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Tom Waits has gone through many different variations of his sound of the years, so it's really hard to come up with a definitive Top album (or even top 3). If you are looking for 3 albums that are the best examples of his different sounds, here are my picks:
1. The Early Years, Vol. 1: At the beginning of Wait's career, his voice was actually quite beautiful and clear. Before it got soaked in whiskey and cigarettes, Waits' voice had the quality of a classic singer-songwriter, and the tracks on this album are mostly built around an acoustic guitar. "Goin down slow" is a classic track from the album:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/518SYEX375L._SS400_.jpg
http://www.amazon.com/Early-Years-Vol-1/dp/B000005DDY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ayoq33lxwe0
2. The Heart of Saturday Night: This is pinnacle of Waits' hardscrabble, nighthawk at the diner, city dwelling personae. With a collection of nostalgic ballads (like the title track), jazz inspired tunes (Diamonds on My Windshield) and classic piano-bar balladeering (Drunk on the Moon), this is one of my favorite albums of all time. Waits creates an indelible mood on this one:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51CJMQS8H1L._SL500_AA240_.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Heart_of_Saturday_Night
http://www.amazon.com/Heart-Saturday-Night-Tom-Waits/dp/B000002GXS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uz_LED36_OI&feature=related
3. Rain Dogs: After making a name for himself with nostalgic melodies in the 70's, Waits began to get experimental in the early 80s. Using a host of unusual instruments (including his now gravely voice) and a dark carnival style sensibility, Waits made one of the greatest experimental statements in music history with this album. While Swordfishtrombones is usually considered the start of his experimental streak, it was Rain Dogs that became his masterpiece and is usually considered one of his best albums of the period.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51egBJEApAL._SL500_AA240_.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rain_Dogs
http://www.amazon.com/Rain-Dogs-Tom-Waits/dp/B000001FFJ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1229905681&sr=1-1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVaEPx_VyXs
1. The Early Years, Vol. 1: At the beginning of Wait's career, his voice was actually quite beautiful and clear. Before it got soaked in whiskey and cigarettes, Waits' voice had the quality of a classic singer-songwriter, and the tracks on this album are mostly built around an acoustic guitar. "Goin down slow" is a classic track from the album:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/518SYEX375L._SS400_.jpg
http://www.amazon.com/Early-Years-Vol-1/dp/B000005DDY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ayoq33lxwe0
2. The Heart of Saturday Night: This is pinnacle of Waits' hardscrabble, nighthawk at the diner, city dwelling personae. With a collection of nostalgic ballads (like the title track), jazz inspired tunes (Diamonds on My Windshield) and classic piano-bar balladeering (Drunk on the Moon), this is one of my favorite albums of all time. Waits creates an indelible mood on this one:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51CJMQS8H1L._SL500_AA240_.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Heart_of_Saturday_Night
http://www.amazon.com/Heart-Saturday-Night-Tom-Waits/dp/B000002GXS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uz_LED36_OI&feature=related
3. Rain Dogs: After making a name for himself with nostalgic melodies in the 70's, Waits began to get experimental in the early 80s. Using a host of unusual instruments (including his now gravely voice) and a dark carnival style sensibility, Waits made one of the greatest experimental statements in music history with this album. While Swordfishtrombones is usually considered the start of his experimental streak, it was Rain Dogs that became his masterpiece and is usually considered one of his best albums of the period.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51egBJEApAL._SL500_AA240_.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rain_Dogs
http://www.amazon.com/Rain-Dogs-Tom-Waits/dp/B000001FFJ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1229905681&sr=1-1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVaEPx_VyXs
Bone Machine and Mule Variations are often cited, but ultimately it is up to your personal tastes. Don't limit yourself to one or three, enjoy them all.
I'm mostly asking because I have heard Tom Waits is worth listening to, but there are so many albums and I don't know which I should get first. But thank you!
RAIN DOGS (1985)
One reason why I like it in particular is that this album contains two songs from the great movie "Down By Law" (1986). If you like Tom Waits, this movie is a MUST! Directed by Jim Jarmusch, with Tom Waits, John Lurie, Roberto Benigni. You will hear Tom Waits' music in a different way after you have seen the movie.
Although I'm not a fan of Tom Waits and I'm not listening to his music, I think 'Rain Dogs' is a true milestone and not just his greatest album, but one of the most important CDs of the 80s and 90s. Whatever albums you will get, you won't get around this one :)
One reason why I like it in particular is that this album contains two songs from the great movie "Down By Law" (1986). If you like Tom Waits, this movie is a MUST! Directed by Jim Jarmusch, with Tom Waits, John Lurie, Roberto Benigni. You will hear Tom Waits' music in a different way after you have seen the movie.
Although I'm not a fan of Tom Waits and I'm not listening to his music, I think 'Rain Dogs' is a true milestone and not just his greatest album, but one of the most important CDs of the 80s and 90s. Whatever albums you will get, you won't get around this one :)
My top three are actually all one package. A couple of years ago he came out with a 3 cd set called Orphans, Ballers, Brawlers & Bastards. It's diverse as can be, sometimes ugly, sometimes touching and often funny. Realy strong material across the board.
http://www.amazon.com/Orphans-Fold-out-Digipak-24-page-booklet/dp/B000L43AN4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1229889877&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Orphans-Fold-out-Digipak-24-page-booklet/dp/B000L43AN4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1229889877&sr=8-1
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