Reportedly, recorded most of in 1990, but left it unreleased. He returned to work in the fall of 1991, intending to add a song, but ended up recording a whole new album, , and then decided to release both records at the same time in the spring of 1992. He might have been better off pulling a couple of the stronger songs from the earlier album, adding them to the later one (which runs less than 40 minutes), and shelving the rest. While was a disappointing album of second-rate material, is an ambitious collection addressing many of 's major concerns and moving them forward. Here was the rage and the humor, the sense of compassion, the loyalty and commitment that had been the stuff of 's best music from the beginning. Songs like and commented on and deflated the commercial success with which clearly felt uncomfortable; expressed romantic fidelity and generosity; contained scathing social commentary; and was a meditative epilogue. The lyrics were better, the arrangements tighter, the performances more powerful than those on the companion release. If , like before it, sounded a little under-produced, it nevertheless had the mark of the major artist is, and if he had released it alone, it might have had a more significant impact. ~ William Ruhlmann