PRELUDE

I was quite reluctant to listen to this album. Can you imagine? A Moodies album made of B-sides as well as "5" forgotten songs (already available on their live album "Caught Live + 5"). What a programme! Actually, it should be considered more as a compilation album (it is not considered as a true studio album on their official site).

What oen gets here are some pleasant psychedelia ("Fly Me High", "Leave This Man Alone", "Cities") combined with old fashioned songs which haven't aged very well ("Love & Beauty").

This work is intended to die-hard Moodies fans. A fine way for them to get some rarities on a single album. Some songs are more than honorable like "A Simple Game". More upbeat, it features good vocal harmonies and a nice melody. My preferred song of the whole.

Then come the "five" songs in a row of which "Gimme A Little Somethin'" is above average. The worse really being "Please Think About It" (they should have done so) as well as "Long Summer Days". The best one is probably "King & Queen" : another enjoyable melody with a good chorus and some fine keyboards.

And the last one is not bad either. Good mellotron work during What Am I Doing Here. The Moodies were really one of the first well-known bands to use this great instrument and should be granted therefore.

Still, I wonder why "Late Lament" (which is an excerpts from "Nights") closes this album. Nothing to do here IMO. If I could, I would rate this compilation with three out of ten. Since I have been quite harsh with the band ultimately, I will round it up to two stars.

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