STRANGE TIMES

I have come to The Moody Blues' fifteenth studio album "Strange times" from 1999 which is their second last until now. The cover picture is boring must I say, it has nothing to do with the former fantastic pictures of this band. We see how the sea begins on a shore and a little earth happens to be there too. Justin Hayward, John Lodge, Graeme Edge, Ray Thomas(who's back) take help from the programmer and keyboard player Danilo Madonia on this album. The record has a long playing time.

I have for a long time had indulgence with less interesting music from this band because I still thought it was so honest and well performed. Now I have began to get tired of this. It feels like this album hasn't the right integracy and originality. The songs are very smooth and don't disturb the listener at all. But how I would wish to be disturbed! The music has a very clean and flirting image but perhaps I am the wrong listener. I don't feel this album has enough to please me.

Some songs are good. The first "English sunset" is decent(6/10) and the five last song's are quite good. But there are too many bland tracks such as track 2-9. "My little love" is the most beautiful track, and also the shortest with acoustic guitar and a fine melody(7/10) and "Forever now" is good(6/10) as well as "The one" which also has something extra(6/10) and "The swallow" also interests me somehow(6/10). But otherwise this music isn't enough. OK as before, this is certainly not a clumpsy work but I would have wished them to be bold and brave instead of just comfortable. I will give "Strange times" two stars!