Jules Shear left behind several albums' worth of terrific music, from his earliest days with
the Funky Kings to his work with
Jules & the Polar Bears and on to a distinguished solo career. Even with tough competition,
The Great Puzzle stands as
Shear's high point, combining his never-failing gift of melody with tasteful, organic arrangements, highly personal yet universal lyrics, and probably his most consistent batch of songs to date. [Initial pressings of
The Great Puzzle were packaged with a bonus disc, Unplug This, which had
Shear reprise his best-known songs along with a couple from
The Great Puzzle in a solo acoustic setting.] ~ Chris Woodstra