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Customer Reviews of The Other Side of Life

They Just Don't Care
"Other Side Of Life" is from the late 80s and features Hayward and Lodge just going through the motions. I'm not sure if the other guys even bothered to show up for this one. There is only one tune that is not Hayward and/or Lodge: the only known Moraz writing credit with the band on a Graeme Edge song that is not too bad, considering. The high point is definitely the popular single "Wildest Dreams", which features the Moodies' signature choral harmonies, lilting melodies, acoustic guitars and Justin Hayward's keening tenor. This songs deserves all the plaudits it receives. It all goes downhill atfter that, though. The album, I would say, is "not half bad" - maybe half the songs are good. Not great, but good. One that's not good is "Rock & Roll Over You" by John Lodge. Even the title is bad! I remember hearing it once on the radio when it came out and also in the background during Bill Jackman's favorite Stallone arm-wrestling pic "Over The Top"! There's another bad song called "I Just Don't Care". That about sums up that band's (and my) fellings about this little platter.

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Great Concept
This album is exellent and receives 5 stars because of the album's concept. I believe that the Moody Blues are the only band on this earth that can create an album with such a concept and get away with it. "The Other Side of Life" has a 'driving beat' but does have more effect on the Red Rocks CD. "Your Wildest Dreams" has great vocal work. "Rock & Roll Over You" is one John's best rock songs for the age in which it was directed. Although "Talkin' Talkin'," "I Just Don't Care," and "The Spirit" keep the album somewhat alive, they just don't have the effect like previous works. The albums OCTAVE and THE PRESENT are predicessors to this concept, and kind of LONG DISTANCE. But THE OTHER SIDE OF LIFE is a true gem, showing the groups ability to reach out to generations and capture original magic that would leave our world empty. The reviewer before was correct, without this album the Moodies would be left behind in traffic on the road of music. By the way, "It May Be A Fire" and "Running Out Of Love" are pretty good. Have a blast listening to this one. Open your mind and enter The Other Side of Life, tonight!

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Moodies Make Good in the 80's.
I can't count all the times I've heard or read somebody whining that the Moody Blues sold out to the corporate powers that be. Well, as somebody who's been exposed to their music since I was a little girl and am now approaching my midlife years, I can give you my interpretation of the band. Yes, I love the classics, though some of them leave a bit to be desired and are just a bit too bizarre for my taste. Can anyone say they liked "Steppin' in a Slide Zone" without coming off as a huge, pretentious liar? Maybe I'm also too young to appreciate "Dear Diary" or "I'm Just a Singer in a Rock 'n' Roll Band," but I also have to laugh at older people who whine that the Moodies sold their souls to the charts when they stopped being hippies and went to work for multi-million dollar corporations. The band did what everyone else did; they rolled with the changes in order to survive.
Now, if you listen to 1987's The Other Side of Life, yes, you get the polished hooky synth tunes you heard on the radio at the time like "Your Wildest Dreams," but this Moodies album also contains remnants of their old 60's and 70's glory, only more polished. You get great rockers like "Talkin' Talkin'" and "The Spirit," which remind me somewhat of old songs like "The Story in Your Eyes," sweet and very British pop songs like "I Just Don't Care" and "It May Be a Fire," and excellent, slick, sendoffs of late 50's influenced toe tappers like "Running Out of Love" and "Slings and Arrows." The title track is eery, otherworldly fun, and Justin Hayward's voice is always a calm, smooth pleasure to hear. The only song I don't like is "Rock and Roll Over You," which sounds like it got rolled over one too many times. The only thing TOSL really suffers from is overproduction and maybe a bit too much of Patrick Moraz and his overindulgent keyboards. Other than that, quit complaining! This is a great album, and the band still has their reserved dignity fully intact.