Recorded live in front of a small audience 'Nighthawks at the Diner' is great for all that it is and all that it isn't. Much less tuggin-at-the-heartstrings-ish than the albums before it, much more humourous and lighthearted, full of great, odd stories and humourous ideas.

Waits has been elusive when asked whether the lyrics on 'Nighthawks' were improvised or not, from the sounds of it a good portion of it was. The banter with the audience before, during and after the songs is some of the funniest, most interesting I've heard on any if his, or anyone elses, albums.

Lyrics like 'I'm so Goddamn horny, the crack of dawn better be careful around me' and 'Christ, the veal cutlet left the plate, walked down the counter and tried to beat the *CENSORED* out of my cup of coffee... coffee just wasn't strong enough to defend itself' each capped off with Waits' odd, gruff chuckle lead some insight into this man's genious.

'Nighthawks' is certainly the black sheep of Wait's 70's albums, but any fan of this period would do well to pick up a copy. There aren't really any songs I dislike on the album but the highlights for me are 'Emotional Weather Report', 'On a Foggy Night' and 'Eggs and Sausage'.

Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Driving