LONG DISTANCE VOYAGER

"Long Distance Voyager" is the first MB album that has nothing that can be classified progressive, apart from the captivating album cover. "Octave" was already quite commercial but the synth layers and decent guitar work saved it from being too poppy. This album has arguably better songwriting, especially by Lodge and Hayward, whereas Edge's 22 000 days is a surprising number from a number, far from disaster but not too memorable. Thomas' input ranges from awkwardly dated "Nervous" (doesn't fit into the album either) to the pounding and groovy, and a bitter "Cosmic Veteran Rocker". I have always enjoyed the presence and ambitions of Mike Pinder, who was replaced by the overqualified Patrick Moraz who could handle all the duties with one hand (perhaps). You can hear that his sound is less integrated into the overall sound and he would be keen to contribute something more ambitious, which he already tries by sounding more ornate. I have long preferred this album over "Long distance voyager" but once I got used to all the melodies and stopped enjoying all the ELO hooks, I started rating "Octave" slightly higher for its cohesive sound.