Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Moody Blues, The
Label: Threshold
Release: 1983
Duration: 41:17
Rating: 3.5/5
English symphonic prog rock pioneers The Moody Blues made the sonic transition into the eighties relatively smoothly, and it surely helped that they’d always been a band with a strong melodic stamp and a knack for writing big radio hits. »The Present« was their eleventh studio album and their second with keyboardist Patrick Moraz (ex-Yes, Refugee). On »The Present«, the seasoned prog veterans tried to keep rolling with the winning sound and songwriting formula of their commercially successful predecessor »Long Distance Voyager« (1981), and they shaped the running order accordingly.
The most radio-friendly tracks, written and sung by vocalist/guitarist Justin Hayward, sit at the start of the album, the middle is ruled by the equally commercially minded creations of vocalist/bassist John Lodge, while both of vocalist/flutist Ray Thomas’s contributions don’t turn up until the very end. Together with »Going Nowhere«, credited to drummer Graeme Edge, they’re among the few tracks on the album that recall the classic, symphonic prog rock The Moody Blues in structure and ambience, since »The Present« was almost a complete about-face into melodic rock with the occasional new wave touch.
The album spawned three minor hits, »Blue World«, »Sitting at the Wheel« and »Running Water«, which made the Moodies one of the few outfits from the golden era of progressive rock to keep their popularity going into the eighties, even if not everyone was thrilled with the more commercial, trend-chasing direction. The brilliantly arranged »Blue World«, their last British hit to date, sounds less like one of the most important and best representatives of symphonic prog and more like something from any number of interesting new wave bands of the day. Minimalist synth textures reign between the infectious choruses, weaving a nicely mysterious ambience, while Hayward’s vocals came through the switch to the eighties in great shape. His occasionally slightly ‘whiny’ tone has a certain kinship with Simon Le Bon (Duran Duran), so it’s no surprise the Moodies managed to win over the new ‘MTV’ generation of listeners too.
»Meet Me Halfway« is another distinctly melodic pop number with a new wave arrangement approach, which Moraz clearly loved at the time, while the splendid vocal harmonies do the rest in building a positive vibe. »Sitting At The Wheel«, with bassist Lodge behind the mic, is a pretty generic hybrid of melodic rock and boogie rock. Even though it’s played at a top level and has a catchy chorus, it leaves a fair bit of atmospheric emptiness behind. »Going Nowhere«, written and sung by drummer Edge, has a bit more arrangement sophistication and the classic The Moody Blues stamp. All three main vocalists, Hayward, Lodge and Thomas, helped out with the harmonies. Ironically, it’s one of the best moments on the album, where you can feel the primal soul of this legendary band, and Hayward and Moraz also impress with fine solos on electric guitar and synthesizer respectively.
»Hole In The World« is a solid instrumental that has more in common with new wave than symphonic prog, though Moraz laid down some lovely orchestral textures on the synth. »Under My Feet« is yet another unabashedly commercial melodic/pop rocker with Lodge on lead vocals, nostalgic harmonies and subtle guitar passages. The overall result is an ethereal, lively atmosphere, spiced up further by saxophone arrangements in between and a melancholic closing guitar solo. »It’s Cold Outside of Your Heart« is an extremely predictable, somewhat generic love ballad with an inconsolable Hayward on lead vocals, and it leaves no deeper atmospheric impression. »Running Water«, the third single and minor hit from this album, is another pretty sugary love ballad with an orchestral backdrop, while Hayward, playing the ‘knight of the broken heart’, gets way too predictable.
Luckily, flutist/vocalist Thomas saves the ending of the album. First with the short but fun pastoral overture »I Am«, ruled by his mischievous flute, and then with »Sorry«, one of the rare tracks on the album where the soul of the classic The Moody Blues wakes up again, even if certain sonic bits, especially the vocal harmonies, also nod toward Electric Light Orchestra. Thomas was, ‘rank-wise’, only the third singer in the band, since his voice didn’t fit the music trends of the day all that well. Despite his lesser vocal status, he did his job superbly and, with the help of the harmonies and lively symphonic arrangements, delivered a lovely finish to the album.
The Moody Blues slid completely into pop rock in the early eighties, which suited them down to the ground at the time, even if it cost them a big chunk of their artistic individuality. Listening to »The Present«, you can’t shake the feeling that keeping in touch with whatever was getting airplay in that era had become more important to them than following their ‘own heart’. Of the far more inventive and witty songwriting and arrangement ideas of old, there’s hardly ‘a trace to be found’ on the album, though it’s true that after original keyboardist/vocalist Mike Pinder left in 1978, the Moodies never managed to get back to their former artistic level.
Lineup
Justin Hayward – vocals, guitar
John Lodge – vocals, bass guitar
Ray Thomas – vocals, flute, harmonica
Graeme Edge – drums, vocals
Patrick Moraz – keyboards
GUEST MUSICIAN:
Pip Williams – sequencing
Production
Pip Williams
Tracklist
1. Blue World (5:20)
2. Meet Me Halfway (4:08)
3. Sitting at the Wheel (5:40)
4. Going Nowhere (5:33)
5. Hole in the World (1:54)
6. Under My Feet (4:51)
7. It’s Cold Outside of Your Heart (4:27)
8. Running Water (3:23)
9. I Am (1:40)
10. Sorry (5:02)
