DAYS OF FUTURE PASSED

The Moody Blues were never a progressive band, that's a fact we must understand before reviewing this good album; they had some progressive approach and some distinctive elements of the genre but nothing more.

On the other hand their relevance as predecessors of the genre is absolutely undeniable, especially in "Days of Future Passed" an album that uses many prog' elements like the use of Mellotron the inclusion of an Orchestra and the fusion of genres. None of this elements was absolutely new in rock history but I could dare to affirm that it was one the first times all were used together.

I've not mentioned the idea of a conceptual rock album (about a normal man's day) which is also characteristic of Progressive Rock, because I believe Days of Future Passed is the first album that clearly developed it, mostly because the story of each song is perfectly linked with the next one something that other previous like Sgt. Pepper's by The Beatles (doesn't have a concrete concept) or Little Deuce Coupe (Just a collection of 12 songs with no senses of continuity) and Freak Out (Also not clearly a conceptual album) both by Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Uinvention.

It's also important to remember that 1967 was a very important year for rock, British Psychedelia was reaching it's maturity but there was needed a change of direction to turn into Progressive Rock, "Days of Future Passed" is one of this first steps, the aggressive and druggy mood of this era is not as evident as in most albums of the era, "Days of Future Passed" is much more lyrical and ambitious.

The introduction of The London Festival Orchestra conducted by Peter Knight was a good idea, even when The Moody Blues didn't worked it perfectly because most of the time the Orchestra sounds as an alien element to the music, not as a vital part of the composition, maybe also a bit naive and simple but at the same time adventurous and elegant. In other words enhances the music but doesn't totally blend with the atmosphere of the album.

I'm not sure if The Moody Blues were conscious they were helping to create a new genre, but they wanted to do something different and surely they did it.

Justin Hayward's voice is one of the highlights; his voice reaches almost all the ranges and sounds perfect for this soft kind of music. Keyboards are absolutely innocent and that's maybe it's greatest beauty, specially when Pinder sounds absolutely different to anything from the late 60's, it's important to notice that when most bands where using the cheesy Farfisa Organ, The Moody Blues were experimenting with the Mellotron.

If I had to choose a track I would have to go with "Nights in White Satin" because of the importance it has as an all time classic that will pass to history as one of the masterpieces of Rock history, simply beautiful and wonderful song.

It's very hard to rate this album, because the music is too simple to consider "Days of Future Passed" as a masterpiece, but it's relevance in the developing of early prog' is so transcendental that no collection will be considered complete without a copy.

Considering this two aspects I will rate the album with 4 stars.