Franks Wild Years
by Tom Waits

Possibly my favorite album of all time

Didn't like it on the first listen, but it's grown on me. Not as good as Swordfishtrombones or Rain Dogs, but a solid album nonetheless.

Great stuff.

From Sandrof1969 02/18/2018 11:44 | #208667

Questo ennesimo, strambo, parto della fantasia di Tom Waits è un disco compiuto, un ballo in maschera a cui partecipano solo i freaks, un accompagnamento notturno non romanticamente epico come "Raindogs" ma comunque intenso.

From poppmusic 04/13/2017 06:34 | #189191

Extraordinarily experimental and pretty hard to listen to around the middle (because it's so sad). I have to value the creative arrangements but at the same time I miss the fun you can find in other Waits albums. Also, I have a specific problem with how some of the vocals/recordings sound on this album that sound flat, that I hadn't noticed in at least his earlier recordings.

From ffudnebbuh 04/21/2016 12:17 | #164222

It is my favorite Tom Waits album and is somewhere on my chart

Another brilliant Tom Waits album. For all the talk that it's a musical, or whatever the hell it's meant to be, at the end of the day, it's a stunning record full of great songs. I do almost think if it though as a kind of final part of a trilogy after, swordfish, and, Rain dogs. As for the songs, temptation, innocent when you dream, more than rain, and, telephone call from Istanbul, are all fantastic, as are, cold, cold ground, train song, and, i'll be gone. In fact the whole album is great. I especially like the sinatra-esque, straight to the top, which switches into a kind of nightmare version of Sinatra's own, new york, new york, on, i'll take new York. It's another breathtaking album from Waits, got to be up there in his top five or six.

From junodog4 12/14/2014 22:29 | #129381

Not as strong as Rain Dogs, but still chock full of Tom Waits quality. Underrated.

From ffudnebbuh 11/19/2011 14:06 | #30842

I love this album.

From Robert Anton Wilson 11/07/2011 16:56 | #29967

Part of the middle-era Tom Waits trilogy along with Swordfishtrombone and Rain Dogs. This album is usually considered the lowest of the 3 because it is the only one that has "weak" spots. I concede that point. Originally released as a double album in its original vinyl format it dose have moments when the momentum sort of falls flat but still, these moments are not bad, they just are not as great as the rest. However what this album has going for it is diversity. To me this broader exploration of Tom's persona makes up for the weak moments. Yes, I usually skip songs when I listen to this album as opposed to the other two, but this album takes me to more destinations and it seems that the highs are higher on this trip and I am willing to ride shallower water at some point to be able to reach that top wave.