Long Distance Voyager

The Moody Blues

Polygram Records, 1981

http://www.moodybluestoday.com

REVIEW BY: George Agnos

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 06/22/1998

Long Distance Voyager was sort a comeback album for the Moody Blues in 1981, generating two middling hits: "Gemini Dream" and "The Voice." The album came out at a good time: after the disco scene fizzled out and just before new wave exploded on the U.S. pop scene. Otherwise I wonder how this album would have fared, because even by 1981 standards, this is indeed an old-fashioned rock album. Not that there's anything wrong with that if the songs are there. And yes, the songs are good, but do not expect this band to break any new ground here.

The album immediately sweeps the listener into a world awash of keyboards and guitar with "The Voice." Justin Hayward's sweet vocals combined with the song's strong melody makes this one a repeat listen. I interpret the lyrics to be about the Moody Blue's own comeback; a theme that is repeated more explicit throughout the album. The other single "Gemini Dream" sounds like an okay Electric Light Orchestra song with its spacey instrumentation and somewhat hooky melody. I suppose it was the obvious choice for a single, but I prefer the third single "Meanwhile" because it boasts a good midtempo melody and an immediate lyric about the pain caused by infidelity. No song on this album is as short and to the point as this one.my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250

Which brings us to three slow ballads, two of them clocking in at over seven minutes long. "Talking Out Of Turn" is a pretty John Lodge song about lost love. I like the string arrangement used here, but at over seven minutes long, the song is a bit repetitious. The same can be said for Hayward's "In My World." Again, another pretty song which does not hold my interest for the full seven minutes, especially with the tepid electric guitar solo at the end. Lodge also checks in with the lovely ballad "Nervous." Here I think he should have let the song speak for itself and avoided some of the bombastic production values.

Drummer Graeme Edge is represented with "22,000 Days" another song which seems to be about the band: "So start the show and this time/feel the flow." The song is a nice change of pace being more rhythmic than melodic.

However, it is flutist Ray Thomas that ends the album on the most audicious note. "Painted Smile" is a song in which Thomas poignantly describes himself as a court jester, performing joyfully on the outside, but crying on the inside. With its organ-grinder sounding keyboard and over the top singing, this could be a number off of a Broadway musical. Is it corny? Sure, but it does make sense within the context of the song. A brief spoken word passage segues into the song "Veteran Cosmic Rocker" which is the most rocking number on the album and basically is a sequel to "I Am Just A Singer In A Rock & Roll Band."

There really is not a bad song on Long Distance Voyager, but occasionally the bloated production values are frustrating. Otherwise, this could have been a much better album. The songs are simple and appealing and could have used a more subtle approach. The theme running throughout the album about the life of aging rockers is interesting, but it is too bad that they had to sound just like that - aging rockers. Still, when this album works, it works very well.

Rating: B-

User Rating: B+


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