This single-CD compilation doesn't do too much more than scratch the surface of the band's sound at its most popular points, but it does do one thing that no prior
Moody Blues
compilation ever did -- it includes
"Go Now,"
which, as the notes point out, is still the group's top-charting single in England. What it doesn't do is get
"Go Now"
in really good sound (no one seems to have a proper master source) or include their even better follow-up single,
"From the Bottom of My Heart."
Still, this body of work is pleasing and, thanks to its extension back to the original lineup, even a little bit informative, and it was the first
compilation to be mastered in 20-bit audio. The dominant personality is
Justin Hayward
, who has provided the band with most of its hits, followed somewhat distantly by
John Lodge
, whose songs began to shine as the '70s dawned -- a pair of
Hayward
/
Lodge
songs and one solo
release fill out the 17 tracks, which showcase the soulful, the mystical, and the
psychedelic
aspects of their music in equal parts. It's a good intro to their history, and anyone who wants more can jump to the
Time Traveller
box. ~ Bruce Eder