Tom Waits is a masterful poet and storyteller. While I know that one of his influences was Captain Beefheart, but, to me, the two are very different. Waits' songs make sense to me. I totally enjoyed this album. "In the Neighborhood," "Swordfishtrombones," and "Johnsburg, Illnois" really hit the mark. "Johnsburg, Illinois, although short, is a beautiful, bittersweet song, maybe about Waits' wife. The piano, until the end of the vocals, matches the feeling of the lyrics, sad, but sweet. Once the vocals end, the piano becomes discordant, maybe how Wait's feels without his wife. I would definitely listen to this one again.