Slammed on its original release, now revered by critics looking for an argument (as someone once said about Dylan's 1970 Self Portrait).

This double album about plants (the soundtrack to a never-released film) is Stevie's attempt at a pop symphony. It doesn't quite come off, but there's great music here, from "Send One Your Love" to "Power Flower" to "Come Back As A Flower" to "Venus Fly-Trap And The Bug." (DBW)

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When this record's good, it's mind-blowingly good.
Still, it's loaded with ethereal experiments, many of them sound-effect laden instrumentals and dull intercultural experiments ("Voyage To India").

It's all so gently arranged that it might put you to sleep. Plus "Send One Your Love" and other tunes get recycled all over the place, and there's a nine-minute disco number that really gets on my nerves ("Race Babbling").

So the album's a tough nut to crack, but well worth the effort.(JA)

Wilson & Alroy's