I listened to most of his records (up to Frank's Wild Years) when I was twenty or so.

Of all those albums, I recommend Swordfish Trombones, Rain Dogs and Franks Wild Years.

The earlier stuff is more beat poet type of stuff, much like Springsteen's first couple of records. He wrote Ol' '55, which the Eagles covered back in the early years. If you've never heard Swordfish and want a sample of what Waits does, check that one out.

Downtown Train was covered by Rod Stewart in the early nineties, that song appears on Rain Dogs and sounds completely different from Rod's version but is still one of the more pop tunes Waits has ever recorded.

I love Frank's Wild Years. It's underrated, really.

Antero wrote:I love Frank's Wild Years. It's underrated, really.

yea thats a really good one

Tom Waits for no one.

...and he won't waits for me.