DAYS OF FUTURE PASSED

While not progressive rock in its own right, this album pioneered the blending of symphonic and rock music, essentially preparing the way for future bands to follow suit and expand on the concept. Though the band and the London Festival Orchestra do play together, the latter, conducted by Peter Knight, performs half of the album on its own, such that I myself would be hesitant to consider this a true symphonic rock album (especially since there is only one proper rock song on the album anyway). Overall, it's a pleasing piece that fits the concept of an everyman's weekday extremely well.

"The Day Begins" The orchestra introduces the musical themes to this album in a beautiful and grand way. "Morning Glory," a poem written by the drummer, appears at the end.

"Dawn: Dawn is a Feeling" The first song on the album is similar to Oldies music, with the orchestra backing the main band.

"Morning: another Morning" Like the one that came before, this song is certainly a lot like Oldies music, but this time features a slightly more complex musical scheme, led by a perky flute. The orchestra takes over completely at the end.

"Lunch Break: Peak Hour" Had I not known better, I would have sworn I was watching a peppy scene from an old Disney film, with the orchestra prancing along as it does in the beginning. After the two-minute introduction, an upbeat pop-rock song begins, sounding like The Beatles and The Who. Afterward, there's a gentler vocal interlude, followed by guitar and keyboard solos.

"The Afternoon: Tuesday Afternoon The first of two hits from this album, this song blends the orchestra and the band pleasantly, creating a rich sound on this memorable pop tune. It boasts a jaunty, well-known second section, played twice before the orchestra offers its more graceful rendition. It leads into "Time to Get Away," a section that highlights the twilight and the end of the workday, with music that is gloomier, more reflective, and feeling "tired."

"Evening: The Sun Set: Twilight Time" Following an elegant orchestral introduction (again, try not to think of Walt Disney), a song with sparse instrumentation and a catchy melody takes over. Over easygoing percussion, the orchestra plays sweet notes. After that part, a sprightly piano hammers out chords while thick vocals and music work over it. Predictably, the orchestra alone finishes the track with some "winding down" music.

"Night: Nights in White Satin" Easily the most widely recognized song from The Moody Blues (and the first one I ever heard from them), this lovely song has a highly memorable melody and musical theme. A gorgeous flute interlude dances along acoustic guitar and Mellotron. The orchestra handles the ending, leaving the listener with the words from the poem "Morning Glory."