The Moody Blues - The Lost Performance: Live In Paris '70
Songs that defined the classic rock sound of the Moody Blues, established in the five albums between 1967'sDays of Future Passedand 1970s'A Question of Balance, are the attraction of the hourlongThe Lost Performance. And a distinctive sound it was, with its sweeping, mellotron-driven textures, rich, high harmonies, and lyrics that were New Age before there was such a thing. Problem is, calling this show "live" isn't strictly accurate. Lead vocalists Justin Hayward (guitar) and Ray Thomas (flute, harmonica) appear to be singing for real, but everything else is pre-recorded, with little or no effort to disguise the fact; songs fade out rather than finish, we hear instrumental parts that no one onstage is playing, bassist John Lodge's instrument isn't even plugged in, and there's nary a mellotron in sight. Add to that fairly poor, washed out visuals and subpar sound, and you've got a recipe for mediocrity--except that some of the songs (like "Ride My Seesaw," "Never Comes the Day," and "Tuesday Afternoon") are so well-crafted, and so vivid is their evocation of their era, that these lapses can largely be overlooked, especially as this is apparently the only visual record of the band in its prime.--Sam Graham