FunkFreak75 I remember really enjoying this album for driving and summer outdoor background music when it came out. This is Jean-Luc in his extraordinary peak run of great albums. I also had the privilege of seeing him in concert with this album tour.

1. "Stay With Me" (5:35) a long drum-and-bass-less opening presents Jean-Luc's space-violin at its spaciest. The drum and bass inputs are minimal while the guitar and keyboards are nebulous, literally, as one cannot distinguish between the synthesized violin-generated sounds and effected keys and gtrs. (9.3333/10)

2. "Sunset Drive" (5:45) though the four chord vamp (with very cheesy early techno-pop [think "Tainted Love"] drum machine!) is a bit cheesy, Ralphe Armstrong's opening fretless bass solo is quite impressive. Jamie Glaser then takes over the lead with a rather odd guitar sound: sounding like a rhythm guitarist trying to play a solo in a kind of 1960s jazz style with this whole weird modern sound filtering his guitar play. Starting at 2:34 the best section of the song starts as the rhythm section seems to be trying to drown out Jamie, but this just spurs the guitarist on to better heights. Then it's Jean-Luc's turn (this had become his new habit in his mature and secure years: allowing his collaborators to have the first solos--despite the fact that his establishment of the main melodies was always the best.) Innocuous and memorable mostly for that drum machine! (8.75/10)

3. "Dreamy Eyes" (4:18) a replication and variation on the successful "I Only Feel Good with You" sound palette and motif from the end of his prior album, Cosmic Messenger. But, heck! If it's a formula that works, why not?! Joaquin Leivano's choice for guitar tone is much preferred here--it allows his smooth runs to sound much more connected and flowing. (8.875/10)

4. "Beach Girl" (4:56) a lively, fun, almost Country-Disco composition in which the acoustic instruments are quite a nice change (violin, acoustic guitar, piano). I'm not sure if it's Jamie Glaser or Joaquin Lievano that has the smooth EARL KLUGH/AL DI MEOLA-like touch and facility on the steel string acoustic guitar, but it's nice--a little reminiscent of Daryl Stuermer's play on the similar "New Country" from Jean-Luc's 1976 classic, Imaginary Voyage (right down to the foot-stompin' beat). An awesome violin solo in the fourth minute only seals this as a J-L P classic. (9/10)

5. "Taste For Passion" (5:22) great solo piano motif (played by Jean-Luc, not Allan Zavod) opens this one before the power switch for the whole band is turned on at 0:37, bringing in a cool, rather deceptively slow-paced motif into play over which Joaquin Leviano's electric guitar is given the first crack at impressing (and impressive it is!) The structure and sound palette of the "meat" of this one is once again reminiscent of one of the songs off of Jean-Luc's previous album, Cosmic Messenger. (9/10)

6. "Life Cycles" (5:45) Jamie Glaser is given the lead guitar position once again over a very pop-oriented groove--one that could very easily have come from a Soul/R&B hit from the same era by the likes of Bobby Caldwell, Earth, Wind & Fire, or Narada Michael Walden. Nice tune. Cool engineering of Casey Schueurell's awesome Phil Collins-like drum play. Allan Zavod finally gets some "me time" with a cool synth sound in the second minute. Everybody seems in sync--as if they're all really enjoying this one--even Jean-Luc's solos project a kind of joi de vivre. (9/10)

7. "Reminiscence" (1:26) one of Jean-Luc's little sound experimentations--this one with a couple of bombastic rock 'n' roll power chords in the middle to punctuate its cinematic value. (4.375/5)

8. "Give Us A Chance" (3:02) another song that seems to pull some inspiration from the music that was making itself known on the pop charts at the time--which means the structure and play is fairly simple and straightfoward--but this allows for these uber-talented musicians to carve their own idiosyncratic initials into it--which is especially nice from Ralphe and Casey. A very likable song. (What's not to like?) (8.875/10)

9. "Obsession" (0:40) I'd say so! Really: what's the point? (4.25/5)

10. "Farewell" (3:06) smooth and emotional construct for piano, bass, and lead violin turns to the piano (Jean-Luc playing, no doubt) for a pretty solo riff as a bridge to a funky motif with Jean-Luc in the lead while Ralphe and Jamie provide the funk behind. The song really only amounts to another filler--not much longer than one of those interlude thingies (songs #7 & 9). (8.875/10)

Total Time 39:55

While there is some very good meat on this album, a lot of it feels like "unfinished" filler or easy repetitions of previously explored palettes and motifs. Was J-L in a hurry to get this one out? Had he been touring too much and had little time for composition? Or was Atlantic Records just putting pressure on him to get something out soon after his hot-selling Cosmic Messenger (which spent 28 weeks on the Billboard album charts, peaking at #38--his third charting LP in a row)?

B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of borderline Third Wave and Smooth Jazz that was very popular in its time (and still stands up well today). If it weren't so scattered and feeling unfinished, this probably could have been another masterpiece.