was scrapped for a variety of reasons, among them 's insistence on singing lead vocals on his newer songs. was released instead, leaving the second half of the proposed LP temporarily in the vaults. left the group before it was released. Taking hold of uncontested leadership of the group, lead vocalist erased 's lead vocals, replacing them with his own and releasing the entire project as . This is, at the very least, sour grapes, but the situation is made all the more peculiar since much of the material finds 's songwriting moving toward the signature style that dominated his first solo records. has publicly stated his distaste for 's infatuation, so it's a little odd to hear him sing such finely crafted songs as and That aside, is an impressive effort that, if taken in conjunction, would have resulted in a very good double record. Sure, there's some clutter, but such detours as a po-faced parody of ' reveal the snotty side of 's humor. More importantly, the bulk of the record indicates how rapidly he was developing as a songwriter and a producer. Where he proved himself as a gifted mimic on , the group's second two albums found him assimilating those influences and developing a signature style. If anything, demonstrates that better than its predecessor, which often seemed a little disjointed. There still isn't anything as immediate and indelible as yet the best moments easily provide the road map for 's solo career. Even if he doesn't sing on it. [Originally released in 1970, was reissued in 2006 and included bonus tracks.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine