The Gilded Cage on The Bosphorus

On the Threshold of a Dream was the first album that the Moody Blues had a chance to record and prepare in a situation of relative calm, without juggling tour schedules and stealing time in the studio between gigs – indeed, it was a product of what were almost ideal circumstances, though it might not have seemed that way to some observers…

One of those bands where you’re not quite sure why you’ve missed them. The distinctive visual style continues and the foursome of Nick Beggs, Marty Townsend, Frank Van Bogaert and Marcus Weymaere getting a couple of significant helping hands on Black Rain…

Considering how lackluster some of David Byron's early solo work (and final days with Uriah Heep) sounds today, it is not only refreshing, but astonishing, to run head first into On the Rocks and find the old voice box sounding better than it had in years. Packed with some of the most menacing riffs of his career – check out "King" – and a voice that roars on the right side of anger, On the Rocks is the sound of classic Heep, shot through with both the fresh adrenalin of the NWOBHM and an ear for what was going on elsewhere in the world. "Start Believing" layers in Mel Collins' sax to add an almost funky feel to the proceedings, even as "Piece of My Love" echoes on bluesy piano, while "Bad Girl" is simply slinky.

Jericho was a surprise. The reunited Band, minus guitarist Robbie Robertson, created an album that built on their strengths by using carefully selected contemporary songwriters and covers. Although it lacked the resonance of Music From Big Pink or even Stage Fright, the group sounded fresh and it was a better album than most of the Band's solo records. High on the Hog, the second album by the reunited Band, isn't quite as good but it has a number of stellar moments. The key to the album's success isn't the material – they're saddled with a couple of weak songs – but the group's interplay. By now, the musicians have developed a sympathetic interaction that sounds ancient but still living, breathing and vital. It's a joy to hear them play and that's what carries High on the Hog over its rough spots.