On The Threshold Of A Dream (The Moody Blues, 1969)

Apparently my iTunes library can't get enough Moodies, so let us continue the story. This album is probably remains one of the best-loved of the Core-7 era. While I enjoy the album a great deal, I'm not quite as exuberant as some of the most rabid fans. Working off the groundwork set by the prior two albums, this one pushes the concept idea about as far as the band was willing to go...but is it really a true concept album? Most of this concept is in the opening and final four tracks. Sandwiched between these are a mixed bag of songs, some of which hearken back to the earlier days of the band, courtesy of unabashed rocker bassist John Lodge. Others, generally provided by Ray Thomas and Justin Hayward, are quieter acoustic numbers. I think people get so hung up on the "space-machine" opening and closing that they mistakenly paint the whole album as a concept album. Even as soon as the second track, "Lovely to See You", we leave behind the whole "dreams" and "existence" themes that commonly describe the album. While a few of the others are rather jaunty, there are a some brooders in the mix as well ("Dear Diary" stands out in particular). But is there a theme here? I guess if you really want to stretch interpretations, you could think of the album of as a "Day in the Life" structure, where the middle eight tracks are various daytime activities of a random nature, of which the last two ("Lazy Day" and "Are You Sitting Comfortably") wind things down into the dreamworld of the final "suite" of songs. Again, it's quite a reach.

Some additional notes: I've said it before and I'll say it again, John Lodge cannot escape being the rocker. Not to say that's all he does, but there has to be at least one on every single album. I think as Graeme Edge got away from poetry he began to rival Lodge in this department, but I cannot think of an album where Lodge keeps in mellow the whole time. Also, I've always found it interesting how the most whimsical and darkest songs are usually both written by Ray Thomas. "Lazy Day" and "Dear Diary" written by the same person? Yikes!