Hall of Fame

by Bruce Eder This is the second live album by the Moody Blues to appear in just five years, and it is somewhat different from their concert recording with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. The most obvious difference is the presence of songs from the group's 1999 album, which aren't bad; "English Sunset," in particular, holds up extremely well as a decent, rousing rocker with a great beat. The band appears to be putting more into their playing here, with a pounding introduction to "The Story in Your Eyes," which gets a jagged, very edgy performance emphasizing the beat and some heavy guitar sounds over the original's lyricism. The rest is what you've come to expect from the group, polished, competent renditions of some of their bigger hits, with the rhythm section pushed perhaps a little farther forward in the mix than you're used to from the group. The sound is very good, also a major surprise given that Royal Albert Hall, where it was recorded, is notorious as a poor venue for rock concerts.