Rating: **** (4 out of 4)

Availability: Widely Available

Rainville. Hardly ever did though, rain that is. It was nowhere. Railroad tracks ran up the back of the state like stitches. Telephone lines slashed the orange dawns like a wrecked ship's rigging... And when it rained the whole town went mad. Dogs ran wild in the streets. Frank was squeezed between scrap iron places and radiator repair shops... Rainville, good place to dream yourself away from. When the trains thundered past the backyard fance, bound for Oxnard, Lompoc, Gila Bend, Stanfield, and parts south where the wind blew big, Frank would count the cars and make a wish just like he did when he was a kid... At least something was getting out of town alive...

One moonlit night Frank packed up his accordion and said blow wind blow wherever you may go... Cause I'm going straight to the top... Up where the air is fresh and clean.

-Tom Waits, from Frank's Wild Years

Tom Waits is very unusual. It's difficult to tell how much of the voice is real and how much is assumed. When listening to Frank's Wild Years, it becomes apparent that Tom Waits doesn't so much sing, as channel. He channels Louis Armstrong for "Straight to the Top (Rhumba)" and "Way Down in the Hole," while he channels a breathy vamp for "Temptation."

Frank's Wild Years is, in fact, a musical. Waits' coarse vocal stylings lay themselves over jazzy backdrops, ranging from blues to Vegas lounge. All the while, we follow the story of Frank, a small-town man who leaves to experience life and success in the big city, only to find himself wishing to return once more.

The music acts to take you on an emotional journey, as you are pulled in by the rough melodies and the jazz rhythms. Waits is astounding with the emotional range conveyed by his voice, and the musicians perfectly capture the mood of each scene. By the end of the music, you feel almost as though you are Frank, for Frank is everyman, in a way.

The opinions expressed in the above reviews are those of Glen Williams and may not represent the views of slac.com or any of its members. Compliments, complaints, and comments should be addressed to gandalf@tricon.net

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