Editing Tom Waits (section)

===''The Black Rider'', ''Bone Machine'', and ''Alice'': 1989–1998===

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| footer = Waits collaborated with [[Robert Wilson (director)|Robert Wilson]] (left) and [[William S. Burroughs]] (right) on ''The Black Rider''.
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In 1989, Waits began planning a collaboration with [[Robert Wilson (director)|Robert Wilson]], a theater director he had known throughout the 1980s. Their project was the "cowboy opera" ''[[The Black Rider]]''. It was based on a German folk tale, the [[Freischütz]], which had inspired [[Carl Maria von Weber]]'s opera ''[[Der Freischütz]]'' (1821).{{sfn|Hoskyns|2009|pp=361–362, 364–365}} In 2004, Waits related that "Wilson is my teacher. There's nobody that's affected me that much as an artist".{{sfn|Hoskyns|2009|p=367}} Waits wrote the music and, at the suggestion of [[Allen Ginsberg]], Waits and Wilson approached [[William S. Burroughs]] to pen the lyrics. They flew to [[Kansas]] to meet with Burroughs, who agreed to join the project. Waits traveled to [[Hamburg]], Germany, in May 1989 to work on the project, and was later joined there by Burroughs.{{sfn|Hoskyns|2009|pp=365–368}} ''The Black Rider'' debuted in Hamburg's [[Thalia Theater (Hamburg)|Thalia Theater]] in March 1990.{{sfnm|1a1=Humphries|1y=2007|1p=210|2a1=Hoskyns|2y=2009|2p=369}} On completing its run at the Thalia, the play went on an international tour,{{sfn|Hoskyns|2009|p=402}} with a second run of performances occurring in the mid-2000s.{{sfn|Humphries|2007|p=288}}

In June 1989, Waits travelled to London to play a [[Punch and Judy]] puppeteer in Ann Guedes's film ''Bearskin: An Urban Fairytale''.{{sfnm|1a1=Humphries|1y=2007|1p=230|2a1=Hoskyns|2y=2009|2pp=369–370}} He proceeded to Ireland, where he was joined by Brennan and spent time with her family.{{sfn|Hoskyns|2009|p=370}} In December 1989, he began a stint as Curly, a mobster's son, at the Los Angeles Theater Center production of [[Thomas Babe]]'s play ''Demon Wine''.{{sfnm|1a1=Humphries|1y=2007|1p=213|2a1=Hoskyns|2y=2009|2p=361}} Over the next four years, he made seven film appearances.{{sfn|Hoskyns|2009|p=370}} He nevertheless repeatedly told press that he did not see himself as an actor, but only as someone who did some acting.{{sfn|Hoskyns|2009|p=375}} He made a brief appearance as a plainclothes cop in ''[[The Two Jakes]]'' (1990) and played a disabled war veteran in [[Terry Gilliam]]'s ''[[The Fisher King]]'' (1991).{{sfnm|1a1=Humphries|1y=2007|1pp=229–231|2a1=Hoskyns|2y=2009|2pp=370–371}} He had a cameo in [[Steve Rash]]'s ''[[Queens Logic]]'' (1991) and played a pilot-for-hire in [[Héctor Babenco]]'s ''[[At Play in the Fields of the Lord]]'' (1991).{{sfnm|1a1=Humphries|1y=2007|1pp=215, 230–231|2a1=Hoskyns|2y=2009|2pp=370–371}}<ref name="Stories" /> He appeared as himself fishing with [[John Lurie]] on ''[[Fishing with John]]''. He was [[Renfield]] in Coppola's [[Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992 film)|''Bram Stoker's Dracula'']] (1992).{{sfnm|1a1=Humphries|1y=2007|1p=238|2a1=Hoskyns|2y=2009|2p=372}} Waits starred as Earl Piggot, an alcoholic limousine driver, in [[Robert Altman]]'s ''[[Short Cuts]]'' (1993).{{sfnm|1a1=Humphries|1y=2007|1pp=251–254|2a1=Hoskyns|2y=2009|2p=373}} Hoskyns said that this "may be the best performance Waits ever gave as an actor."{{sfn|Hoskyns|2009|p=374}}

In 1991, Waits and his family moved to the outskirts of [[Sonoma, California|Sonoma]].<ref name="Stories">{{Cite journal|last=Sutcliffe|first=Phil|date=5 March 1991|title=Stories|journal=Q Magazine|volume=55|pages=10}}</ref> Waits's family later relocated to a secluded house near [[Valley Ford]] after a bypass road was built near to their first Sonoma County house.{{sfnm|1a1=Humphries|1y=2007|1p=255|2a1=Hoskyns|2y=2009|2p=380}} Also in 1991, 13 of Waits's 1971 pre-Asylum Records recordings were released for the first time on the first volume of [[The Early Years (album series)|''Tom Waits: The Early Years'']]. Waits was angered at this, describing many of his early demos as "baby pictures" that he would not want released. A second volume with 13 more recordings from 1971 was released in 1993.{{sfnm|1a1=Humphries|1y=2007|1pp=36, 43, 211–212|2a1=Hoskyns|2y=2009|2pp=378–379}} In April 1992, Waits released the soundtrack album to Jarmusch's ''[[Night on Earth]]''. Largely instrumental, it had been recorded at the Prairie Sun studio in [[Cotati, California|Cotati]].{{sfn|Hoskyns|2009|p=383}} In 1992, Waits quit drinking alcohol and joined [[Alcoholics Anonymous]].{{sfn|Hoskyns|2009|pp=381–382}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://beamsandstruts.com/bits-a-pieces/item/882-the-piano-has-been-drinking-ginger-ale |title=Why Tom Waits Quit Drinking |first=TJ |last=Dawe |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150219203030/http://beamsandstruts.com/bits-a-pieces/item/882-the-piano-has-been-drinking-ginger-ale |access-date=August 24, 2016|archive-date=February 19, 2015 }}</ref> In the early 1990s he took part in several charitable causes. In 1990 he contributed a song to the [[HIV/AIDS]] benefit album ''[[Red Hot + Blue]]'' and later appeared at a [[Wiltern Theater]] fundraising show for the victims of the [[1992 Los Angeles riots]].{{sfnm|1a1=Humphries|1y=2007|1pp=212–213|2a1=Hoskyns|2y=2009|2pp=414–415}}
[[File:Hamburg Thalia-Thetaer 2010.jpg|thumb|left|[[Thalia Theater (Hamburg)|The Thalia]] in [[Hamburg]], where ''[[The Black Rider]]'' and ''Alice'' were first performed]]
In August 1992, Waits released his tenth studio album, ''[[Bone Machine]]''. Waits wanted to explore "more machinery sounds" with the album, reflecting his interest in [[industrial music]].{{sfn|Hoskyns|2009|pp=386–387}} It was recorded in an old storage room at Prairie Sun.
Waits recalled: "I found a great room to work in, it's just a cement floor and a hot water heater. Okay, we'll do it here. It's got some good echo."<ref name=thrasher>Interview with Brian Bannon for ''Thrasher'' magazine, February 1993; collected in ''Innocent When You Dream'' p.146</ref> Eight of the album's tracks were co-written with Brennan.{{sfn|Hoskyns|2009|p=386}} The cover was co-designed by Waits and [[Jesse Dylan]]. Jarmusch and Dylan directed videos for "I Don't Wanna Grow Up", and "Goin' Out West", respectively.{{sfn|Hoskyns|2009|pp=395–396}} Critic Steve Huey called it "perhaps Tom Waits's most cohesive album&nbsp;... a morbid, sinister nightmare, one that applied the quirks of his experimental '80s classics to stunningly evocative—and often harrowing—effect&nbsp;... Waits's most affecting and powerful recording, even if it isn't his most accessible."<ref>{{cite web| url = {{AllMusic|class=album|id=r58488|pure_url=yes}} | title= Bone Machine review | access-date= November 24, 2007| last= Huey| first= Steve| publisher = AllMusic }}</ref> The album's closing track, "That Feel", was co-written with [[Keith Richards]]. ''Bone Machine'' won the [[Grammy Award|Grammy]] for [[Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album|Best Alternative Music Album]];{{sfnm|1a1=Humphries|1y=2007|1p=247|2a1=Hoskyns|2y=2009|2p=435}} in response, Waits asked Jarmusch: "alternative to ''what''?!"{{sfn|Hoskyns|2009|p=435}}

Waits decided to record an album of the songs written for ''The Black Rider'', and did so at Los Angeles's [[Sunset Sound Factory]]. [[The Black Rider (album)|''The Black Rider'']] was released in the fall of 1993.{{sfnm|1a1=Humphries|1y=2007|1p=248|2a1=Hoskyns|2y=2009|2pp=397–398, 401}} Waits and Wilson decided to collaborate again, this time on an operatic treatment of [[Lewis Carroll]]'s relationship with [[Alice Liddell]], who had provided the inspiration for ''[[Alice in Wonderland]]'' and ''[[Through the Looking Glass]]''.{{sfnm|1a1=Humphries|1y=2007|1p=279|2a1=Hoskyns|2y=2009|2p=402}} Again scheduled to premier at the Thalia, they began working on the project in Hamburg in early 1992.{{sfn|Hoskyns|2009|pp=402–403}} Waits characterized the songs he wrote for the play as "adult songs for children, or children's songs for adults". In his lyrics, Waits drew on his increasing interest in [[freak shows]] and the physically deformed.{{sfn|Hoskyns|2009|pp=404–405}} He thought the play itself was about "repression, mental illness and obsessive, compulsive disorders".{{sfn|Humphries|2007|p=279}} ''Alice'' premiered at the Thalia in December 1992.{{sfnm|1a1=Humphries|1y=2007|1p=279|2a1=Hoskyns|2y=2009|2p=407}}

In early 1993, Brennan was pregnant with Waits's third child, Sullivan.{{sfn|Hoskyns|2009|p=407}} He decided to reduce his workload so as to spend more time with his children; this isolation spawned rumours that he was seriously ill or had separated from his wife. For three years, he turned down all offers to perform gigs or appear in movies.{{sfn|Hoskyns|2009|pp=410–411}} However, he made several cameos and guest appearances on albums by musicians he admired.{{sfn|Hoskyns|2009|p=413}} In February 1996, he held a benefit performance to raise funds for the legal defense of his friend Don Hyde, who had been charged with distributing [[LSD]].{{sfn|Hoskyns|2009|p=415}} He wrote "Walk Away" and "The Fall of Troy" for [[Dead Man Walking (soundtrack)|the soundtrack]] of ''[[Dead Man Walking (film)|Dead Man Walking]]'' (1995){{sfnm|1a1=Humphries|1y=2007|1pp=255–257|2a1=Hoskyns|2y=2009|2pp=414–415}} and "Little Drop of Poison" for ''[[The End of Violence]]'' (1997).{{sfn|Humphries|2007|p=271}} In 1998, Island released ''[[Beautiful Maladies]]'', a compilation of 23 Waits tracks from his albums with the company, selected by Waits himself.{{sfnm|1a1=Humphries|1y=2007|1p=257|2a1=Hoskyns|2y=2009|2p=429}}