This recording has its moments but overall is not very stimulating. The overpowering emotion present in Signals and Grace Under Pressure is lacking in this release. Ironically, the music here is stylistically similar to those two previous albums yet are sterile and unrewarding--perhaps tracks that were not good enough for Signals and Grace Under Pressure but eventually found its way on to this one. Some of the guitar parts and solos, as well as the synth contribution, sound too much like what was produced on Signals and Grace Under Pressure yet lack the resonance and intensity.  The Big Money is nerdy for lack of a better word and the bass lines are sputtering and sloppy. When I first heard this song I couldn't help but laugh--laugh unfortunately at my favorite band of all time but laugh nonetheless. Grand Designs, Marathon and Territories are (yawn) just outright lifeless and mundane. Only four of the eight songs on this album are good--only one is great. Since 4 out of 8 is fifty percent--a failing grade--this album gets only 2 stars. Manhattan Project and Emotion Detector are nice casual tunes but Middletown Dreams has more emotion and passion that stirs the listener; Mystic Rythms is even better: one of the bands top ten songs of all time and it is because of this song that I bought Power Windows. Perhaps this is enough for you to buy it too.
This recording has its moments but overall is not very stimulating. The overpowering emotion present in Signals and Grace Under Pressure is lacking in this release. Ironically, the music here is stylistically similar to those two previous albums yet are sterile and unrewarding--perhaps tracks that were not good enough for Signals and Grace Under Pressure but eventually found its way on to this one. Some of the guitar parts and solos, as well as the synth contribution, sound too much like what was produced on Signals and Grace Under Pressure yet lack the resonance and intensity. The Big Money is nerdy for lack of a better word and the bass lines are sputtering and sloppy. When I first heard this song I couldn't help but laugh--laugh unfortunately at my favorite band of all time but laugh nonetheless. Grand Designs, Marathon and Territories are (yawn) just outright lifeless and mundane. Only four of the eight songs on this album are good--only one is great. Since 4 out of 8 is fifty percent--a failing grade--this album gets only 2 stars. Manhattan Project and Emotion Detector are nice casual tunes but Middletown Dreams has more emotion and passion that stirs the listener; Mystic Rythms is even better: one of the bands top ten songs of all time and it is because of this song that I bought Power Windows. Perhaps this is enough for you to buy it too.