Yesterday I went and purchased some CDs for my birthday. My mother-in-law got me the best present ever: money to spend freely on music!I got Zappa's Hot Rats (part of my twice a decade attempt to "get" Zappa), the Wilco Live in Chicago I mentioned earlier and the recently released new JBT Grand National. I've only had time to listen to the latter, so that's the one I'll talk about. I'm not dissapointed. John Butler's style and approach has changed significantly over the years, from his early jam records to the tight and funky melancholy of Sunrise over Sea. So I didn't quite know what to expect. Let's say that there are some significant changes, but the spirit remains the same.Grand National is not quite as melancholy as Sunrise over Sea, and it's a little more aggressive too, but that's all for the best. It contributes a new spark to the music that ensures it's not a repeated formula from the previous album. The first track (and radio single I believe) is Better Than, pretty tight, with funky banjo and gorgeous double bass playing. Highlights include the tight and powerful Funky Tonight, the angry Gov Did Nothing which shifts mood from tight pop-rock to jam rock to New Orleans and the mellow funky Grooving Slowly. The instrumentations are a little more varied than on the previous album as well, there are bits of horn sections, strings on one track, wurlitzer on another, an interesting use of raw harmonica. I've only given it a couple of listens, but I already know it's a winner. Go get it !