WORKS VOL. 2

Works Vol 2 was comprised of tracks that did not match the character of prior releases so had sat on the shelf. Another way to put this is that it consisted of tracks that actually had character so couldn't fit onto their prior releases.

Finally we see the variety of musical interests of the members of the group and a sense of genuine fun with the material, particularly those not self-penned. Whether it's the Scott Joplin standard "Maple Leaf Rag" the devotional "Watching over you", the honky tonk of "Honky Tonk Train Blues", or the PROCOL HARUM -esque "Show me the Way to Go Home", here is a sense of closure and respect for the past, a realization that the group is past its peak and it's time to savor the remains of their own work and those of their myriad and timeless influences as never before.

Unfortunately, the problem here is lack of overall album cohesion and too many "fun" tracks in the style of "Hoedown" or "Benny the Bouncer", like "Brain Salad Surgery" and "Barrelhouse Shakedown", not a typical prog fan's bill of fare. So, while this "Works" works on more levels than many of their acknowledged classics, it's a mitigated success as a unit. 2.5 stars rounded down.