Moody Blues Keys Of The Kingdom CD

Released a decade after the Moodies' comeback album LONG DISTANCE VOYAGER, KEYS hammered home the point that the world's oldest art-rock band had no plans to fade away. While VOYAGER added a light '80s production sheen to the group's trademark sound, KEYS finds the group leaping whole-heartedly into state-of-the-art arrangements replete with electronic-sounding percussion, sequencers, and cavernous reverb. "Say What you Mean" even ventures into dance music. This being a Moody Blues album, there are respites like the acoustic-based ballad "Is This Heaven," but the bulk of KEYS is given over to radio-ready power ballads. It's important to remember, though, that these are the guys who invented the power ballad, so they've earned the right to coast on the format for a few songs.

Recorded at Olympic Studios, R.G. Jones Studios and The Hit Factory in London, England.

Producers: Christopher Neil, Alan Tarney, Tony Visconti.

Engineers: Tony Visconti, Pete Jones, Gerry Kitchingham.

The Moody Blues: Ray Thomas (vocals, tambourine); Justin Hayward (vocals, guitar); John Lodge (vocals, bass); Graeme Edge (drums).

Additional personnel: Jamie Talbot (alto saxophone); Nigel Hitchcock (tenor saxophone); Guy Barker (trumpet); Peter Beachill (trombone); Patrick Moraz (keyboards); Amy Duncan (drums); Bias Boshell, Paul Bliss (programming); Stephen Mear (tap dance sequence); Pro Arte Orchestra Of London.