Ten Thousand Lightyears

After three years of inactivity, Boney M. returned to the international charts in 1984 with 10,000 Lightyears. Like Boonoonoonoos, this album was a big production: it boasted a generous array of songs in varying styles and included the Munich Symphony Orchestra thickening the sound on a number of its tracks. The best songs are on the first side, a sort of mini-rock opera about a future where the citizens of Earth are taken to a safer planet by benevolent aliens from a distant planet. The songs in this suite embellish simple but likable melodies with plenty of nifty synthesizer effects and orchestral flourishes to create songs that feel like an updated version of their early disco style. Highlights from this side include "Future World," which combines a hard rock guitar groove with spacy synthesizer washes that are further bolstered by an orchestral arrangement, and the atmospheric title track, which effectively contrasts a languid melody against a backdrop of busy percussion. ~ Donald A. Guarisco