Jays

‘The Last Word’ is the first studio album from the O’Jays in fifteen years and as the name would suggest, it is also their last. The opener ‘I Got You’ is pure, uplifting Philly soul – bubbling percussion a delicate strings give it that classic feel – the brooding ‘Stand Up (Show Love)’ harks back to mid 70s period O’Jays while ‘Enjoy Yourself’ captures the classic era when the City Of Brotherly Love ruled. The stunning crossover vibe of ‘Do You Really Know How I Feel’ has southern touches, the tough street funker ‘Above The Law’ carries a strong message, the bubbling ’68 Summer Nights’ sounds more like a Teddy P era Harold Melvin tune while the pulsating ‘Start Stopping’ could have come straight from a canned late 70s O’Jays session.

None of the albums the O'Jays recorded for Philadelphia International in the 1970s were weak or disappointing, although some were stronger than others. So Full of Love isn't quite essential, and isn't in a class with Back Stabbers, Ship Ahoy or Family Reunion. But the platinum album does have a lot going for it, including the major hit "Use Ta Be My Girl," and the heartfelt ballads "Cry Together" and "Brandy," and the captivating "This Time Baby," which would become a hit for soul/disco diva Jackie Moore in 1979. A funk treasure that should have been a major hit was the intense "Strokety Stroke." Once again, the O'Jays worked with Philly's best – not only Gamble & Huff, but also Thom Bell and Bunny Sigler.

The most romantic album to come out of the Moody Blues' orbit, and the biggest success by any of the members during the group's five-year hiatus, Justin Hayward and John Lodge's Blue Jays actually started life as a busted collaboration between Hayward and Moody Blues keyboardist Mike Pinder, with Tony Clarke producing and John Lodge in a supporting role, until Pinder pulled out. Clarke then salvaged the early work by holding it together as a collaboration between Hayward and Lodge. 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 Providence, who were signed to the Moodies' Threshold Records.

The soundtrack to the Hughes Brothers' tribute to early-'70s blaxploitation gets the sound of the era right, featuring hits by the O'Jays, the Spinners, Isaac Hayes, Al Green, and Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, among others. The inclusion of Danny Elfman's instrumental theme interrupts the flow of the album, but for the most part, Dead Presidents is a first-rate collection of prime soul.

Blue Jays is a 1975 album by Justin Hayward and John Lodge. It was recorded and released during the Moody Blues' five-year hiatus. The track "Blue Guitar", originally released as a non-album single credited to Hayward and Lodge in September 1975 but performed by Hayward with the band 10cc, was added to the album upon its re-release on CD in 1987.