DAYS OF FUTURE PASSED

Is Days of Future Passed the first album in the history of progressive music? Or is the first one In the Court of the Crimson King? This is a question that has been debated for decades and will continue to be debated for decades to come. Regardless, it is still one of the best and most influential albums of the 60's. Yeah, sure they aren't nearly as complicated as most of the prog we're used to, but we can't deny its historical importance.

Now they may not have been the first band to play with a symphony orchestra (in this case The London Festival Orchestra), but they probably made the best use of it at the time. Days of Future Passed was one of the first conceptual symphonic rock albums, and not to mention one of the most cohesive albums to date. The story followed the events in the every day life of a man, a formula that would be used by countless prog bands in the future. Not only did they jump-start the popularity of the concept album, but they were the first band to consistently use a Mellotron on their albums!

OK, so if you already have a good background in prog (which you probably do) then you probably already know all this influence stuff. If you've heard about it all already, but never actually heard the album, then you'd probably like to know what it actually sounds like. Well imagine the best movie soundtrack you can think of from the 60's: all the symphonies, epic string sections, etc. Now, keep that in mind and meld it together with some of the eras best classic rock. If you can fathom that then you should already have a good idea of what the Moody Blues sound like.

Now if we put all of the importance/influence stuff aside the what's left? Well, it's still a ridiculously good album regardless of it's innovation. It might sound a little outdated to the person used to a more modern/alternative sound, but it still thrives on its elegant songwriting and structures. Right from the first few bars of "The Day Begins", which serves as a sort of overture, one can feel this album is going to be something special. Ranging from the cheery "Tuesday Afternoon" to the emotional and melancholic "Nights in White Satin", all of the songs flow seamlessly with beauty and grace.

On the downside, the album seems to fall really short. The introduction gives off the impression something epic is about to take place, but then after only 40 minutes it all reaches its climax. Of course the 40 minutes that do take place are great, but ultimately it just leaves me wishing for more, more that never comes.

Overall, Days of Future Passed is not only a milestone in the history of music, but is still an excellent listen. Even from the first listen it induced musical orgasms in the pits of my soul. Okay, that might be a little bit of an exaggeration, but certain points do send chills down my spine and when music does that, it's automatically bumped to at least a 4 star rating. Days of Future Passed includes some great songwriting, catchy tunes (hey they were popular!) and appeal to a wide range of tastes. So, if you haven't already, definitely check this album out.

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