"Here, where he is quite clearly the ringleader, Johnson remains an affable but not forceful presence on record: Browne, Vedder, Willie Nelson, even Dave Matthews and Ben Harper, all easily overpower him. And yet there's no question that this is his party: his sweet, accommodating nature is evident throughout these cuts, so much so that they may elicit a smile from the sour doubters who've never found a reason to like his studio records".