Veteran Rockerby Anonymous
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October 07, 2005:
From one veteran cosmic rocker to all others: I really have not had the pleasure to hear and enjoy anything better than Justin's CD in a long time. Although some are slow, but there are really no bad cuts on this CD. As with other Moody Blues releases the listener must give a chance for the music to "climb into one's ear" and do its magic. Justin Hayward's compositions and arrangements have always been more like a musical jouney where he takes you up to a tense moment and resolves all your problems logically the next. What a joy! So friends and fans! Please lend an ear and enjoy the ride with sufficient (loud) volume, of course.
The View from Hayward's hill remains much the same...by Anonymous
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August 27, 2002:
''The View from the Hill'' could just as well be titled ''The Justin Hayward 50th Birthday Album'', as it's official release date was the day following his 50th birthday (10-14-46). The view from Hayward's hill remains much the same. His themes still span the vocabulary of personal ads, concentrating on love, seashores, mornings, freedom, spring, and belief. Both his voice and sincerity remain remarkably clear after 30 plus years in the music spotlight. This solo effort, perhaps his best to date, brings back a very popular feature of those ''magic 7'' albums from the Moodies of long ago, that being all the songs ''cross fade'' into one another....and it was that clever effect that drew me to their music years ago. The album leads off with the engaging and optimistic ''I Heard It'', and another Moodies-like ''cosmic voyage'' is well underway. The second track ''Broken Dream'', is not for the faint of heart, for while very poignant to the point that the song will probably make you reach for the kleenex to dry your tears the first several times you hear it, the song is incredibly lush and pretty. The third track, ''The Promised Land'', at nearly 7-1/2 minutes is the longest number on the album, is most intriguing song Justin has ever done, with background vocals from a cast of thousands pleading for ''freedom in the new world'', and an incredible instrumental middle lightly laced with African rhythms. ''The Promised Land'' ends with the best cross-fade on the album into ''It's Not Too Late''; as the cross-fade begins, it's sounds as though the musical journey is going to take a dark and dangerous turn, and instantly, as ''It's Not Too Late'' begins, everything is safe and secure again, and hey, everything is going to be okay! Mindblowing to say the least! Another of the album's best cuts is ''The Way of the World'', which comes the closest of any songs on the album to that full, original Moody Blues sound. While the remaining five tracks on the album are perhaps not as strong as the one's previously mentioned, Hayward's soothing vocals and unique guitar sound makes the album delightful for all remotely familiar with his music. For an artist who has reached his 50th birthday with this album, I can hardly wait to see what other ''rabbits'' Hayward can ''pull out of the hat'' in the years to come! For Justin Hayward solo efforts, this one will be difficult to beat!
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