The Moody Blues – A Question of Balance (1970)

Before starting this blog, I think I underestimated my father's influence on my record collection. Here's a yet another band that my father used to listen to back in the day that I started listening to as well. I mainly got into The Moody Blues when I was around 13 years old. I borrowed their box set from my local library with four CDs of their greatest hits and rarities and it really impressed me back in the day. The combination of classical instruments and progressive rock was just what I wanted at that age. I can't remember how I ended up owning this album on a CD, but I remember this being one of the first proper albums I listened to by them. Perhaps it had something to do with the album cover picture that I thought was really cool at a time when I was also reading through fantasy literature classics.



I remember at least a couple of songs from this album that were on the compilation box set I borrowed from the library. Dawning Is the Day and Melancholy Man. The latter is one of my all time favourites by this band. I've always liked melancholic music with great melodies, so the name itself drew me in. This song would still compete for the best Moody Blues song in my books. I feel like the first half of the album is not as good as the latter half. The first half is a bit more predictable and slightly boring these days with conventional English folk songs. On the other half they get into similar dreamy sounds as on their greatest concept album, Days of the Future Passed.

I've even seen The Moody Blues live. My parents were going to see them at an ice hockey arena in Helsinki and my father asked me if I want to come along, knowing that I had also listened to the band quite a lot. Of course I didn't say no to seeing them. At the concert I was probably the youngest person in the audience. I was in my twenties myself, so being surrounded by all of those old people at the concert put me off the band a bit, because at that time I was fairly conscious about being cool. Nowadays I can again securely say that I actually like The Moody Blues quite a lot even if it sounds a bit outdated. And I remember the concert itself being quite good.

The Moody Blues is particularly known for the songs where they read poems on top of their music creating an atmosphere that makes me think of medieval Britain. I think that was quite usual as a reference for the early 70's British progressive rock bands.

I also must mention the bass playing again, because people don't usually take any notice. The bass lines on this album are quite spectacular. Try and listen to them alone and I'm sure you'll agree. Great melodic structures. The album is mostly quite folky and not very rocking, but the song Tortoise and the Hare gives a taste of the more prog-rock side of this band.

I don't really listen to The Moody Blues that much anymore, but whenever I happen to hear them somewhere, I think their music is great. The band might bot have aged well as their sounds are undeniably old, but hey, what's wrong with retro.

Listen to the album on Spotify.