Welcome

Welcome to my ever-evolving blog. It started out as a blog on Beachbody workouts and products, mainly when I was a Beachbody coach. I no longer coach, not because I don't believe in Beachbody's programs (I subscribe to Beachbody on Demand and use their workouts every day), I am just not a salesperson and hated that aspect of it. I am more than willing to answer questions about my experiences with their products and the various workouts, and I feel freer to do so without the appearance of giving a biased review of something.

I have also started adding reviews for various things I have purchased like movies, books, CDs, and other products. This was brought about by a fight with Amazon in which all of my reviews were removed over a completely bullshit allegation that I posted a review that violated their terms of service. After going back and forth with the morons in the community-reviews department (even after they admitted that my posts did not violate their guidelines) they restored my account (which took them six months to do), but I have been posting my reviews on my blog to have them preserved in case something like that happens again. And here, I will post uncensored reviews so I will swear from time to time and post reviews that may be longer than Amazon's character limit. Everything I post here on any topic or product is my personal opinion, and I take no compensation for any product reviews I post. I am a member of Amazon's vine program and because I get those products for free, I keep those reviews on Amazon only, but everything I have purchased with my own money, whether from Amazon or some other store/website/outlet, I will post here.  

I also plan to do some longer blog posts on various topics, such as how to learn physics, how to get through calculus, and longer reviews of workout programs as I do them. Basically, whatever strikes me as interesting at the time.  As you can see if you navigate around the blog, I had many years in between postings. During that time I was going back to school to get an engineering degree, and learning material that I avoided my first time through college was a different experience and one that gave me a lot of insight into how to do well in those classes, which I will try to impart here for those who are looking to get a science or engineering degree. 

Sunday, October 19, 2025

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Bewitched: Season 1

 


Bewitched is the classic 1960s sitcom about a witch who marries a mortal while trying to keep up appearances as a traditional 60s suburban family. It starred Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York, and Agnes Moorehead in the leading roles and David White, Alice Pearce, and George Tobias in the primary supporting roles. The 36-episode first season aired during the 1964/1965 TV season. In it, Montgomery plays a witch named Samantha who falls in love with and marries a mortal named Darren (played by York), much to the dismay of her mother, Endora (played by Moorehead). He is an ad executive and she is a housewife. They live a fairly typical suburban life, aside from the fact that she uses magic (sometimes unwittingly in front of her nosy neighbor, Gladys Kravitz, (played by Pearce)), and his mother-in-law uses magic to try to make his life miserable. The show also featured several guest stars (some of whom would become recurring characters in the series, like Maurice Evans, Marian Lorne, and Paul Lynde) and others who had early roles (or even got their start) on the series and would become big stars themselves, like Adam West, Raquel Welch (in a blink-and-you-will-miss-it background appearance), and Peggy Lipton. 

The individual seasons have been released on DVD, both in the colorized version and the black-and-white version (which the first couple of seasons of the series aired in). The series has been released on blu-ray in a complete series release and in two-season sets (with seasons 1 and 2 packaged together, seasons 3 and 4 packaged together, etc.). On the complete series set, the first two seasons are in black and white, as they were originally aired. The A/V quality of the blu-rays is good, but not outstanding (especially the audio). The HD video restoration does look very good, most of the time, but can be uneven. One big drawback to watching the episodes in HD, however, is that when they are using prosthetics (such as fake noses) it is extremely obvious in HD, as you can very clearly see the makeup lines. On the complete series release, the first season episodes are spread across three discs. There are commentary tracks on a few episodes featuring Dick York's son, Chris, Herbie Pilato, who authored several books about the series and a biography of Elizabeth Montgomery, and historian Rob Ray. The episodes can also be played with English captions. The commentary tracks are somewhat informative and provide some information about the series (like the fact that rehearsals for the pilot started on the day JFK was assassinated) and the cast (like the fact that Alice Pearce took the role of Gladys despite having a terminal cancer diagnosis). Chris York also tells stories about his dad.

The series is primarily a story-of-the-week procedural, but sometimes events in prior episodes are referred back to. The acting is good and the cast all play their roles well. Of course, the series is the product of the 1960s, so some things about it are very dated and would not be used if the series were made today. Some of the storylines were very chauvinistic about the roles of men and women. But the show also included themes of inclusion and acceptance of differences, and included black and asian actors, and had actors that would later be known to be homosexual. It is a very nice blast from the past for people who are old enough to have watched it when it aired initially or those who watched the reruns in syndication. Ultimately, it is a good, but dated, sitcom that is worth watching, especially if you watched it when you were younger.



Saturday, October 18, 2025

DVD/TV Series Review: The Killing: Season 3

 


The 12-episode third season of the series The Killing aired during the summer of 2013. It is set one year after the events of the Rosie Larsen case, which was the focus of Seasons 1 and 2, and is tied to a case that Linden (played by the returning Mireille Enos) had referred to during the Larsen case. At the beginning of the season, Linden had left the police department and was working for the transit authority. When Holder (played by the returning Joel Kinnaman) and his new partner discover a string of murders involving runaway teenagers, which points to Linden's prior case and brings into doubt the guilt of the man she arrested, Ray Seward (played by Peter Sarsgaard), who is on death row. The rest of the cast includes Elias Koteas, Bex Taylor-Klaus, Aaron Douglas, Jewel Staite, Ben Cotton, and Gregg Henry. 

The DVD set is a very bare-bones three-disc set. It just includes the episodes. There are no bonus features, and the episodes are not captioned. The actual episodes are very good. It is well-written and very well acted. It is a serial drama in which the storyline builds throughout the season. It does not have much action, but it does have some psychological thriller elements. The series maintains the gritty, real-world tone that the first two seasons had. Like the first two seasons, this one has its share of twists and turns, but the mystery is ultimately resolved by the end of the season, and it does not carry over into the fourth season (although the fallout from the season finale's events certainly does). It does contain some swearing, violence, and sexual content, so it is not appropriate for young kids. While events from the prior seasons are mentioned, you do not need to have watched the first two seasons to follow what is going on in this season. Ultimately, if you are a fan of murder mysteries, especially if you watched and enjoyed the first two seasons of the series, this one is worth watching.

Workout Update: Lift 4: Day 6

Day 6 was a rest day in Lift 4, so I did the roll and recover workout, which is an approximately 10-minute foam-rolling routine. It had been a while since I did that one, and I definitely had knots in my thighs and hamstrings, but not as bad as I expected. And, my legs were not as sore as I expected them to be. We will see if that is still the case tomorrow, however. 

Friday, October 17, 2025

Workout Update: Lift 4: Day 5

Day 5 was the fourth and final regular workout of the first week of Lift 4, which was the Legs workout. This week, it is a 50/50 workout consisting of three blocks of weighted exercise, in which you alternate two exercises, and then three rounds of cardio, performing three moves for 60, 45, and 30 seconds, respectively, with 15 seconds of rest between each exercise and thirty seconds of rest between each set. Then you finish with three sets of core (alternating two exercises) and stretching to cool down. I again found that the exercises were much easier after doing 25-minute speed train, especially because I had the tempos (which Joel alludes to in Lift 4, but does not really stress) ingrained. And, doing 10 reps is easier than doing 60-second sets (which usually amounted to 15-20 reps). But, I will say that when you do the lifting portion correctly, the cardio portion is very tough, especially in the third block. 

Thursday, October 16, 2025

Workout Update: Lift 4: Day 4

Day 4 was the shoulders workout, which this week is an interval workout. So, you do two weighted exercises, followed by a 30-second cardio exercise in each of the three blocks. Then you finish with core and a stretching cooldown. I was still quite sore from the first two workouts this week, so lifting even 10- and 12.5-pound weights was tough, especially at the beginning. I again found that the practice with the tempos from 25-Minute Speed train really helped with the lifting in this workout, as I stayed with the cast members on the rep counts much better than I did when I had done Lift 4 before. So ultimately, it was a good workout. 

CD/Music Review: Christina Aguilera: Mi Reflejo

 


Mi Reflejo, released in 2000, is the second studio album by Christina Aguilera. It was recorded entirely in Spanish and included 11 tracks in all. It included Spanish-language versions of five tracks from her self-titled debut album (Genie in a Bottle, Come on Over Baby (All I Want is You), I Turn to You, What a Girl Wants, and Reflection), four original tracks, and two covers. 

The CD liner includes pictures of Aguilera, lyrics, and production notes for the tracks, and a thank-you note (all written in Spanish). As with the first album, some of the tracks showcase Aguilera's vocal range, but overall, like her debut album, this is mostly a bubblegum pop album. She can get a bit overzealous with hitting high notes, much like Mariah Carey, which can be a bit annoying.  Ultimately, if you were a fan of her debut album, you will most likely enjoy this one. 

Wednesday, October 15, 2025

Workout Update: Lift 4: Day 3

Day 3 was the mid-week rest day in Lift 4. I did the stretch routine, which runs about 10 minutes. I decided to hold off on the foam rolling routine until Saturday, after leg day, when it would be more helpful. My upper body is definitely sore today from the first two workouts, but the soreness is not horrible. 

CD/Music Review: Christina Aguilera

 


Christina Aguilera's self-titled debut album was released in 1999. It contains 12 tracks, including the hit singles "Genie in a Bottle," "What a Girl Wants," "Come on Over Baby (All I Want is You)," and "I Turn to You." The first three reached number one in the US, and the last one reached number three. The album blends pop, R&B, and hip-hop, featuring a mix of upbeat dance numbers and ballads.  

The CD liner includes lyrics and production notes for each track, interspersed with pictures of Aguilera, and ends with a thank-you note. The album definitely falls squarely in the realm of teen pop, but also showcases Aguilera's vocal range and talent, which was much stronger than that of other pop stars of the era. Although it is now 25 years old, the album holds up fairly well over time. Chances are, most people who will be interested in the album now are those who were teenagers or in their early to mid-20s when the album was first released. However, if you are a fan of late '90s/early 2000s pop, this is worth listening to. 

Tuesday, October 14, 2025

Workout Update: Lift 4: Day 2

Day 2 was the back and biceps workout from Lift 4, and this week it is a circuit workout, doing two quad blocks consisting of four exercises that you do for three sets. You do each exercise back-to-back with no rest (aside from the time it takes to transition from one exercise to the next). In each block, you alternate a back exercise with a biceps exercise. Then, you do a burnout block that just consists of two exercises, back extensions and biceps curls, then you finish with the core block and stretching to cool down.

I definitely felt yesterday's workout, mostly in my arms from the triceps work, more than in my chest. As with yesterday's workout, I was able to lift a bit heavier doing the exercises than I did in 25-Minute Speed Train since we were doing 10 reps as opposed to a 60-second set. The tempos from 25-Minute Speed Train definitely helped, as I really did not have to think about tempo as I was doing the workout.

Book Review: Black Ice (Scot Harvath Series #20)

 


Black Ice, published in 2021, is the 20th book in the series of action-thriller/spy novels featuring the character Scot Harvath written by Brad Thor. At the beginning of the story, Harvath is in a helicopter that is about to crash in the Arctic. Then, it flashes back 72 hours to tell the story leading up to that point. We discover that while spending time in Norway with Solvi, introduced in the previous novel, Near Dark, Harvath sees a Chinese spy whom he believed he had killed years ago while walking around Oslo. From there, the story involves a plot involving China and Russia and control of the Arctic Circle. 

The hardcover version of the book is 320 pages long. If you have read any of the other novels in the series, the story has a similar flow and feel. As such, the book will probably read as quickly or as slowly as the others have. Like the prior novels, this one has a good blend of action, suspense, and drama (with a bit of humor and romance sprinkled in). Thor does refer to some real-world events in the book, but for the most part, the book steers clear of real-life events and politics (for example, COVID-19 is not mentioned at all). Thor does sprinkle in a bit of political intrigue, but his books are not overtly political. While this is the 20th book in the series, you do not really need to have read the prior novels to follow what is going on; however, it does help to have done so because there are several established characters in the book that Thor assumes people already know and does not spend much time setting them up. Ultimately, if you are a fan of the action-thriller or spy novel genre, this is worth reading.

Monday, October 13, 2025

Workout Update: Lift 4: Day 1

Today marked the first day of Lift 4. This is Joel Freeman's second complete program, in which he was the sole trainer for BODI (he was a co-trainer on the Core de-Force program). It was also the first non-sport-specific program(his first full program, 10 Rounds, was a boxing-based program).  This is the first time I did Lift 4 after doing the 25-minute speed train workout. Today was chest and triceps in the 50/50 format, in which you do all the lifting first, then do cardio, then finish with core and stretching. 

The lifting portion was a bit easier than in the 25-minute speed train workout since you are only doing 10 rep sets, not sixty-second sets. All of the lifting is done with a 2x2 or 2x1 tempo. Then, you do three rounds of cardio, following a 65-45-30 format in which you do the first exercise (soccer runs) for sixty seconds, the second exercise (mountain climbers) for forty-five seconds, and the third exercise (catchers) for thirty seconds. After that, you finish with three rounds of core, alternating between rope climbers and bent-knee windshield wipers, and finish with stretching to cool down. I found the cardio and core portions of the workout to be the hardest because even though you do some cardio and core in 25-minute speed train, it is once a week, and the cardio does not get your heart rate up as much as the cardio in Lift 4 does. Also, the workout was about 15 minutes longer than the 25-minute speed train workouts. But, it was a good way to kick off the week and a new workout program.

Sunday, October 12, 2025

Workout Update: 25 Minute Speed Train: Day 56

Day 56 was the last workout of the 25-minute speed train program. It was the second of the two flexibility routines. While I still prefer the first one, this one did grow on me a bit throughout the program. So, my plan going forward is to complete another round of Lift 4, followed by the follow-up to that program, Lift More. Then, I will probably try Tony Horton's (who has returned as a BODI trainer) new program, The Power of 4. 

CD/Music Review: Adele: 19

 


19, released in 2008, was Adele's debut album. It features 12 tracks, and the title was selected based on her age during production of the album (which she has made a tradition with her subsequent albums). The album was a bigger hit in the UK than it was in the United States, but the single "Chasing Pavements" was a moderate hit in the US. It and the song "Make You Feel My Love" are the two best songs on the album, but every song on the album is good and highlights Adele's vocal talent. Despite her age at the time, the album has a much more adult contemporary sound (as all her albums do) than it does a pop sound. The CD liner features the song lyrics and production notes for each track, pictures, and a thank-you note on the final page. Ultimately, while this album was not a massive hit like her subsequent albums (especially 21 and 25), it is terrific, and listening to it, you can tell that Adele was destined for stardom. It is absolutely worth listening to if you are an Adele fan or just a fan of the more adult-oriented singer-songwriter genre.

Saturday, October 11, 2025

Workout Update: 25 Minute Speed Train: Day 55

Day 55 was the last "real" workout of the 25-minute speed train program, which was core-cardio. This week, the workout uses the Give Me Five format. So, in each of the four blocks, you did a pre-fatigue exercise for 60 seconds and then four 40-second sets of the second exercise. I actually prefer this to doing four blocks and a burnout round, even though you do every exercise for a longer overall period of time. 

CD/Music Review: Aerosmith: Big Ones

 


Big Ones, released in 1994, is an album that is mostly a compilation of recent (at the time) hits from Aerosmith. The album includes 15 songs in all. It is not really a greatest hits album as it does not include songs spanning their entire career. Instead, it features the hit songs from their late 80s/early 90s albums Get a Grip, Pump, and Permanent Vacation, such as "Rag Doll, and" Janie's Got a Gun." Crazy, "Livin' on the Edge," etc. It also includes a couple of previously unreleased songs that the band recorded during a break on one of their tours. 

The CD liner unfolds like a poster. On one side, it has pictures and production notes, and on the other, it has the lyrics for all the tracks. Ultimately, if you are a fan of Aerosmith's late '80s and early '90s hit songs, this is absolutely worth listening to. 

Friday, October 10, 2025

Workout Update: 25 Minute Speed Train: Day 54

Day 54 was the last lower-body workout of the program. It uses the Dirty MOFO format. The four exercises in this workout are front-loaded squats, sumo deadlifts, alternating front-loaded lunges, and calf raises. With the five sets, you increase the weight as the time decreases, and then stay with the heaviest weight you can as the time increases again. On some of the exercises I had to step the weight back down, and on others I was able to keep using the heavier weight for the 40 and 60 second sets. 

CD/Music Review: Aerosmith: Get a Grip

 


Get a Grip, released in 1993, was Aerosmith's 11th studio album. It continued to blend hard rock and pop that characterized their sound throughout the 1980s and 1990s. It featured 14 tracks, including the hits "Livin' on the Edge," "Crazy," "Cryin'," and "Amazing," as well as the popular track "Eat the Rich." Cryin' and Crazy were massively popular due to their music videos, both of which featured Alicia Silverstone at the height of her fame, and the latter featuring Steven Tyler's then relatively unknown daughter, Liv. 

The CD liner includes pictures, lyrics for each track, and a thank-you note from the band. Ultimately, the album has an excellent mix of songs and features some of the band's biggest hits of the '90s. It is absolutely worth listening to and has many songs that are worth adding to a playlist.  

Thursday, October 9, 2025

Workout Update: 25 Minute Speed Train: Day 53

Day 53 was the final upper-body workout of the program. It used the burnout format, which meant doing three sixty-second sets of a weighted exercise followed by a 45-second burnout set that used a band or bodyweight. This workout used most of the tempos that we have used throughout the program, including 4x4, 3x1, and 2x2. Joel encouraged starting with heavier weights and drop setting as needed, which I did in each of the four blocks. 

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Bolero

 


Bolero is a 1984 romantic drama starring Bo Derek, George Kennedy, Andrea Occhipinti, Ana Obregon, Olivia d'Abo, and Greg Bensen. It was written and directed by Bo Derek's husband, John. The plot involves an orphan heir to a massive fortune named Ayre "Mac" McGillvary (played by Bo Derek) looking for the right man to take her virginity after she graduates from college. She travels the world with her best friend, Catalina (played by Obergon), and chauffeur, Cotton (played by Kennedy), looking for the perfect man.

The A/V quality of the blu-ray is good, but not outstanding. Given that it was a low-budget B-movie when released, it is not surprising that it did not receive a high-quality HD restoration. There are no bonus features with the release, just the movie itself, which can be played with English captions.

It was a very controversial movie for its time, because of sex scenes that rival the soft-core "Skinemax" movies, and the fact that d'Abo, who was 14 when the movie was filmed, appeared nude (although not close up, and not in sex scenes). It could not get a traditional release because it would have received an X-rating (even though there are no explicit sex scenes) since the NC-17 rating did not exist at the time. The movie itself is bad. The acting and writing were horrible, but anyone who is old enough to remember Bo Derek's heyday knows that her movies were not made because of their award-winning content. They were made because she was hot and willing to get naked at the drop of a hat. It was a bit funny to have Derek, who was almost 30 when the film was released, playing a 23-year-old recent college grad, but again, the details were not important. The movie does have a lot of nudity and several sex scenes, so it is not family-friendly. Ultimately, it is not a movie that you would watch because you want to see quality acting and writing, but if you are into cheesy 80s movies that show a lot of skin, it is worth checking out. 

Wednesday, October 8, 2025

Workout Update: 25 Minute Speed Train: Day 52

Day 52 was the total-body workout for week 8, which utilized the "Give Me Five" format. In this workout, you use a band move to pre-fatigue one of the muscle groups worked in the specific block, and then perform a compound exercise for four 40-second sets.  Ultimately, it was a good but challenging workout.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Cheers: Season 10

 


The 26-episode penultimate 10th season of Cheers aired during the 1991/1992 TV season. All of the series regulars returned for the 10th season, and Bebe Neuwirth was finally promoted to a series regular. The recurring cast this season included Jackie Swanson, who played Woody's girlfriend, Kelly, Paul Wilson, who is another regular patron of the bar, Frances Stenhagen, who played Cliff's mother, and newcomer to the show, Keene Curtis, who played John Allen Hill, the new owner of the restaurant Melville's above Cheers, who delighted in making Sam's life miserable and having a love-hate relationship with Carla. The guest cast this season included Leah Remi, Emma Thompson, Milo O'Shea, and Harvey Fierstein. The show also included several guest appearances and cameos by celebrities and politicians, including Harry Connick Jr., Kevin McHale, John Kerry, Johnny Carson, and Doc Severinsen.

The blu-ray set is a three-disc set. As has been the case with the previous seasons, the A/V quality is good overall, but varies from episode to episode or even within episodes. There are no bonus features, but the episodes can be played with English captions. As of this writing, the seasons are not available individually on Blu-ray, only in a complete series release. 

The series continues to be a blend of procedural stories-of-the-week and serial arcs. The biggest arc this season involved the continuation of the Season 9 ending storyline, in which Sam and Rebecca agreed to have a child. There were a handful of funny moments around that storyline throughout the season. As in prior seasons, the writers do a good job of balancing the storylines of the various characters and providing each cast member with good material throughout the season. Bebe Neuwirth continued to shine as Lillith, but did not have as many standout moments as she did when she was a recurring character. This season, Keene Curtis was the one who stole most of the scenes he appeared in. The season finale is a hilarious two-part wedding episode that is one of the best episodes of the series. Ultimately, the series continued to be good. Although the writing was still somewhat dated, it did not feel as dated as it did in the earlier seasons. So, if you liked the prior seasons, this one is worth watching.

Tuesday, October 7, 2025

Workout Update: 25 Minute Speed Train: Day 51

Day 51 was the first lower-body workout of the final week. Surprisingly, it was a superburnout workout, not the Dirty MOFO or Give Me Five, which is what I was expecting. All of the exercises in the workout were ones we did before, but there were a couple of twists on them. For example, this week, while doing swings, you used two dumbbells instead of one. And, Joel has you do variations of deadlifts in each of the first two blocks.  

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Black Sails: The Complete Series

 


Black Sails is an action-adventure series that aired on Starz for four seasons from 2014 to 2017. It starred Toby Stephens, Hannah New, Luke Arnold, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Tom Hopper, Zach McGowan, Toby Schmitz, Clara Paget, Hakeem Kae-Kazim, Louise Barnes, Luke Roberts, and Ray Stevenson. The series is set in the Bahamas during the early 18th century. It was written as a prequel to the 1883 novel Treasure Island, providing backstories for characters who were either in or referred to in the book, such as Captain Flint, Long John Silver, and Billy Bones. It blended fictional characters from the book with depictions of real-life historical figures and fictionalized accounts of historical events. 

The series is essentially one long story about the quest for control of New Providence Island, which involves a war between the English royal navy and the pirates who control the island and threaten trade in the region, and the search for (and control of) gold from a Spanish shipwreck that becomes the basis for the buried treasure in the novel.

The blu-ray set is a 12-disc set included in two keep cases, which are held in a cardboard sleeve. Each of the keep cases holds six discs, with the discs for seasons 1 and 2 in one keep case, and the discs for seasons 3 and 4 in the other. The A/V quality is outstanding, with the episodes looking and sounding wonderful in the HD format. The episodes for each season can be played in a "play all" mode that allows you to pick up where you leave off and remembers your audio and closed caption preferences. The bonus features are on the third disc for each respective season. Those include the "Inside Black Sails" recaps that played after the episodes aired, as well as several making-of and behind-the-scenes featurettes corresponding to events that occurred in each season, cast interviews, and more. 

The series is well-written and very well-acted. It is absolutely not family-friendly, as it is very violent, has a lot of sexual content and nudity, and swearing. The sexual content and nudity are most prolific in the first two seasons, but every season is very violent. The writers do a good job of balancing the storylines for the large ensemble cast and providing all the cast members with good material to work with. Additionally, the backstories of the characters discussed in the book Treasure Island make the novel even more interesting to read. Ultimately, it is an excellent series that is absolutely worth watching.

Monday, October 6, 2025

Workout Update: 25 Minute Speed Train: Day 50

Day 50 was the first upper-body workout of the final week of the program. It used the Dirty MOFO format and worked the chest, shoulders, back, and triceps. The weighted exercises each used one of the tempos (4x4 for chest press, 1x3 for front raises, and 3x1 for back flys). The final exercise was negative triceps push-ups in which you start with one of the modified versions, progress as far as you can (hopefully to an unmodified version for at least part of the 20-second set), then modify again. The workout was challenging, but I can tell I'm making progress with my muscular endurance and strength gains. I could do the entire 20-second set of negative triceps push-ups unmodified, which I could not do at the beginning of the program. It will be interesting to do Lift 4 again after this program since many of the exercises in this program are in that one, but without the tempos (or mostly a 2x2 tempo). 

CD/Music Review: Aerosmith: Permanent Vacation

 


Permanent Vacation is the 1987 studio release by Aerosmith. It was their 9th studio album and is seen as their resurgence album after Joe Perry and Brad Whitford returned to the group in 1984. The album features 12 tracks in total, including the massively popular songs "Rag Doll," "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)," and "Angel." It also features a cover of the Beatles song, I'm Down. The album is a blend of pop and hard rock/heavy metal, which defined the band's sound throughout the 1980s and 1990s. 

The CD liner contains the lyrics to the various songs, pictures, production notes, and thank yous. Overall, the album is very good. It (along with the music videos for the hit songs that received massive airplay on MTV and VH1) revitalized the band's career, and arguably made them more popular than they were in the 1970s. If you are a fan of hard rock and metal that does not get too loud and aggressive, this is absolutely worth listening to.