There never was a supergroup more super than . They had , the leader of ; they had , the best singer of the '60s; they had , the best roots rocker this side of ; they had a and , for crying out loud! It's impossible to picture a supergroup with a stronger pedigree than that (all that's missing is a ), but in another sense it's hard to call a true supergroup, since they arrived nearly two decades after the all-star craze of the '70s peaked, and they never had the self-important air of nearly all the other supergroups. That, of course, was the key to their charm: they were a group of friends that fell together easily, almost effortlessly, to record a B-side for a single for , then had such a good time they stuck around to record a full album, which became a hit upon its 1988 release. was big enough to convince the group to record a second album, cheerfully and incongruously titled , two years later despite the death of . Like most sequels, the second didn't live up to expectations, and by the time it and its predecessor drifted out of print in the mid-'90s, with the rights reverting to , nobody much noticed. A few years later, though, it soon became apparent that the records -- mainly, the debut, widely beloved thanks to its two hits, -- were out of print, and they soon became valuable items as the estate dragged its heels on a reissue. Finally, the two albums were bundled up as a two-CD set simply called and reissued with a DVD containing a documentary and all the videos in the summer of 2007 (there is also a deluxe edition containing a longer, lavish booklet). Looking back via , the group's success seems all the more remarkable because the first album is surely, even proudly, not a major statement. Even under the direction of , who seems incapable of not polishing a record till it gleams, it's loose and funny, even goofy. It's clearly a lark, which makes the offhanded, casual virtuosity of some of the songs all the more affecting, particularly the two big hits, which are sunny and warm, partially because they wryly acknowledge the mileage on these veterans. are the two masterworks here, although 's showcase, -- more grand and moving than anything on the -produced -- comes close in the stature, but its stylized melodrama is a ringer here: it, along with 's offhand heartbreak tune is the only slow thing here, and the rest of the album just overspills with good vibes, whether it's 's lite of 's excellent update or 's very funny which is only slightly overshadowed by his very, very funny swipe These high times keep fresh and fun years later, after 's production becomes an emblem of the time instead of transcending it. (The album contains two bonus tracks in this reissue, the excellent song -- a low-key that should have made the cut -- and a folky dirge that builds into -esque which is pretty good but doesn't have the effervescence of the rest.) built upon 's comeback with and helped revitalize everybody else's career, setting the stage for 's 1989 comeback with , 's first solo album, , produced by (sounding and feeling strikingly similar to this lark), and 's , which was released posthumously. Given the success of this record and how it boosted the creativity of the rest of the five, it's somewhat a shock that the second effort falls a little flat. In retrospect, plays a little bit better than it did at the time -- it's the kind of thing to appreciate more in retrospect, since you'll never get another album like it -- but it still labors mightily to recapture what came so effortlessly the first time around, a problem that can't merely be chalked up to the absence of (who after all, didn't write much on the first and only took lead on one song). Where the humor flowed naturally and absurdly throughout the debut, it feels strained on -- nowhere more so than on where implores you to put your underwear on your head and get up and dance, the epitome of forced hilarity -- and the production is too polished and punchy to give it a joie de vivre similar to the debut. That polish is an indication that dominate this record, which only makes sense because they made it between , but it's striking that this sounds like more like their work, even when takes the lead on or the -styled Both of these are quite good songs and they have a few other companions here, like the quite wonderful stomp but they're songs more notable for their craft than their impact -- nothing is as memorable as the throwaways on the debut -- and when combined with the precise production, it takes a bit for them to sink in. But give the record some time, and these subtle pleasures are discernible, even if they surely pale compared to the open-hearted fun of the debut. But when paired with the debut on this set, it's a worthy companion and helps support the notion that were a band that possesses a unique, almost innocent, charm that isn't diminished after all this time. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine