On 's final album with , their trademark honest power started to get diluted by fatigue and a sense that the group's collective vision was beginning to fade. As instrumentalists, their skills were intact. More problematic was the erratic quality of the material, which seemed torn between blustery attempts at contemporary relevance ( ) and bittersweet insecurity ( ). Most problematic of all were the arrangements, heavy on the symphonic synthesizers and strings, which make the record sound cluttered and overanxious. 's operatic tough-guy braggadocio in particular was beginning to sound annoying on several cuts. Yet 's better tunes -- and the anthemic title track -- continued to explore the contradictions of aging rockers in interesting, effective ways. Whether due to 's death or not, it was the last reasonably interesting record. The 1996 CD reissue adds five previously unreleased alternate takes and demos. [ was remastered and re-released on LP in 2015.] ~ Richie Unterberger