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 - Truly ForgettableWhenever most audiophiles refer to Moby's crowning career achievement, most will mention his 1999 breakout album, Play. The creativity and originality of Play was a shining moment in the electronica genre, but unfortunately, Moby's creative light has fizzled in his latest offering, Last Night. With his last album (Hotel) being less than stellar, Moby fans were forced to wait three years to see if he could musically reconcile with his loyal following. However, much to the chagrin of this reviewer, Last Night was a deplorable effort from an artist who was once electronica royalty. When a musician feels inclined to explicitly describe the concept of an album instead of letting the music speak for itself, something is amiss. In the album's liner notes, Moby states, "It's me trying to take 25 years of going out in NYC and condensing it into a 65-minute record. It's also trying to condense an eight-hour night into just over an hour of music." Although many of Moby's listeners haven't experienced a true "clubber's night" out in New York City during it's heyday, Last Night takes you on a flashback through the DJ's hazed eyes. This album showcases Moby's keen production prowess, though at most times it seems to be brutally uninspired. A "clubber's night" parallels the plot structure followed in a screenplay or a novel. As the exposition of the album unfolds, Moby paints a musical picture of the anticipated good night out in "Ooh Yeah." Starting with a chilled out track to signal the quiet before the storm is an accurate depiction of the beginning of a stereotypical clubgoer's night out. Nevertheless, if Last Night is a purported concept album of a condensed "eight-hour night," Moby must not have had a very thrilling 25 years out in the NYC scene. Intermittently, there are flashes of classic Moby energy. Grandmaster Caz, responsible for co-writing one of rap's all-time anthems, Rapper's Delight, was recruited to deliver a few bars over a Latin vibe during "I Love to Move In Here," where he repeats that "old school's takin' you back." This is another instance where Moby feels inclined to unambiguously tell the listeners the direction which the album is headed, certainly not a positive quality in writing or music. During the rising action of Last Night, "Alice" is a rare flash of brilliance on an otherwise lackluster album. Grabbing a strong energy from 419 Squad's hip hop vocal delivery, the album catches a bit of groove until the pills kick in during the next track. "Hyenas" is sexy, dreamy track which creates an ecstasy-fueled alternate state of consciousness with French vocals. As the album reaches the climax of it's "roll," Moby pumps out some tracks which are obvious nods to 90's rave culture. "I'm in Love" sounds as if it was pulled off of a Paul Oakenfold album. Ironically, both artists have strayed to a more apathetic mode of production as they have gotten older. "Disco Lies" comes off as a flamboyantly gay club anthem... Not that there's anything wrong with that. With the falling action taking place during "Degenerates," Last Night has a very abrupt change in pace. If by this time, the album hasn't degenerated enough to lull you to sleep, this song will do the trick. During the album's denouement, Moby kicks into serious late night NYC chillout afterparty mode as the pills start to wear off and the night's energy comes to an end. It seems unusual that Moby dedicates such a large portion of the album to the final moments of the night, as nearly a quarter of the album slips into a musical coma. Closing out the album with the title track, the diva swoons, "If this be my last night on Earth, let me remember this for all that it's worth." If this is Moby's last album on Earth, hopefully he will not be remembered by it's disheartening worth, for Last Night is truly forgettable. Rating:  - Soulful dervishI got Moby for the radio-like electronic sounding grooves - and yeah I got 'em on this album. The media of CD is just fine.I don't think I will get it on vinyl to be a superfreak for the real thang 'cause this unreal sounding funkedelic CD does it for me. There are some Donna Summer-ish artists hollering[just like Donna would]on this CD -- so just when you think, as the song begins if all Moby offers is these divas holler something soulful over and over in your hear about you leaving her and not loving and she being in love so crazy it doesn't make any sense ... the violin comes in. And that is what is so satisfactory about this album is that the old school joints gonna come back to haunt ya but then he throws in some refined,operatic means of letting your emotions loose - not necessarily in the soulful way that the album predominently is -- the vegan dj defies and imrpovises. Listen to it in the car as you drive in your cruel concrete jungle who you live and love. She breaks your bones but you keep driving and giving her the bad air she needs back to keep her swaying palm trees surreal. Or take a shower and gyrate-dry to the hip dancy beat. Rating:  - Moby - Last Night 7/10Strict vegetarian and eternally bald hipster Moby returns to his platinum-selling roots on Last Night, turning toward a more electronica/dance style that characterized his hit club record Play way back in 1999. Moby has stated in interviews that this decision came about as a result of his return to DJing in the New York club scene, and Last Night definitely is a DJ's dream. Beginning with the catchy "Oh Yeah" and continuing nearly unabated to the album's closer, the epic "Last Night," the record chronicles an all-night romp through New York's clubs, anchored by Moby's diverse, eclectic range of beats and his obscure list of guest artists, from Nigerian MCs to "Rapper's Delight" lyricist Grandmaster Caz. Strong points include the 80s-tastic "Disco Lies" and the Nintendo-mimicking sounds of "257.zero," but the record bogs down a little with the slow jam "Degenerates," and the second half of the record overall takes the energy level down a notch. Last Night's potential for dusk to dawn bootyshaking, however, remains much higher than most of Moby's contemporaries. Rating: - This isn't even a Moby albumWhen Moby first started out, he was a talented techno-induced DJ. Although I don't really care for techno, his early music is still quite unique from other techno 'artists'. But this isn't techno, not going back to early Moby, as some think of it. This album is lost in the expansive catalogue of songs and ideas Moby has created in a relatively short period of time. It's uninspiring, dancey pop music that mimics older pop styles (basically you're listening to 30-40 years of dancey pop music thrown together). And the worst part about this album is hearing Moby's 'inspiration' for making the album: one night in New York City. How callously shallow! Moby is a deep thinker, a heavy animal/human rights activist, and overall an extremely talented musician. But you don't see any of that in this album. I have to admit I haven't listened to the entire album, only about half, but I was so bored with the few songs I have heard, namely the singles, that I dared not waste my time with the rest. I did find 'Alice' catchy, but its repetitiveness just ruins the experience. When Moby came out with the single 'New York New York' I'll admit I don't care for it extremely, but it does have more merit than all of what I've heard from this album combined. Oh yeah, and hurray for the numbness-inducing amount of remixes we get from this album's singles. Now all those rave-loving nimrods can have even more for the dance floor (while the real Moby fans are sitting at home cuddling their 'Play' albums reminiscing of better times). Rating: - Vintage Moby RepackagedOld sounds mixed with new ones - this CD is a good blend of classic Moby sounds. My favorites - "Ooh Yeah" and "Disco Lies". Good stuff!
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