Tom Waits, Rain Dogs...

The problem I have with Tom is he keeps making the same album over and over.

WHAT?!?! Compare "The Heart of Saturday Night" with "Small Change" with "Swordfishtrombone" with "Mule Variations" or "Bone Machine" or more recently, "Blood Money". There have been some phases he's gone through where several albums may have similarities, but if you look at the broader picture of his entire career he has evolved and changed. Waits is an absolutely brilliant songwriter and performer...entirely unique. I could not disagree more with the opinion that all his work sounds the same.

I would never have drawn any similarities between him and Springsteen either. Waits uses a different vocabulary both verbal and musical, speaks of different worlds, and is far more unique and creative than Springsteen (IMHO of course).

Rain Dogs is a great album. I think that's one of the early albums when he first started collaborating with his wife, Kathleen Brennan (I think he went over to Island Records at that time). If you like Rain Dogs and have not heard Swordfishtrombone definitely check that one out as well. There's also a collective CD of his "Island Years" that you may enjoy.

still trying to figure out how waits and springteen are being compared....john fogerty wishes he could make a record as gladys knight who wishes she could make a record like radiohead.

I'm embarrassed to say I don't understand the motive behind the original post. I think that Wait's (studio recorded) 'Rain Dogs' stands on its own as does perhaps Springsteen's (4-track recorded) 'Nebraska'.

Some Wikipedia trivia:

"In 1989, Nebraska was ranked #43 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 greatest albums of the 1980s. In 2003, the album was ranked number 224 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time."

"In 1989, it (Rain Dogs) was ranked #21 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 greatest albums of the 1980s. In 2003, the album was ranked number 397 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time."

I don't know.

My initial reaction was "if you like Rain Dogs, pick up Swordfishtrombone."

The similarities between the two artist mentioned is quite obvious, too me anyway. Haven't you guys heard Springsteen's rendition of Tom Wait's "Jersey Girl"? Beside the strong vocal comparison theres alot to be said for a shared mutual respect they seem to share. Listen to Rain Dogs and if you don't hear the Springsteen influences in the some of the electric guitar songs then your not really listening. A few of the arrangements on Rain Dogs have the "Wild Billy's Circus" vibe going on.Both men are great story tellers. I love Springsteen and that is why I bring this topic up, if you haven't yet heard Rain Dogs you should, it put a smile on my face.
Jaybo, is there no end to your ignorance? Once again I know I hit the nail on the head when I find your disagreeing response to my many posts.