Tori Amos' first major album release is definitely her best, lyric and music wise, as her trademark sound that she established with this album was at its strongest at this point.  With the piano as the main instrument, Amos covers everything from religion, childhood, and the experience of her own rape.  Never in her later albums would she bare her soul in quite the same way she does here.  Keep in mind, though, that if you're going to this album expecting fantastic instrumentals, you might be a little disappointed; even though her piano playing is excellent, the focus is definitely on the lyrics.

As for highlight tracks, it's hard to beat Crucify, a mysterious song about living happily without thinking of what everyone else thinks.  Silent All These Years, with a very interesting piano accompaniment, is about having a dominating partner in a relationship.  Mother is a pleasant little ballad about self confidence, and Happy Phantom is a nice playful piece about forgetting all responsibilities and becoming a "happy phantom".  And finally, Tear In Your Hand has some of the best lyrics from Amos ever, an anthem about her telling a man that's about to leave her that she's a lot more interesting than he thinks she is, without coming off as vengeful or preachy.