Moody Blues keeps an edge

While the legendary band stays true to its roots, members aren't afraid to experiment.

By CHRISTOPHER BLANK

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 9, 2000

CLEARWATER -- The booming voice that introduced the Moody Blues to Ruth Eckerd Hall concert-goers Saturday evening, in the first of two packed shows, called the band the "Kings of Classic Rock." For some reason, the title just doesn't stick.

"Classic" implies that the group isn't creating new music. That concerts are little more than the rehashing of old tunes by even older musicians. But the Moody Blues are as classic as the Rolling Stones or Bruce Springsteen in that they keep producing new material. The last time the Moody Blues came through the area, their latest album Strange Times was hot off the CD burners. Now it's a part of their repertoire. Their new songs feature prominently in concert, and seem to be a logical progression in the evolution of the band.The song English Sunset drew in younger fans with a quasi-techno beat.

As fans know, the Moodies tour in two different packages: There's the one that shows up with a full orchestra, gloriously recreating the sensuous, symphonic sounds of early albums like Days of Future Passed. Then there's the regular ensemble, using a couple of synthesizers to get the same effect. This time around, we saw the regular group, and certainly for those who have witnessed the excitement of the former, it doesn't compare.

Their early material is cherished for the lovely, lavish music. So when mellow-voiced singer and guitarist Justin Hayward beautifully broke into Tuesday Afternoon, Nights in White Satin and Question, it fell to the synthesizers and crafty guitar and bass arrangements to capture the drama. Dual drummers, including Graeme Edge, used their percussion to fill in the cracks, and the crashing cymbals in Isn't Life Strange were fantastically climactic.

The Moodies have more than 30 years of music in their catalog. They got around to performing most of the favorites, which is a diverse mixture. From the experimental edge of their early work, to their traditional pop transformation in the 1980s, the Moodies don't rest on laurels.

At their best, in any style, they cut loose a little and take the audience to a different place. What keeps a band from being "classic" in the sense of redundancy is the willingness to explore, even with old tunes. The Moody Blues is still in the game, and still keeping up.