Customer Reviews

Natural Avenue

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I love, love, LOVE John Lodge's "Natural Avenue"! His talent as a songwriter really shines here especially on the title tune, "Summer Breeze", "Rainbow" and "Children Of "Rock 'N' Roll". The additions of "Street Cafe" and "Threw It All Away" are a real thrill.
Mind you, there are those who feel John's voice is not strong enough to carry a solo album. And some feel it is as though he didn't care how the songs turned out. To those people, I say, "Shame on you!" John not only carries this album, he does so quite admirably. "Threw It All Away" definitely shows the range of his vocal ability. As for not caring how the album came out, he cared & still does. The songs are so full of emotion & always touch the heart.
With or without the Moody Blues or Justin Hayward, whom I also greatly admire, John Lodge is a talent who deserves his work to be heard. He is a true natural & a wonderful man. Much success, John. I look forward to your next solo release.

There is not a single bad vibe in this record. Originally recorded in 1977, it is the first solo effort by the bass player of the Moody Blues. He wrote all the 11 songs in the album, the CD includes a bonus track, "Street Cafe", recorded in 1980. John did what he knows best, writing songs with deep meanings and optimistic real life lyrics content, along with the symphonic rock that is typical and impossible to separate from any Moody Blues member opus. I bougth the vinyl in 1978 and the CD in 1993 at the bargain rack, ironically is one of the best albums I own, to me it sounds as new and interesting as in 1978.

As a member of the Moody Blues, John's songs are integral parts of the classic albums, where all band mates shone. However, when the Blues broke up (don't be mislead about the group being on hiatus - there was no such talk of regrouping at the time), their solo efforts, on the whole, fizzled, as if some of their creativity was stripped away or diluted.

John fared second best (musically) of the group during their time apart with this above average album. But, even though I do enjoy each song, I'm left to wonder what these tracks might have been if they'd been produced with the talents of five instead of one. My rating of 4 means I like the album, still listen to it and recommend a purchase.

Oh, you ask who fared best? Ray Thomas, hands down. Why his two solo albums are not available on CD is a horrendous crime.

John Lodge's only solo work (besides "Blue Jays" with Justin Hayward) is a good, smooth, fun album that rocks and soothes all at the same time. The two bonus cuts on this release are long-lost fan favorites that are sure to please the listener and collector. Here, finally, on one disc is everything John ever did solo. A true gem, you'll love it.

Writing this review of 'Natural Avenue' is both easy and difficult for me. It's easy because I love John Lodge's music and want others to know what a great talent this man is. At the same time, it's also difficult because I want to be as objective as possible. That can be almost impossible to achieve when you're a die-hard John Lodge fan, like I am. I will try to side-step my bias and give as honest an assessment as I possibly can.

I recently obtained this CD and I must say John's only (sadly so) solo effort is a terrific piece of work that deserves- and needs- to be heard by a wider audience. While all the songs on Natural Avenue are very good, I will freely admit that there were a couple that didn't really "touch me" as well as the others did. The main reason being that there are two outstanding songs on this CD that are so vastly superior, the other perfectly good songs get lost in their giant shadow. But there were honestly no songs that I like to call "skipper-overs", either. Contrary to what some other reviewers have said, John's light, airy, almost ethereal voice is in fine form and didn't sound like he'd "blown it out" at all- quite the opposite, in fact. I can't see how these nice folks listened to the same album as I did and drew that conclusion. Apparently they totally skipped over selections 9 and 12- the CD's two supreme stand-outs. On several of the songs, John's voice is very strong, clear, and spot-on perfect. John also shows some great vocal range, in utilizing a lower register that I had never heard from him before. I'll admit that on a couple of tunes, John didn't get into nearly enough "falsetto mode" for my taste, as I so love to hear him sing that way. But I can't always expect him to go all Barry Gibb on me, after all. The few seconds John did use it left me desperately wanting to hear more.

'Natural Avenue', the title track, is a great upbeat number. The music, tempo, melody and lyrics are all fine and good, the hard-drivng boom chick a boom sounding very Cash-like. But there is a little something about the song that was lacking for me. At the very end, during the last two chorus parts, John did use his falsetto- albeit very briefly, but it was so faint due to the fade-out that I could barely hear it. Perhaps this is why I responded this way about this tune- my ears feel rather cheated.

'Summer Breeze' is a pretty, airy tune that invokes the spirit and feeling of it's title very well. This is the kind of song that one listens to while lying in a hammock and sipping one of those "little umbrella" drinks on a lazy, warm Summer day. The music is just lovely and John's soft vocals match it perfectly.

'Carry Me' was written for John's son Kristian. It is a beautiful song- without being too syrupy-sweet or overly sentimental. John manages to convey his feelings to his son in such a way that is timeless and ageless and speaks to that relationship at any stage in their lives. This is a song that a man can truly apppreciate, without any of the "chick song" factor.

'Who Could Change' is a well-done love song conjuring up images of a man on his knees, trying so hard to convey the deepest parts of his heart to the woman he loves. John's soft voice and poignant words sound pleading and urgent without being desperate or over-dramatic. Again at the end, Lodgey teases/tortures me with a tiny bit of that fab falsetto.

'Broken Dreams, Hard Road' is one that "lacked a little something" for me, but again, it's not one to turn off either. The song sounded off-balance somehow with the dramatic tempo change- that's the best way I can describe it. The orchestral arrangement and lyrics are fantastic, and John sounds great vocally. Perhaps a different melody change-up would have made all the difference.

'Piece of my Heart' will not rank very high on the rather large list of my favorite songs of John Lodge. It is my least favorite on the CD but it's not so bad that I can't listen to it. I am a bit confused about the nature of the breakup/relationship in the song and it threw the whole thing off-kilter for me. The music and John's vocals sound fine but the lyrics left me puzzling over the possible existence of a love child.

In 'Rainbow' John sometimes walks a very fine line between being lovingly sentimental or downright mushy, something his Moody mate Justin Hayward has been often accused of as well. John manages to pull it off on the side of good taste with lyrics like these: "Make my life the morning, A promise for today. Break my heart or let me in, But do it, right away."
A really good song.

'Children of Rock 'n' Roll' is flavored heavily with the influences of some of John's childhood rock heroes. I wouldn't have been surprised at all to hear Buddy Holly's voice coming from my speakers. I have to confess that this song let me down- but only just a wee, tiny bit. I was so hoping John would rock me hard on this number. He almost gives me all I want- but not quite. I suppose I am just too spoiled by his earlier, classic rockers "See- Saw" and "Singer". Still I thoroughly enjoy this one.

John redeems himself oh so well with "Street Cafe", a rockingly fun and catchy tune. I love the hard-driving tempo of the great sounding music and the almost playful, coy way John sings it. This one frankly just makes me feel good, and Johnny Rocker gave it to me really good this go-round.

'Threw it all Away' is the last song on the CD but is being reviewed out of order on purpose. This beauty would be my absolute, hands-down favorite song from this album if not for the presence of the very last song in my review. It would also be my new favorite ballad of Lodge's as well, outranking 'Lean on Me' quite easily. Darn it, that's a shame because this song is truly a stunner. When I first heard John's low, almost growling voice, I was quite taken aback, but in a good way. I had no idea the man's vocal cords could produce sounds like this. WOW! is all I could say at the songs opening. (Why John doesn't sing like this more often is a huge puzzle to me- his lower vocal range sounds sooo very good!) The lyrics, musicianship and melody are truly stellar as well. The backing singers are also fantastic. Note to Moodies: find these talented women STAT and hire them ASAP for your tours. And John, add this one to the set list- please! 'TIAA' is John Lodge in a way I have never heard him before and he is just amazing.

I am being very literal here when I say that I had to save the best for last. "Say you Love Me" is the CROWN JEWEL of this CD, and quite possibly his best ballad. This gem blew me away upon the first hearing and I love it more with each new listen. I can listen to it repeatedly and never tire of it. This is possibly the best thing John has penned or sung in the last 30 years. My gosh, what an incredible piece of work this song is and it alone is well worth the price of the whole CD. If I let it, 'SYLM' is well on it's way to becoming my all-time John Lodge composition- and that's saying a whole heck of a lot! This song is quite simply extraordinary on all levels. The lyrics, melody and music are all superb. The heavy orcehestration mates so well with John's vocal performance without being overwhelming at all. John's poignantly beautiful words and the incredible way he sings them touch me like no song has in a very, very long time. No, John didn't use falsetto- nor did he need to; the song is just perfect without it. His voice is at times so achingly raw and bare, and the beautiful music makes you feel this song deeply, to the bone. John REALLY needs to sing this one in concert. I could go on and on ad infinitum about this gorgeous song. Way to go John- tres magnifique!

I am so very glad I bought 'Natural Avenue' and didn't listen to all the negative reviews. Otherwise, I would have missed out on a beautiful piece of artwork from John Lodge, and that would be a huge loss to my spirit and soul. I sincerely hope this review will prompt someone to get 'Natural Avenue' and discover this often over-looked(and under-appreciated) member of The Moody Blues. John Charles Lodge is such a multi-talented singer, songwriter, and musician; he's not "just a bass player". Let your lives be enriched by his beautiful words and music. It would be a shame if you didn't.

Perhaps the biggest problem with Natural Avenue is that it doesn't sound very natural. After four decades in one of rock's most successful bands, John Lodge without Justin Hayward sounds somehow incomplete. That's unfortunate, because there are four very palatable songs on this album; Natural Avenue, Summer Breeze, Carry Me (probably the highlight), and Street Cafe.

John's solo effort shows that he is definitely the rocker of the Moody Blues, even though their influence is apparent in several of the cuts.

To really enjoy Natural Avenue, the listener must eliminate any preconceptions or expectations. It's not the Moody Blues, it's not the Blue Jays and, if you give it half a chance, it's not half bad.

John Lodge's Natural Avenue was quite "natuarally" beautiful. Of course! I expected that from John. After listening to the Moodies and being a fan for years, I have come to know that John's music comes straight from his heart with lyrics that can make you cry and is deep and emotional. This CD is unbelievable. The songs are just beautiful. The title song ("Natural Avenue"), I think, is good - but is my least fav. I LOVE every other track on the CD. Every last one of them. I always find myself close to tears by the time it's over. This CD deserves 5 stars, and I highly recommend it to anyone who asks.

John Lodge's "Natural Avenue" is really a masterpiece adn filled with emotional, poetic words and terrific harmonies. It's orchestrated in a beautiful way and contains some of the Moodies absolute best songs ever. To me it's among the Moodie's 2-3 best album and John is truly underestimated as a composer and as a singer. I rate this album as no more than a masterpiece. "Carry me" and "Rainbow" is two of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. I truly recommend this CD.

Ulf Gisslen, Sweden

Really fine work by a man who's written some of the great Moody Blues songs: "I'm Just A Singer (in a rock and roll band)", "Isn't Life Strange", "Ride My See-Saw" and many others.

Not a bad song on this disc, which any fan of the Moody Blues will appreciate.

Although the CD may have been issued in 1997 I have the original Lp issued in 1977. The cover art is by none other than Roger Dean. I think your run of the mill Moody Blues fan would not care for this but a true Moodies fan would. I like a couple of the cuts but the rest are ok. I'm not a song writer nor a professional musician so I believe anyone who can write and make a record happen, hey, hats off!! I believe that the Moodies as a team have the magic that has given them the staying power after all these years. I think this album was an expression of Mr. Lodge going into the studio and laying down some tunes he wanted to do. His best efforts are clearly with his companions that make up the Moody Blues. I wish I had friends like that.........