If represented a pinnacle of as a songwriter and band leader, its sequel is the pinnacle of as a group, showcasing each member at their finest. Not coincidentally, it's the moment where begins to recede from the spotlight, leaving the band as a true democracy. These observations are only clear in hindsight, since if is just taken as a record, it's nothing more than a damn good rock & roll record. That's not meant as a dismissal, either, since it's hard to make a rock & roll record as seemingly effortless and infectious as this. Though it effectively builds on the Southern-fried funkiness of , it's hardly as mellow as that record - there's a lot of grit, tougher rhythms, lots of guitar and organ. It's as supple as , though, which means that it's the sound of a touring band at their peak. As it happens, the band is on the top of their writing game as well, with contributing the rollicking and turning in one of his best songs, the jazzy funk of Each has a co-writing credit with -- on the unreleased -era nugget (plus ) on the infectious title track -- who also has a couple of classics with and the great peters out toward the end, as the group delves into a 10-minute medley of two songs, but that doesn't hurt one of the best albums ever cut. It's so good, the group used it as the template for the rest of their career. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine