SEVENTH SOJOURN

That wasteland on the cover looks pretty dry; unfortunately, that's how I describe the music here on SEVENTH SOJOURN. I fully understand that many a progster will like the seemingly softer sound on this album as about 60% of this album is very quiet and soft musically. However, my tastes demand more energy and drive than what SEVENTH SOJOURN can give me; that is why I take much solace in ''I'm Just a Singer'', the only time there's some punch on the album aside from a couple of other songs like ''Lost in a Lost World''.

Songs like ''When You're a Free Man'' and ''Isn't Life Strange'' put me to sleep; if I am awake during these songs, I feel too compelled to make snoring noises to prevent boredom. I understand this is more of a personal complaint. Those that enjoy quiet, soft prog might increase the star rating here to 3 or 4. For progsters like myself that prefer a harder, jumpier tone in their prog, this is not a great investment on the whole. Possibly worth it for ''I'm Just a Singer'', but earlier Moody Blues albums like IN SEARCH OF THE LOST CHORD have much more of a punch to them that keep me interested.