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The Moody Blues - The Present CD (album) cover

THE PRESENT

The Moody Blues

 

Crossover Prog

3.03 | 147 ratings

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russellk
Prog Reviewer
2 stars The last interesting MOODY BLUES album.

'The Present' reprises 'Long Distance Voyager' and ends up as a younger, less capable relation. There are a number of entertaining songs: 'Blue World' is eminently pleasing pop, a vehicle for JUSTIN HAYWARD's voice and a solid rhythm section, along with PATRICK MORAZ's keyboards. 'Meet Me Halfway', 'Hole In The World', a rare instrumental in this later phase of the MOODIES' career, 'Going Nowhere' and 'Running Water' evoke the band at their best, though they rely more and more on memories - and that ultra-sharp production. Other tracks are merely competent, and would not (and possibly did not) make the cut for the previous album. A special mention for RAY THOMAS and his songs, two of them appearing at the end and again making the album something more than a HAYWARD/LODGE or BLUE JAYS effort.

From this brief summary it can be seen that the album's pattern echoes that of 'Long Distance Voyager' - 'Blue World' is 'The Voice', 'Sitting at the Wheel' is 'Gemini Dream' and so on. I wouldn't swap a single on of the LDV songs for any of these. The songwriting here is simply not strong enough.

So there's nothing unpleasant here, but also nothing that stirs the blood or prickles the eyes. And that, friends, summarises the increasingly sugary nana music THE MOODY BLUES offer from this point on. They do crank out the occasional interesting tune, but the halcyon days are gone.

Not quite three stars, and not an album you need purchase unless you are a fan.

russellk | 2/5 |

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