I consider "Rain Dogs", "Swordfishtrombones", and "Heartattack and Vine" the three core albums that any Tom Waits fan must have. While his earlier albums have an an aesthetic that some fans enjoy--I don't as much--these three show him finding his new footing as an artist. They are the three that I simply could not do without. The subsequent albums are treasures as well, but are, to a certain degree, fine tuning of his style, with a few variations. "Rain Dogs" contains a perfect balance of sentimentality and noir callousness in brilliant poetry that any artist can achieve once in a lifetime if they're lucky.
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