While much of 's earlier work is pleasant yet dispensable, 1979's falls into a different class altogether. Elaborate yet accessible, the effects of 's (now minus one "o") masterwork can be felt on a number of levels. The opening track, a hooker-with-a-heart-of-gold story called "Judy Get Down," is "Lady Madonna" for a new generation, both in its playful use of double entendres and in its unfailing melodicism. The songs that follow run the gamut from mordant to mischievous to desolate. manufactures a musical landscape that is starkly beautiful, emotionally charged, and a tad dangerous, not unlike the best of 's solo material. [In 2012 the label paired with an alternate version of 's 1981 follow-up, , in a two-disc set.] ~ Michael Jourdan