Tom Waits - Mule Variations Album

After a seven year hiatus, Tom Waits came back to rock and roll with the Mule Variations album. Oh, how we missed him! This was the most sturdy rock album Waits released since "Rain Dogs." Waits is in top form both musically and lyrically in everything from the opening track, "Big Jap" to the closing cut "Come On Up to the House." In between, he offers the guitar-driven ballad ("Hold On"), the blues ("Cold Water") and smooth piano stylings (Picture in a Frame" and "Take It With Me When I Go."). Waits, known for his gruff demeanor, never sings a lyric that seems untrue and his unique view of life shines through on every track in this collection.