I must acquiesce that the the follow up here to their debut may be just as strong and consistent, but overall the songs do not appeal to me as much. Over time, tracks like 'Basin Street Blues' have begun to grow on me but I tend to skip around a bit. Surely no blame can be placed on the personnel change - swapping one world class bari for another never hurts, especially when the 'replacement' has such wondrous ability to provide arrangements internally. And I do not fault Greg Backwell for not meeting the level of Mo Rector on the album opener; it is not an issue of arrangement as just not having as strong a composition, even if it is performed with gusto, flawlessly.It is when track A3 comes around, the haunting, ambient and vastly nuanced 'Shenadoah', that the album begins to take shape and hold strong as a intense piece of barbershop history and a definite high point for the decade, the era, and perhaps all time. Even The Grand Tradition could not improve upon this, with their own rendition years later. It is only after countless listens and intense personal study that one can not only appreciate, but understand that it is a forlorn love letter passionately written to a body of water, and its rolling and winding vastness. And like the immortal nature of such a word of God, the songs ability to delight is equally as timeless.But it is two medleys, both on side B that cause this album to rise to the level of its predecessor and become required listening for any student of the genre, or anyone that enjoys close harmony, or soulful music in any form. It is no wonder that the reunited group chose track B1 as the show opener for their show with the Bluegrass Student Union in 1980. I have watched that performance so many times on YouTube that I long for the ability to fuel my time machine, somehow, anyhow, and take me back to those days of old. Drayton Justus as always reminds us why he is unquestionably one of the greatest lead vocalists to ever allow his vocal cords to tremble and resonate inside his body, his soul, and our ears and hearts. A tribute to the power of the Lord and a tearfully ecstatic reference to the wondrous times to be spent in eternity with our maker, the 'Spiritual Medley' is absolutely moving.It is the meat of the side B sandwich that is artfully laid in, first with track B2, quiet and almost brooding that lay the ground for B3, a song borrowed from tenor Al Rehkop's old quartet, the Auto Towners. That group's Carl Dahlke's arrangement is perfectly put on display via the excellent engineering and nearly heartwrenching in its lyrical reminiscence.And that leaves us with the album closer, a track arranged by the best of the best. The most prolific, the most skilled of all, Queen of Harmony Renee Craig. Surely referencing the medley that closed their debut, this one is just a touch more lighthearted and fun, with no shortage on subtle technical play between the voices and bringing the sense of comfort that can only come with such revered and well known compositions. A perfect closer to a near perfect album.