LIVE AT THE ISLE OF WIGHT 1970

The Moody Blues

Crossover Prog

3.43 | 23 ratings

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moodyxadi

I'm a great Moodies fan, so you can read this review knowing that it isn't the far balanced of it all.

I believe that the official live recordings of the Moodies aren't the best pictures of the band. IMO the bootleg of a FM transmission of a LA gig in 1981 is the best available live performance of the group in terms of set list, listenability and overall playing. The Japan 1974 shows had the best set list (and Mike Pinder!) but the bad quality of the boots can atract only the devoted fan. So I think that the present record together with the RAH performance is the best picture of what The Moody Bues were/are alive.

It's a festival so the set list of this album is a kind of a then-current Greatest Hits. The fact of the tour in question being the AQOB one only increases the value of this concert for me, because this album is the best collection of songs from the Core 7 IMO (notice that I'm not talking about concepts). Of course there are some things I'd like to fix if I could: the absurdly plain version of Ride my see-saw is the low point of the gig. I'd like to listen the wonderful energy of the 1974 Melancholy Man instead of the good but shorter version presented here. The inclusion of the great Minstrell's Song is a pleasant surprise, but Tortoise and the Hare could be off the set list.

Overall this is the best portrait of this magic band playing alive in their glory days. I respect the view of those that prefer the classic Caught Live + 5, the only official source for the live Moodies with Pinder until this release. But this show is better in sound quality, set list and energy. Of course there could be more Ray Thomas in the show but nothing is perfect. All in all, a solid 4 stars.

PS: Mellotron fans, the baby worked very well in this show. The Have you Heard suite is fantastic. PS2: Still waiting for the Japan 1974 offcial release or at least the soundboards. These are the best Moodies alive ever!

moodyxadi | 4/5 | 2010-4-7

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