I was able to catch The Moody Blues in concert last year, and was impressed on how well their songs have stood up over the years. Just recently, a reissue of bassist John Lodge’s solo album form 1977 came out, and all of the glories of the progressive rock movement came floating back into my ears. He’s got the Roger Dean album artwork, and uses like minded artists such as Chris Spedding/g, Mel Collins/sax, Kenny Jones/dr Mick Weaver/keyand Steve Simpson/g along with an orchestra lead by brian Rogers. Un-Moody moods include a hard rock boogie such as “Natural Café” and a pop rockish “Children of Rock ‘n’ Roll.” A lovely acoustic guitar-laden “Carry Me” is vintage 70s balladry, while bigger productions such as “Summer Breeze, Summer Song” and “Rainbow” pull out all the stops. Hints of the best of the Moodies come out on the sentimental “Say You Love Me” and classical meets carnival “Piece of My Heart” with all of the melodrama a fan could beg for. A real treat for fans that are looking for something new undiscovered or underappreciated from the Boomer days.
Cherry Red Records