A very diverse album, and a very fun one on top of that. It's also a real grower. Sure, it's just about impossible to take this one seriously, but the melodic quotient is pretty high - even weak songs such as "Dear Boy", with complexly overlaid but slightly annoying harmonies - are so endearing they're at least tolerable for a while. And some of this is Paul at the prime of his creativity - I like how "Three Legs" moves from bouncy music hall to blues-rock shuffle, and the infamous single "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" is a complicated suite - almost Paul's "Strawberry Fields Forever", though it takes itself about as seriously as "Yellow Submarine". Okay, I'll say without question that "Strawberry Fields" is the better song of the two. Still, I love that "Hands... across the water, water, hands... across the sky" part. Makes my day. Too bad he didn't keep that guitar riff he had going near the end going - then again, following it up is the crashing boogie-doo-wap-rocker "Smile Away", so I can't complain too much. See what I mean? Diversity! Paul's a creative guy! Okay, so I will say that sometimes the album does get way too ambitious - my favorite (or rather, least favorite) example is "Long Haired Lady", an attempt to mix rock, psychedelia, opera, and folk that is crushed under its own weight. Me, I like "Uncle Albert" more. And I know Paul was always a Beach Boys fan, and if you like them you'll probably have a field day, because this borrows heavily from them. I have never been a fan of that group, so I don't like it much. There are some other lightweight songs, like the folk song "Heart of the Country" and the clunky rocker "Moonberry Monk Delight", and there was no real reason to reprise the title track, even though it's another very good song (especially the ending, where it really starts rocking), but hey, I'm okay with this one. Here's the best part: the reggae-folk bonus cut "Another Day", a hit single, is better than any of the original material (yes, even "Uncle Albert"! And the impressive folk-rocker "Too Many People", which I forgot to mention even though it's a favorite!). Why wasn't it released on the original material? It's one of those songs that boosts the rating all by itself! Oh well...