LIVE AT MONTREUX 1991

This is a questionable release. As a big Moodies fan who doesn't mind some of their later work when I'm in the right maudlin mood, I wasn't expecting the glories of 1970, but I was expecting better than this. The biggest issue is Hayward's voice- I don't know if he had a cold, whether the monitor level was too low or whether his voice had deteriorated, but his vocals are a major let down. This guy is pretty much my favourite rock vocalist, and I couldn't believe his toneless, croaky vocals. John Lodge doesn't fare much better. The sound of the band is thin and artificial, and they seem to have needed a second drummer to supplement Graeme Edge- why? Can't he stay on the beat any more? The choice of material is decent, although why they would choose "Gemini Dream" over "The Voice" is a bit mysterious. Naturally, the current material pales in comparison to classics like "Tuesday Afternoon" and "The Story in Your Eyes". This is not a document of a vital live act, but a fading nostalgia act that can't play or sing up to its old levels. Hopefully some decent visual material of the Moodies in their prime (with real live sound, unlike the canned stuff on "The Lost Concert") will surface some day. They deserve a better legacy than this.