Moody Blues - Gold Review

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(More customer reviews)The real question that needs to be asked is "Does the record-buying public really need another Moody Blues anthology?" An ever-increasing number of bands from the sixties through the eighties now have more compilations in their catalog than they have studio albums. In the last decade the Moodies have released two studio albums, but no fewer than six anthologies--plus the 4-disc box set TIME TRAVELLER.
If you're a casual fan and don't already own their 1994 box set or 1998's well chosen ANTHOLOGY, you certainly can't go wrong with this 34-track collection. The collection begins with "Tuesday Afternoon" from the classic lineup's 1968 debut DAYS OF FUTURE PAST and continues through "December Snow" from their 2003 holiday album DECEMBER. [As the previous reviewers have noted, "Go Now" is not included, but that 1965 hit came from a lineup that did not include the Moodies' principal songwriters, Justin Hayward and John Lodge.] What you do get is all of their top 40 hits, key album tracks, and a handful of side projects like the Blue Jays' "Remember Me My Friend" and "Blue Guitar," and Justin Hayward's "Forever Autumn" from Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of "War of the Worlds." All told this is a very satisfying collection if you're looking for a solid introduction to the Moody Blues. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

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Japanese only 2 x SHM-CD (Super High Material CD - playable on all CD players) pressing. Universal. 2008.--This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

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Gold Review

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(More customer reviews)There have been many, many cheap, sketchy best-ofs issued of this Vancouver-based quartet's 1970s catalogue. But only Gold and 1993's The Anthology (both double-CD packages) are worth owning. And Gold compares favourably.
The good: Gold doesn't skimp on the grossly underrated 1977 effort Freeways (which led to leader/guitarist/vocalist Randy Bachman's first departure from the band). Where The Anthology just had Shotgun Rider, Gold comes up with that song, plus Life Still Goes On (bassist C.F. Turner's only contribution to that album), My Wheels Won't Turn and Down Down.
As well, Gold makes up for the ridiculous gimmick of remixing some songs for quadrophonic sound. I mean, who had quad systems? Those remixes on The Anthology (Not Fragile, Rock Is My Life and This is my Song, Free Wheelin' and Flat Broke Love) sound dry and lifeless. Gold doesn't touch the mixes, thankfully.
Gold is also better packaged, allowing the slim, two-disc set to be easily taken in a car. The Anthology is an awkward double-width case and the booklet was sized for the box everything came in, so unless you kept everything together (not easy to do with many CD towers or in vehicles), it was one more awkward packaging moment.
This is a small item, but as a true fan, a good one: Gold finally puts Quick Change Artist on a compilation album. Quick Change was the first single off 1975's Four Wheel Drive, an excellent rock-pop song that was played a lot. Yet, until Gold, it was inexplicably ignored every time a compilation was issued.
The bad: Gold sticks strictly to the officially released Mercury studio albums. That means no unreleased bonuses (The Anthology had three, all from 1973 when BTO's first official album came out). It also means nothing from the band's 1980s or '90s releases (two studio and two live albums). Finally, it means nothing from Japan Tour Live, a recording of the band's 1976 (I think...) tour which, despite what The Anthology's notes say, WAS released in Canada. Anyway, The Anthology had a bitchin' version of Don't Get Yourself in Trouble complete with extended Randy Bachman guitar solo that didn't make Gold. It stuck with the inferior, original 1973 studio version, sadly. So, true fans are still waiting for a COMPLETE compilation.
Otherwise, Gold comes with an essay by Larry Leblanc, a veteran Billboard writer who also penned the notes for The Anthology. He simply lifted much of that original essay and added on a surprisingly complete and valuable update of all the members' recording activities since the '70s. Strangely, he left a glaring error from the original essay stand. It suggested the hit Take It Like A Man was from Four Wheel Drive. But it came a year later, from 1976's Head On.

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60's: Gold Review

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(More customer reviews)'60s GOLD is the latest release in Hip-O Records' "Gold" series. As usual they do a fine job in remastering and song selection--and amazon.com's discounted price makes this a real bargain! I have purchased several previous "Gold" series releases (SOUTHERN ROCK, '70s, BLUES, among others) and have always been pleased, and this is no exception.
However, here are a few points to consider:
*Most of these tracks are from the mid-Sixties. Twenty-six of the tracks were released from 1964 to 1967--eleven from 1967 alone! [Note: All tracks are presented chronologically.]
*There is a heavy emphasis on Motown hits. [Five of which are duplicated from MOTOWN GOLD.] My only concern is why was it necessary to include three(!) Supremes songs?
*The British Invasion is represented by only three artists--The Mindbenders, The Troggs and Procol Harum. The heavy hitters (Beatles, Stones, Kinks, Who, et. al.) are missing. Also, two of America's biggest bands--The Beach Boys and The Doors--are also MIA.
*Finally, with each disk under sixty minutes, it would have been easy to add another ten to twelve tracks and perhaps rectify some of the above concerns.
But if you're looking for a collection of songs guaranteed to satisfy your Sixties nostalgia craving, there are few releases that will provide that fix better than '60s GOLD. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

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