Track Listing

1. This Morning
2. Remember Me (My Friend)
3. My Brother
4. You
5. Nights Winters Years
6. Saved By The Music
7. I Dreamed Last Night
8. Who Are You Now
9. Maybe
10. When You Wake Up
11. Blue Guitar

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5809 in Music
• Released on: 2004-05-10
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .23 pounds
• Running time: 51 minutes

Customer Reviews

A timeless classic...
This CD is a remastering of the version issued in 1989 with the same track listing as here. The main protagonists of Justin Hayward and John Lodge were the first of the group to release an album following the Moody Blues' hiatus between 'Seventh Sojourn' and 'Octave' (the origin of the 'Blue Jays' title is hazy but there is the romantic notion that it was based on their membership of the group and that they shared the same first initials).
Every single track on the album is melodic, moody and mellifluous without being bombastic or saccharine. There is something different about each song but each has well-constructed melodies and simple harmonies with interesting choices of backing instruments (pipe organ and trumpets on 'Maybe' to a simple string quartet on 'Who Are You Now?' to the rocking guitar and piano on 'Saved by the Music') provided principally by Hayward and Lodge and ably assisted by members of groups signed to the Moodies' own Threshold label - Trapeze and Providence. With the Moodies' long-time producer, Tony Clarke, at the mixing desk, it is hardly surprising that this sounds like a Moody Blues album, although it is actually quite different in many respects.
The final track ('Blue Guitar') was a 1975 Top Ten single recorded at the Strawberry Studios (owned by Eric Stewart of 10cc) by Justin Hayward. Although Lodge doesn't play or sing on it, it was added to the canon under the Blue Jays project to capitalize on the album's success. It showcases Hayward's prowess as a guitarist and he emotes precisely the song's title on the instrument. Produced by Clarke and 10cc, it had 'When You Wake Up' as the B-side and stormed the charts.
Following this album, both Hayward and Lodge recorded solo albums ('Songwriter' and 'Natural Avenue' respectively) before reforming the Moody Blues for Octave. Since that time, there have been many songwriting collaborations between the two (e.g. 'Gemini Dream' on 'Long Distance Voyager'), which provide echoes of what they achieved here. A fantastic album that one never tires of listening too - several times in one sitting!

A Perfect Duo Recording!
Released between "Seventh Sojourn" and "Octave", Hayward and Lodge composed an album as worthy as any Moody Blues collaboration. Each song takes the Moody Blues atmosphere and elaborates on it. The natural strings are abundant and are well used as backgrounds and accents.

Opening with the wistful "This Morning", each songs glides into the next almost seemlessly; like a concept album. Only "Saved By The Music" is a tad jarring, but this is immediately replaced with arguably the most beautiful Hayward/Lodge song ever written, "I Dreamed Last Night". It is a masterpiece. "Maybe" was a FM staple that year of 1975 and it is a triumphant celebration filled with horns, cellos and strings. It reminds one of "Question" in it's structure more than it's sound.

The last song on the album, "Blue Guitar" is actually a bluesy number by Hayward that was added when this set was released on CD. It's a good finish to a moody and beautifully crafted album.

Incredible
The previous reviews have pretty much said it already, but I just wanted to add my appreciation here of a truly great album. The Moodies were good, if sometimes a little inconsistent, but Blue Jays surpasses all that, giving a fuller, richer sound with better crafted songs.I hadn't listened to this album for a while and when I put it on again recently, I was blown away by the sheer quality of it. I found myself shaking my head in virtual disbelief and smiling as I drove along listening to it. It did reasonably well on it's original release but it deserved to do much better and seems to have become somewhat forgotten about now which is a shame.