Moody Blues Compilations

Back in college in 1973, a roommate turned me on to the Moody Blues. I liked them enough to register for concert tickets, when there was no concert announced. It was next year before they came around.... and blimey... I got the first front row seats to a rock concert !!! (BTY, this was before Rainbow TicketBastard took over in 1975.... After that.... There was no "Customer Service"at all... We, the customers, were there to "Service" the "Company"... and their extra fees and shoddy distribution network made that painfully clear to everyone ....)

I'd like some suggestions for a good compilation of The Moody Blues studio works.

I know about all of the Led Zeppelin compilations that have come down the pike over the years....
But I am not that familiar with The Moody Blues Compilations.

I'm not looking for a complete boxed set of all of their releases.

Something more aligned with a 2 or 3 disc set, perhaps ? ?

Please make you suggestions..... Or, if this exact topic has been discussed here before.... then please do post a link to that thread.

Thanks

 

This Is The Moody Blues 2-disc set. Best of the classic 7 albums remixed with conceptual continuity intact.

 

I second that - you can't go wrong with that one.

 

Third recommendation for This Is The Moody Blues Very well sequenced. It's pefect for the period you have fond memories of.

What we aren't saying is that you will have to find it used. At least I believe it is long out of print in the US.

 

I'll make it four recommendations for This Is The Moody Blues. I have several of their compilations and it's still my favorite.

 

I'll fifth the recommendation for This Is The Moody Blues. It flows very well.

 

Sixth. That's twice today I told someone to get this particular collection.

 

Lucky number seven! Do seek this one out, you won't be disappointed!

 

What these guys said.

It's available at Amazon from a bunch of sellers at a decent price for a 2-disc set of most of their best material.

 

It's unanimous...so far

 

Totally agree. For the psychedelic stuff, start with This Is The Moody Blues. For Go Now, Blue Guitar and some later hits, the 1996 Very Best Of fills the gap.
Bob.

 

This is the Moody Blues - IMHO has the best sound quality of any of the MB compilations. Since it came out before all the compression, it sounds great.

 

You can't go wrong with "The Singles +" 2CD comp.

Pat

 

I'm for This is... If I had to bring one Moody Blues comp to a desert island, this would be it. The later comps appear politically motivated. Plus This is.. has excellent CD mastering.

 

Yet another vote for This Is... It's a superb album in its own right - I agree that's it's desert island stuff.

 

Eh??




This Is The Moody Blues is certainly a great comp of their classic period; however, on CD (I have a WG copy) it's certainly painfully **bright** (at least in my room; your mileage may vary, particularly if you've a treble knob you can turn counter-clockwise. I do not.) Whether this is from remixing or mastering, I know not. BTW I got my copy new from Amazon.co.uk.

My fave comp otherwise is Singles +; a broad, career-spanning 2-CD set (made in Holland, IIRC) featuring 9 or 10 tunes from the "Go Now"-period Moodies; the remainder are significant tracks (A- and B-sides) from just prior to Days Of Future Passed right through Sur La Mer. Not sourced from the best tapes perhaps, but listenable enough - warm 'n' fuzzy.

 

I think you can still get This Is.... for a decent price (European version). The cross fading on the tracks is very nicely done.

 

I never noticed it being too bright myself. I would go for This Is... as well. It was my intro to the Moodies and I, not long after, bought all the individual albums after. I could easily make a third cd companion to this set and be happy with that, with the exception of Days of Future Passed. That one's going to the grave with me.

 

well, I'm going to disagree...NOT...this is the Moody Blues is essential to any well-rounded music collection...now go buy it

 

Could just be the pressing I have; seeing all the love here for it (and no-one else has that problem!) I theorise that different masterings may exist.

I *love* the track selection and sequence, though; Tony Clark did a fabbo job on this one. I wouldn't be surprised if the Floyd got the idea of Echoes from this comp.

 

If you only want a comp then This Is The Moody Blues can't be beat. Me - I have it along with all of the essential original seven albums.

 

Agreed; it stands up as an album in its own right even if you have all the original seven.

 

What can I say that hasn't already been said? In a different thread I have called This is the Moody Blues the best compilation ever made by any band or artist.
As others stated, unlike most other comps it flows just naturally from one track into another, as if you were listening to an original album. And it definitely offers the best songs the Moodies ever had to offer (i.e. their first seven albums).

For completist's sake I also have their two CD comp Anthology (well, a rare Dutch version of it) that covers their entire career up to the nineties and also has some solo tracks like Blue guitar and Justin Hayward's Forever Autumn (from Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds). This might be an option as well, but if you really want to enjoy them at their peak, first place to go is This is the Moody Blues. It's still in print in the EU.

 

Track listing for "This Is..."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Track Listings
Disc: 1
1. Question
2. Actor
3. Word (Poem)
4. Eyes of a Child
5. Dear Diary
6. Legend of a Mind
7. In the Beginning
8. Lovely to See You
9. Never Comes the Day
10. Isn't Life Strange
11. Dream (Poem)
12. Have You Heard?, Pt. 1
13. Voyage
14. Have You Heard?, Pt. 2
Disc: 2
1. Ride My See Saw
2. Tuesday Afternoon (Forever Afternoon)
3. And the Tide Rushes In
4. New Horizons
5. Simple Game
6. Watching and Waiting
7. I'm Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)
8. For My Lady
9. Story in Your Eyes
10. Melancholy Man
11. Nights in White Satin - London Festival Orchestra, The Moody Blues
12. Late Lament - London Festival Orchestra, The Moody Blues


IMHO, there's a few poor choices/turkeys on this. That being said, it's a great overview of the 1st seven "classic" albums. I'd replace a few tracks with better choices, and it could be perfect.
I'd lose 7 songs:
Disc 1:
tracks 2, 3, 10 and 11.
Disc 2:
tracks 10, 11, and 12.

There's lots of better tracks on those 7 classic albums that I'd rather hear.
Where's "It's Up To You", "Voices In The Sky", "Eternity Road", "Dawning Is The Day","The Morning:Another Morning", just to name a few.

Still, the best "comp" out there.

 

That trick listing reminds me that one of the best things about this comp is that it doesn't JUST contain the hits we've all heard on the radio a thousand times over. And it does contain the ending "suite" from On the Threshold of a Dream (Have you Heard / The Voyage / Have You Heard) which I believe is among the best work they've ever done. You won't find that on the 1 CD "hits" comps.