I've had the cassette of this album for over ten years and just recently purchased the CD version but I can only imagine how much better this would sound if Warner Bros. or Rhino would step in and remaster this along with the rest of their catalog. It's been done with other artists already and for this duo it's high time.

Wake Up My Love-This was the first single off the album reaching #53. It's heavy on synthesizers but overall it's very lightweight.

That's The Way It Goes-One of the stronger songs; it's about accepting things as they are.

I Really Love You-Written by Leroy Swearingen in '61; it was the second single off the album but it didn't chart at all.

Greece-This is credited as an instrumental but George sings a few inaudible lines in this one. Nothing special here.

Gone Troppo-This is a fun song to listen to even though the lyrics are a little amateurish.

Mystical One-Not sure who he's talking to here but the lyrics are beautiful.

Unknown Delight- Judging by the lyrics, George is talking about his son, Dhani here.

Baby Don't Run Away-A slow song. You might have trouble staying awake during this one.

Dream Away-This was featured in the 1981 film "Time Bandits" starring John Cleese. This has a nice chorus (oh ry in eye ay, oh ry in eye key ooh lay...).

Circles-The message here is that life is a series of cycles.

Mystical One Demo-This is a little interesting. He's chatting with his wife Olivia at the beginning and the sound of rain can be heard throughout the entire track. He also does some humming as not all the lyrics have been written yet.

Overall, this is not one of the Dark Horse's better albums but there's still some good music to be found here. If you want an album that's not essential but still a good listen, I give this one a minor recommendation. It's not bad at all, but he's put out better results than this.

Get Back- Same as the original only with a clean ending.

Dig A Pony- Same as the original without the chatter at the beginning or at the end.

For You Blue-The rhythm track is the same except the intro and George's vocal are different.

The Long And Winding Road-Completely different version with slightly different lyrics.

Two Of Us-It's the original without John saying at the beginning, "I dig a pygmie by Charles Hawtry and The Deaf Aids..."

I've Got A Feeling-It's different from the released version though it sounds almost identical.

One After 909-Same as the original without the chatter at the end. Good sound quality here.

Don't Let Me Down-Totally different. The version on "Past Masters Vol. 2" is arguablly better.

I Me Mine- Remove the chorus and the orchestra from the original and you have this.

Across The Universe-No chorus and slightly speeded up.

Let It Be-It sounds the same but there are certain parts not heard on the original.

"Fly On The Wall" is a disc full of sounds of the group talking and rehearsing in the studio. It's interesting but expendable.
The sound quality is improved but I recommend this only if you're a die hard.

If you liked "Caravanserai", you'll have no trouble listening to this album of mystical and spiritual tunes. Why this album had been out of print is beyond me.

Put this all together and you have an album totally different from previous ones and two of its members(Rolie and Schon) bailing afterwards. This is apparently an attempt at a concept album since there were no major hits off it and several of the tracks crossfade into one another. Also, almost all the disc is entirely instrumental and the few that do can't really be sung to anyway. Since the album's central theme seems to be spiritual jazz fusion there are no upbeat tracks here except maybe "La Fuente Del Ritmo" (future member Tom Coster plays on this track). The last track "Every Step Of The Way" runs nine minutes.

If you get this album, sit back and relax. You can even close your eyes if you want. Unlike Santana albums before and even many since, this is an album to be listened to, not sung to.
From an artistic sense this is one of his best acheivements.

Part of his legacy is that he was always willing to try new things. If you are a fan of Stan Getz or jazz-fusion in general then consider adding this masterpiece to your library. Because the seventies may not have been his most vital period, but he still had plenty left to give. This album represents a small yet important chapter in his remarkable and outstanding career.

Dave Brubeck didn't just make great music, he shaped it so that a whole new generation of music lovers could appreciate and find it sounding as fresh now as it was decades ago. If you're discovering him for the first time then start here, you won't regret it. Actually get this double album anyway, it's a great listen either way. Liner notes are by Joel Lewis.

Just an afterthought: picture a 78 rpm record spinning while hearing this album and you'll be in the right mood.

There are also two tracks here that would be considered standout cuts since they weren't released as singles. "Phoenix" was the title track from his sixth album and "There's A Place In The World For A Gambler" from his second album was produced by Joe Walsh who later joined The Eagles.

Though the tracks are not in chronological order,here's an album that truly lives up to its title. All his major hits are here without much emphasis on unnecessary album tracks. Looking back on his career, he's definitely one the greatest singer/songwriters of his or any generation.

I give this album a higher recommendation than the expanded "Greatest Hits" because the last five tracks on that album make it longer but not better. Every track on this 67 minute disc is a winner.