After the train-wreck disaster of 's first solo release, the infamous , it wasn't until three years later that he reconsidered doing a real solo release versus the earlier ripoff of an authorized studio mishmash product he suffered. So in 1979 he recorded on a wing and a prayer and loans (ergo, an IOU recording project). With his very successful stints with other groups in the intervening time period, such as and , 's guitar prowess and name were clearly on the map. now needed to be the leader he clearly was and thus release an official solo record. The real unleashed is at last revealed on in his original compositions and well-crafted soloing, versus being merely part of a group and forced to stay within certain boundaries of other bandmates' design. , as a solo release, is high-quality interplay, offering emotive compositions, ethereal guitar atmospherics, complex chordal progressions, and intense legato explosions of guitar that set the standard for many guitarists to come. There is no acoustic guitar this time, but a wee bit of on violin appears in one song. ~ John W. Patterson