First time I heard this when it came out I thought it was nice, chill, contemplative, etc. Loved it then as proof that Dev is capable of performing almost any musical genre with skill and integrity (like Buckethead with the guitar--versatile is a strong understatement.)Well, close to three years have passed since then and of all the iTunes playlists I have made consisting of one single album (there have easily been 100s+ of such), this is the lone album to stick there by itself, and I think it will for a long time.The reasons it's "good" are because, like the music, it's simple yet complex.1. It's got a soft touch but there's enough subtle variety inherent to each song (yes, you need to pay attention to actually catch it though)that it never gets "boring" or comes off as single-faceted, as some reviewers have stated. Each song has a backbone with various musical/vocal elements weaving in and out seamlessly; if there is a slight lift to the music it's most often a light flute that delicately helps to build an airy, effervescent feeling.2. Instrumentation/vocalization: Flute, light percussion, banjo, acoustic guitar (electric too?), keyboards, clips of nature sounds (non-cheese!), female vocals (ethereal), and male vocals (ethereal & a few Maynard-esque "almost-yelling" moments that don't detract from the mellow feeling, but build a touch of heartiness where appropriate.) I might be missing some intricacies that are harder to pick out from the nicely-layered mix, but that's what I've noticed off the top of my head.3. This is the one Devin Townsend album that is potentially accessible to pretty much anybody from any walk of musical genres, given they have a semi-open mind. I could give this to Grandma, Mom, Dad, a college professor, a kid I'm mentoring, a church friend (if I were religious)--You get the picture. The musical and lyrical content are connectable without being distancing.But yeah... a great album!Here's a not-so-short-list of suggestions for other desert-isle-type mellow music mainstays I wouldn't want to be without, that relatively follow the same formula of "The Chill" (Keep in mind that some are much more on the true side of the term "Ambient", marked with an *):Buckethead: "Colma", "Electric Tears", "Electric Sea", "Pikes 13"*Shawn Lane: "Zenhouse"(The one album that would drive me nuts if it ever became extinct--AMAZING precision, tone, textures... Unmatched musicianship within an "Ambient" format & one of the few albums that still allows me to glean new sounds previously unheard as the years go by!)*Andreas Vollenwieder: "Down to The Moon"Angelo Badalamenti: "The Straight Story" (Especially if you like the country-tinged songs on "Ghost".)*Harold Budd: "Avalon Sutra", "The Moon and The Melodies"(With Cocteau Twins--Another mellow band.)*Aphex Twin: "Selected Ambient Works: Vol. II"(new vinyl re-issue sounds amazing!)Sigur Ros: "( )" or "Valtari"Astor Piazzolla: "Tango:Zero Hour"Autechre: "Oversteps"Bill Laswell: "Invisible Design" (*I/II), "Axiom Ambient: Lost in the Translation"(maybe the Best Ambient work ever constructed, or deconstructed, depending how you look at it), "Hashisheen", *"Means of Deliverance" (Maybe the best companion-piece to "Ghost" of all I've listed, along with "Zenhouse".)Azam AliBalab AcabToro y MoiBeach House: More tempo-based, but still chill.Bernie Worrell: "Improvisczario" or "The Other Side"Byla ("Viscera" w/Jarboe is the most Ambient-metal wave-assault you'll ever hear--Not exactly "chill", but amazingly meditative in its own right; other Byla are chill guitar.)*The Caretaker (Dark)*Lustmord (Dark)Cynic: "Re-Traced" or "The Portal Tapes"*David Lynch: "The Air is on Fire" (Dark)Chrysta Bell*Earth : "II"(Rib-cage rattling)Ekstasis: "Wake Up and Dream"Nicky Skopeletis: "Revelator"Eric Wollo: "Guitar Nova"Eyvind Kang: "Virginal Coordinates" (Mike Patton on vocals)Hope Sandoval and The Warm InventionsHoward Shore's film scores for David Cronenberg (Favs are "Crash", "Eastern Promises" and "Dead Ringers".)Jesu (Bit heavy at times, but low BMP)John Zorn: "Alhambra Love Songs"Jonas Hellborg: "Octave of The Holy Innocents"Kaada*Kitaro*Lou Harrison*Robert Rich*Steve Roach*Stars of the LidStorm CorrosionTangerine DreamToshinori Kondo & DJ KrushTortoise*Zbigniew Preisner