Disregard the fact that the " " in 's " " was a large part of why he had his own distinctive musical identity, because if you're going into 1988's looking for a return to his trademark , or even a revitalization of his roots, you'll be sorely disappointed. In fact, this isn't even a album -- it's a album, pitched halfway between and . He's able to draft such heavy-hitters as for guest spots, and his taste in material is quite nice, balancing the overly familiar ( ) with relatively obscure cuts ( ) and selections that demonstrate that he's a genuine fan, such as 's Now, does all this make a worthwhile genre exercise? Well, in a sense, it does, since is passionate as he can be, turning in charmingly laid-back performances that may not be noteworthy, but are pleasant as can be. So, it winds up being something that's modestly impressive and enjoyable as it's playing, but no matter what its virtues are, it's more noteworthy for what it is than what it gives. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine