Moody Blues - The Present
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CD Details
Artist: Moody BluesEdition: Music CD
Audio: English (Unknown)
Format: Import
CD Release Date: 2009-03-17
Music Label: Ume Imports
Soundtracks:
- Blue World
- Meet Me Halfway
- Sitting At The Wheel
- Going Nowhere
- Hole In The World [Instrumental] [Instrumental][Version]
- Under My Feet
- It's Cold Outside Of Your Heart
- Running Water
- I Am
- Sorry
- Blue World [Single Edit][*]
- Sitting At The Wheel [Steven Greenberg Remix] [*][Version]
Music reviews of The Present
Music Review: FINALLY! A Magnificent Re-release of "The Present," by "The Moodies!" :)
Rating: 5 Stars
There are so many reviews of the albums of The Moody Blues all over the web, so please forgive me if I repeat what anyone had already said or for not being too original in my review. Here is my experience of this remastered edition of "The Present"...
First off, just like the famous early seven CD re-releases by The Moody Blues, whether they be the 1997 remasters or the 2006/2007 expanded editions, we are once again treated to another topnotch remastering job for the CD reissue of "The Present" ... What better candidate to have, when it comes to this task, than Moody Blue band member Justin Hayward?! :) Also, notice how the songs sort of segue together, unlike the original CD release from the 80's, where there would be two or three second gaps between the tracks, so once the last droplet of sound fades from a previous song, the next tune picks up right from that point ... This format takes Moody Blues listeners back to the early albums, when there were no silent gaps between the tracks. I'd also like to add that I am very pleased that, after all of the Moody Blues compilations that came out during the 1990's onward, this release features both "Blue World" and "Sitting At The Wheel" the way they were originally supposed to be presented, not cross-faded into one another, as was the case on "Time Traveller," "Anthology," and "Gold." This is also the only place (Just like the original CD release of this album) where you can find a clean fade-out at the conclusion of "Blue World," the way it was originally recorded, not cut short as presented on 1997's "Best of..." and the 2007 import, "Collected."
After "Seventh Sojourn," the latter Moody Blues albums feature synthesizers replacing the mellotrons, as any Moody fan can tell you of course, plus Justin Hayward sings in a more mellow manner than the way he sang on the late 60's/early 70's albums. John Lodge rocks a bit more, at a few points, compared to on the earlier albums (Ex: "Sitting At The Wheel"). Also, orchestral arrangements grace certain tracks ("Long Distance Voyager"). Not so much spoken-word poetry, either, until "Strange Times." Sound-wise, "The Present" is loaded with beautiful heavily-echoed, cooing, and buzzing synthesizer sounds ("Blue World," "Going Nowhere"), layered acoustic guitar ("It's Cold Outside Of Your Heart"/"Running Water"), and scattered haunting effects (Ex: The marching drums that open up and close out Lodge's "Hole In The World"/"Under My Feet" and the whispering on the Ray Thomas track, "I Am"). Justin and John also provide combined vocal harmony really well on many of the latter Moody Blues tracks, such as "Meet Me Halfway." I also get psyched by the energetic ending of Ray's "Sorry," courtesy of the intense synthesizer and drums, all the way to the fade-out!
For the bonus tracks, I was overjoyed to find that the ultra-rare extended mix of "Sitting At The Wheel" had been added ... Until now, "The Universal Masters Collection: Classic Moody Blues" was the only other release that included this song on CD. Also, the single edit of "Blue World" is interesting, with verses rearranged ... This edit was previously featured on CD courtesy of the Moody Blues double-disc compilation, "The Singles+."
There's more ... The CD booklet that accompanies this release is loaded with photos, lyrics, and a history of the band, so you get your money's worth on not just the disc, but with the insert, too! What an improvement from the simple "greeting card" format of the CD "booklets" that were featured within the original 1980's CD releases!
*One tidbit of interest is that, when the original CD release of "The Present" was released, the stereo "setup" had been reversed compared to the stereo format from the vinyl and cassette versions of the album (Left-to-right and right-to-left ... Whatever instrumentation was dominant on one stereo channel got switched to the other stereo channel). This remaster features the original stereo setup, as heard on the vinyl and cassette editions. A lot of the synthesizer effects on this album were featured in stereo, as experienced through headphones, so that is one major element to note, when listening to how the stereo setup got reversed, between the two CD's. :)
This is what a remastered, reissued CD release should be all about, and this edition of "The Present" really satisfies! Congratulations and job well done to Justin Hayward and everyone who worked on this fantastic CD re-release! Now, let's all hope and pray for some remasters of "The Other Side Of Life," "Sur La Mer," "Keys Of The Kingdom," a return of the "This Is The Moody Blues" and "Legend Of A Band" compilations, and also a return of the version of "Strange Times" that featured the bonus tracks, "Highway" and "This Is The Moment" ... Then, I'm sure we'll all be joyous and grateful "Moodies" fans. :) Thanks for reading and God Bless!
~KevyGuy :)
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Description of The Present
Digitally remastered and expanded edition of this classic 1983 album from the British Pop/Rock band includes two bonus tracks (the single edit of 'Blue World' and an extended mix 'Sitting At The Wheel') and a 16 page booklet. The Moody Blues may not be mentioned in the same breath as The Kinks, The Who, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, but they are more than deserving of being compared to those influential bands. From their beginnings in the '60s to the millennium, The Moody Blues have continued to create exceptional music and expand their devoted fanbase with each new generation. Universal. 2008.Classic Rock CDs
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