Artist: Justin Hayward
Album: All The Way
Label: Eagle Records
Release Date: 10/14/2016
Although his solo output is lesser known than his work with the Moody Blues, Justin Hayward’s own efforts have continued to make a prominent impression over the past 40 years, allowing him—at least temporarily—to thrive beyond the boundary of his day job. It’s significant then that All The Way ties together the various strands of his personal trajectory, resulting in an album that’s reliably rich in content.
While there are several songs that are understandably less known, a great number of them are. Redos of “Nights in White Satin” and “The Story in Your Eyes” are as inevitable as they are obvious, but likewise, the listener will find some all-but-forgotten gems as well, among them the lovely “Blue Guitar,” culled from his partnership with bassist John Lodge in the Bluejays, and his epic “Forever Autumn,” his first real individual entry, initially included on the War of the Worlds soundtrack. Likewise, there are numerous other entries that are equally enticing: a cover of Don McLean’s “Vincent,” the pretty, pastoral “Western Sky” and a new track, exquisite as always, entitled “The Wind of Heaven.”
The liner notes accompanying this 15 song set gives the novice a fine overview, and the photos of a remarkably young Justin provide a fair reminder of the lengthy history his career’s entailed. A recent DVD, Live in Concert at the Capitol Theatre might also be considered a must-have, especially for those whose appetite for Hayward’s harmonious sound is understandably insatiable.
—Lee Zimmerman
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