LE +1
I hate to admit it, but i have been keeping my opinion to myself, because I didn't want to spoil the good mood. But I think that apart from expectations that were too high anyway (and they always include guitar driven songs) the level of songwriting is not up there with the previous albums, not even KTGC. I don't know if further listening will change this feeling, but I, sort of, avoid listening to it. It is not, I believe, a matter of one or two CDs. After all, both CDs are nearly 90 minutes, so with the CD standards, only 2-3 songs more than one CD. (I know that is not the way to count an album, but still...)
The posh production doesn't hep either. I mean it is fantastic to be able to listen to such detail, but then there is the matter of actual songs.
The problem IMO, is that we have the very first MK album that his songs are more ordinary. They have refrains that take up most of the song and are the strong part of the song. In the past we had some examples, but most of his songs were structured in a different way. And they are mellow like Barry Manilow. I don't say it as a bad thing, I say this is not MK.