I, for one, 'wanted' to love SOA, especially because of the high-esteem I hold FII in.
Between both albums, however, there are but a handful of songs that really grabbed me. Even listening back through this morning, the whole project feels rushed, from the composition to the recording.
I mean, I get it, time is money, and those schedules are very packed, but it's difficult to imagine a band coming together for the first time and banging out a masterpiece without the benefit of a tour behind them.
But, all of that aside, I will freely admit that Derek's antics in the press were a major turnoff to this 'potential' fan. I found all of it so distasteful, that I suspect it played a role in my initially being underwhelmed by the first album.
Kocak's point about "quality over quantity" is well stated, and pretty much sums up my thoughts on MP's post-DT career.
There's a few hits, but also a mountain of misses IMO.