After the lunatic one-two punch of 1970's and 1971's , aimed for something a bit more earthbound with his third LP, 1972's , which opens and closes with a pair of contemporary covers and even finds the artist otherwise known as tackling ' "Lady Madonna." But if this is a somewhat less crazed mixture of R&B, funk, rock & roll, and 's own trademark world view, it's still clearly his work, especially on the wigged-out parody/tribute "If It Hadn't Been for Sly" and the stream-of-consciousness wordplay of "Complication #5." 's love of home truths fuel "You Say You Trust Your Mother," he's his own kind of love man on "Captain of Your Ship" and "Knowing I'm Pleasing Me and You," he calls out his cheating woman on "Your Last Dirty Trick," and he offers a look into the side streets of his own mind on "My Resume." This being a product of the era when could command a decent recording budget, is filled with soul-satisfying Southern soul grooves performed by a killer studio band, complete with wailing organ lines and a swaggering horn section that bring 's tales to funky life. And the covers offer a reminder of what an amazing vocalist was in his prime: his outstanding version of 's "Sam Stone" cuts to the core of the song's bitter tale of a drug-addicted Vietnam vet, and the eight-minute take of 's "Don't It Make You Want to Go Home" is emotionally vivid and straight from the heart. This isn't one of 's crazier albums, but if you want to hear the Mad Genius of Soul deliver some grade-A jams, this is just what you need. ~ Mark Deming