Justin Hayward & John Lodge - Blue Jays (Reissue) (1975/1987)

The most romantic album to come out of the Moody Blues' orbit, and the biggest success of their five-year hiatus. Hayward has the more distinctive body of songs, but their strength as a unit lies in their vocal pairing, which is as strong here as it ever was with the group. The pair play the guitars and basses, backed by a group that includes members of the Threshold-signed band Providence. Hayward wrote or co-wrote seven of the original album's ten songs, and most of it is fairly impressive as soft romantic rock, although "Nights Winters Years" is a little bit too melodramatic. Lodge has one of the better rockers to come out of the group's orbit, however, in "Saved By the Music," which is also a surprisingly spiritual song. The production by Tony Clarke echoes the best Moody Blues sound. The bonus track, "Blue Guitar," is an added attraction to the CD.