The Very Best Of The Moody Blues

One great song by the Moodys that is hard to find is Forever Autumn. This collection has it ! In addition to their songs up to the Seventh Sojourn album, it also has several of the later selections including "I Know You're Out There Somewhere" Around 1971 when I was 17, the songs of the Moody Blues has quite an impact on me. When I started college, I wrote the lyrics of their song "Watching and Waiting" on my binder that I carried around from class to class.

Clear good quality sound and lots of hits.

Very nice collection of their best songs

arrived on time, case was broken

I ordered this album twice, and both times I received "The Best of The Moody Blues," despite the listing clearly stating it's "The Very Best of The Moody Blues," which of course left me frustrated. A quick Google search shows a big difference in the songs on these albums, but after digging a little deeper, I found it’s actually not as it seems.It turns out the original "The Best of The Moody Blues" album has a different cover—the one with the name written in a spiral. The versions with the dove, like this one, all have the same tracks. The original "The Very Best of The Moody Blues" is actually pretty hard to come by today. When they remastered that album, they dropped the "Very" from the title but kept the same album art. The fact that so many listings for this album, like this one, still show the "Very" just makes it even more confusing.Nonetheless, this is still an excellent album.

...but I feel that The Moody Blues are vastly underrated. When people speak of classic rock bands, they mention Beatles, Stones, Doors, Who, Pink Floyd, Led Zep, Eagles, Aerosmith, Police, Van Halen - but rarely The Moody Blues. The fact is, the MB's were an important presence on rock radio from the late 60's to the mid-80's, producing work that spanned a staggering variety of musical styles, most of it done with utmost complexity, precision and taste. I'm ashamed to admit that I remember hearing some of these songs through the years without even knowing they were by the MB's.The first track on this collection, "Go Now", is a bluesy pop tune which announced their arrival in the British Invasion but provides not a clue of the brilliance to come. It is simple in style and the sound is rather primitive. But the second cut, "Tuesday Afternoon", puts us on the right track. From their very unique concept album "Days Of Future Passed", it fuses orchestral music with rock, the thing to do in that psychedelic era, as does "Nights In White Satin", also from that album. Moving on, I won't try to describe in detail every track, but just to summarize them while pointing out the similarities and differences the listener will encounter. The prevailing sound can be heard in "Ride My See-Saw", "Question", "The Story In Your Eyes", "I'm Just A Singer In A Rock And Roll Band", and "The Voice". They have in common a driving beat, an abundance of classic rock guitar blending with classical instrumental sounds, and excellent vocal harmonies. Still, they have their own identities. "Question" contains a slower mid-section, then returns to rock. "Story In Your Eyes" and "I'm Just A Singer" feature more prominent piano. "The Voice" includes intricate whispers of synth sounds. Of the other tracks, "Isn't Life Strange" is very strange indeed. It is slow, starting out achingly fragile, like pre-Disco Bee-Gees, but later alternates that with stronger, louder sections. "Blue Guitar" is also slow, with guitar that makes you think Eric Clapton might have wandered into the session. "Steppin' In A Slide Zone", once it heats up, leans toward folk, without losing its rock basis. "Forever Autumn" is also folk-like and really quite beautiful. "Gemini Dream", absolutely one of my favorite tracks, ventures into new territory. It has a VERY heavy beat, with instrumentation and vocalization perhaps influenced by the Disco of the time. I say this because to me the track has as much in common with Donna Summer's "Hot Stuff" and late-70's ELO as it does with previous MB recordings. "Blue World" is smooth and glossy, with prominent synth, again leaning toward a dancier track. After a few years' absence, the band made a nostalgic return in the MTV era with "Your Wildest Dreams" and "I Know You're Out There Somewhere". These are similar to "The Voice" in overall style but lighter in a mainstream way, probably tailored for the new public, which included "maturing" fans as well as younger fans not so accustomed to the creative sophistication of the MB's prior work. Finally, the only track I really don't like is "Voices In The Sky", which I find too soft and sweet for my taste.I've tried, and maybe failed, to describe the variety and excellence this band achieved; only by hearing the music itself can you appreciate what I am feeling and trying to say. If I had to describe them in a few words, I would say "poetic, mysterious, spacey, dramatic, philosophical". I always heard that ELO was what The Beatles would have become if they had stayed together, but I think The Moody Blues would also be contenders for that distinction.

Thanks for making music so easy to get....trying to get it at a store is almost impossible ! And the how can you beat the oldies.....

I have a couple of their older albums and their first greatest hits, "This is the Moody Blues". But this CD has 7 songs that I didn't have. Mostly their later songs and including "Forever Autumn". But you can think of it as a Justin Hayward collection as most of the songs are written by him and some of them with John Lodge. There are none by Ray Thomas, Mike Pender or Graham Edge and none of the poems. I guess Justin and John must have needed some song writing royalties. Still, a nice collection that rounds out my other CDs.

The CD came quickly, it plays and sounds great

Excellent product.

Tolle Songauswahl...für Fans ein Muss!

Excellent music.

Un must have per la vostra collaborazione. Canzoni indimenticabili...