The Great Puzzle

Jules Shear is a talented singer/songwriter who's consistently written and recorded high-quality music of both as a solo artist and a member of The Funky Kings, Reckless Sleepers, Raisins in the Sun, and Jules & The Polar Bears. He charted a No. 57 hit in 1985 with "Steady," cowritten with Cyndi Lauper, but his remaining U.S. chart hits were versions of his songs recorded by other acts, such as Lauper ("All Through the Night"), The Bangles ("If She Knew What She Wants"), and Tommy Conwell & The Young Rumblers ("If We Never Meet Again"). It's a genuine disappointment that a man of Shear's talents has never been fully recognized as a solo artist. 1992's The Great Puzzle is as good a place to start as any; it appeared at a time when production values were increasingly sympathetic to singer/songwriters. The organ's sweet purr plays perfectly in sync with the glorious harmonies on "We Were Only Making Love" and adds a wistful pop sound to "Dreams Dissolve in Tears," (a duet cowritten by and performed with his wife, singer/songwriter Pal Shazar). "Bark" is a beautiful acoustic closer.