STRANGE TIMES

"Strange Times" is the 15th full-length studio album by UK pop/rock act The Moody Blues. The album was released through Universal Music Group in August 1999. It´s also the first album in 8 years from the band as their last album "Keys of the Kingdom" was released in 1991.

At this point The Moody Blues had become a little irrelevant to most listeners as most of their output in the 80s and the 90s had little to do with their 60s and 70s heyday output. At least in terms of quality and memorability of the material. 20-25 years down the line and only few standout moments to talk about in all those years, it´s hard to maintain more than a hardcore fanbase. "Strange Times" is not the album which changes that.

"Strange Times" opens relatively strong with "English Sunset". The dominant use of synth on that track is a rather nice touch. Unfortunately the remaining tracks range from uninspired and forgettable pop songs to downright awful ballad type tracks. It´s not enough that the tracks are tedious and close to being elevator muzak, but on top of that the lyrics are cheesy and dripping with honey (listen to the lyrics for "Haunted"...that is just plain awful). This is the very definition of shallow adult oriented commercial pop music.

Considering the legendary status of The Moody Blues and what they have previously achieved in their career, "Strange Times" is a disappointment. The album is as such well produced and not surprisingly the musicianship is strong too (four out of five of the original members from the 70s are still in the lineup), but it´s the songwriting which is lacking substance and catchiness. A 2 star (40%) rating is warranted.