I stayed a devoted band fan up to the hiatus following "Seventh Sojourn" and though appreciating some of the ensuing solo efforts never got back to the band after that. Didn't care much at first when "Octave" and this showed up and never gave them a chance. Yet listening now thirtyeight years later it's actually good and not far from what they did in their heydays. I do miss Michael Pinder. He'd left after "Octave" and was replaced by former Yes keybordist Patrick Moraz. I really liked his groovy and sometimes mystic contributions to the band's previous LP:s, but Moraz does good too and the others are still there so this works for me even so. It's a bosom blend of cuts conveyed in an intimate atmosphere with familiar vocals and recognizable instrumental licks. As on many of their previous albums starting with a catchy up-tempo number - here "The Voice" - and then continuing with slow and fast by turn, all self-penned and expectably emotional. I hear a couple of inputs breaking the previous pattern, like the harmonica and for them unusually outbursting vocals in "Veteran Cosimic Rocker"...and the guitars on some numbers are a little heftier than before. So to my ears this sounds a lot like good old Moodies but with enough new zest to make it more than just a structural duplicate. Favorite tracks - "The Voice", "22.000 Days" and "Be My World". Issued and reissued on vinyl and CD all over the world through the years, also cassette and 8-track. Premiere UK on Threshold (TXS 139), US on Threshold (TRL-1-2901). Japan 2008 CD (Threshold UICY 93720), limited ed. in paper sleeve, came with "The Voice" single edit as bonus track. First German had label as shown here and laminated fold/out cover. (GÖXÄ*) (DÄRR*) (MBÅL*)
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