To Our Children's Children's Children

by The Moody Blues

Overview

This latest remastering of To Our Children's Children's Children is essentially a lower-rent reduction of the double-disc SACD/CD "Deluxe Edition" put out by Polydor in Europe in the late winter of 2006. Possibly the SACD market is perceived as too tenuous in the United States, but for whatever reason this single platter release contains only the remastered CD audio -- great sound, to be sure, but no multi-channel surround option -- from that two-disc set's first disc, augmented with highlights from that set's full CD of bonus tracks. This was the group's most advanced album production, on which they carried the concept of the studio as an "instrument" so far, that only one song -- the single "Gypsy," which was the simplest number here, in terms of sound -- ever got played on-stage. Needless to say, the multiple layers of overdubbed sound blossom in all manner of rich tone colors here (and are even more impressive on the SACD version) -- if any Moody Blues album were ever meant for digital audio presentation, it was this one which, thanks to Michael Pinder's ever-advancing electronic keyboards and all of the overdubbing by everyone, is effectively the work of 30 or 40 Moody Blues at times. All of that musicianship, much of it suggested in the sound of the original LP, is closer to the fore now, and well worth hearing in this rather elegant remastering. The main change among the bonus tracks is the elimination of more than half of the December 1969 BBC performance, principally material off the preceding album, On the Threshold of a Dream, as well as that radio performance of "Gypsy"." There's still enough here to please and inform the casual listener, though most serious fans will almost certainly already own the Deluxe Edition with all of this material on it. ~ Bruce Eder

Product Details

Release Date:	07/15/2008
Label:	Decca / Polydor / Universal / Universal Music
UPC:	0600753085790
Rank:	40926

Tracks

1. Higher and Higher
2. The Eyes of a Child, Pt. 1
3. Floating
4. The Eyes of a Child, Pt. 2
5. I Never Thought I'd Live to Be a Hundred
6. Beyond
7. Out and In
8. Gypsy
9. Eternity Road
10. Candle of Life
11. Sun Is Still Shining
12. I Never Thought I'd Live to Be a Million
13. Watching and Waiting
14. Gypsy
15. Candle of Life
16. Sun Is Still Shining
17. Have You Heard/The Voyage/Have You Heard
18. Legend of a Mind

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Moody Blues   Primary Artist,Multi Instruments
Graeme Edge   Drums,Vocals,Percussion
John Lodge   Bass,Guitar,Vocals,Guitar (Bass)
Michael Pinder   Vocals,Keyboards
Ray Thomas   Bass,Horn,Flute,Vocals,Tambourine
Justin Hayward   Sitar,Guitar,Vocals,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Mike Pinder   Piano,Vocals,Mellotron,Spoken Word,Guitar (Acoustic)

Technical Credits

Ben Wiseman   Mastering Engineer
Stephen W. Tayler   Mixing
Joe Black   Project Coordinator
Graeme Edge   Composer
Derek Varnals   Engineer,Photography
John Lodge   Composer
The Moody Blues   Instrumentation
Ray Thomas   Composer
Justin Hayward   Composer,Remastering
Paschal Byrne   Remastering
Phil Smee   Package Design
Robin Thompson   Engineer
Steve Fallone   Digital Remastering
Adrian Martins   Engineer
Barry Plummer   Photography
Alberto Parodi   Remastering
Phil Travers   Artwork,Art Direction,Original Cover Artwork
David Wedgbury   Photography,Original Photography
Michael Pinder   Composer
Tony Clarke   Producer