Following a pair of near-masterpieces in 1986, went into semi-seclusion, separating from (once again) and , emerging three years later on with . Mockingly billing himself as "the Beloved Entertainer" on the album's front cover, there's nevertheless a real sense of showbiz pizzazz here, as he tries on a little bit of everything. You like the singer? Try recorded with . sophisticate? How about the or a tune that mocks , while aching to eclipse him. The angry young man? There's perhaps the nastiest anti- song ever waxed. the witty wordsmith? Well, there's a tune overflowing with labored puns. the gifted pure tunesmith? There's plenty of that here, from and and the lovely a tune co-written with that became one of his biggest hits. So, there's a lot here -- everything except focus, actually. And certainly likes to indulge himself here, throwing in the awkward and the instrumental for good measure. There are some moments that work quite well, but there's nothing connecting them, and if anything, he's trying way too hard -- and, for all of the overarching ambition of his early-'80s recordings, that criticism never applied before. Certainly, there are cuts for cultists to enjoy, but 's sprawl works against it, resulting in a maddeningly diffuse listen. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine