Unfortunately I do not share fellow reviewers high praise of this album. In fact I was sadly disappointed. I'll start with Daniel Lanois. I have great respect for Lanois and I recognize that he has done great things and produced some very fine lps over the years however I feel he has drastically overproduced this album to the point that it sounds like a movie soundtrack; mostly faceless uninspired music. The songs all sound rather similiar and there is no distinctive soloing that showcases any of the band members talents and this perhaps is the worse part because I know that Brian Blade is an extremely talanted young musician. Unfortunately that is all lost in Lanois' production. Nothing unique or standout here and definitely not one of the best of 98, perhaps the next album will do Blade better justice.