Before he was Tom Waits, Cookie Monster Impersonator, he was Tom Waits, Gutter Lounge Act. On Dec. 21, just in time to be wrapped up in pretty paper and given to someone you love, Rhino will release Waits’ first four albums from that early era on 180-gram vinyl. Recorded from 1973-1976, back when Waits was but a drunken young man in his early twenties, Closing Time, The Heart Of Saturday Night, Nighthawks At The Diner, 
and Small Change are all classics in the eccentric songwriter’s oeuvre, records that set the stage for his later, weirder experiments in sound.

Super nerds and fan boys like your humble correspondent should direct their energies to TomWaitsStore.com, where all four of the records are available for pre-order in a limited-edition (1,000 copies each) red vinyl edition. All the records are $24.98 ($26.99 for red), except Nighthawks, which is a double LP going for $34.98 ($37.99 for red), which is pricey, yes, but this is the way Waits was meant to be heard. Put on a shabby thrift-store suit, pour a snifter of scotch, and you’ll eventually forget how broke you are.