DAYS OF FUTURE PASSED

The change from "Tha Magnificent Moodies" to "Days of Future Passed" is huge. When the songs on the first record were ordinar, bluesy and quite boring is these songs harmonic and sweet and the record is orchestrated in a pompous way. 1967 was an early year for a rock band to have an intention to do something so far from rock like this. Well, Beatles existed but htey were more psychedelic than this. This was a marriage between a rock band and an orchestra, The London Festival Orchestra(conducted by Peter Knight). The cover is very colourful and suggestive. It is expressionistic art. The bands musicians are Graeme Edge on drums. Justin Hayward on guitar and song, John Lodge on bass, guitar and vocals, Michael Pinder on keyboard, vocals and mellotron, and Ray Thomas on flute and vocals.

The music of this record is very much orchestra. I as a fan of classical music, appreciate a lot the wonderful sweeping tunes of the melodies and I think I prefer the orchestrated bits before the more common rock songs included. What I could have wanted more is that the band and the orchestra played more at the same time. But that, of course, doesn't effect what sounds which are actually here. The introduction "The Day Begins" for example ot totally instrumental and classical and is wonderful(8/10). The best track in "Night: Nights in white satin"(10/10) which is a complete mix of orchestra and rock band and the romantic love song's lyrics and sweet vocals don't change that. "The Afternoon" is almost as great(8/10) with a powerful mellotron that gives the music a mystical and forward sounding feeling. "Evening", the fast and funny "Lunch break: Peak Hour" and "The morning: Another Morning" is also as good as 8/10 shows. "Dawn: Dawn is a feeling" was a bit more of a common song but, that was a fine one(7/10).

This record isn't as timeless as those prog records which came four years later; the sound is quite dated. That is not a problem for me. I like the early era of prog and the fact that prog wasn't at all a known thing at that time. I recommend this record for people who like clasical music and sweat pop prog. I you're only into heavy music, is this probably not something for you - but who knows...