A QUESTION OF BALANCE

Just as everyone else was jumping forward into the 1970s, the Moody Blues decided to go back to basics. Stripping away the orchestral touches to feature just the band playing somewhat more straight-ahead takes on their cosmic rock might have sounded like a good idea to revitalise their sound, but in practice it made them sound dated - like a proto-prog pop group from 1967 still holding out hope that an outpouring of peace and love from Woodstock could halt Vietnam.

To be fair, the album itself is perfectly listenable its own right, but at the same time it also marks the spot where the Moodies failed to keep up with the cutting edge of the progressive rock movement they'd helped to kick off. Though this is a solid album, and they'd put out further solid albums after that, they'd never again feel quite like the trailblazers they were on In Search of the Lost Chord or To Our Childrens' Childrens' Children.