In 1987, the / partnership was still running strong, as evidenced by . Like many of 's recordings, this one is a concept record, full of "dedications and meditations." The inspiration behind its making was the passing of 's father, , the return home (on the day of his father's funeral) of his 16-year-old daughter from living with her mother for the majority of her life, and the birth of his and 's two children, and . are particularly suited to each other on recordings like this. They serve to curb each other's excesses and rely on making sure the right songs come out of the mix, representing the emotional intention of the set rather than burying those songs under production or hyperbole. This set yielded some of the strongest songs of the 1980s (and that's saying something): And with its searing lyric and screaming guitar solos, is among his most under-recognized, poetic tomes worthy of being recorded by or 's sequencing is brilliant, and each song seems to segue into another, creating a kind of impressionistic narrative. Interestingly, this record sounds so outside the mold dominating Nash Vegas at the time that it was quickly lost to oblivion -- despite the fact that it's a true record in the most strident use of the term. This is a fine if forgotten album. may have had some hits, but it's records like this that make one wonder if there wasn't a conspiracy to marginalize him and make him fail. is a brilliant songwriter well into the 21st century, and deserves to be lauded along with the likes of -- and even . ~ Thom Jurek