With some bands and CDs, playing "spot the influence" is more fun than listening to the music. "What were they listening to that day?" "How many Black Sabath albums (hi, George!) are on their record shelf?" "Who does she think she is, Alanis Jr.?" I started off down that road when listening to one left's the nature of the beast, but fortunately the music itself soon pulled me in and I forgot to play the game (Although I did conclude that the singer, Rick Rowland, somehow managed to abscond with one each of Bob Dylan's and Lou Reed's tonsils...). The music is mostly mellow guitar-based rock, very well played and produced -- it's detailed and varied enough to hold my interest, and Rowland's voice and lyrics are a joy to listen to. While it's a little more "straight-ahead" than much of the music I like, I think this CD will stay near the top of my pile for awhile. the nature of the beast was released in 1996 -- check the One Left website for news on a new release sometime this summer.