Used to see him gig a lot in the mid 1980s... some great gigs... was surprised when he got hooked, given his previous stance in drugs, but good memories from the gigs anyway. I also found his last album hard going, but will give it another go in time.
His last album was very different from his earlier material. However given everything he had been through over the previous decade it was not surprising that he should do something which was much more introspective.