On The Threshold Of A Dream - Moody Blues (The)

Advantages: An excellent Moodies Album
Disadvantages: What?

...in hand here we’ll stand on the threshold of a dream.’ The concert itself was magical but I had to get a copy of the CD with The Dream, I had to listen to it again and learn the words, after all he had spoken to me hadn’t he? And so it was that I bought my first Moody Blues album – On The Threshold of a Dream. This happened in the mid 90’s and the album had been recorded in 1969 – I wonder if it’s significant that it was recorded the same year ...
...Moody Blues. I’m not keen on this one at all I’m afraid. So Deep Within You This is a romantic track sung by Mike Pinder. The Mellotron provides a deep recurring theme throughout the song. I like this one. Never Comes The Day This one is Justin Hayward and his guitar with a slow verse and a chorus of strings and harmonies; a lovely track. Lazy Day Another Ray Thomas song, again a description of life with Sunday roast and happy days. This time it ... Read review

Advantages: A concept album
Disadvantages: Not the easiest Moodies to listen to

...the last that was issued on the DERAM label. It is programme music in the sense that the tracks run one into the next without a definite end. The line up is the familiar five of the first period: Justin Hayward, John Lodge, Mike Pinder, Graeme Edge, Ray Thomas. The album is short even by Moody Blues standards (37 minutes). The album cover is a bizarre painting by Phil Travers. The inner sleeve includes portraits of the group as well as their producer, ...
...his usual lighter hearted slant on life ("Someone exploded an 'H'-bomb today but it wasn't anyone I knew"). The voices have been filtered and modified. They are accompanied by a complex synthesiser, flute and string arrangement with jazz overtones. 4. Send Me No Wine **** John Lodge sings an upbeat ballad with a good melody and flowing harmonies. 5. To Share Our Love. * This is a very different John Lodge sound which does not work for me. There ... Read review

Advantages: fantasticly addictive
Disadvantages: Takes time to get into

...most of the others. On instant hearing the album sounds bizarre and odd, but in a possitive way draws you in to continue listening, and i think with the moody blues generally that is their selling point. The instant mystery of the music causes the mind to wander and stare into space, initially you just tend to listen to the instrumental complexity as the music has a fantastic tendency to go through the album as though it was a single track with ...
...probably be drawn to do on listening, you will begin to learn the lyrics in which you can then adopt the singalong style of listening which is simply great. The band are just uncomparable in style to any other, i cannot imagine disliking them, the only disadvantage i can see is not being able to get into them, because to really apretiate them you need to get into the music. ... Read review

Advantages: Foretold their development and their record label
Disadvantages: Perhaps not of immediate appeal but it will draw you in

...ON THE THRESHOLD OF A DREAM - Moody Blues (1969) Hybrid SACD (2006) DERAM 983 215-3 Amazon.co.uk £10.99 Sourced from Amazon Jersey £ 9.89 COMMENTS AND CONCLUSIONS The tracks from this album do not figure largely in their current repertoire. I think I recall Ray Thomas playing 'Lazy Day' at a concert we attended a couple of years ago. If you have never listened to the original Moody's this is perhaps not the album to get you started. It is an offering that takes a little bit of effort to get into. I first bought this it in its original incarnation 40 years ago and well remember periods of reverie submerged under its hypnotic effects. I had not listened to this album for several years but I have to admit that I was pleasantly by how well this remastering has "polished up". Maybe it didn't produce quite the same "buzz" in me today... Read review

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