was very much a band on their debut album, vaguely reminiscent of the only more cohesive, and with greater commercial sense. The revelations about the group's roots on -- which was recorded during the summer of 1968 -- can be astonishing, even 30 years after the fact. Original lead guitarist contributed to the songwriting and the singing, and his presence as a serious bluesman is felt throughout, often for the better: an original that could just as easily be credited to or ; ' big showcase, where he ventures into territory; and which also features some pretty hot guitar from . 's (the first song learned to play on flute), their jazziest track ever, is one of the best parts of the album. The drum solo on now seems like a mistake, but is understandable in the context of the time in which it was done. The one number here that everybody knows, almost pales amid these surroundings, but at the time it was a superb example of commercial . This would be the last album of its kind by the group, as ' departure and the lure of more fertile inspiration tugged them toward music. Curiously, the audio mix here is better than that on their second album, with a much stronger, harder group sound overall. In late 2001, was reissued in a remastered edition with much crisper sound and three bonus tracks. The jazzy (a reference to the manager of the Marquee Club), the folky (which marked the end of ' tenure with the group), and the piece have all been heard before but, more to the point, they're worth hearing again, especially in the fidelity they have here. ~ Bruce Eder