Back in the wild and woolly days of 1970, The Moody Blues were one of the
top rock bands of the hit parade. Weathering an early R&B influence and
personnel changes after their 1964 hit “Go Now,” the group came
into their own in the late 60s and early 70s with Days of Future Passed,
To Our Children’s Children’s Children and A
Question Of Balance. The distinctive Mellotron/flute flavorings and
strong vocal harmonies that encompassed those records are presented “live”
on the 14-song Live At The Isle of Wight Festival 1970 CD.
Though unprecedented gems of history, one still has to muddle though a bit of
a mismatched sound when it comes to recordings from the infamous 1970 Isle Of
Wight Festival. Those sort of problems exist here. On the first two tracks here
for instance, “Gypsy” and “The Sunset,” Mike Pinder’s
Mellotron drowns out the band. What is apparent, however, especially on “Tuesday
Afternoon,” is that drummer Graeme Edge and bassist John Lodge created
a tight rhythm section. The band’s harmonies are featured on “Minstrel’s
Song” before the angelic voice of Justin Hayward and the jangly hollow
body guitar take over on “Never Comes a Day.” “Tortoise And
The Hare” dates the band and doesn’t seem to work in a ive setting.
It starts off well enough but then that damn Mellotron (which was a problematic
instrument on even the best of days) is simply too loud, rendering this classic
far too muddy.
“Question” is more a workout for Hayward on rhythm guitar, but
the harmonies are intact and that middle section has a nice dramatic quality
— despite the accelerated pace. “Melancholy Man,” with some
nice flute work from Ray Thomas and a heavy beat from Edge showcases the band’s
dynamics. “Are You Sitting Comfortably” also features more weaving
flute lines floating under the vocal. The spooky “The Dream,” with
a Mellotron intro and a bit of spoken-word poetry flows right into “Have
You Heard (Parts 1 and 2).” This is pure Moody Blues magic.
Of course, “Nights In White Satin” is about as great as you think
it might sound. Somehow, the Mellotron doesn’t overburden this one, and
the harmonies fall in nicely behind Hayward. The CD ends with “Legend
Of A Mind” and the moving, slightly poppy “Ride My See Saw.”
Despite the sound problems, Live At The Isle of Wight Festival 1970
is a piece of history any fan with a penchant for raw, yet refined symphonic
rock from the pioneers of the genre will relish.
~ Ralph Greco, Jr.
