Moody Blues - What is the best of the "best ofs"

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Trashman, Dec 5, 2017.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. Trashman

    Trashman Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Wisconsin
    I've always enjoyed the occasional Moody Blues track and would like to get a "best of" compilation that collects their best 60s and early 70s material. Looking for a compilation that has the best balance of track selection and sound quality, covering all of the hits, but perhaps with a sprinkling of a few other tracks that are essential listening.

    Some of the ones I see on Amazon are:

    1. Collected - A 3CD set from 2007 (on Universal) with 54 tracks. Appears to be a generous offering of tracks for the price. Too good to be true?

    2. The Best of the Moody Blues - Single disc set from Polydor (1997). Too limited in song selection?

    3. Nights In White Satin - Essential Moody Blues - Another 3CD set, apparently from 2017, with a ridiculously low price. 51 tracks.

    4. This Is The Moody Blues - 2CD set from Universal (2004)

    There are also the Time Traveler and Timeless Flight 4CD box sets, which appear to be priced low enough to consider them, if they are the best options overall.

    A deal breaker for me is that I want original recordings of the songs, not re-recordings. Also, I would be curious where I could also find the best-sounding version of their early hit "Go Now." The versions made available on iTunes sound awful. (Then again, perhaps the song has never sounded particularly great.)
     
    mark winstanley and Hep Alien like this.
  2. Bill

    Bill Senior Member

    Location:
    Eastern Shore
    I think This Is is the best. Great track selection if the band's critical out but, and sequenced to make a cohesive whole. Get it!
     
    mcwlod, Folknik, Two Sheds and 12 others like this.
  3. rjp

    rjp Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio
    get their first box set "time traveler" used, probably around $25.

    be sure to get the one with the bonus disc
     
    Brickie, Jupitermadcat, RickH and 8 others like this.
  4. That's my vote too. Good sound and selection
     
    bhazen and Blue Note like this.
  5. pbuzby

    pbuzby Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL, US
    I second the recommendation of This Is The Moody Blues which has some unique mixes. Can be found easily on LP if you do vinyl.
     
    duggan, MGM, sjaca and 8 others like this.
  6. Another vote for this option (Time Traveller).
     
    Pete Puma likes this.
  7. Dylancat

    Dylancat Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cincinnati, OH
    The one to get is
    "This is the Moody Blues"
    This will acclimate you to their best material, and is the best sounding collection in the bunch.
     
    MGM, sjaca, djost and 6 others like this.
  8. Either Time Traveller or the 2-CD set The Moody Blues Anthology (1998) for a great-sounding, comprehensive overview with mostly full versions.

    I also recommend Voices In The Sky: The Best Of The Moody Blues (the version with 12 tracks), but that would be more for the fan/collector who owns other albums by them. This set has some unique edits, unique mixes (Never Comes the Day), the [superior IMO] single mix of Question, etc., and it sounds great.
     
    Gardo, Shak Cohen, Hep Alien and 2 others like this.
  9. ronbow

    ronbow Senior Member

    Location:
    St. Louis MO
    This is easy - This is the Moody Blues - no question.

    The 26 tracks were selected, remixed and sequenced by their producer Tony Clarke especially for this release, likely w substantial band input while they were on hiatus.

    Some consider this a necessary complement to the “core 7” albums, and it is certainly a great summation of their work up to that point in 1974.
     
    Last edited: Dec 5, 2017
    MGM, sjaca, btomarra and 14 others like this.
  10. darbelob

    darbelob Senior Member

    Location:
    Orlando
    Another vote for This Is. Perfectly sequenced and with the best from the peak years. Stands on its own as a great album (2CD). I would never part with mine.
     
    duggan, MGM, btomarra and 6 others like this.
  11. c-eling

    c-eling They're made of light,We never would have guessed

    Thanks guys for the recs. I needed a couple good pre-remaster comps. :cheers:
     
  12. McLover

    McLover Senior Member

    #4, This Is The Moody Blues. Flows so well and so well compiled that it really is a standalone experience. My 1980's UK Threshold LP is treasured. Essential and beloved even by those who own the Core 7 LP discs on their own. McLover Approved!!
     
    cageyc, EdogawaRampo, ronbow and 10 others like this.
  13. RicZ

    RicZ Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Netherlands
    I don't have it myself, but I read not so good reviews about the Collected 3 cd set.
    Ofcourse the problem you mostly have on Moody Blues compilations is that you still hear the crossfades with a part from the previous or next song.
    With collected, the bad reviews I read, seems to imply that some of the songs are faded in, or are faded out prematurely.
    Not the best way to handle these crossfades, but since I haven't heard the set myself I don't know if it's worse then on other compilation albums.
    One review mentions that "Question" has been cut of rather abruptly though.
    Curious to hear from others, who actually have thet set, what they think.

    I don't think there is a good sounding "Go Now".
    My favourite set though is the most recent 2 disc anniversay edition.
    If you're looking only for that song on compiliation then the Moody Blues "Anthology" is a good one.

    "This is The Moody Blues" is a must have,
    that together with "Anthology" gives you good overview of their career.
    Instead of "Anthology" you can go for the "Gold" 2 cd set,
    which is similar in content but has a version of "Lovely To See You" with a clean intro.
    It's missing "Highway" though.
    One of my favourite later day Moody Blues songs.
    And "Anthology" might be better sounding then "Gold".
    Then again "Gold" includes songs from "Strange Times" and "December",
    while "Anthology" stops with "Highway" from the "Keys of the Kingdom" sessions.

    If you want a more comprehensive set then I also add my vote for "Time Traveller".
     
  14. RicZ

    RicZ Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Netherlands
    I meant the 2 disc anniversary edition of The Magnificient Moodies ofcourse,
    in case you're wondering.

    And I just remembered that "Gold" doesn't include "Go Now".
     
  15. For the Record

    For the Record Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ontario Canada
    I cannot recommend "This is the Moody Blues" because of some of the awful edits.

    Some of the songs crossfade (and I mean tracks from different albums!)
    They include "The Word" but NOT the song it leads into; "Om" HOWEVER, they leave the first few seconds of "Om" in the mix and quickly fade out.
    Some of the songs are different mixes instead of the album versions.

    There were a couple other things I can't remember that caused me to get up, take off the LP and donate it to Goodwill.

    I've never found The Moody Blues for having good "hits" album because a lot of their albums are complete "sagas," much like Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band.
    Now I wouldn't put them in the same caliber as Pepper, but whenever I hear Pepper tracks on a compilation, it feels weird, like watching scenes from a movie. You'd
    probably enjoy it more if you watch the WHOLE movie.

    I always recommend these three albums as the essential Moody Blues.

     
    pinkrudy, Hep Alien, bhazen and 2 others like this.
  16. c-eling

    c-eling They're made of light,We never would have guessed

    ^
    I have these three on LP, but I enjoy quick and sleazy edits as well. My favorite period however is Octave and up so I grabbed the fatboy 'This Is' for the early stuff and 'Voices In The Sky' :)
     
  17. bataclan2002

    bataclan2002 All You Need Is Now.

    Another vote for Voices in The Sky- superb sound quality! Albeit brief, its my go to Moodys comp.
     
    cageyc, c-eling and Shak Cohen like this.
  18. This Is The Moody Blues is an excellent set, but at 26 tracks and the fact that it's cutoff date is 1972 I don't think it is a preferable career sampler to Time Traveler which covers their best up to the early 90s and includes 43 songs from their classic 7 albums. I agree that This Is makes a nice supplement to the classic 7 for the remixes.
     
    Gardo, Hep Alien and NumberEight like this.
  19. Holy Diver

    Holy Diver Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    I started with Voices in the Sky: The Best of The Moody Blues. I still have my cassette from the '80s. :)
     
  20. AndyNicks

    AndyNicks Forum Resident

    Location:
    NJ
    This Is The Moody Blues
     
    MGM, Mickey2 and willy like this.
  21. Larry B

    Larry B Senior Member

    Location:
    Hollywood
    This goes back but IIRC, the CD of Voices had two versions, WG and US, with the WG having significantly better SQ.
     
    c-eling likes this.
  22. c-eling

    c-eling They're made of light,We never would have guessed

    Different artwork as well. A German was dirt cheap, so that's what I jumped on, thanks for the info :)
     
  23. Lostchord

    Lostchord Dr. Livingstone, I presume

    Location:
    Poznań, Poland
    of course This Is The Moody Blues - I'd say no other compilation does justice to the band whose best known tracks might not be really their best (or just not as powerful while taken out of the album context)
     
    Mickey2, duggan and john lennonist like this.
  24. Larry B

    Larry B Senior Member

    Location:
    Hollywood
    Oh yeah!

    Greatest Hits had a rebadge as Story of The Moody Blues, Legend of a Band, too.
     
  25. I have to disagree with this statement. This Is gets a lot of love because for many of us it was our introduction to many classic 7 songs. It was for me anyway, but after getting familiar with their catalog in subsequent years the omissions and choices in this set don't often seem like brilliant decisions to me. On The Threshold of a Dream is a great album, but does it really merit 25% of the content here at the expense of several stronger songs from To Our Children's Children's Children (with only bout 7 minutes of material included)? I may be nitpicking as these collections will never please everyone, but the short shrift this collection gives to To Our Children's Children's Children is a major problem for me.
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine