Reviewed by Trevor Kirk

It's amazing what a difference a mega-hit album makes, mused the Greybearded One to me recently. If you can prove you can cut the mustard, then you can command the best of everything: top producers, top musos, top songwriters. And logically, there's every likelihood that your next album will be another smasheroo. Elementary, my dear Cummings, saith The Captain. And this album, the follow-up to Avalon's superb 'A Maze Of Grace', proves the soundness of the reasoning. Brown Bannister produced; Jerry McPherson, Jimmie Lee Sloas, Gordon Kennedy, Chris Eaton, George Cocchini, Scott Dente (Out Of The Grey), Phil Madeira, are among those who appear; some of Avalon's own songs are mixed in with offerings from Mr Eaton, Paul Field and some of the best of Nashville songwriters; and the end product is a classy, catchy, and instantly likeable slab of radio friendly and mega quality pop music. Instant faves are the title track (an Avalon composition), "Always Have, Always Will" (part written by Gotee Brother Toby McKeehan), and "Hide My Soul", a haunting Chris Eaton/Sheila Walsh opus that's a Cross Rhythms A list song if ever I heard one! I'm usually very stingy with my maximum square ratings, but even I must relent in this.

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