Tom Waits - Rain Dogs
2025-08-01
Tom Waits has released so many amazing albums but Rain Dogs sticks out. Even though Swordfishtrombones arguably marked the shift away from the drinking and smoking alley cat beatnik pianist/singer into the more avant-garde vaudeville/grotesque theatre style, Rain Dogs really nailed the atmosphere and style. This is perhaps in many ways thanks to the appearance of Marc Ribot whose guitar playing on e.g. Jockey Full of Bourbon really puts the perfect finishing touch on an already great and sweaty Latin-inspired, rumba-ish tune that will be in your head for days.
Rain Dogs is an absolute banger of an album and while it may take a few listens to get really into some of the songs, others are immediately accessible and inspire wonderfully quirky mental images that can possibly only be communicated via music/sound (Cemetery Polka anyone?).
Listen
- Jockey Full of Bourbon: https://youtu.be/ipQgbKEK4s0
- Rain Dogs: https://youtu.be/KXW3c5Z6UQ0
- Cemetery Polka: https://youtu.be/MfsriAiPl5I