The Moody Blues - To Our Children's Children's Children (1969) [Deluxe Edition, 2006] 2CD

To Our Children's Children's Children is the fifth album by The Moody Blues, released in November 1969. It was the first album released on the group's newly formed Threshold record label, which was named after the band's previous album from the same year, On the Threshold of a Dream. It was inspired by the 1969 moon landing, and the songs centre on the twin themes of space travel and children, with minor-key tonalities and a distinct psychedelic influence.

This, the post-Denny Laine lineup's fourth album, was the second to be released in 1969. It was the group's most mature, fully realized effort to date, arguably surpassing even the milestone Days Of Future Passed in its elegance and vision. The Moodies were always capable of both songcraft and experimentalism, but this was the first time they combined them both successfully. Mike Pinder's dramatically arcing mellotron is the perfectly complement to the group's lush vocal harmonies, which are colored by rich acoustic guitar textures. Things open on a mind-bendingly psychedelic note with the electrical storm of 'Higher And Higher', but soon the waters calm. Justin Hayward's brief acoustic ballad 'I Never Thought I'd Live To Be A Hundred' is among the band's loveliest tunes, and it leads into 'Beyond', an ambitious instrumental that is the Moodies at their most progressive. Throughout the album, the mixture of winningly melodic balladry, poignant folk-rock and ambitious prog-rock leanings combine for what is one of the Moody Blues' most satisfying albums.





DISC ONE

To Our Children's Children's Children
Originally released as Threshold THS 1 in November 1969

01. Higher And Higher (04:07)
02. The Eyes Of A Child - Part One (03:24)
03. Floating (02:59)
04. The Eyes Of A Child - Part Two (01:24)
05. I Never Thought I'd Live To Be A Hundred (01:06)
06. Beyond (02:59)
07. Out And In (03:50)
08. Gypsy (03:33)
09. Eternity Road (04:19)
10. Candle Of Life (04:15)
11. Sun Is Still Shining (03:40)
12. I Never Thought I'd Live To Be A Million (00:34)
13. Watching And Waiting (04:17)

DISC TWO

01. Gypsy (Alternate Version) (04:18)
02. Candle Of Life (Alternate Version) (04:59)
03. Sun Is Still Shining (Extended Version) (04:07)
04. Gypsy (David Symonds' BBC Radio One Concert, 17 December 1969) (03:22)
05. Sunset (David Symonds' BBC Radio One Concert, 17 December 1969) (03:54)
06. Never Comes The Day (David Symonds' BBC Radio One Concert, 17 December 1969) (04:42)
07. Are You Sitting Comfortably (David Symonds' BBC Radio One Concert, 17 December 1969) (02:54)
08. The Dream (David Symonds' BBC Radio One Concert, 17 December 1969) (00:58)
09. Have You Heard-The Voyage-Have You Heard (David Symonds' BBC Radio One Concert, 17 December 1969) (05:50)
10. Nights In White Satin (David Symonds' BBC Radio One Concert, 17 December 1969) (03:12)
11. Legend Of A Mind (David Symonds' BBC Radio One Concert, 17 December 1969) (04:37)

Produced by Tony Clarke
Reissue Producer: Mark Powell

Remastered by Alberto Parodi & Justin Hayward (tracks: 1-1 to 1-13), Paschal Byrne (tracks: 2-1 to 2-11)

The Band

• Justin Hayward - vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, sitar
• John Lodge - vocals, bass guitar, harp, acoustic guitar
• Ray Thomas - vocals, flute, tambourine, bass flute, oboe
• Graeme Edge - drums, percussion
• Mike Pinder - vocals, Mellotron, piano, EMS VCS 3, Hammond organ, acoustic guitar, celesta, double bass

Notes

Album stereo mix remastered from the original master tapes at Logical Box Studios, Genova, Italy. www.logicalbox.com
5.1 Surround mix manipulated from the original Quadraphonic Masters and bonus tracks remastering at the Audio Archiving Company, London.
Bonus tracks remastering at the Audio Archiving Company, London

Disc Two (CD):
Tracks 1-1 to 1-3: recorded at Decca Studio One, West Hampstead in July 1969.
This trio of out-takes from the "To Our Children's Children's Children" sessions are fascinating versions of these songs prior to being compiled and cross-faded as part of the final album master. All three tracks features extended play outs that were later faded on the final album master.

Tracks 2-4 to 2-11: BBC Radio One "David Symonds concert" - Recorded at the BBC Paris Theatre on December 17th 1969.
Of all the material held in the BBC sound archives by The Moody Blues, this radio concert, recorded in front of an invited audience at the BBC's Paris theatre studio in December 1969 is perhaps the most remarkable. The songs performed that day comprised a shortened version of the set audiences had witnessed on the band's series of live dates that month. Hosted by Radio One DJ David Symonds, a long time champion of the band, this previously unreleased concert recording fully captures the Moody Blues' powerful live act of 1969.

This compilation:
℗ 2006 Decca Music Group Ltd
© 2006 Decca Music Group Ltd
A Universal Company
Made in the E.U.