Dan,

Let's hope, for all of our sakes, that you're mistaken and the 3D collective winds it up and bats it out of the park this next go-around.

On a related note: my thrift store cassette purchase (a mere 25 cents, for those who missed the original post) of the truly rocking Time album has proven to be one of the best, and smartest, moves I've made in who knows how long.

The band was tight, the songs have hooks big enough to hang a winter coat, and the production values (gritty, and yet, at the same time sparkling and surprisingly full-bodied) were absolutely impeccable.

As odd as it sounds in the context of a rowdy, swaggering Southern rock album, I really do think this one is best listened to on headphones to truly appreciate Powell's rich and powerful vocals, David Carr's rock-solid timekeeping and the amazing interplay between the two guitarists.

I've always held that the debut was far and away the group's finest moment. Listening once again to the Time record for the first time in nearly a decade, I may just have a new favorite ...