Editing Tom Waits (section)

===''Rain Dogs'' and ''Franks Wild Years'': 1985–1988===
[[File:Jim Jarmusch Cannes 2013.JPG|thumb|right|Waits appeared in several films by [[Jim Jarmusch]] (pictured in 2013).]]
Starting in the mid-80s, [[Kurt Weill]] became an important influence on Waits's work. Bowman writes that "Waits had become interested in Weill's late-1920s and 1930s musical-theater works ... Weill's slightly off-kilter, stylized [[cabaret]] approach to melody, rhythm, orchestration, and musical narrative permeated much of Waits's subsequent work."{{sfn|Bowman}} Waits did the soundtrack for the documentary [[Streetwise (1984 film)|''Streetwise'']], about homeless youth in Seattle;<ref>{{cite web| title=Streetwise (1984) -Soundtracks| website=[[IMDb]]| url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088196/soundtrack/}}</ref> it was another influence on the subjects of his next album. ''[[Rain Dogs]]'' was recorded at the [[RCA Studio A|RCA Studios]] in mid 1985.{{sfn|Hoskyns|2009|pp=307, 310}} Musically, Waits called the album "kind of an interaction between Appalachia and Nigeria".{{sfn|Humphries|2007|p=161}} [[Keith Richards]] played on several tracks;{{sfnm|1a1=Humphries|1y=2007|1p=176|2a1=Hoskyns|2y=2009|2p=313}} Richards later acknowledged Waits's encouragement of his debut solo album, ''[[Talk is Cheap]]''.{{sfnm|1a1=Humphries|1y=2007|1p=177|2a1=Hoskyns|2y=2009|2p=314}} ''Rain Dogs'' also marked [[Marc Ribot]]'s debut as a session guitarist; he would play on many subsequent Waits albums.<ref>Ruhlman, W. [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r21380|pure_url=yes}}</ref> [[Jean-Baptiste Mondino]] directed a music video of "[[Downtown Train]]" featuring boxer [[Jake LaMotta]]. The song was subsequently covered by [[Patty Smyth]] in 1987, and later by [[Rod Stewart]], where it reached the top five in 1990.{{sfn|Hoskyns|2009|p=317}} In 1985, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' named Waits its "Songwriter of the Year".{{sfnm|1a1=Humphries|1y=2007|1p=165|2a1=Hoskyns|2y=2009|2p=327}} Arion Berger wrote that "With ''Rain Dogs'', he dropped his bedraggled lounge-piano act and fused outsider influences – socialist decadence by way of Kurt Weill, pre-rock integrity from old [[dirty blues]], the elegiac melancholy of [[jazz funeral|New Orleans funeral brass]] – into a singularly idiosyncratic American style ... The music is bony and menacingly beautiful, the desultory electric-guitar solo as cold as the rattle of marimbas in 'Clap Hands'. The evocative, elliptical rhymes describe scenes and characters with poetic precision but use atmosphere, not narrative, to connect them."<ref>{{cite magazine| last= Berger| first= Arion| title=Tom Waits: Rain Dogs| magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]}}</ref> ''[[NME]]'' named ''Rain Dogs'' the best album of the year.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nme.com/bestalbumsandtracksoftheyear/1985-2-1045389 |title=NME's Best Albums and Tracks of 1985 |date=2018 |work=[[NME]] |access-date=August 30, 2018 }}</ref>

In September 1985, his son Casey was born.{{sfnm|1a1=Humphries|1y=2007|1p=154|2a1=Hoskyns|2y=2009|2p=318}} Waits assembled a band and went on tour, kicking it off in Scotland in October before proceeding around Europe and then the U.S.{{sfnm|1a1=Humphries|1y=2007|1p=166|2a1=Hoskyns|2y=2009|2pp=318–319}} He changed the setlist for each performance; most of the songs chosen were from his two Island albums.{{sfn|Hoskyns|2009|pp=319–320}} Returning to the U.S., he traveled to [[New Orleans]] to act in Jarmusch's [[Down by Law (film)|''Down by Law'']]. Jarmusch wrote ''Down by Law'' with Waits and Lurie in mind.{{sfnm|1a1=Humphries|1y=2007|1pp=184–186|2a1=Hoskyns|2y=2009|2p=322}} The film opened and closed with songs from ''Rain Dogs''.{{sfnm|1a1=Humphries|1y=2007|1p=187|2a1=Hoskyns|2y=2009|2p=324}} Jarmusch noted that "Tom and I have a kindred aesthetic. An interest in unambitious people, marginal people."{{sfn|Hoskyns|2009|pp=321–322}} The pair developed a friendship; Waits called Jarmusch "Dr. Sullen", while Jarmusch called Waits "The Prince of Melancholy".{{sfn|Hoskyns|2009|p=325}}

Waits had devised a musical, ''Franks Wild Years'', loosely based on "Frank's Wild Years" from ''Swordfishtrombones''. In late 1985, he reached an agreement that the play would be performed by the [[Steppenwolf Theatre Company]] in [[Chicago]]'s [[Briar Street Theatre]]{{sfnm|1a1=Humphries|1y=2007|1pp=153–154|2a1=Hoskyns|2y=2009|2pp=327–330}} Waits starred as Frank, whom he described as <blockquote>Quite a guy. Grew up in a bird's eye frozen, oven-ready, rural American town where [[Bing Crosby|Bing]], [[Bob Hope|Bob]], [[Dean Martin|Dean]], [[Wayne Newton|Wayne]] & [[Jerry Lewis|Jerry]] are considered major constellations. Frank, mistakenly, thinks he can stuff himself into their shorts and present himself to an adoring world. He is a combination of [[Will Rogers]] and [[Mark Twain]], playing accordion – but without the wisdom they possessed. He has a poet's heart and a boy's sense of wonder with the world. A legend in Rainville since he burned his house down and took off for the Big Time.<ref>{{cite web| title=Tom Waits - Texts| work=Tom Waits Library| url=http://tomwaitslibrary.info/theatre/franks-wild-years/texts/}}</ref></blockquote> Reviews were generally positive. He had initially considered a run in New York City but decided against it.{{sfn|Hoskyns|2009|pp=330–331}} The songs from the show were recorded for his ninth studio album, ''[[Franks Wild Years]]'', and released by Island in 1987.{{sfnm|1a1=Humphries|1y=2007|1p=156|2a1=Hoskyns|2y=2009|2pp=331, 339}} ''NME'' ranked ''Franks Wild Years'' fifth on its list of albums of the year.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.nme.com/bestalbumsandtracksoftheyear/1987-2-1045385 |title=Albums and Tracks of the Year: 1987 |date=2018 |magazine=[[NME]] |access-date=24 November 2018 }}</ref> The album was Waits's first collaboration with [[David Hidalgo]], who played accordion on "Cold, Cold Ground" and "Train Song". After its release, Waits toured North America and Europe,{{sfnm|1a1=Humphries|1y=2007|1p=166|2a1=Hoskyns|2y=2009|2pp=350, 352–353}} his last full tour for two decades.{{sfn|Humphries|2007|p=167}} Two of these performances were the basis for Chris Blum's concert film [[Big Time (1988 film)|''Big Time'']] (1988).{{sfnm|1a1=Humphries|1y=2007|1p=195|2a1=Hoskyns|2y=2009|2pp=347–348, 352–353}}

Waits continued interacting and working with other artists he admired. He was a great fan of [[The Pogues]] and went on a Chicago [[pub crawl]] with them in 1986.{{sfn|Humphries|2007|pp=158–160}} The following year, he appeared as a [[master of ceremonies]] on several dates of [[Elvis Costello]]'s "Wheel of Fortune" tour.{{sfn|Humphries|2007|pp=178–179}}

{{Quote box
| quote = At rehearsals, Tom Waits looked like any moment he might break at the waist or his head fall off his shoulders on to the floor. I once saw a small-town idiot walking across the park, totally drunk, but he was holding an ice-cream, staggering, but also concentrating on not allowing the ice-cream to fall. I felt there was something similar to Tom.
| source=— [[Jack Nicholson]], Waits's co-star in ''Ironweed''{{sfn|Humphries|2007|p=193}}
| align = left
| width = 25em
}}

In 1986, he took a small part in ''[[Candy Mountain]]'', as millionaire golf enthusiast Al Silk.{{sfnm|1a1=Humphries|1y=2007|1pp=187|2a1=Hoskyns|2y=2009|2pp=340–342}} He costarred in [[Hector Babenco]]'s [[Ironweed (film)|''Ironweed'']], as Rudy the Kraut.{{sfnm|1a1=Humphries|1y=2007|1pp=190–192|2a1=Hoskyns|2y=2009|2pp=342–345}} Hoskyns noted that ''Ironweed'' put Waits "on the mainstream Hollywood map as a character actor". In Fall 1987, Waits and his family left New York and returned to Los Angeles, settling on Union Avenue.{{sfn|Hoskyns|2009|p=345}} He appeared as a hitman in [[Robert Dornhelm]]'s [[Cold Feet (1989 film)|''Cold Feet'']]{{sfnm|1a1=Humphries|1y=2007|1pp=188–189|2a1=Hoskyns|2y=2009|2pp=358–359}} and lent his voice to Jarmusch's [[Mystery Train (film)|''Mystery Train'']].{{sfnm|1a1=Humphries|1y=2007|1pp=213–214|2a1=Hoskyns|2y=2009|2p=361}}

Although Waits had provided a voice-over for a 1981 television advert for Butcher's Blend dog food,{{sfnm|1a1=Humphries|1y=2007|1p=205|2a1=Hoskyns|2y=2009|2p=355}} he objected to musicians letting companies use their songs in advertising; he said that "artists who take money for ads poison and pervert their songs".{{sfn|Hoskyns|2009|pp=355–356}} In November 1988, he brought a lawsuit against [[Frito-Lay]] for using an impersonator performing "Step Right Up" in an advertisement for [[Doritos]]; it came to court in April 1990, and Waits won the case in 1992. He received a $2.6 million settlement, a sum larger than his earnings from all of his previous albums combined.{{sfnm|1a1=Humphries|1y=2007|1pp=202–203|2a1=Hoskyns|2y=2009|2pp=354–356}} This earned him and Brennan reputations as tireless adversaries.{{sfn|Hoskyns|2009|p=378}}