Moody Blues compilation: best remastered sound

I searched the archives but couldn't find anything specific to my question: which is the best Moody Blues compilation in terms of remastered sound? (On regular CD, that is, not SACD or DVD-Audio.) Content is essential, too, of course, and so I'm looking for a compilation that covers their essential material, without getting into anything overwhelming like 11 or 17 CDs, etc.

Thanks for any input.

 

Good question, somebody please!

 

Yep. I have an older cd of this and it sounds really good. I do think there are some omissions I'd like to have on there though ("Gypsy" and "Thinking Is the Best Way to Travel" come to mind).

 

Thanks.

 

This.

 

Gold (2-CD set) is my go-to; covers their entire career. Sounds good, too.

 

Anyone know if the Moodies DVD-A set (not dts) uses No-Noise like the SACD's?
I have copies of the quad reels and the dts discs and they make the SACD's sound pinched.

 

Another vote for TITMB, precisely because it doesn't cover their entire career. The more time that passes, the more I appreciate the "Classic 7" - and the less time I have to waste on the stuff that came after it. I listened to Octave yesterday for the first time in years, only to confirm why I hadn't listened to it in years. With Octave, they abandoned prog-rock and tried to recalibrate as a pop band. Sure, they were successful as a latter-day pop band, but left many of their Classic-era fans behind. They simply weren't the same band after the departure of Mike Pinder (whose one song on Octave was, imho, its sole redeeming value.)

And, yes, TITMB sounds great!

 

TITMB for sure. It is beautifully put together and sequenced.

 

No arguments about This is The Moody Blues but I would also recommend Time Traveler, which is a 6 CD set (iirc) and gives a deeper perspective and is a bit more career spanning. They actually did have a lot of good music after the Classic 7, although their albums (as a whole) were a bit more hit and miss. Time Traveler also includes some of their early singles, a few really good b-sides and some of the Blue Jays stuff, which is fantastic. Like most Moodies releases it sounds pretty good too.

 

Another vote for Gold, assuming you're looking for a concise but career-spanning collection. (It doesn't include anything from the Laine/Warwick period, but those that do usually include only "Go Now!," and, musically, the Laine/Warwick Moody Blues was a vastly different band.)
A particular point in Gold's favor - it has clean-intro versions of "Lovely to See You," "Ride My See-Saw," "I'm Just a Singer (in a Rock and Roll Band)" and "The Story in Your Eyes." The album versions of each of those tracks are overlapped or crossfaded, and some compilations use clumsy fades. Gold also has the single version of "Nights in White Satin," which has none of the orchestral overdubs found on the substantially longer album version. I wish it included the single version of "Question," which is a less cluttered mix than the album version, and I could quibble with some of the second-string inclusions (some albums overrepresented and others underrepresented), but I think Gold is a very good starting point.

 

This is the Moody Blues is the best comp, flows like it is an original Moodies LP all it's own. Great song selection and overview of the core 7.

 

I think "Gold" has bad dynamic range of 8 and 10:

Album list - Dynamic Range Database »

 

What's interesting is that Tony Clarke worked on a followup to "This Is" with more remixed versions.
A few of these appeared on "Timeless Flight".
It's speculation, but I have heard remixed versions of other classic 7 songs on various European collections, which may have been intended for the followup set.
As others indicated, "This Is" is the go to set for a compilation.

 

I agree this is really the best comp however, the sped up Eyes Of A Child drives me bonkers.

 

Does anyone know if the Moody Blues Collected 3 cd set stands up sonics-wise? Other sets on the Collected series by Universal are pretty good to my ears.

 

My dad has this one which sounds very nice, has the single versions for songs like Ride My See Saw, Questions and Nights In White Satin and it covers their career up until 1983. Sadly it must be very rare these days.
The Moody Blues - Songs In White Satin

 

The Time Traveler Box gets my vote as best bang for your buck. It has good sound, good dynamic range, and covers them up through the early 90s. The selections are mostly spot on, though it omits A Simple Game and some of the other choice tracks from Prelude. Timeless Flight has a pretty nice track selection, but is slightly more compressed (DR around 9) and spans more years thus includes some weaker later-period tracks (it does include A Simple Game and Island, 2 excellent non-LP tracks).

 

It sounds pretty good to me. Similar in quality to the Gold set.

 

Agree with this. It is actually 5 CD if you got the first edition with the bonus disc inside the booklet. Otherwise, it is only 4 CD.

 

I haven't heard Gold or Collected. This Is The Moody Blues just works so well it runs almost like an original album. I have the Time Traveller set and it has good sound and a good selection of career material if you want a box which does not have bonus unreleased material. I recently acquired the European Songs In White Satin compilation on the recommendation of a member here and it has very nice unremastered sound.

 

TITMB gets my vote for a compo as only the seven albums with Pinder matter in my book.

 

I have always loved This is the Moody Blues but listening to it tonight whoever put this on CD it's way too fast. Going to have to get the vinyl two record set and compare but this CD set is running too fast, I am sure of it.

 

The UK Vinyl of This Is The Moody Blues is my go to for comps, even my early 1980's late UK pressing sounds fantastic.