DAYS OF FUTURE PASSED

Days of Future Passed was released in a year that was absolutely critical in the development of progressive rock, but I'd argue that this album is the year's most important precursor to symphonic prog as we now know it. The orchestral arrangements, conceptual album format, and extensive use of mellotron simply paved the way for the upcoming rise of symphonic progressive rock acts, and the sheer ambition exerted by The Moody Blues here makes Days of Future Passed an essential piece of early prog rock history. That's not to mention, of course, that this is a stunning album from beginning to end - the compositions are simply beautiful and the arrangements are as well-thought out as one can imagine. In short, these Birmingham lads succeeded in nearly every aspect with Days of Future Passed, and the result is nothing short of a timeless classic.

Musically, we're dealing with a mix of fairly standard sixties' pop/rock and orchestrations by The London Festival Orchestra. Of course the extensive symphonic interludes immediately set Days of Future Passed apart from your average sixties' pop album, but the use of mellotron as an integral part of the music was also nearly unheard of at this point. The use of mellotron parred with the orchestra adds a lush atmosphere throughout the full album, and the fact that it's a conceptual album with repeating themes (lyrically and musically) sets it even further apart from anything like it during this time period. I've heard some folks criticize Days of Future Passed for not integrating the orchestrations with the rock sections well enough, but I personally think it's perfect - a few orchestral interludes may carry out a bit too long, but I think the repeating themes help give the album a unified feel. Though songs like the instrumental "The Day Begins" can take a bit to get used to (it may rub off as background music at first), its genius begins to shine through once you realize all of the melodies that re-occur throughout the album. It sets the tone for the rest of the album particularly well, and I absolutely adore this lovely overture. Days of Future Passed is an album filled to the brim with gems, though, and "Dawn: Dawn Is a Feeling", "The Afternoon", and especially "Night: Nights In White Satin" stand out as marvelous highlights.

Days of Future Passed also sports a fantastic production (one of the best from the sixties') and stellar musicianship, so when all things are considered, this is a virtually flawless album. Not only is this a groundbreaking album in the history of progressive rock, it's also one of the best albums from the second half of its decade. A lovely, marvelous, and spectacular work indeed, the least I can give Days of Future Passed is 4.5 stars. The Moody Blues really struck gold this time around, and I'd recommend this observation in a heartbeat to any fan of early progressive rock.