represents the first real stumble from , his first vocal album to miss Billboard's Country Top Ten (its immediate instrumental predecessor didn't crack the Top Ten either, yet it was always destined to be a niche record), and his first not to have a single hit number one since 1963. The slowing of his hot streak was inevitable. Tastes change along with the times, something that's evident on , which is filled with music that breaks ' Bakersfield template. The most notable change is the presence of honeyed harmonies, overdubs that give the record a bit of burnished warmth at the expense of the vigorous snap of . Some of this is a continuation of the expansion hinted at on , particularly the acoustic instrumentation reminiscent of 's albums with , but there are also new twists, like the piano on the title track and "Alabama, Louisiana, Or Maybe Tennessee," a wily boogie that has a cousin in "Love Is Me." also brings in his son for duets on "Let the World Keep a Turnin'" and "I'll Love You Forever and Ever," an attempt to expand his empire that works better on the former than the latter. 's presence adds a vague hint of show biz, while the harmonies soften muscle a tad, a combination that makes appear to be in soft focus -- an unusual departure from , one that isn't without its charms, but ultimately feels a little slighter than a usual album. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine