(Taken from "Blues Review")
Hometown guitar hero Jimmy McCarty is no longer a member of Mitch Ryder's Detroit Wheels or the Rockets, but with the way "Love Lost" peels out and takes off you can tell he's no ameteur! The disc represents a songwriting collaberation between McCarty and Mystery Train Bandmate Rick Stel who sings and plays guitar, piano, and Hammond B-3 organ on this disc. From the moment it starts, it's clear there are no loser songs aboard!

No loser instrumentalists here either. McCarty and Stel are tops, their musical proficiency heightened only by the presence of a great rhythm section in Marvin Conrad(bass) and Will Leonard(drums).

Cut one, "I Need You" bursts upon the listner with a cathcy introductory groove and a sweep of the piano keys. But the excitement doesn't end there. The bulk of the tune is radio-ready -- memorable and filled with great instrumentation. McCarty's singing voice is not what you'd call "good" in the Elvis/Sugar Ray Norcia sense, but it's distinctive and pleasantly memorable. McCarty and Stel sing their own tunes throughout.

"Your Loss Now" for instance is a Stel tune-- kind of a hippie blues number with a "so fine, sunshine" kind of groove (remember "The Word" off the Beatles Rubber Soul LP?). Stel Sings, sounding a little like Arthur Brown (if you recall the 60's hit "Fire")

"I'm All Alone" is a slow balladd sung by McCarty with mediative guitar and a plaintive guitar solo.

There's a slight south-of-the-border feel to McCarty's "Where Were You?". You can even hear an "Arriba!" or two and some castenette sounds in the background.

"Allman Joy" by both McCarty and Stel, is a masterpiece--a beautiful, mellow instrumental, full of soulful guitar. It has a melody reminiscant of Van Morrison's "Moondance" but with a decidedly and delightfully Duane Allman feel. Leonard on drums is a stand-out here, keeping just the right time and fronting just the right rhythms to make this tune the success it is.

The band does a great job on "Hold it Right There", the swingin' Eddie Vinson number, and the group's only cover on this disc. Stel takes vocal duties on this one, putting a little sexual energy on top of the standard swing progressions. Some great horn lines further spice up this tune, not to mention a fabulous guitar duet. The band's use of ascending and descending guitars is somehting I haven't heard since the intelude on the rock group Heart's 70s hit "Magic Man".

Stel sings again on his own "Love is Rough Business" a slow blues ballad about fear and regret.

Some "Tax Man" progressions open "Come on Back to Me", with some wicked harp-blowin' from guest artist Kenny Welk (Blue Collar Blues Band), and some innovative guitar grooves.

There's a decidedly 50s feel to cut nine, "I'll Never Turn My Back on You". With its "Mustang Sally"-style intro and it's carefree lyrics, it's like something Ike Turner might have done pre-Tina.

The disc wraps up with "Cold Wind" an acoustic, delta-style blues number hauntingly sung by McCarty.