My Top 10 Albums of All-Time ~ 5. Tom Waits - Rain Dogs (1985) ~ From the very first bars of "Singapore," Rain Dogs transports the listener to another time and place -- one where bizarre and dejected figures strike impressionistic poses in a dank and drunken haze. What makes Waits brilliant is his ability to sympathize with these grotesque characters, to show the world their souls - their love and their pain - while inviting the listener to sympathize too. Harrowing ballads gather alongside boozy blues and carnival cabarets, bringing to life those dejected and unwanted vagabonds whom we typically prefer not to see. Rain Dogs is much more than a mere musical endeavor - it is a humanistic one.
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