UNSUNG HEROES

This was the last great Dixie Dregs studio album. It was also their first on a major label. I have always wondered if it was those record (*sniff*) company (*snort*) executives who convinced them to drop the word "Dixie" from their name, as well as the usual hard-core blugrass tune.

Despite the record label, and the hideous album cover, with a portrait of the naked Dregs with their mouths airbrushed away, the group put out a highly complex, fine, prog album. The songwriting is as goos as ever (althoughthere is nothing as strong as Oddyssey, or the like. And the closing classical sounding piece, Go For Baroque, is just beautiful.

My only complaint is that in the rerecorded version of Cruise Control, the bands signature tune, the best part, the high speed alternating solos, has been excised. Is that another record company decision?

At least no one sings.