When a new release comes out, you listen to it much differently than you do a few years later once you're familiar with the material..

When you first listen, you're quick to compare, judge, and critique. A bad first single in combination with a few lame tracks can really dictate an album quickly and leave a bad overall impression... Every album has its throwaway song or two, even in the 80's and 90's... Okay, maybe New Jersey doesn't but still...

Once you listen song by song, you go "oh, that song wasn't too bad" and then you go onto the next one and say the same thing again and again. Before you know it, your're at the end of the album. In this situation, WAN wasn't nearly as painful as I remembered it being...

In comparison to others, it might be a weaker effort but it doesn't mean it's a bad album either... I'll stick up for this album any day...