POP MUSIC REVIEW : MOODY BLUES POSE NO COSMIC QUESTIONS

The Moody Blues have scaled down their sights considerably since the days of future passed, when they brought classical influences to rock and posed deep questions about the Meaning of Life.

Most of the newer material in the group’s show Thursday at the Universal Amphitheatre was generic pop-rock. And the questions they’re asking themselves these days are no longer cosmic. The question posed in their recent Top 10 hit “Your Wildest Dreams”--a wispy, nostalgic ballad--is much more basic: “I wonder if you think about me.”

The Moodies may be the original “faceless supergroup.” They were faceless when most of today’s faceless supergroups were still in grade school, so perhaps it’s not surprising that the Moodies never got around to introducing themselves on stage--their individual identities don’t seem to matter. That lack of personality ultimately undercut the show’s impact. It was basically a parade of greatest hits, with no larger sense of unity or purpose.

The one saving grace was flutist Ray Thomas, who injected an impish, mischievous quality into the lively “Veteran Cosmic Rocker,” which he wrote after being described in those terms in a newspaper article. The evening could have used more such lighthearted touches.

Perhaps in an effort to give the show some spice, the Moodies employed two female background singers who doubled as go-go dancers. They even came out front to shake their stuff during, of all things, “I’m Just a Singer (in a Rock ‘n’ Roll Band).” No self-respecting rock ‘n’ roll band would pander so blatantly--or at least they’d do it with a sense of humor.

The Fixx opened the show with a set of taut, melodic pop-rock. Lead singer Cy Curnin has a sturdy voice and likable presence, though he tends to be mannered and moralistic. The bill plays the Pacific Amphitheatre tonight and returns to the Universal Monday and Tuesday.