Reviews (page 6 of 8)
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.
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)_/¯
Love his voice. Theme was fun. Too jazzy.
Not too memorable
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.
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.
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
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.
Eh
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
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.
interesting, to say the least
Parts I loved. Parts I hated. 3/5
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.
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.
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.
Have to give this a 3 for originality at least. Didnt know what to make of it- various styles, unique voice.
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.
Ihan ok, ei erityinen.
Didn't enjoy this as much as the other Waits album.
3.5
One of these Tom Waits albums is going to completely grab me to the point where I'm going to stand up and scream, "I get it" like Tony Soprano did while dropping acid in the desert. Maybe I just need better acid, but we're getting closer.
This album may not be something I would sit down and listen to on the reg but the musicianship and weirdness of it all is fantastic. Lyrics are also fantastic.
Tom Waits is not for me.
I hate that this album was so good. Not a fan of Waits in any way, until now. This album builds and builds. The first two tracks sound like hot garbage but then the rest settles in to groovy backwoods burlesque. The first tracks make sense now too. The real star is the production that somehow made Tom's spitting and farming into the mic sound great
Wow that was an odd one. This album sometimes feels more interested in being quirky than it is being, well, good, but it’s a legitimately interesting brew of jazz and blues and rock with an unmistakable mood and approach. Lyrics are strange but help build the seedy old-school America atmosphere, and the same goes for Waits’ warbly roar of a voice. I didn’t enjoy it much, but I appreciate it. Best song: Tango Till They’re Sore
Some interesting sounds and songs.
A lot of charter not very catchy
Tom Waits is not really for me. But I liked this more than some of his other stuff.
3.5 definitely. such an awesome sound from the 80s
When the first song started my reaction was "....what?". And to be honest I think this fits more like a soundtrack to a movie, rather than something to put on and listen to as a typical album. Despite this I think it took me on an interesting journey. Really made me picture being on an old steamboat at dusk at the turn of the last century, in some tropical place, hanging out with various dubious people playing cards and smoking cigarettes. So even though this might not be something I would just put on and listen to, I still enjoyed it for what it was and I'm glad I heard it. But due to this it's also hard for me to rate it much higher than 3 since I wouldn't say I "liked" it as I usually like 4 star albums.
Weird album but that's Tom Waits for ya
Listened Before? N Super interesting and eclectic. I’m familiar with some of his later work but never listened to the records that made him known. This one was, I felt, a bit weird but very artistic in a good way. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Jockey Full Of Bourbon
I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. This album is kind of if a pirate met the Dr. Demento. I'm not sure what they were smoking on Midtown.
Not really a fan but it was at least interesting.
Creative mixture of stuff...all over the place. Poet like Cohen and sometimes reminded me of Springsteen. His voice raspy was sometimes hard to listen to. I really liked about half of this album. It would have been great if they left off the other half.
This whole goddamned town is ready to blow.
Sehr experimentell
Tom Waits is definitely an acquired taste, but after a while, you'll be glad you tried it. Especially good when accompanied with whiskey.
Very odd but likeable. A much needed palette cleanser after John Coltrane.
Þetta er eitthvað. Flottur hljóðheimur og stemning, en ég er ekki alltaf í stuði fyrir þessa stemningu. Kannski við fimmtu hlustun.
It was a nice listen. Sometimes I lost interest, and sometimes his voice was a bit much for me, but I still liked it. A solid three. My favourite song was Hang Your Head Down.
Hang Down Your Head Time Gun Street Girl Downtown Train 4/19 Only liking 4 of the 19 tracks may be unfair. I cannot say I’ve actually actively listened to Tom Waits before today. I knew he existed but couldn’t name anything by him. Listening to this makes me want to explore his music more. It’s weird and quirky. I’ll give this 3 stars but it’s more like 3.5.
You can smell the cigarettes and bourbon on this album. Hence the song Jockey Full of Bourbon which was a standout along with Union Square. Waits knows when the songs have run their course which is a lesson Bob Dylan doesn't understand. Not every song is good and it is slightly uneven but it's a decent listen and I'm willing to explore more Tom Waits.
Another Tom Waits album. I think this is the last one on the list (thankfully). This one has a number of songs that felt more like tone poems. There are a few times I can feel Waits channeling that inner Springsteen, and then there are those songs where things kinda go to crap. Instrumentals like "Bride of Rain Dog" felt like they didn't really go anywhere because they were so short. They were more of an interstitial thing. Doubtful many people pick those as their favorite tracks on the album. After listening to 5 different albums of Tom Waits, I can't say I'm a fan. I respect his work in that it is so different from the stuff I listen to, but his voice is just so... toneless and animalistic. Very growly. I need a melody in there somewhere, and he just can't seem to carry it from song to song. I never know what to expect. So, yeah. Still not a big fan, although I probably would pick this one amongst the others I have heard if I had to say which one I liked most. But that's REALLY not saying much.
Sorry Tom, I thought you and I had something going there. And then the first track Singapore opens sounding super weird and a lot like the album Swordfishtrombones (which I did not like) - complete with slide whistles and me thinking he sounds like the Cookie Monster again. I've softened on old Tom so even at the second song Clap Hands I thought not bad. But it was a constant yo-yo of weird and decent, with a few real strong tracks - Big Black Mariah (very rocking, I guess thanks to Keith Richards), Hang Down Your Head and Time (both beautiful, and the former sounds like Downtown Train, which is his best), and Downtown Train (others sing it better, but his lyrics and composition are beautiful). And that's one thing with Tom Waits, his lyrics are always top notch. I'd love to see all of his albums redone by strong vocalists just to hear those words come to life with a soothing voice. Anyway, I won't give it a 2 but I can't give it higher than a 3.
Very intriguing album but too much for me to process with just one listen. Not like anything I have heard before with it's changes in styles and disgusting (but great) vocals
Interesting but ultimately not as much fun as I thought
In it's entirety, it's not a bad album. Tracks such as "Time" and "9th and Hennepin" were good; however, I've felt that Tom Wait's voice is definitely an acquired taste. I would probably revisit a few tracks from this album on my own.
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Uniquely odd voice. Grew on me. Sometimes sounded like Mr Krabs singing the greasy spoon song. But it grew on me. Liked it by the end. Long album. Guy could sing old north wind from over the garden wall
Everything but the lyrics kicked ass. Lyrics did not fit at all. Awesome hearing bass marimba in rock though.
With rasping lyrics and idiocentric beats, Rain Dogs is a weird little album. Every song has a different vibe, some of them will enter my every day rotation but some had me tempted to skip.
This album just feels so random. And a little piratey at times? It’s definitely cool and musically very interesting. I just probably won’t ever listen again. It is an interesting auditory exercise.
3 1/2
Singapore and Cemetery Polka are awesome, but they rest is very mediocre.
Listened to on 2/22/23 3/5 Favorite song: Downtown Train This album was like strange, spooky Halloween music but was also wildly entertaining and very unlike most of the music I’ve listened to
Unique voice, but I just can't get over the feeling that he is putting this all on. So cannot wholeheartedly enjoy this
I was really surprised by this because I have made my disdain for Tom Waits pretty clear but this album was actually pretty fun. I think it's more of a high 3 than a 4 but it's still the best Waits album I've gotten so far (and hopefully no more unless they're like this). I liked gun street girl and the rest of it had a kind of unique fantasy blues kind of vibe.
Ok not my style
Really good album. Great voice and lyrics. Enjoyable all round
gleb might be waiting but i think tom arrived on time. 3.5
gleb waits. gleb waits for some good music. gleb listens to rain dogs. gleb still waits.
I enjoyed this but it isn't something I feel is listen to repeatedly.
Is this Monkey Island? Muy buen album conceptual.
It's OK but I much prefer his barfly period to the 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 with the best ever
Better than a lot of the shouty Tom Waits stuff I've heard
weird geezer
It's magical when someone is able to create something novel. We all have access to the same raw materials, techniques, and tools after all. But somehow, sometimes, someone is able to combine them in a way that creates something so entirely new that it changes how people approach their own creative process from that point forward. I'm not going to claim I'm a huge Tom Waits fan after listening to this album. I still struggle to relate to the allure. But I do think this album delivers as novel of a musical vision as any of the greats. The whole album evokes imagery of a gritty world filled with hard lived lives, viewed through the blurred lenses of hungover eyes.
I already knew and liked “Clap Hands”. I thought this was a little too repetitive and the growling got annoying by the end, but I still like the style.
Noget af en blandet landhandel - men fungere sgu meget godt alligevel
Some great jazz and blues number but most tracks very Avant Garde
Quirky yet approachable, with some really interesting sounds, vibes and the occasional cut-through song. Not sure when I’d ever think “now that’s what I want to hear tonight”, but I enjoyed hearing it. Another 3.5 from me.
Don’t get me wrong - I love Tom Waits. The concert I saw him give at the State Theatre, Sydney, in 1979, was one of the greatest concerts I’ve ever attended. But that was 70’s Tom. From Frank’s Wild Years onward, I’ve had to deal with a different Tom. The problem for me was that he just stopped writing tunes. I own Rain Dogs, but I don’t think I’d played it for a couple of decades. It hasn’t improved with age. There are only a couple of throwbacks to what I consider his golden period - Walking Spanish is the best thing here by a mile & ranks among his best talking songs; 9th & Hennepin is also terrific, but very short; while Downtown Train was always a good song & was covered by quite a few. The rest are just okay. There’s little else here that really grabs me.
Like a novelty record, enjoyed it at first, soon got tiresome. 3.2
notes - experimental rock semi concept album - tom waits 9th album - features keith richards - ive never really been able to get into tom waits but i feel like maybe i’m just missing something - characteristic smoky baritone voice - some songs on here have what i would vcall a circus sound but twisted fav - jockey full of bourbon - Loooove the groove and performance on this song least fav - singapore - One of the noisier tracks, doesn’t do it as well as others later on - Bit of a litmus test for how you’ll feel about the rest of the album 3/5 - I can appreciate the artistry behind it but its not something I would choose to listen to
Just weird enough for me to nod my head and go hmm at the end in a good way
Music was good, but eventually I got tired of Toms singing.
3.8/5 I think Waits is a fun songwriter, but I do not really vibe with the folk-jazz-cabaret style of his music
My first impression is that Tom Waits is an acquired taste. This album is so different from Closing Time which is the only other Tom Waits album I've listened to. Rain Dogs gets a little to experimental and that's coming from someone who listens to Zappa. The album grows on you as it progresses and it just takes a while to cross the threshold. It's definitely worth a listen but probably not for everyone.
Weird and interesting, but I think hearing it once is enough for me.
Am a bit conflicted about this one. It is unique and awesome, but also a bit gimmicky and I get tired of it at the End of the whole album.
Cool album but a bit hard on the ear after a while. I prefer the somewhat more 'friendly' Tom Waits music
Quite alright. So much gravel. Too many songs. Would have been a tighter album if it was a little shorter. Downtown train was pretty good
Not at all what I expected but a very fun listen. Lots of catchy tunes.
This is one wild motherfucker. I enjoyed the dense variety of the instruments, with some tracks being borderline demented circus shit. Tom's voice is very hit or miss to me (and probably many others), but even when I wasn't feeling the vocal performance, it still worked very well compositionally with the music.
Growly, masculine, vocals. Sometimes ballad-y, sometimes jazz-ish.
Music from the fucking upside down dimension or something. Tom Waits is a scary individual, wouldn't want to meet him in a dark alley. There's a lot of good songs in here - "Clap Hands" is great because it sounds like Breaking Bad music. "Downtown Train" is like Bob Dylan if he was good. Nevertheless, I found myself exhausted by the end. While not a particularly long album, it's 19 songs long (a lot of songs - more than 6 songs, for example) and a big chunk of it didn't stick in my brain at all. I'll probably return to this.. needs about two or three more listens, but a strong 3/5 for now.
Pretty good.
Bluesss
Not my genre but good
Halloweenie
Unique voice, really interesting listen
Another album I can tell is very talented. Nothing like I’ve ever heard but some of it is a little slow and torturous. I do like the polka, German, very out there styles of mixed sounds and styles. Keith Richards is awesome. Creative and deep voice and lyrics. Almost just too weird to handle
robots wooooooo
Not exactly my favourite Tom Waits album, but a good listen nonetheless. Downtown Train is definitely the best this album has to offer.
Starts slow, defenetly dinnertime music
Some other review said this was weird Halloween music, and I agree, but in the best way possible. I actually quite enjoyed how weird this could get, but blues still isn't for me, so some of this album was a bit repetitive. Excited for other Tom Waits albums, though.
Dankzij deze lijst wat meer Tom Waits gedraaid en ook dit album was ook weer de moeite waard.
Ik kan dit zeker steeds meer waarderen.
Ik ben niet echt een Tom Waits fan, maar dit album vond ik behoorlijk goed te hebben eigenlijk.
I liked a few of the songs, particularly Time and Hang Down Your Head. Interesting to listen to once, but I'm not sure I'll listen again.
Mr Waits has quite a few albums on this chart. Well done Mr Waits. Unfortunately, whilst pretty good and spanning many years they are all pretty samey. I have listened to 3 of them now and they are indistinguishable. Bluesy, sleazy, smoke filled bars with gravely voice, milkbottles and brokendown pianos.
I do still wonder if Tom is taking the piss
No es mi disco favorito de Tom Waits, pero tiene ese temón del piano borracho
Tem seu estilo marcante mas não me agradou muito de ouvir
Donkey Kong type beat
Interesting, not great. kind of reminds me of Prine compared to Dylan. No real standout songs, but a few could possibly grow on me. Not a huge fan of his voice.
Someone I really admired as a teenager loves this album so I was hyped when I saw it this morning. However, as soon as it started, I knew it wasn’t for me. I appreciate the artistry and especially the lyrics (“I’ll tell you all my secrets, but I lie about my past”) but I cannot get past his voice. Giant deterrent for what is otherwise brilliant stuff. Disappointed.
Certainly very interesting. There's a few weird experiments (Cemetery Polka), but most of it is a weird folk drunken minstrel style in Tom's gravely style. Had no idea that this was where Downtrain Train came from. Impressive.
A surprising 2.5 from Bill. She quite liked the songs but does not like his voice. Shannah convinced he has a pirate alter-ego. Really enjoyed it. 3.5. Great album reckons Conor. Possibly his best. 3.9/5 3.3/5
Some really odd and hard to listen to songs, but then some greatly great gems, but I guess that’s Tom Waits! A man of many sounds.
Yet another wonderfully unorthodox and at times even weird Tom Waits album. Kudos to him for having and sticking to his own style. This album however I found a tad bit too long and lacking any stand out songs, making this album only memorable due to Waits' unique style and not due to the individual songs
cool album, clearly on the same theme as sworfishtrombones, still very experimental with some songs more fitting in a movie about dwarves but very nice nonetheless
Not good enough in English to appreciate this album.
nja, nåt har den ju. men det är för knas för mig
3, he has a way with words
After 2, 3 Tom Waits songs I am good
Like "Bone Machine", but better. My third Tom Waits album in a span of like two weeks? An interesting guy. This is his best that I've heard so far, and I think a little more exploration in his discography (particularly the '80s part) might get me into his sound. Apparently, this is the second part of a trilogy. But as of now, I have to dust off the sands in my ears first.
Bom.
Overrated, if you ask me. (So is Swordfishtrombone, but that’s another matter altogether)
In theory 4 in practice 3
Tom Waits is a guy who is so far off the beaten path that I guess you have to accept the bad weird stuff because it also allows him to come up with the good weird stuff. There's plenty of both here. Best track: Tango Till They're Sore
Creepy
All over the place, kinda creepy in parts
I mean if you like grumbly meandering lyrics akin to a drunk dude screaming at you Ton Waits has you covered. It was alright.
Well it was interesting to say the least. I think I don't really get it. It sounds like a carnival villain soundtrack. Wanted to like it more.
One has to be in the mood for Tom Waits but I can’t describe the mood. Today I wasn’t in it. However Clap Hands, Jockey Full of Bourbon, Time, and Downtown Train are good tunes nonetheless.
Very experimental and pretentious. I can see how this piece in specific can be very influential for alternative rock musicians, but I personally don't like it. "Hang Down Your Head" is a great track though.
Better than I expected
The music is always interesting and the lyrics are full of great imagery but that voice...ugh.
Aika moista. Saundien omaperäisyydestä ja loistavasta tunnelmasta hatunnosto, mutta ehkä vähän liian löröä että oisin tykänny kauheesti.
Waits menee edelleen siihen luokkaan, että tajuan loistavuuden, mutta ei vaan täysin omaan makuun. Täytyy tosin arvostaa miten originellilta tää vieläkin kuulostaa. Ja monet rennommat ja groovaavat biisit toimii hyvin, esim. Clap Hands, Jockey Full of Bourbon ja Gun Street Girl. Sanotaan 3.5/5.
The last third piqued my interest in a major way. Everything else is weird in a good way, but also a bag of vignettes. Waits's voice is compelling, but many of the song
Eccentric. Definitely not for everyone. Very strange indeed, but kind of enjoyable…tread with caution though!
Iz jebene paštete više.. Cemetery Polka do be hittin different tho
Wtf... Esto si no me lo esperaba. 3
Not my style, but enjoyed some songs (Singapore and Clap Hands most notable to me)
i listened to this a long time ago...reactivating! this was very...masculine. i don't know if i got it
Interesting... Bit of cajun sound to me
also Tom Waits ist bestimmt sehr gut, aber meins ists einfach nicht. ich find seine art zu singen nervig, erinnert mich an Jason Segel in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, wo er den Vampir singt.
Ganz Besonders und einzigartig. Tolle Soundkulisse. Komm mir vor, als würde ich einen Tim Burton Film ansehen. Ganzes Album bissl anstrengend
Weird album, not bad
6/10
I get it, but it’s not for me.
It's a little long, but the more I listen to Tom Waits, the more I like him. Not going to get heavy rotation, but always glad to see him pop up.
meh? 3/5
Grâce à une suite d'accords tous plus cacophoniques les uns que les autres, Tom Waits et sa voix d'ogre drogué parviennent au long de ce nouveau one-man-show à nous arracher un sourire de temps à autre.
Je tiens à alerter toute la population du générateur: je pense que Tom Waits a été enlevé par Robert, et remplacé par une doublure. En effet, grâce à une analyse pointue, j'ai pu remarquer que la voix de Tom Waits a complétement changé. De plus, Tom Waits nous avait habitué à de francs rires lors de ses interludes poilantes, rien de tout ça ne nous fut proposé au cours de cet album. Il est temps de se mobiliser pour tenter de retrouver le véritable Tom Waits.
Experimental, very experimental not for me
What a strange album... it reminded me a bit of the musical Hadestown at times. What an interesting voice! I don't think I'll return, but it definitely made for a change. I liked 'Jockey Full of Bourbon' and 'Downtown Train', but my top pick is 'Gun Street Girl'.
6/10
Great music, very nightmare before Christmas like.
Fond memories of this album in a Tokyo laundromat. Cup of noodles from a vending machine. Clothes sloshing away. Headphones on riding that downtown train. I always do the Rod Stewart double with that Tom Waits song. The world is a great place ;)
Pirate music
No tan fan, hay cosas que se oyen muy bien y me gusta que tenga una voz y cante tan particular, pero no es para mí Tom Waits. Eso creo, quién sabe en unos años. En fin. 7.5/10
Interesting album with his raw talking voice style of singing.
Not sure what to make of it. Some tracks were really good. I liked his gravelly voice, other tracks I didn’t like so much. A have gh 3*
Good stuff. I personally prefer his older stuff most of which would be a 4 so it only gets a 3 on this occasion.
Ajudou a conhecer mais músicas dele.
Слишком сложно для меня.
better than the other waits one. fucking long though.
Pretty nice
Great rich gravelly voice! Good storytelling. Diverse mix of song styles.
I think this is the first Tom Waits record I’ve ever fully listened to. I liked it just fine, but I can’t imagine just falling head over heels for music like this. Are there super passionate Tom Waits fans out there? People who put this on in their car and sing along? I assume there are and I would like to meet one of them just to talk about that experience. So yeah. I liked it fine. Had no idea he’s the original pen of “Downtown Train.”
Songwriting was solid, as I’ve come to expect, and the instrumentation made this interesting. Still, I think I just don’t like listening to Tom waits, and the energy on this was so low, the instruction was so heavy that everything felt like it was dragging itself along. 5/10
I don't know how to feel about Tom Waits these days. 6
Great voice
Weird Pirate-esque, carney influenced, underbelly inspired album sung in gruff, deep, smokey and slightly raspy barks. He reminds me of a washed up, drunken semi-old seadog
Admittedly naive/ignorant of Waits prior to Heartattack and Vine, I left that album wondering if it was a character or sort of an acted out performance. Shortly into Rain Dogs I'm now convinced that's the case but just as I'm starting to immerse myself into this new performance it inexplicably shifts gears and by the end of the album I feel like I'm back at HA&V. And that's not a bad thing, but I'm again left wondering if there's something else going over my head. Also learned about the origins of Downtown Train, which makes so much more sense as a Waits song rather than Rod Stewart. Worth a listen, but to me the entirety of the album doesn't have the same appeal as HA&V.
Ok, so I was down on this right from the start, mostly because of the last one. But I thought this one was far better and actually enjoyable! He still has that distinctive voice but it's understandable and comes across here as an interesting style compared to annoying in the older album. Nice variety of music, good storytelling. Solid 3. Which is actually a bit problematic as it seems I felt compelled to give the last one a 3. So now they're both a 3 even though this one is far better. I wish I could change the Heartattack and Vine rating to a 2 now.
Interesting but not really enjoyable.
The album sounds like Leningrad's band.
First track is the maddest shit Ive ever heard. So weird and genre bending but it kinda works, absolutely bizarre though. Thinking a 3 so far.
Der Schräge Kram vom Tom ist mal lustig, zum Einpacken der Wohnung wars etwas viel zusätzlicher Stress ;)
This sounds like Waits could have developed some of these songs as a great concept album but for some reason he didn't. Which is a shame because most of the tracks are such a pleasant listen on their own; but like this at times it just feels a little too long and overfilled. Particularly liked: Jockey Full of Bourbon
Had potential may grow on me with time
I struggle with Tom Waits, and this album in particular. I like it well enough, and can see why people really like it, but I find Tom pretty annoying. His voice and character come off pretty insincerely and honestly fairly grating. The more traditional songs (Time, Hang Down Your Head) here I do like and think his low gravelly voice fits nicely. It's the more cabaret/show tune type songs that I find pretty tiresome. I am glad this was on here because this is now the third time I've heard it and helps confirm this one won't do a ton of growing on me with familiarity.
sounds like New Orleans blues/jazz. a few catchy tunes
Vintage Waits
I liked the "villainous music" approach. Sounds a little childish but fun. 1/3 of the tracks sound like dull fillers
I like how crazy the lyrics are, and the music is pretty good. I didn't love it. But I made it through the whole album. I liked the track "Rain Dogs". I disagree that this is a must listen, but also I have no idea what it's history is or how it inspired other artists.
Weird dude
So much back and forth in the vibes. Definitely not a cohesive album in the way I'm used to, unless the theme was supposed to be "captain ahab's idiosyncratic thematic cacophony"
Growing on me like a rash. Will return to this one periodically - I enjoy Waits' "sand in the sandwich" voice, and can tell it has much more to offer upon repeat listens. 6/10
Rock, blues, folk. Sorprendente. Interesante
7
Not a a huge fan
Ok. Not something I would normally listen to. I think a a quiet boozy pub would fit this well
Discordant pirate jazz. Need to listen again probably but I found myself not hating it as much as I expected
Feels like the soundtrack to an Oddities show. Tom Waits is another singer-without-voice, except that I've always found it more appealing than Cohen. Most of this album is worth listening to again, but a couple of tracks are pretty meh...
This one is strange, it feels like the music doesn't work and initially i didn't like a lot of it but some of the tracks just work
Very entertaining but also quite philosophical.
Doggy
Cool album like always from Tom Waits. Some songs are little hard to listen. Not for everyday but for some occasions is perfect.
Wtf! This is weird stuff, not at all as expected by the cover. Some of it wasn’t too bad, most was very weird
I'm just not a fan of Tom Waits. I know people love him but I don't get it.
was Tom Waits trying to impersonate a pirate on this album? because that is what I was led to believe based on the first song. ill be honest, i didn't absolutely hate this one. it was weird for sure, but i found myself bopping along with some. overall though, i don't ever see myself coming back to tom waits
- Strange - Can’t finish listening
The first couple songs were great, but the deeper I got into the album, the more forced it felt. I like unconventional music that doesn't follow the normal rules, but you've got to do it with a little bit of class too.
the jazz elements are enjoyable, I like the swinging of the tracks but I don't truly like the album, elements that I really like are there but it's not concise enough for me to fully say I'll care about this in a month, I'll remember bits of it tho
that’s some crazy shit i’m not gonna lie, kinda a vibe
Very much an experimental album, it can be listened thru, but not great.
look, tom waits is unapologetically himself. i can tell he's an expert in whatever genre this is, and that this is a layered, complicated album that rightfully has many fans. but god, does it sound like dog water to me. side note: how is it possibly i got TWO tom waits albums directly in a row? literally, what are the chances i'd get a swamp witch double feature? if you need me, i'll be floating facedown in a polluted bog.
I was not sure of this at the start but as it got going I got drawn in and the second half was much stronger than the first. Loved ‘Gun Street Girl’. 2.5
I have never really got on with TW but this album is more listenable than the others I’ve tried previously - a solid 2 stars. Tom.
This has such a strange vibe to it. It reminds me of a Disney villain but without the personality that makes a Disney villain a Disney villain. In Clap Hands I was just waiting for him to turn around stroking a cat. Tango till you’re sore had those same vibes. Big black Mariah sounded like a rejected July talk song. Time was actually nice and slow. This is the first one I think I liked. Gun street girl was also ok. This album was just overall very strange. I didn’t hate it, I just didn’t like it. There were definitely bits I enjoyed more than others, especially in the back half of the album. 2.5/5 ⭐️ 164/1089
Really odd. Sounds like a Halloween film soundtrack. Haunting, eerie, strained vocals at times. Unique but not in the best way. 2.5/5
You'll never ever convince me this man's music isn't a practical joke or some kind, like when Garth Brooks pretended to be somebody else. "Downtown Train" fucks, though (when somebody else sings it).
Knee deep in muck
Sounded like Captain Jack Sparrow had made an album about carnival buskers. Wasn't enamoured.
still what? but a little better than the first one i got here......i guess....i don't know
This is the 3rd Tom Waits album I listened to and I still don’t ‘get’ it. He writes interesting lyrics I guess and has a unique voice, he is talented for sure but his work is just not for me.
Maybe it's art to someone, it's just annoying to me.
Bit pretentious
I know he is a legend and all that but his style is not my favorite. Probably don't like him for the same reason I don't like Bob Dylan. The lyrics are great but I prefer a more singing approach. The music is good but nothing that really blows me away. Overall not bad but not something that I would listen to again.
No. 1.8
I liked maybe half of this album, but only kinda. Most of it sounded like something you'd hear while watching violently drunk clowns doing a very raunchy burlesque show.
Didn’t leave any impact
Just don’t care for this guy’s style or sound.
I just don’t like this guy. It feels like he’s having a joke I don’t get but suspect is at my expense.
Very unique, may need to revisit
Muy raro disco, recién el 6 track me llamo un poco mas la atención por ritmos mas conocidos con big black mariah en un sonido mas rockandrolero pero lo demás me deja que desear. Es un disco medio de sonidos para una actuación de circo o lo que escucharías en una pelicula de piratas mientras no hay accion. No es algo que escucharía nuevamente. son 2 los puntos para no ser malo
Can we stop w/ Tom Waits now?
Weird, but not weird enough to be good
How are there three of these on the list?!?! Downtown Train saved the 1 star rating.
01) Singapore - 6,5 02) Clap Hands - 6,5 03) Cemetery Polka - 3,0 04) Jockey Full of Bourbon - 6,0 05) Tango Till They're Sore - 5,0 06) Big Black Mariah - 5,5 07) Diamonds & Gold - 5,5 08) Hang Down Your Head - 6,5 09) Time - 6,0 10) Rain Dogs - 5,0 11) Midtown - 3,0 12) 9th & Hennepin - 2,5 13) Gun Street Girl - 5,5 14) Union Square - 6,0 15) Blind Love - 5,5 16) Walking Spanish - 5,5 17) Downtown Train - 7,0 18) Bride of Rain Dog - 1,0 19) Anywhere I Lay My Head - 5,0 TOTAL: 5,05 (51/100) Current ranking: 802/865
Not his best work...
Wow. Reminded me of Glass Animals + Tom Cardy + absurdism. Felt like I needed to be on a fair amount of drugs to really appreciate this.
I was genuinely not prepared for what I got here--did Cemetery Polka inspire Runscape's composer? One must marvel at the infinite possibilities of artistic creation and experimentation. Especially when I don't get it!
His music is just so weird! But strangely kind of fun.
I hated this slightly less than I typically hate tom waits
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 ⭐️⭐️
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.
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
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.
Wayyyyy tooo long this - Tom is a weird guy
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.
I do not like this. Tom Waits is not for me. I do not understand how these albums end up in this list.
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?
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
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
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.
Tom waits is weird and talented, but this was not enjoyable to listen to.
2 stars because I love tom waits other stuff
Tom Waits har mye bra i repertoaret, men det her fikse æ ikke. Mislike dette av samme grunn som æ mislike Kaizers.
*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.
This one seems too gruff and annoying for my taste.
Not my jam
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.
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.
Horrible mixing vocals are scary. Stop growling in my ear. Weirdly some songs are somewhat nice without vocals, while others are genuinely bothersome
Jockey Full of Bourbon and Downtown Train are two of the best written songs
Okay, Tom Waits
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.
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
Unique, but not for me. Favorite from album: Hang Down Your Head
I'm a pessimist so thijs album was half shit
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.
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.
2/5
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.
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
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.
Tom Waits is ridiculous. Too complex to just enjoy in the background, too weird to legitimately say, "this is my thing".
Kind of not a great christmas eve album?
Quite an interesting concept album.
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
Carnivalesque
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
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.
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.
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
Yeah I'm Tom Wait-ing for a good song. Not many dogs out of 10 lizard wizards
Would not buy.
That was unexpectedly hard work.
i feel like this is supposed to be some kind of masterpiece but it's not for me sorry
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!
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.