Customer Reviews

Keys of the Kingdom

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I don't understand the lower ratings for this CD from the Moody Blues. It is really good! Justin Hayward's "Say it with Love" & "Bless the Wings" being my personal favorites. John Lodge's beautiful "Lean on Me" is also on this, probably one of his best songs in my opinion. All the fans who are always going on about the "Core 7"....give it a rest! Those first albums were good but so is the bands latter efforts. I can appreciate ALL their music and would love to hear something new!

Looking at the other reviews, it seems that the Moody Blues' 1991 release, "Keys Of The Kingdom," is sorely underappreciated (to say the least). Well, I say too bad for the other reviewers. I've always liked "Keys Of The Kingdom"! Despite the addition of session players and smaller contributions from keyboardist Patrick Moraz (in his final album with the band) and drummer Graeme Edge, "Keys" is an excellent, solid Moody Blues album with many wonderful songs. Highlights: Justin Hayward's "Say It With Love" and "Bless The Wings (That Bring You Back)" are both strong numbers (and the band still play them live to this day), as well as the excellent pop of "Hope And Pray" and the atmospheric "Say What You Mean," John Lodge's breezy "Lean On Me Tonight" and the exuberant pop-rocker "Magic," and Ray Thomas' lovely return to recording with the group (after being absent for two albums) with "Celtic Sonant." Now, if you really, truly believe that "Seventh Sojourn" was the last great Moody Blues album, then you may as well move on. But if you're a diehard Moodies fan who knows better than that, then you will find *plenty* to enjoy on "Keys Of The Kingdom." It's a great, uplifting, feel-good Moody Blues album. So please ignore those silly naysayers and add this fine Moodies disc to your collection.

It's a shame that such a beautiful album would not make it very well. Unfortunately, radio stations seem to have forgotten about the Moody Blues. With a little more air play, I think the Moodies would still be selling more albums. However, their concert scene is awesome. If anyone has never seen the Moodies in concert, try it sometime. Their awesome. As for the tracks on this album, every track is a classic Moodies tune. My personal favorites are Say It With Love, Celtic Sonant, Never Blame The Rainbows For The Rain (which would be an awesome encore), and Say What You Mean. But as I said, every track is a classic. Let's get on the radio stations and demand more Moodies and let's try to get them into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The Moody Blues were certainly inspired to create a pathway to a higher consciousness with Keys of the Kingdom. My brother-in-law gave me this CD after my spouse died and it literally carried me through the lowest spots in the grief cycles. I'm no genius but I would recommend this CD with it's positive messages and vibrant rhythyms to anyone. Bravo Moody Blues!

I was in the middle of a department store shopping, when this song came on and i stopped right there because i immediately knew it was the Moody Blues, but it was a new song! I fell in love with all the songs on the tape. Out of all the MB tapes, Keys/Kingdom turned out to be my favorite!

This was one of the first CD's I purchased way back when. I've always thought it was a great album and I still do. For one who's usually more into upbeat material, I have to admit that the ballads here are at least as good, if not better than the faster tracks. "Bless the Wings (That Bring You Back)" is absolutely one of the most gorgeous love songs I've ever heard. Great chorus sung straight from the heart and some really nice instrumentation that fades out only too soon. From other slow tracks like "Shadows On the Wall" and "Never Blame the Rainbows For the Rain" to the more upbeat numbers like "Say What You Mean" and "Magic", this album is a delight to listen to most of the way through. Don't be too put off by the negative reviews. I know good song-writing when I hear it and this is definitely it. No matter what kind of music the Moodies attempt to write, it will never sound shallow or meaningless. True Moody Blues fans will know what I'm talking about. Recommended.

When this program came out I was looking for anything the Moody Blues might do. Well, not Greatest Hits stuff, but new releases. All through the eighties I enjoyed their shiny packages. Not every song was top of the game, but they were all gems in some way. Always smooth. Always pristine. I waited for Hayward to let it loose on lead--he was thoroughly studio savvy and stayed in the song. Same for this record. Less than top of the top, but I've listened to it so many times I guess I have to give it a five. Long-lived artistry has to mean something. The only things I have to kind of put my brain on hold for are the Thomas offerings. Hayward and Lodge have most of the currency for me. Lots of programming going on underneath it all that slowly seeps forward. Very subtle. Say It With Love, Bless the Wings (That Bring You Back), and Hope and Pray are my choices. Shadows on the Wall, and Is This Heaven also. None of this is the Big Rock, but cranked up it's quite enjoyable. There's too much going on here to dismiss any of it, and as I mentioned, I have a long-term love for much of it. I've played Hope and Pray a thousand times. "And if you were to ask me about the meaning of my life, it kind of lost its meaning on the day you went away."

A joyous collection of songs-of-wisdom from Britains cosmic boys. There is energy to be found here with lovely melodies and uplifting words of life and love. The only grumble here is the dodgy Say What You Mean, but in the days of the skip button, this need not matter.

Nice to see Ray Thomas back with his familiar grandiose quirkiness. What a great tune Celtic Sonant is.

The Moodies used to be criticised of each album sounding the same, but The Other Side... Sur La Mer, Keys... and Strange Times are all quite different musically. The band has matured and they would sound dated and pretentious if they "sounded like their old selves" as many Moody fans would like...

The band have remained true to themselves and to us, their fans, and the promise they made each other years ago has not been broken.

Wonderful stuff.

If you like hayward, the moody's , have excess cash , are nostalgic or out of love buy this. I include this CD in my major nostalgia trips ,listening to the entire Moody's collection. They are magnificent live and have contributed notedly to the music scene and our consciousness. By all means listen to La mer, Octave, the Present , Keys for the high points. Hayward's solos exemplify a very talented and together act.

This isn't the best effort from the Moodies, but it's certainly not the worst either. There are some very good tunes on this set, namely Say It With Love, Hope and Pray, and Lean on Me (Tonight). Diehhard Moody Blues fans will understand the messages the guys are conveying. For the marginal fans, they may be disappointed. I've always felt the Moodies were judged by a higher standard than most bands, but that's also a compliment to their muscianship.