Divided in half, with one side of catchy
pop
tunes and one side devoted to a 16-minute space
blues
workout called
"Macho City,"
the design of
Circle of Love
feels like a throwback to 1971, when people truly paid attention to the flow of an album. In 1981, it was a bit of anachronism, but its old-fashioned feel (and its tedious
"Macho City"
) are saved by the mini-album of
pop/rock
that might not have produced any undeniable classics, but includes tuneful, well-crafted numbers that serve as worthy follow-ups to
Fly Like an Eagle
and
Book of Dreams
. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine