on the train. Rod Stewart liked this song too. These are unique and at times odd songs. Waits is a detailed storyteller of random people and daily life. There are so many musical styles here (vaudeville, rock, blues, jazz, ballads, folk, pop, country rock and New Orleans funeral marching music). Songs move effortlessly from one to the next. This is a brilliant and tremendous allbum on a number of levels; the music, the lyrics and vocals are all outstanding. This is the best Tom Waits' album that I've heard and would rank pretty high on my best albums of the 1989's.

what the hell was this

Man, I love Tom Waits. Even stuff of his I don’t like to listen to as much I at least find interesting and well written most of the time. Some of it is an acquired taste for sure. But some of the instrumentation is off the wall or just so earthy feeling, I guess kinda like hobo blues rock buried underneath decades of cigar smoke and bourbon whiskey, chased with gravel. Sometimes folksy, sometimes dark cabaret. And some NYC avant garde musicians join the eclectic hobo as he eats some beans then sings with his mouth full while strumming some guitar he made out of a box. Anyway, what I like best is probably the lyrics. And the man is just a showman. No bones about it. I guess for better or worse he’s eccentric to a fault and may come off as pompous or aloof, but you can’t convince me he isn’t as half cool as he thinks he is, or at least his fanbase does. But I guess I am a part of that so of course I am biased. Rain Dogs sees Me. Waits at top form, and is widely considered his best album. Songs like Jockey Full of Bourbon, Downtown Train, Anywhere I Lay My Head…. Lots of unmistakeable and timeless classics if you ask me. And it’s all just so heartfelt and human, if sarcastic and wry. I wish he wasn’t so old now and I could still catch hik live, as expensive as it would inevitably be but if not, well, at least I got to see Man Man I guess.

Oh the ninth album by Tom Waits huh? Wow. Dude was prolific! I am majorly iffy on ole Tom. I get him, but I can't say I fully enjoy him. HOLY shit Keith Richards plays guitar on this album? And Rod Stewart (bleh) covered Downtown Train? "Play it like a midget's bar mitzvah!" ha! Waits contributed vocals and piano on the Stones Dirty Work?! Thanks Wikipedia! Oh that isn't Tom Waits on the cover?! "While making feet for children's shoes" is the best way to say "while having sex" that I've ever seen! I didn't like listening to this in the car. It's not car music. It's fireside music. It's comfy chair with headphones music. I had every intention of rating this lower from my listen in the car but I'm going to rate it very high because I still want to listen to this differently. Someday. Maybe.

Felt like three different albums. I could picture Tom giving out quests as the head of a circus.

Not my favorite of his — I prefer his older stuff.

Pretty great. Very theatrical

Very well produced I will admit but this just wasn't for me. I was thoroughly confused from start to finish

A real alternative listening-experience. Sometimes weired, sometimes interesting and always with a driving beat. That´s why I´m doing this project - but definitive not a every day choice. 2,5

Once you get past the weirdness, this is actually a good record. The uniqueness works to its favor, whether it sounds like circus melodies, the soundtrack to a Crash Bandicoot game, or traditional folk rock. It's very bold and I admire that. It's also way better than Swordfishtrombones; I feel like Tom Waits gained a better understanding of how to create bizarre music that actually works after that record. Standout tracks are Tango Til They're Sore, Diamonds and Gold, Hang Down Your Head, Rain Dogs, and Walking Spanish.

Sykt chill

I enjoy Tom Waits, but I have to be in a certain mood to listen

Is this some sort of fucking joke?

Probably my 2nd favourite Tom album with 'Bone Machine' just beating it out, but he has multiple masterpieces so doesn't say much. There isn't an artist alive that sounds like him. 19 songs on this album and every one is unique and bizarre in it's own way. He throws everything and the kitchen sink into these, strange lyrics about seedy characters that sound like something out of a carnival horror film. Even if you don't love him, you have to recognise how completely original he is, and this album is one of the best examples from his incredible catalogue.

Greatness mumbling conceptual irony...

Tom Waits? The actor? I’ve always found Tom to have a voice that is very polarizing and a loving billboard of why not to smoke. But then again he’s a famous musician and somewhat of an actor. So maybe that means smoking is that cool. If you like older, emphysema sounding music this album is for you. For me it’s not all that great. 4.7/10

Evil Bruce Springsteen.

Sorta like Zappa

Agree it us one to listen to before I die. It is unusual, - a very unique voice and interesting intelligent lyrics -just not my bag

Good vibe

Nice

I never knew Danny Elfman had an alias

Good album, but there are better ones from Tom Waits.

I don't get him, it sounds like an album by the cookie monster.

I like his sound, I do think it is unique - but I don't know how much of it I can listen to at one time. Couldn't tell the songs apart. Always reminds me of Black Books (which, I googled, and no, he did not make the theme song for it)

3.5

I don't get Tom Waits. He sounds like Bruce on steroids. I don't get Bruce either.

Evocative soundscapes. Does he have any less vaudeville-y albums?

funky monkey Halloween music besides 1st half way better than 2nd half.

Not available on Spotify.

Absolutely love

Thanks, I hate it 👍🏻

Acquired taste

Delightfully wacky. Such good grooves with such unconventional sounds. Loose playing of unconventional instruments, playful singing, he almost sounds drunk at least half the time, but the lyrics are so poetic and just sound so cool. Feels almost like haunted carnival music, slightly unsettling but super intriguing, but then at other times it's emotional and gentle (albeit weirdly so). Other times the tone is like smooth but smoky, like eavesdropping on a Southern barbecue hoedown or something. Four stars.

Tom Waits is so a unique fuck... sometimes you love him other times I hate him. This was a good amount of fucked up

I do not like his voice

Horrendous start and if this does not switch up soon it might be the worst album yet. No but like wth did he try to accomplish here. Seriously I have no clue. Unlistenable.

1985, Experimental rock, Americana Rain Dogs is the 9th studio album by Tom Waits (USA) Standouts: Singapore, Others: Jockey Full of Bourbon, 3.75

My second Tom Waits album in this project and I was pretty stoked about it. I love just how absolutely bonkers this record is. I said this in my last Tom Waits review but I'm a huge Isaac Brock fan and this Tom Waits album feels like an even bigger inspiration for Isaac Brock than the last one. The instrumentals and production are really fun and interesting and the vocals/lyrics really go well with the style.

Man, these Tom Waits albums are wild. I love the how all over the place he is with sounds, but how relentlessly unapologetic he is. He's decides to make a polka song, and it happens. He rolls in a pedal steel and decides he's doing a country song. And it all feels insync with itself. Truly a master of his craft. I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

Wow. Took a while to get into Tom's vocal style, but man, is this an awesome record. Love the wood percussion going on, great lyrically, just super awesome all round. Favourite tracks: Singapore, Clap Hands, Cemetery Polka, Walking Spanish, Anywhere I Lay My Head

There are a couple stinkers here that sound like legit goblin music, but then there are some softer songs where Tom doesn’t play up the raspy voice schtick, and those tunes are just sublime.

Meh not my cup of tea

If tiki bar fever dream was a genre, this would be it.

Not my thing. It’s like campfire smoke.

So weird but ok

Our mad, American poet troubadour.

Never heard this I like it. I've heard a couple songs on it but not the whole album. That's what I like about your program deep cuts

Completamente teatral, Halloweenezco, un poco turbio incluso en su portada, pero una propuesta interesante. #Dato, Keith Richards está en la guitarra

Classic Tom Waits

Have you ever been to the “House on the Rock” in Wisconsin? It’s the home of an eccentric man who assembled a very eclectic, sometimes haunting, sometimes beautiful, mostly bizarre collection. You either love it, or you hate it. I feel like this album is the musical equivalent. I just didn’t get it. Although I give it an extra star because of “Downtown Train.”

Very interesting album, every song like a little adventure. He’s an amazing lyricist and storyteller. I always loved the song “Time” and now I know what madness it comes from. With an artist like this, there will most likely be a love it or hate it. I love it, but something I’m not listing to everyday. The album cover perfectly conveys the strange ride ahead.

Wow this was weird. He’s kinda got a bayou/Nola vibe but I don’t think his voice really fits it. Almost sounds satirical. I think his voice fits the delta blues-style tracks like Gun Street Girl. Overall very weird and disjointed and a lot of it was kinda bad. Did not enjoy.

Lyrically interesting, musically disjointed

Much better than the last album I had on this list from Tom Waits.

Name an instrument, any instrument.... Go ahead... Chances are this album contains it. I realised this during the Marimba infused "Clap Hands". It's really an eclectic mix of weird as fuck songs, hard to get into but harder to put down. Like riding the Alice in Wonderland ride at Disneyland while tripping.

Quirky to say the least, interesting, but not really my cup of tea.

Incredibly unique album with some great songwriting for the ages.

What the hell did I just listen to and why was it so catchy?

Very good. Some was too experimental for me, but that's awesome.

i mean theres some really beautiful songs here but most of it i just dont get. that last song goes absolutely hard though

Okay.

As with Dylan, I prefer covers of Waits songs to the originals.

Spitze

Eccentric hurdy-gurdy from someone that’s living inside a Tim Burton movie. Niche.

Good

I don't fully understand how I feel about this album. I think it is good though

I had to tackle a long drive for work today, and I was a little apprehensive about this being my album for the day. I was feeling stressed and running on barely any sleep. Turns out Tom here is a wonderful passenger to have on a long trip. He reminds me kind of like an evil version of Randy Newman (except Downtown Train which sounds like evil Bruce Springsteen) and the variety on this record kept me locked in the whole way through. The rapid shifts between every genre making up the vague tapestry of Americana would be engaging on any album, but to have such a darkly strange take on each genre pushing through was a real treat. I will confess, I did first try to give it a go last night and got pretty turned off by the opening rasp of Singapore. I was considering skipping altogether because I couldn’t anticipate myself being able to give it a fair chance. I cannot tell you how wrong I was. There’s a few songs that don’t click, but as a whole this record knocked my socks off. Top tracks: I actually saved almost this whole record to my master playlist. It would be quicker to say what didn’t click. Bottom tracks: Cemetery Polka, Diamonds And Gold, Midtown, 9th & Hennepin, Union Square, Bride Of Rain Dog

It’s a 5. It’s so weird, but also so tender and passionate. There is a level of accessibility you get with this album that you can’t find in other experimental albums. A great intro to the man

I've never been a Tom Waits fan and this album is an illustration of why I’m not. Singapore and Cemetery Polka - actually, a bunch of the tracks - are the stuff of nightmares. I did enjoy Clap Hands, Time, and Gun Street Girl though.

Not for me

Love the SOUNDS in this album. Pure uncut Waits.

Low, raspy voice with kinda folky guitar/percussion. Very slow, didn't catch me that much

A lively collection of music drawing on a myriad of stylings and genres, led by the gravelly voices of palpable characters. Captivating instrumentation carries throughout, matching Wait's voice as he goes off-kilter here, heartfelt there. Lyrically, the album often reads as nonce poetry, but the more blues-aligned tracks seem to stick harder to convention. Favorite tracks include "Clap Hands", "Downtown Train" and "Jockey Full of Bourbon".

This was weird but not in a good way.

I like Tom Waits but i have trouble listening to a fill album at one sitting. I really like his sound but in smaller doses.

I know it’s not a joke, but it sure sounds like one. Terrible.

Pretty difficult album to rate. I thought I was headed to a 4.5 on some songs until some of the more avant-garde tracks knocked it back down. I settle on a 3.5, with 3 being the ultimate rating.

This is the second Tom Waits album I had to listen to here. Rain Dogs had much more material in it that I liked than Swordfishtrombones. I can listen to him occasionally, but a whole album is too much.

Didn't hate it, didn't love it. Eclectic and probably has a place and time, but not in daily rotation. Surprised Tom and Tim Burton haven't put together something weird.

Incredible collection of songs. "Singapore" is an amazing opening track. It sets the tone right away and drops you into Tom Waits' strange world of drunken sailors, dirty streets and circus freaks. I got this song stuck in my head while I was at work and then realized there was no way I could sing it out loud because I'd sound absolutely insane. "Clap Hands" has a great, sexy rhythm that sounds like it was played by a skeleton band. And that bluesy guitar solo rips! The more I listened to this album, the more I realized how many of the songs are rooted in blues. There are some strange, off-kilter songs (like "Cemetery Polka" and the title track) that grab your attention but actually a lot of the music is jazz and blues. But Tom Waits is such force that he plays the music in a completely original style. "Tango Till They're Sore" has one of my all-time favorite lyrics: "Let me fall out of the window with confetti in my hair." What an image! The sequencing on this album is great because it balances the weird songs nicely with the more emotional ballads and blues numbers. You don't get too much of one style in a row. Two songs in particular stood out to me this time around and made for a great breather: "Hang Down Your Head" and "Downtown Train." Both of them, especially "Downtown Train," could be Bruce Springsteen songs. And considering Tom Waits wrote "Jersey Girl," it's fair to say they listened to each other's music even though they seem incredibly different at first. Wow, that growling scream he does on the last track "Anywhere I Lay My Head"! It's a beautiful song but whoa, nobody would sing it the way he does!

Love Tom Waits. Not super familiar with this album though. This record is pretty fun. It sounds cartoony at times, almost like "A Nightmare Before Christmas" (even though this predates that). Some of the songs are aimless in a beautiful way. Some of the songs stick with me in an unexpected way. Standouts for me are "Jockey Full of Bourbon", "Tango Till They're Sore", and "Downtown Train".

I still vividly remember my first listen of this album in 2019, cold wintery day walking to work and thinking, is this a parody? If it is a parody... What exactly is it a parody of? Is the singing a parody of some style i am unfamiliar with? If not, why is this on so many lists of 'the greatest album', is there something I am missing? Is everyone on planet earth just loving this, and i'm sitting there thinking, is this even music? On this revisit, I can't say my views have changed too much. Unless something really strange happens in the future, I can't imagine ever listening to this album after today. I kind of think, this is actively bad. Especially the first song. I kind of think, people are pretending this is good. It's not even that long at 52 mins, but it feels way way longer than 52 mins, it feels like it just keeps going on and on and on and on. NINETEEN songs! 19!!! if i get through a second listen today i would be surprised. Theres more to life than this album, and I have to believe people are pretending to like this, because if they actually like it... what am i missing? Downtown Train sounded like, i might like this if it was by someone else. But its by this clown. Clown music for clowns. Tom Waits for no man, I guess i am no man, because i really really don't like this album at all. I hate it, I hate the idea of it, i hate thinking about it, any second listening to it, could be time spent listening to a better album, a better song or even just a better silence. make it stop, stop pretending its good, its bad, its actively bad, and pretending to like something that sounds like this, doesn't make you cool, it just makes you someone who lies about the music you listen to, and if that makes you happy, then good for you. If i listen to this again, something has gone wrong somewhere, something has happened to me and i am not safe, i am in danger.

I didn't really care for it on my first listen, but I listen to it a few more times and it really grew on me.

Was ok

If Tim Burton wrote an album.

Not for me, although Gun Street Girl is excellent 3/5

The infamous “pirate” album, with none of the fun of sea shanties. This is an album only a music critic could love. I couldn’t make it all the way through a single song.

A drunken masterpiece of an album, told from the perspective of the dregs of society. Objectively, Tom Waits has a very grating and difficult voce to like, but somehow, through all the phlegm, his outstanding melodies swim through. There are so many beautiful tracks on this record, stories told with jaded, hurt, and mournful tones, that his voice just kinda works. Almost like the drunk fisherman at the bar is telling you his regrets over grog. Instrumentation is mysterious, odd, and cool, especially the muted marimba and varied percussion. The horn work is great to, fully capturing the spirit of traditional jazz and New Orleans funeral processions to give the album a timeless vibe. Waits touches a lot of genres here, from trad jazz, bossa nova, and blues, to county western, alternative rock, and folk, with plenty of weird mixing in between. I really can't say why this album moved me so much, but the drunken teetering from song to song somehow did. Stand out tracks include "Clap Hands", "Jockey Full Of Bourbon", "Time", "Midtown", "Gun Street Girl", and "Downtown Train".

Terrible. Silly even.

What can I say about this album. One of my very favorites of all time. It brings me right back to summer of '86 when all of us at my theatre school got turned onto Tom Waits and were obsessed. Forty years after it was recorded, it sounds as good as it did then. This has everything and is indescribable, unless your description is honky-tonky circus pirate cabaret jazz, recorded in an abandoned warehouse with very good equipment. Poetic, moving, hilarious, weird, unforgettable. Tom at the very height of his powers.

so interesting

Lot of noise

clap hands, rain dogs

This album reminded me of those animal books you could order thru the commercials, zoobooks?? idk about this one dawg...

Unusual. Started a bit weird but I kinda liked it by the end. It's good.

I don't know if Tom Waits is a genius or just a weirdo, but I love him. I don't know why. On the one hand, his songs are dumb but - from a technical perspective - they're also unique, thoughtful, and well executed. This isn't my favorite album of his, but solid.

Bourbon voice. This is how I imagine New Orleans sounds like.

It’s no Bobe Machine but it’s still good

Not Tom Waits again, please. Just heard a couple songs and it hurt my ears. This guy is just annoying. Although way better than Bone Machine, it's still terrible.

Loved it!

Bizarre. Disturbing. Marvellous.

Another album introduced to me by a friend. Fab to listen to it again. Favourite track - Clap Hands

Perfect weather for my favorite Tom Waits album. Rain Dogs is Tom Waits at his creative/weird peak (along with Swordfishtrombone). It might seem like this is a bunch of goofing around, but like an abstract painting by Picasso -with colors -, every moment here is meticulously arranged into a brilliant mirage of sound. It evokes emotion (maybe emotion you don't always want to feel) - but I love where it takes me mentally. Tom Waits is a musical genius, and his vocal range and composing ability are almost alien. Changing his vocal style entirely and musical genre on every song, but somehow still weaving a perfect tapestry like an eclectic patch quilt. The appreciation and respect I have for this guy, because of this period (83-85), is right up there with Neil Young (72-79), Bowie (71-77) and Bjork (95-01) during their creative peaks. There's nothing else like it and there never will be.

I liked this better than some of the others. How many more to come?

Tango Till They're Sore Diamonds and Gold Hang Down Your Head Time Gun Street Girl Blind Love (with Keith Richards as guest artist) Downtown Train (also recorded by Rod Stewart and Bob Seger) man in artwork is NOT Tom Waits, but rather a man named 'Rose' and the woman is 'Lilly' by Swedish photographer Anders Petersen at Café Lehmitz in the late 1960s.

Never really listened to a full Tom Waits album. This was a good intro. Obviously his delivery puts you on edge for a number of songs. Downtown Train is an interesting song for me. I don’t associate with Tom Waits, and not even Rod Stewart. Feels so much like Bruce Springteen. I know it isn’t him but can’t stop hearing him (I know he has another song by the same name)

This dude has seen some shit Most of this sounds like it would be playing in some smoky underground club where all the spooky creatures hang out in a dark animated movie. While I couldn't get past his singing at all, I thought his range in styles/genres was impressive

Haunted polka-core out of the gate on Singapore. In a way it makes me think of King Krule. Cap Hands reminds me vaguely of Gris Gris. I think due to the atmosphere, vocal roughness, and heavy reliance on polyrhythmic percussion. Really love this song TBH. Cemetery Polka is a wonky song and low point on a campy album. Diamonds and Gold is almost the same song as Clap Hands, but with the added layer of a more melodic vocals and a wandering guitar line. Once again, this hits well for me. Time is really pretty. Love the acoustic work and the vocals are as if from a completely different person than most of the rest of the album. This album is wild in its breadth. Downtown Train could pass as a disheveled Bruce Springsteen song complete with echo-laced guitar and 80s cheese. I found this album really interesting. At times, I hated what I was hearing (Cemetery Poka); at others, I absolutely loved it (Diamonds and Gold, Time, Clap Hands). Lot of different styles under the hood that contribute to an overall campy, eclectic vibe. I would say the good outweighs the bad and I was interested the whole way through awaiting each turn. That said, this is a high 3 from me. I'll probably come back again for certain elements, but the whole ride through is wild.

Tom waits seems like a creepy fucking guy. Album was kind of a drag to listen to. 2.5 stars

I had a bit more of a review that I accidentally deleted but here goes: First song sounds like an R-rated Disney tune. This is not the Tom Waits that I remember... This is an album that likely gets a lot of praise from its lyrics. It feels like the music surrounding the lyrics on this album aren't great sounding, but that's the purpose. It sounds like this album is about economic disparity, especially among immigrants. This album definitely warmed up on me as it continued. Climbed all the way from a 1 to a low 3. I'm sure if I was reading the lyrics as I listened I would enjoy this a lot more, but that's not how I listen to music so it doesn't gain that benefit. Diamonds and Gold and Hand Down Your Head were standouts to me.

This sounds like songs from Nightmare Before Christmas. That was pretty cool but very very strange at the same time. I am glad I listened to it once, but you would have to pay me to listen to that again. I definitely liked that album the longer it went on cause boy that was rough in the beginning. It was a weird combo of blues and spooky cartoon music.

This is strange af. Cemetery Polka sounds like it could be in Nightmare Before Christmas. Honestly a few songs sound like that. This album was a little bit goofy but I really liked random parts of it. His voice is the same where sometimes it works for me and others I’m just ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Found this one to be slightly more 'listen-able' but I really just can't get over his voice. Not a big fan. 2.5

Love his voice. Theme was fun. Too jazzy.

Not too memorable

Really weird and I like it

I like Tom Waits. Not the biggest fan of the music tho, but its okay! Solid 7/10 album, so round up. Significant 36/108 Liked 17/108 Added 4/108 YYN

Wow. I know Tom Waits only marginally. I’ve seen him in films and listened to the occasional song. This is really awesome.

I keep trying Tom Waits. I feel like I should like him more, as I enjoy interesting songwriting sung by different and interesting voices. But it just never connects with me. I will keep trying though.

Yeah, still not a fan of Waits. The music and lyrics are interesting and the album is wicked eclectic with style, but not an enjoyable sonic experience for me

After listening through about 3 times I finally get it and I can say this album is pretty decent. Some doesn't work for me, but it has some extremely strong highs where I can listen in awe to how great the music is. I love the feeling of this album, and Tom Waits's work in general, delving into the middle class underbelly of society. I love how his voice complements this theme, although it does get out of hand in some instances. The blues poetry feel is amazing at some points and extremely hard to listen to at others. Overall, more positives than negatives, but it is weighed down significantly by those negatives.

This album has higher highs but lower lows than bone machine. I think Waits’ voice is less forced in this album, but I’m still not a fan. DNF.

Growl <3

Really love this! Thank you for the awesome recommendation! Added many songs to a couple playlists on my listening service!

Nie bałdzo

Reminds me of an industrial disney soundtrack. Oddly unsettling, a good album to listen to while it's raining.

My first Tom Waits album; not what I was expecting. Grimy and eclectic

Not my usual style but I actually really liked it. The best songs were Cemetery polka, Tango still They're Sore and Big Black Mariah.

Enjoyed the blues, jazz, soulful nature. Tom Waits rough voice is irritating to me at times.

This would be a high 3. I just think i like other TW albums better. This is an important album but the listenability is lower than others.

I feel like this is some kind of inside joke I'm not a part of. 6 songs in and I still don't know what's happening so I'm going to call it. Abysmal.

Her: I'm gonna pull a Tom Waits song out of my ass RIGHT NOW: On a Thursday the rivers run raw His garbage mitt can't catch the claw The jailer-man don't obey no law He planned it out, he killed his Ma On Friday all the beggars fry A rat-burger below the bigger sky And now and again amongst the rye We make all your mamas cry There ya go. I'll be back later to pick up my Grammy.

Maybe for some. Not for me.

Liked it before Like it now

This is so good. I've never listened to a TW album front to back and it is a treat. Amazing song writing and guitar work.

I think I'm in love. Prior to this listen, I was aware that there was a singer named Tom Waits and that many people who's opinions I tend to share really enjoy him. I'll admit, it took me until Hang Down Your Head for me to finally be bought in, but man do I love this. I've listened to this album four times today. It's such an odd breath of creativity and angst. It's both self deprecating and serious. Looking forward to digging further into this man's catalogue.

This album was okay. I did enjoy some tracks but I was not impressed with it. Tom Waits' signature gravelly voice is impressive but the bluesy, experimental sounds did not work well in my opinion. I would at least recommend a single listen before judging. Favorite Song(s): "Cemetary Polka", "Jockey Full of Bourbon", "Gun Street Girl"

Kind of offbeat and odd, I loved this album. Not something I'd listen to every day but I feel good knowing Mr. Waits made such a kooky record.

It was like trying to drink a can of bad tasting beer. You’ll get through it eventually. Hard to believe Downtown Train turned into the version it is today. After reading Waits’ bio, I would have rather been assigned his earlier stuff.

sounds just like early Primus... and then I remembered he is the voice of Tommy the Cat! But ooof... there are apparently 5 "tom waits" albums in this list meanwhile Madonna, Elton John, Eric Clapton, Eagles, Chili Peppers all only have TWO.

Eh

Still don't get it. There's a lot of albums I haven't liked, but I understand what other people could see in them... But I really struggle with Tom Waits to understand what people enjoy in a lot of his work.

Not my cup of tea, but would be fine in the background

This is the 5th Tom Waits album on this list. Completely unnecessary. He didn't shit gold with every album or really any album. I just don't get it. Sure it is completely different from mainstream music but this many albums? I do the appreciate the humor and making fun of other styles of music but it is rough.

Tom Waits' work sits outside of genres - his jazz/blues/scat/vaudeville is a beautiful expression of the dark side of life. Waits tells stories about society's dispossessed and their stories in New York City. Waits' raspy, expressive voice adds to his unique sound - a fascinating amalgamation of styles of American music.

Singapore - 7/10 Clap Hands - 6.5/10 Cemetery Polka - 8/10 Jockey Full of Bourbon - 6.5/10 Tango Till They're Sore - 6.5/10 Big Black Mariah - 7/10 Diamonds and Gold - 6.5/10 Hang Down Your Head - 7/10 Time - 7/10 Rain Dogs - 7/10 Midtown - 6/10 9th & Hennepin - 6/10 Gun Street Girl - 7/10 Union Square - 6.5/10 Blind Love - 6.5/10 Walking Spanish - 6.5/10 Downtown Train - 6.5/10 Bride of Rain Dog - 7/10 Anywhere I Lay My Head - 8/10 TOTAL - 129/190

Now I know why people heat up albums and make lamp shades out of them.

The album as carnival barker, or the mutterings of a drunk lying in a Bowery gutter, or the album as a circus of freaks or the underdeck of a pirate ship, or a one man band falling down a flight of stairs, or a lounge singer sitting at the bar after his set, listening to the crowd, or the janitor in the New York basement hearing the pipes creak and bang. In a good way.

our friend says there are only two kinds of tom waits songs: (1) it’s raining and i’m sad or (2) we’ve got to stop these monkeys and their fashioning of tin cups!

every time I hear a new Tom Waits album, it just totally blows my mind and changes the way I see what you can do with rock and music in general this one definitely sounded pretty similar to Swordfishtrombones but considering that’s my favorite Waits album, I’m not complaining at all — 10/10

This is great! I had only really heard Tom Waits' cabaret-esque songs before, and I never really cared for those, but this has a ton of variety.

Some of it was super cool and fun to listen to. Some was actively unpleasant and had to skip. Overall, super unique sound that I have never heard before and an iconic guy.

Tom Waits' music is strange. But, there is no shortage of strange people. Some also make music, which is often strange. But none of this strange music, other than Tom Waits', cultivates the strange. Impregnates the strange. Raises it to the sublime.

interesting, to say the least

Well it’s time, time, time

Gear: Moondrop Variations Mix: ungewöhnliche, gut im Raum abgebildete Instrumentierung Music: teils zu dissonant, aber immer interessant. Kein riesen Fan von Waits' Vocals Rating: 2/5

Truly like nothing I’ve ever heard

Parts I loved. Parts I hated. 3/5

Didn't know what was going on at first. Then started to slowly dig it and ended up being an interesting, good album.

Love this. It feels very familiar and very strange at the same time. And you can hear the influences, but Tom wears them lightly here. There's a great flow to this as a suite of songs, too. This is everything an album should be.

There's no one else like Tom Waits. Dr John comes close, but Waits is unique. I love the rhythmic feel to Rain Dogs. His storytelling is superb. There's an uplifting and almost spiritual feel to some of the songs. Hang Down Your Head remains a favourite.

A veces parecido a Bruce.

The first time I had my now wife in my truck, on the way to a catering event, I had this album in the cd player. The looks I got, the commentary, I'll never know how close I was to blowing it without even knowing it lol. But this lp is classic, back to back and I stopped adding songs to our Playlist out of respect to the other albums ND artists we've yet to discover.

My third TW album off this list, and head and shoulders above the other two (Nighthawks and Bone Machine). Not saying I'd choose to listen to this on the regular, but listening to this I get him in a way I didn't with the previous albums; weird in a good way

Pô pire pô pire...

Au début c’est incroyable, tu te dit que du blues de vampire c’est vraiment hot et original, mais après 15 minutes le concept est déjà pas mal essoufflé

Its good and interesting in that staring at modern art kind of way. I wouldnt listen to it on repeat. Once is good enough.

….. okay. It grew on me.

I can understand how Tom Waits style, particularly with this album, at the time it was released, would be something extraordinary. Unfortunately, I only liked one song on the album, "Downtown Train." Otherwise, it was a chore to listen through due to the style of the music that sounded more like a soundtrack for a film about Carny Music. I have no doubts about Tom Waits skill as a lyricist and songwriter, but I would rather listen to something more stripped down or more of a rock tilt.

Carnie music for real, his voice is too deep and scratchy for my liking but I can see the influence

I have no idea what's happening, but I'm loving it.

its alrght

There was some stuff that was good on this album, other stuff not so much. I thought his voice was going to be a major turn off, but turned out it wasn't as bad as I was expecting. I don't expect I'll listen to it very much in the future, but it was at least an enjoyable listen.

Wohnzimmer Experimental Rock. Gut genug.

I’m not enthralled with the clank toot of Wait’s 80s music, but this does keep to his “gutter” blues style on the whole.

spooky vampire musical vibes

Perfection!

2/10

Y'a des chansons de Tom Waits que je kiffe, d'autres que je trouve insup. Singapore est dans la seconde catégorie, ce qui n'est pas une super façon de commencer un album. Jockey Full of Bourbon et Tango till they're sore sont cools, et j'ai toujours beaucoup aimé Downtown Train. Concernant la globalité de l'album, j'ai bien aimé sans tomber à la renverse mais c'est bien construit comme un tout cohérent et y'a de vraiment bonnes chansons, donc 4

I didn't know what to expect, but it was quite good. It gave me the Dr John's Gumbo vibe. The whole New Orleans Blues vibe.

Together with Swordfishtrombones this album is the magnus opum of Tom Waits. Blues, folk and jazz rock songs with strange guitar melodies and a raw voice that can crack your head open while being so comforting.

Very surprising and unique, but the voice isn’t quite it.

New kind of style I like this is in my favs.

Best Tom Waits album I’ve heard yet. It’s got that Bone Machine percussion I like and lots of those twisted, raucous folk-blues numbers that sound like they’d be playing in a backstreet dive bar in deepest darkest scumsville, or a Disney villain’s lair. Nitpicking, I’d say it could be trimmed a bit, and that the more straight-up ballads don’t interest me as much as the weirder, grimier ones. But it doesn’t drag like most 19-track albums would - it’s all good stuff, really. 4 / 4.5

I could listen to Tom Waits sing the ingredients from the back of a package of Oreos.

Weird. Not my style

Bizarre sound

The third Tom Waits Record and I like this one the most. My favourite controversial artist at this point. Its not Music i could rreally listen to at some point but its always interesting.

I remembered it a lot weirder. It's not. But also, it's not my type of singer.

6/5 easy

The best of his trilogy, and his second best album overall (to me, Mule Variations is his best, giving listeners the best of Tom Waits’ world) Rain Dogs is a heck of a work: a journey though the underbelly of the society, with a cast of characters that would be at once home in a Dickens story as in a film by Jordorowskjy. The use of a wide range of instruments here is astonishing but never not in service of the song. The whole album sounds at once timeless and completely new, which is often a sign of great art. Reading through some of the reviews, I was glad to see that people unfamiliar with Waits were giving him a chance and coming out the other side appreciating his mad genius. A consummate artist and one of the our great living musicians. Shout out to his wife Kathleen Breanna for giving him the push to create new and creative music not bound by convention. Favorite track: Downtown Train, Time

didn't listen

Tom Waits' voice is grating at the best of times, sounding like someone who has smoked a pack a day since birth, and chooses to gargle broken glass and barbed wire. At points on this album, it sounds like a drunken lunatic screaming into the night. Many songs on this album are just strange, like Halloween music, the use of marimba, and the electric guitar stabs combined with staccato notes makes for creepy, yet comical at the same time, music that could be the soundtrack to the Munsters. Other songs sound like a New Orleans Mardi Gras celebration, or one of their famous Jazz Funerals. The one song I recognized was "Downtown Train" I thought he was doing an awful cover of the Rod Stewart hit, but apparently I was mistaken and this is a case of a cover being far superior to the original. I did not enjoy this, I'm not sure who would voluntarily listen to this album.

This album practically smells like a wet dog.

two by four by door

It was madness in an album and I was a slave to it.

Odd

This is not a good album. Its discordant and generally unpleasant listening. Maybe thats the point? But in any case, one star. 1/5

I’m really not a fan, 2 stars for being unique though.

Went into this expecting more like what I heard on Nighthawks at the Diner. Instead I got instrumentals and vocals that were grating to listen to for almost an hour.

My first full Tom Waits album. Didn’t disappoint.

Have to give this a 3 for originality at least. Didnt know what to make of it- various styles, unique voice.

Fantastic

Weird moments where it kinda breaches something cool but doesn't stay there long enough to make this worth listening to.

The musical equivalent of using a cheese grater to exfoliate your skin - surprisingly satisfying.

Tom Waits’ vocals alone makes Rain Dogs an easy 5/5. Waits further explores the fascinating and experimental depths that musicians like Captain Beefheart first came across, but he does it with such an ease and raw beauty that he suddenly opens up this weird musical world to a much larger audience.

An intriguing find. Has a mysterious, yet gripping vibe, can't get let of. Fascinating instruments and compositions. Not for every occasion, but a worthwhile record.

A bit like Tim Burton's Boogeyman.

I didn’t dislike this one as much as previous albums of his. It has more musicality I guess. It’s still weird as hell but easier to digest.

Clothes reeking of spilled bourbon and cigarette smoke. 3am insomnia music. Brilliant. I have to be in the mood for it tho. Took 3 tries of listening to the album in fits and starts, but when I got to "Time" I started over.

Cartoon Leonard Cohen, skeleton playing a diddy at a no bueno dive bar. I get the sense with him that he is almost about to crack himself up! Like the voice is a joke, like the character is a parody, or at the very least earnest with tongue in cheek. Even the sweet classics in this record feel like a suit two sizes too large for him. Like Leonard or Zimmerman should be singing them…

This record should have been the soundtrack for Saint Denis in RDR2

Interesting but not really my thing

One of his greatest