Originally Posted by Bulldog

36. Tom Waits - Mule Variations (1999)

Tom Waits' discography is one I've merely skimmed the surface of. While I have a massive amount of respect for him as an artist (having just voted for him in the Hall Of Fame and all), I'm yet to grow into the fully obsessed fan that I've been threatening to become for some time now. 'til then, this would be my favourite work of his. Being probably the lightest and most instantly-accessible item in his back catalogue (certainly from what I've heard anyway), it's as good a starting point as any for curious listeners out there. As for the music itself, it's hard to pin down, which is the beauty of Tom Waits' work. While still being a fairly dark and somber body of work, Mule Variations is certainly a lot less abrasive and light than his other works. For a beginner like me this is, of course, a good thing, and one which makes for one of my favourite ever albums.
The best bits: Get Behind the Mule, What's He Building?, Chocolate Jesus