Prior to , had grown accustomed to long recording processes that did their heads in and resulted in bad blood and lost members. So as a change of pace, they recorded this in less than two weeks -- the amount of time it usually took them to lay down a guitar overdub. It was a good idea for the band to make a record that wasn't too precious and overwrought for a (relatively) small sum of cash -- it seemed like a smart formula, and a bit of a working vacation for the likes of obsessive leader . In the end, it made for the least of their studio albums, but it isn't without a couple bright spots. The lead track, dusts off an old B-side and speeds it up, pumping more life into it; it transforms a decent scrap to a filling main course, and it's one of the band's finest moments. After that, however, things fall apart. The songs are okay, but nothing has the delicate beauty of or the knockout punch of Even more uncharacteristic are the two decent songs written by bassist and The normally ego-mad of 1987-1992 would have never allowed such a thing to happen. The band was certainly running on fumes; is in obvious reference to the band's biggest hit that had already surfaced in multiple versions. is an eight minute epic that is anything but. All said, the majority of the record doesn't compete with , the band's B-side compilation. Not with a bang but a whimper, and a somewhat dismal closing chapter for the band. ~ Andy Kellman