Review by Laura England (Bookgirl)
After a long wait with several delays and setbacks I’ve finally got the best album ever made in the history of music in my CD player… So what do I really think of it? Well, it’s okay. (Kidding!!) Here’s the song by song look…

Sacrifice - Loved it in Council Bluffs, adore it now. There are life lessons for everyone without being preachy. I am really struggling with some things & people in my life but it makes me feel better to hear that “the hardest part is always letting go.” Lets me know it’s not just me who’s having such issues.

Before She Was Gone - I didn’t think I’d like the album version better than the live version. I was wrong. The extra layers of keyboards, percussion and bass are amazing. It’s the ultimate “What was I thinking when I let that one get away?” song.

The One Sure Thing - This is how my parents have taught me to love, by setting an example for my brother and myself through their words and actions. 35 years later, after multiple moves and periods of separation with the military and fights about mustaches and horrible teenagers calling them things like Mommy Dearest (yep, your very own bookgirl was a most unpleasant child), they’re still together. I played this song for them over lunch one Sunday. They both had tears in their eyes as I explained why I thought it was telling their story. We all need to find that One Sure Thing.

We the People - Hard to believe it was written before the terrorist attacks, since it speaks to the feelings and emotions we all seem to have about our country. But then again, that makes it all the more poignant that two such gifted songwriters were able to sum up the feelings of people everywhere (as there’s nothing inherently American about the song except our interpretation following 9-11). “Life is beautiful and blessed… maybe fortune chose to smile on us… We the People are every woman, child, and man Living out the true romance of We the People Learning how to do the dance of We the People. ” - thanks for the reminder to dance, Kasim. And Doug Kennedy’s guitar work - wow. I’ve only heard him play acoustic with Kasim before. What a gift he has…

Where Is My Soul - Great bluesy feel, love the keyboard work, incredible harmonies and insightful lyrics. The Finn Brothers are going straight to the top of my “must hear more” list, if this is an example of their work. Of course, I’ll have to wait until I get tired of QPQ. That’s going to take a loooooooong time.

Heaven Help the Child - I don’t have a child but if I did, I imagine I’d feel exactly like this. It’s easy to picture any parent standing in the doorway, watching a little one sleep and contemplating the day when he or she is going to need “someone to put the pieces back again when her little heart is broken.”

Over For Now - I’ve got to pull my poodle skirt out of the back of the closet and throw it on when this one plays. I can picture a high school gym with streamers on the basketball hoops, two lines of teenagers in full skirts and perfectly coiffed hair, leather jackets and DA’s, doing the stroll and swaying on the sidelines.

Don’t Hold Me Back - What a great live track!! It’s a welcome reminder of the shows I’ve seen and is a prefect example of how Kasim can fill the room with just one guitar and his voice. The audience was on that night, as was Kasim…

Remember - Another beautiful cover of a song by a gifted storyteller, and a wonderful showcase for the vocal range and keyboard skills of Our Own Mr. Sulton.

Goodbye - The “broken” feel of the opening instrument matches the broken heart at the end of any human entanglement. Whether it’s romantic or platonic, everyone has at least one of these moments where we “just can’t seem to say goodbye.” Maybe it’s just me, but that last goodbye is so plaintive and heartbroken that I want to hold on to everyone I care about and cherish the times we have, making sure it never comes to this ending…

Love Reunion - What a fun ending to this album, cheesy handclaps and all! Makes me wish I’d been introduced to Utopia long before 1999. . I missed this song on my first listen - I was so anxious to get to the computer and start sharing my thoughts with the Kasim-buddies on the message boards.