This half-studio/half-live effort actually deserves closer attention because it contains a few key calling card tracks, such as "Strange Band" and "Lives and Ladies". Plus, the music plays like good outtakes from the sessions of A Song From Me.

This is the most "Family" identifiable album in that the group is at its heaviest impact sonically, in all phases. They really push limits on the bookend tracks ("Drowned In Wine", the title track), both of which emphasize Roger Chapman's extreme vocal growls and howls - which had to be the template for future screamers like Brian Johnson and Udo from Accept. As with the previous effort, the material in between is mixed, but definitely more assured this time around, thanks to the addition of "Poli" Palmer, who would stick with the group through Bandstand. Just a solid, unflinching effort.

Family's second album belies the silliness depicted on the cover, which was a low-budget spoof on The Doors' Strange Days. The psychedelic theme and framework of the debut record is gone, and we are left with a somewhat disconnected collection of songs, skewed heavily toward "The Weaver's Answer", a wonderful dramatic reading which tracks a man's life from birth to death. The rest of the album is hit-and-miss although varied, with bassist Rick Grech's songwriting contributions bringing in a bit of a playful jolt next to Chapman and Whitney's ever more increasingly sober works. A far worse fate awaited the band on their follow-up U.S. tour, which was simply disastrous, resulting in Grech exiting the group in favor of super group Blind Faith.

Say what you will about Jethro Tull, Traffic, Spooky Tooth, and Free - and I love all those bands - but none of them came out with a debut record as completely realized as Family's Music In A Doll's House. What is this? How do you classify it? Who cares? They were never this wacky and relevant ever again. Traffic founder Dave Mason produces and pretty much lets the band blow through a number of tangents untethered, but nothing really ever overstays its' welcome, either. Bonus scrap of trivia - thanks to Family, the Beatles had to change the name of their then-upcoming release to "The Beatles" a.k.a. The White Album.

This is easily the strangest release from KRS-One - containing more mainstream-style, stripped-down messaging focusing on the culture of hip-hop - after ten straight years of essentially issue-dominated material, whether it was with BDP or as a solo artist. I'm not sure it's a completely satisfying listen, but the attempt was admirable. The big swing for the fences was "Step Into a World (Rapture's Delight)", a head-knockin' party jam which revisited Blondie's "Rapture" for the late 90's club audience…to which many detractors screamed "sellout", but this is a surface concern. If you really want to go further on this tangent then check out the Puff Daddy remix version tacked on at the end. Overall, the record has a jack-of-all-trades sort of feel as it aims to place our protagonist backed by other capable industry vets (Redman, Angie Martinez, DJ Muggs from Cypress Hill, and tons more) over a number of short vignettes trying to display KRS-One's range. Which often isn't the best idea, as his awful foray into rock "Just To Prove a Point"…uh, proves. Still, despite the odd feel a record worth hearing a few times.