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

I have no idea if they were re-recordings, but the album that put me onto Moody blues in the first place was a vinyl record (not sure if it's on cd) called Eternity in an Hour.
It isn't a comprehensive double album/cd set but what is on there is high quality. I always felt the sound was brilliant, but more importantly for my way of thinking, it was put together in a manor that made it seem like an album, not a collection of songs. It even used the poetic segues that made their albums special when I got around to hearing those.

 

The Moody Blues - Eternity In An Hour....A Collection Of The Best Of The Moody Blues


A1 Gemini Dream
A2 Isn't Life Strange
A3 I'm Just A Singer (In A Rock And Roll Band)
A4 For My Lady
A5 Question
A6 Voices In The Sky
B1 Steppin In A Slide Zone
B2 Tuesday Afternoon
B3 Ride My See Saw
B4 Eyes Of A Child
B5 The Voice
B6 Nights In White Satin
B7 Late Lament

it is only on vinyl

 

This Is as a 2 cd compilation has been highly recommended here for good reason! However, looking at the DR values it appears they are all over the place on CD:

Album details - Dynamic Range Database


Never cared for any Gold cd mastering! The Moody Blues Gold is bright and compressed:

Album details - Dynamic Range Database


Interesting The Best of The Moody Blues despite being a single cd does a pretty good job. Yes, key tracks are missing, but most Moody Blues single disc comps do that. And the DR values look good! Love the sound. And it features the clean non clipped Go Now and the single edit of The Story In Your Eyes (3:05):

Album details - Dynamic Range Database

 

They only re-cut 'Question' and 'Isn't Life Strange' with an orchestra for 'Greatest Hits' collection - something which Justin Hayward later said he regretted doing as he felt the results were awful ! - which is a bit harsh as they are not that bad but no substitute for the original recordings of course

the tracks on that 'Eternity in An Hour' should be the original studio recordings as The Moodies with one exception**(see below) have never recut any tracks in the studio besides those two above

there are a few alternate versions of things on singles like 'Question' and later 'Bless The Wings' however, **while a version of Mike's song 'A Simple Game' sung by Justin which was cut as a potential single in 1968 has been released in recent years as a CD 'Bonus' track

look out for any CDs that are credited as 'Justin Hayward and Friends' - these are tracks cut with the Frankfurt Orchestra I think, some feature Justin singing Moodies and solo tracks with orchestra others feature various vocalists - Justin has said he regretted doing those, but his vocal tracks are quite nice of course...the other singers less so in my opinion - just beware what that is if you are thinking of getting that CD

 

There's another exception. After Timothy Leary died, the Moodies re-recorded "Legend of a Mind" for a tribute album, changing the lyric to "Timothy Leary lives." I think it's available on iTunes, for completists.

 

My favorite! Go Now is not clipped (better source?) and they used the single edit of The Story In Your Eyes!

 

You said you were looking for a comp uncrossfaded of 60’s and 70’s material? If you are still looking, I would suggest Singles +. Some single edits are manufactured but has a healthy dose of pre Hayward Lodge Moodies. Pretty cheap as s 2 cd set:

https://www.amazon.com/Singles-Moody-Blues/dp/B0000549VX

 

This is a great album. Good songs and a nice raw sound quality.
Standout tracks... From the Bottom of my heart, Life's not Life (which was withdrawn from sale a week after release as a single) and Love and Beauty, early Justin Hayward

 

yes it's a fine set tho' I think they missed off 'Time is On My Side'

'Love and Beauty' was the very first Moodies song to feature the mellotron written and sung by Mike Pinder it was the 'A' side of the second Decca single with Justin and John in the band

the 'B' side also included on that double album was 'Leave This Man Alone' a pounding Justin Hayward rocker with lead vocal by Justin and a driving 'gritty' guitar on it - anyone who thinks The 'classic' Moodies wern't 'tough' should listen to this !

 

Yes! (The other missing track is the French/Portuguese EP track People Gotta Go).

 

A nice sounding collection and great it has a healthy selection of pre Hayward and Lodge tracks. But also the most frustrating with manufactured single edits. And most are wrong: Candle of Life, The Story In Your Eyes, Melancholy Man, The Voice, Remember Me My Friend...just to name several!

 

Yea, that’s why I think they put the + sign after Singles.
It doesn’t have true single versions and/or edits on some of the singles.
Skips a lot of b sides.

 

Actually for Question, “The Best Of The Moody Blues” uses the album mix. But I think you meant “This Is”. It mixes out the synths and vocals in the beginning section like the single. Then on the last section the synths are mixed low revealing the background vocals. It runs normal length fading at 5:39. Interesting mix, but I think they are too low in the mix.

The single starts the same mixing out of the synths and backing vocals and has a double tracked Hayward lead vocal. On that last section, the synths match the beginning album section with synths and backing vocals in the mix fading at 4:55. I love this mix!! And I love the album mix next.

 

Sorry for my year late reply. Was doing searches. Is Collection compressed? Bright? Can you post DR values? Thank you

 

This Is...

Perfect.

 

The “Question of Balance” SACD has the original Question.
This was the basis for the single version. Long acoustic intro. It ends with the mellotron with the “battaglia”
This version on the SACD is used for all subsequent versions.
“This Is” does not use the double track, as noted, and the backing vocals at the end are mixed way up.
What Clarke did for the album version was to move the end from the original version and place it in front.
A nice seamless patch.
At the ending he doubles the battaglia part, and allows the longer ending with the verses and fades it.

 

How's the Mastering on this one?

I've sometimes been wary of mid 1990's releases - many CD's from that era were processed with Noise Reduction.

 

it sounds fine to me, but i am not nearly as anal about it as some.

 

Just picked up a used copy of Time traveler 5 disk version for $14 and some change on eBay.

 

What is the deal with the bonus disc? Was this a Best Buy exclusive or similar?

Edit: I have the five disc version, it has the Red Rocks show. Oh boy.

 

I know this will not be a popular answer, but I like the 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection disc. I had the cassette of Voices In The Sky (US) back in the 80's, but I like this better.

 

pity they cut Patrick Moraz out of that line up on the cover
- he WAS in the original photo stood next to Ray !

history re-writing....

 

Never cared much for the Singles+ compilation thanks to those edits.
For the mark I material I think you are just better off getting a version of the Magnificient Moodies album.

I am curious why one would suggest stuff like 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection or some obscure compiliation lp, of which there are many?
Is it because they are great sounding?
Juding from the trackinglisting they doesn't seem to be really different, or more interesting then any other compiliation album already mentioned before.

However someone mentioned the dutch "Songs in White Satin" compiliation, which I gave away awhile ago.
And I always kind of regretted that as it had a really nice tracklist, and it was a great sounding disc from what I remember.
So this thread, or another discussing Moody Blues compiliation albums, made me rebuy "Songs In White Satin" and yes, it's really a great sounding cd.
Ofcourse I gave it away because I have to many Moody Blues compilation albums, but this one, if you can find it, is really worth picking up,
or keeping if you already have it.

 

The only one I have is This Is... on vinyl.
I like it.

 

The bonus disc wasn’t an exclusive release: it was simply part of the original set until it was discontinued.