This is one of those rare releases where you can listen to it and hear something new every time. With provocative lyrics in the style of Dylan and Springsteen and a foot-tapping classic-rock/blues/country vibe, I can't believe this professional-quality recording isn't far more popular.
What really makes this album stand out for me is the background vocals (check out "Every Generation" and "Hand of a Lady"). Those ladies are "the icing on the cake" and the proof that it's more than Dennis multi-tracking the hell out of himself in his basement. Add in some slide guitar, a crisp snare, and deliciously dirty harmonica... just fantastic. Some nice chorusing and flanging effects on some songs, very unique and stylistic. My hat is off to the engineers and producer.
Unfortunately, this album is guilty of participating in the loudness wars, so it looses half-a-point off my rating for a lack of dynamics.
It's a little embarrassing, but I always get so wrapped up in the mix that I forget about the lyrics. Just recently did I realize how provocative and refreshing Dennis' lyrics are. "Devil and the Dollar" criticizes society's fixation with money while "Manhattan Project" suggest we "love one another and leave the Manhattan Project (nuclear weapons) behind." Personally, I think he goes a little far with his post-9/11 angst on "Infidels." True, non-Muslims are considered "infidels," but only a small minority of Muslim extremists are radical enough to try to do anything about it. Minus half-a-point.
Don't take my word for it, listen for yourself. The price is right.
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