Franks Wild Years  by Tom Waits

In 1987, Tom Waits seems to complete and close with the album Franks Wild Years the trilogy he had started in 1983 with Swordfishtrombones and continued with Rain Dogs in 1985. The album's title should not be confused with the song Frank's Wild Years from Swordfishtrombones. The seventeen compositions of the record mainly belong to Tom Waits and his wife, Kathleen Brennan, while the production is by Tom Waits himself.

The listeners of Franks Wild Years watch Tom Waits unfold his stories once again through the forms of experimental rock and through whatever else the human mind can conceive (even roosters crow in the song I'll Be Gone (!)) The only single from the album was the opening track Hang On St. Christopher, while several songs from Franks Wild Years have been used in series and movies. In 1993, John Campbell covers Way Down The Hole, and even Elli Paspala in the same year includes Temptation in her own live recorded album Elli Paspala At The Music Hall.

Franks Wild Years reached No.13 in Norway (!) and No.115 in the U.S. (!) continuing the tradition of Tom Waits being more popular outside of the United States.