The year before tracked 2002's meandering and sometimes draggy , he recorded some of the songs with his longtime backing band , trying on the fit of the semi-soulful material with them before ultimately choosing to re-record with groove masters . Seven-song album consists of the long-shelved sessions from 2001 and includes versions of four songs that materialized in different forms on as well as three previously unreleased outtakes. Despite their reputation as one of rock & roll's loosest, scrappiest institutions, 's playing is surprisingly refined on , with their takes on some of the tunes being hard to differentiate from the ever-smooth versions. "How Ya Doin'?" (aka "Mr. Disappointment") is superior on , with the tempo slowed just a little bit and approaching the vocals with his familiar achy near-falsetto rather than the experimental grumble he sang with on the version. fits right into the mellow groove of "Quit," and "Goin' Home" (a rocking tune that sounds more like a leftover than a soul exercise) was the only song on played by and , so the version sounds nearly identical. The songs that didn't end up on are similar in tone to "Goin' Home," with "Standing in the Light of Love" built on snarly riffs and pensive playing and "Timberline" stomping along in a similar fashion. The remaining tracks find and his band stretching out in lingering jams. "Gateway of Love" ambles on for more than ten minutes, like a more tropical "Like a Hurricane," and "Boom Boom Boom" (presented as closing track "She's a Healer" on ) expands on the whispery blues of the album version with extra instrumental passages, including a lengthy trumpet solo. It's a lot less slick than the rendition, recalling more of a bleary energy than the pitch-perfect session-musician feel of the album version. Whether you prefer the slightly more organic vibe of or the cleaned-up will depend on your personal relationship with 's massive catalog. For fans of his early moody rock or the rough-edged brilliance he always locked into with , will be a clear favorite more than just an interesting companion piece. ~ Fred Thomas