Thought there'd be considerably more hoopla accompanying 'my old flame', Ms MLVCR's newest album debut this week. Perhaps the media world's taking her for granted.

They shouldn't.

Following an 'en banc' re-hearing Wednesday evening (after napping so was awake and alert throughout, using cheap is dear and dearly beloved 'Audiovox' CD player rather than Sony 'boom boom box'~minimal bass so more akin to monophonic sound I'm accustomed to hearing at the 'memorial, multi-media production center'), 'Hard Candy' is...'mighty fine'.

'Creditable' (a 'term of art' I use denoting 'coherent' and fundamentally 'ok') was a preliminary assessment and did not reflect a fuller appreciation of the musics' dimensionality.

'4 Minutes' is the loudest but not necessarily the best work. ALL the pieces have something meaningful to say, something different to offer and that's an exceptional accomplishment after more than 20 years 'plowing the fields'. The newest collaboration was, indeed, fruitful.

Of course, that doesn't change reality. 'Little Lord Fauntleroy' will not 'suspend disbelief' and accede to the entreaties of a married woman with children to 'join her on the dance floor'. That's her spouse's province, duty and responsibility~back 'across the pond'.

Why I bailed out on the fan club fax 8 years ago and am not looking back...'Lead me not into temptation'.