100 Favorite Albums: Tom Waits - Bone Machine

With an artist like Tom Waits who has produced so many influential albums its easy for one to slip under the radar a bit. I listen to at least one Tom Waits album a week and most often its either Swordfishtrombones or Rain Dogs - or Small Change if I'm feeling loungey. Whenever I listen to Bone Machine though, I am reminded of its outright brilliance. After the Harry Partch experimentation of Tom's 80's releases Bone Machine finds him in a more bluesy and percussive mood. On the harder tracks there is a sense of swagger that reminds me of Heartattack and Vine. Lyrically the album is a collection of songs are either about death, murder or decay. In many ways I think its Tom's most spiritual album. I listened to it today for the first time in a long time and feel that it stands alongside his best work.

"Going Out West" is as good of a place to start as any