CD of the Day - "The Moody Blues: Isle of Wight Festival"

CD of the Day
The Moody Blues: "Live at the Isle of Wight Festival" (Eagle/ST2)

In 1970 The Moody Blues were at their creative and commercial peak. After reinventing themselves from their R&B roots to a much more sophisticated sound, between 1967 and 1970 they released five albums, four of which hit the Top 5 in the UK with two of them going to No.1. They enjoyed similar success in the USA where four of the albums hit the Top 20 and the other was just outside. At the end of August 1970, shortly after the release of their album "A Question Of Balance," The Moody Blues took to the stage of the Isle Of Wight Festival (the England version of Woodstock) in front of an audience estimated at over half a million. This CD makes that performance available for the first time, including a great version of guitarist Justin Hayward's "Nights in White Satin," from their groundbreaking album "Days of Future Passed," and which would be later covered by Brazilian arranger Eumir Deodato on his second CTI album, "Deodato 2."
Among the other tracks are "Gypsy," "Tuesday Afternoon," "The Sunset," "Never Comes the Day," "Tortoise and the Hare," "Question," "Melancholy Man," "Legend of a Mind," "Ride My See Saw," "Minstrel's Song" and "Are You Sitting Comfortably", played by Hayward, Mike Pinder (on the mellotron! - a vintage keyboard instrument operated by a system of rollers and delicate tape loops, sounding like a mix of organ and strings), Graham Edge (drums), John Lodge (bass) & Ray Thomas (flute and vocals).
Michael Headley provides a nice set of liner notes, and all tracks were carefully remixed by Alberto Parodi & Danilo Madonia under the supervision of Justin Hayward himself.