The Other Side of the Moments

by John BushThe Other Side of the Moments displays the New Jersey soul trio as a supper-club act, just as a few top soul acts (the Four Tops, the Impressions, the Supremes) had flirted with during the '60s. Why the Moments were attempting to court a more traditional audience during the early '70s is a mystery. The trio doesn't have much trouble with the material, but the arrangements and recording are period curiosities; a nimble electric bass attempts to update the trad strings, but fails every time. The quick pace and intimate delivery for "In the Still of the Night" make for an album highlight, but the group's performances of "What's New?" and "Angel Eyes" sound overripe and tossed-off. This "other side" of the Moments certainly wasn't fooling any Nat King Cole fans out there, and unsurprisingly bombed with soul audiences too, making it one of the group's most uninspired works.