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Strange Times | 
| Artist: The Moody Blues
Label: Universal / Island
Category: Music
List Price: £5.99
Buy New: £3.98
You Save: £2.01 (34%)
New (47) Used (14) from £3.11
Rating:  14 reviews
Sales Rank: 12370
Media: Audio CD
Running Time: 58
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 53565
UPC: 601215356526
EAN: 0601215356526
ASIN: B00000JSBD
Release Date: September 13, 1999
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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| Tracks:
| • | English Sunset | | • | Haunted | | • | Sooner Or Later (Walkin On Air) | | • | Wherever You Are | | • | Foolish Love | | • | Love Don't Come Easy | | • | All That Is Real Is You | | • | Strange Times | | • | Words You Say | | • | My Little Lovely | | • | Forever Now | | • | The One | | • | The Swallow | | • | Nothing Changes |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.co.uk Review
It figures that the Moody Blues' dignified brand of pop rock would age well. The group's second studio album of the 1990s--its first in eight years--reveals a veteran foursome still capable of delivering sophisticated goods in a satisfying manner. The 57-minute package, the first self-produced recording the group has released since this current line-up formed in the mid-60s, takes a yearning, cautiously optimistic view of our modern state of being and adorns it with a pleasant sheen of mature energy. The sound ranges from politely symphonic to playfully Beatles-esque. Strange Times, in fact, offers a few nods to the Moody Blues' storied history, even including a spoken-word coda by Graham Edge à la Days of Future Past. (The poetic content is a bit baffling, though.) Justin Hayward is in fine voice, and the album's up-tempo pieces ("Foolish Love," "The One," "English Sunset") rate as highlights Though a touch too sweet in places, Strange Times is an engaging listen for long-time fans. --Terry Wood
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| Customer Reviews: Read 9 more reviews...
 Totally Disposable August 13, 2008
Looking back to the late seventies as a teenager, when NIGHTS IN WHITE SATIN reached the charts for the third time, I tought - God what a glorious and breathtaking song! From then on I was a MOODY BLUES fan.
However, after an eight year break in the nineties, during which the accumulation of the juices of creativity, should have culminated in an outstanding record, they presented us with an album entitled: STRANGE TIMES, wrapped up with yet another compilation. I listened to this collection of songs with indescribable and almost unbearable musical agony. I could hardly believe my ears. This is by far their worst offering and extremely poor by MOODY BLUES standards. From the triviality of the title down to the pedestrian artwork, nothing on this record rises above mediocrity. The cosmic sound and trademark vocal harmonies are non-existent, the lyrics predictable and pathetic in the worst possible way, as the two lazy contributions by GRAEME EDGE( nothing changes) and RAY THOMAS(my little lovely) show. The instrumentation is poor beyond belief, where PATRICK MORAZ'S magic fingers are sorely missed and find no match in the current talentless keyboard player, who gives a new meaning to his art and dimention to the overall sound, by being barely audible. The fact that this record has been produced in Italy, reinforces my belief that the MOODIES did their best to make a cheap record while trying their hands at production which clearly is not one of their strengths, rather than willing to pay for a competent producer(PIP WILLIAMS, TONY VISCONTY). As a result, this sounds like a record made by part-timers in someone's backyard DIY studio.
Indeed it is hard to believe that the band who gave us so many memorable songs and soaring melodies of timeless appeal, would come up with such earsore. Needless to say that there is no room for this sub-standard CD in my comprehensive MOODY BLUES record collection, which I proudly own.
Unlike classical music, where a great number of composers created their best work in their twilight years (BEETHOVEN, HAENDL, VIVALDI) and the process of composition is governed by strict rules of scientific nature, where rigorousness is paramount, popular or rock music (if you like) is the opposite - songwriting is a much less rigorous process and inspiration tends to dwindle as time goes by, making it a hit or miss affair.
This latest work by THE MOODY BLUES, is unequivocal evidence of an uninspired downward spiral towards oblivion.
I will take a trip down memory lane and seek refuge in their glorious days.
BY INSPIRATION THAT IN TIME WON'T FADE
TIMELESS RECORDS WILL FOREVER BE MADE
YET ON THOSE UPON WHICH ART DIDN'T CAST ITS LIGHT
SOME MAY FIND BEAUTY, BUT WE DECIDE WHICH IS RIGHT
Jose Luis Ribeiro
London
 Soaring July 6, 2008
It is a given that the Moodies came back after the hiatus of the seventies with Long Distance Voyager. It seems now that this album is something of a return from the wilderness also. Whilst eighties albums such as the Present were not at all bad this lovely collection of classic Moody Blues knocks all releases since Voyager into a cocked hat.
Some weak moments. The Ray Thomas track is somewhat saccharin to modern ears and the Grame Edge poem is sort of out of place... Tracks such as the rocky English Sunset, The Haunted and Swallow are lovely, melodic songs with just the right amount of Moodies lushness. Hayward and Lodge have matured like fine wine giving this somewhat jaded ear a refreshing pick me up.
 Very pleasant but unremarkable ....but an extra star for old times sake June 29, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
For this long time Moody Blues fan the band were never quite the same after the departure of Mike Pinder , though the albums immediately following that all had moments to cherish, indeed "Long Distance Voyager" was arguably superior to Pinders last "Octave" . After "The Present" I rather lost touch with the band though a mate in a rare moment of generosity lent me a copy of "Sur La Mer" which was as dreadful as the title suggested and confirmed that I had indeed been right to abdicate my loyalty to the band . However reading the other reviews on Amazon , and taking into account the bargain price I decided to investigate their 1999 album Strange Times . And now I am torn , For while Strange Times has it moments and it was great to hear new material by the band I couldn't help feeling it was all a little too bland.
Self produced Strange Times is a polished collection of pop/soft rock hybrids with some draped orchestration and keyboards courtesy of Danilo Madonia. Most of the tracks are written by either Justin Hayward or John Lodge -three tracks are co-written but there are one each for Ray Thomas-the pretty but slightly odd and mawkish little ditty for his grandson "My Little Lovely - and Graeme Edge . Edge gives us one of his would be profound poems that harks back to the bands past while welcoming the new millennium . For some reason it's actually one of my favourite things off the album .....nostalgia I suppose.
The majority of the album drifts by very nicely indeed but isn't especially memorable . It's all consummately glossy and proficient but it lacks dynamic range. There are no lightning bolt solo's by Justin Hayward -the sort of thing that made albums like "Every Good Boy Deserves Favour" so compelling and John Lodge seems to have given up his rock and roll rouser persona . Hayward is still a great singer though but even he struggles with the higher range needed for the title track one of the better tracks on the album by the way.
If I sound a bit downbeat about this album then apologies are forthcoming,. I enjoyed listening to it in a comforting soporific kind of way but after listening to recently new albums by Fleet Foxes, The War On Drugs and Spiritualized -all sonically compelling and challenging this is rather staid mature fare. Nothing wrong with that however . After all is there anything more snugly agreeable than the pillow like strings on "Words You Say" or the glistening chords of "English Sunset".? No there isn't and for that reason despite the fact that this is really only a three star album it's getting an extra star for old times sake. I'm good like that me...lets just say that I owe the band for all the good times( and stange times) they've given me,. It's not much but it,s the best I can do.
Days of Future Moodies February 26, 2007
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
For those of you who lost sight of the Moodies in the late 80s or early 90s and gave them up as merely a touring band,"Strange times" is an excellent way to be reintroduced to the melodic masters of five decades.Their best album since "Long Distance Voyager", "ST" has all the hallmarks of a classic Moodies album.
Justin Haywards songwriting and vocals have lost nothing over the years-those who heard him in 2006 on The Moodies or War of the Worlds tours will testify to that-and he is in standout form here.From the punchy techno beat of "English Sunset" to the exquisite beauty of "The Swallow" Justin delivers the class and style that mark him out as one of the great English songwriters,singers and guitarists of the past 50 years-he is that good!
The Hayward/Lodge collaborations on the title track( overlooked single material) and the quirky "The One" also pack a punch as does the uplifting"Sooner or Later".Graeme Edges "Nothing Changes" has the hallmark Moodies poetry meets Classic Rock sound and it is only on Lodges four slower numbers that things drag a little(although there are some nice touches and strong melodies here too).Time also for Ray Thomas to sign off his Moodies recording career with the charming "My Little Lovely".
Since this album the Moodies have continued into the new decade with a soundtrack("Journey into Amazing Caves" 2001),their first holiday themed album("December" 2003) and two excellent live outings("Hall of Fame"2000 and "Lovely to See You" 2006).Critics have been writing The Moodies off since 1968 and with a new album in the works,further SACD releases imminent,BBC sessions and an Isle of wight concert CD/DVD all due this year its fair to say that our beloved Band are still ,thankfully,searching for that lost chord and will outlast their detractors.
Strange and moody and ultimately simple.. June 4, 2004
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
The Moody Blues bounced back with this very pleasant album in 1999 and went on tour to promote it. Some excellent tracks herein such as the opener 'English Sunset', 'Words you say' and 'Strange times', the title track. Ray Thomas even gets a short nursery rhyme style track 'My little lovely' - shame it's so short. The albums piece de resistance for me is the final track. Written by Edge, it's a fantastic spoken vocal telling of being here, now and forever and nothing changes..and then in comes the vocals from Justin and the final 'sting' is that "life is just a simple game"...which of course was a Moody Blues penned hit for the Four Tops in the early 70s. A lovely touch and food for thought...life is just a simple game...well I guess it is. Enjoy the record, it's not the best thing ever recorded but it is well worth the price.
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