*. Justin Hayward .*

Album: Spirits of the Western Sky (2013)
Genre: Soft Prog Rock (Acoustic Folk/Pop)  /  UK

Legendary Moody Blues singer and guitarist Justin Hayward will release a new solo album titled Spirits of the Western Sky on February 26 via Eagle Rock Entertainment. It is his first solo album since The View From the Hill in 1996. Hayward's 40-year career with the Moody Blues includes penning and singing such all-time classics as “Nights In White Satin,” “Tuesday Afternoon,” “Question,” “The Voice,” “Your Wildest Dreams,” and “I Know You’re Out There Somewhere.” He recorded his new album in Genoa, Italy and Nashville, Tennessee, creating a mix of songs that emphasize his traditional strengths like “One Day, Someday,” “On The Road To Love,” and the album opener “In Your Blue Eyes" with three tracks that explore country and bluegrass influences - “What You Resist Persists,” “Broken Dream,” and “It’s Cold Outside of Your Heart.” Academy Award-winning composer Anne Dudley provided orchestrations. “Anne [Dudley] is one of the true greats,” Hayward says in a press release, “in the same rarefied class of orchestrators as Peter Knight, who was such an inspiration in my early Moody Blues days. I’ve worked with Anne on different projects over the years and it’s always a joy . . .when she is arranging, all the studio musicians know it’s going to be wonderful." Hayward also worked with Kenny Loggins on a track titled 'On the Road to Love,' which they wrote after a chance meeting. "He and I were both on the road and staying in the same hotel," Hayward recounts. "We had a great day playing guitar together and we came up with ‘On The Road To Love’. Kenny plays and sings on the track with me." The result is one that Hayward feels represents an artistic peak for him. "This album is a labor of love. It’s been my whole life for the last few years," he states. "I know we all have many choices nowadays and I thank everyone who gives my album a listen and brings these songs into their collection. Every track is truly from my heart." Review by "Sterling Whitaker" (www.examiner.com).

RATING:  7.75 / 10

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