A Question Of Balance [Extra tracks, Original recording remastered]

'Question'... what can you say about this song. A classic from the Moodies, perhaps their most complete song along with 'Legend of a Mind', is a protest song and a love song, a ballad and a rocker, a political song about Vietnam war (with very deep spiritual reflexions) and an absolutely glorious sing of personal and sentimental feeling about love, loneliness and the difficulty of life that everyone can share. It's really two different songs put together, but the outcome is a very 'balanced' double song.

Mike Pinder's participation includes two very different songs, 'How is It (We Are Here)' is a fantastic song about Mother Nature full with psychedelic references. The fuzz guitar solo by Justin Hayward is amazing. The other song, 'Melancholy Man' is a very sad and dramatic one, almost apocalyptic, with words full of meaning as always happens with this man's songs. The voices and mellotrons evocate a very dramatic situation in which the world has been sunk in darkness.

John Lodge appears with the fast 'Tortoise and the Hare', a philosophical song about the tale of the same name, that means that you have to do what you believe, not be scared of some people trying to overtake you or seem to be better 'cos at the end, if you follow your own beliefs they will prevail at last. The other song from his is 'Minstrel's Song' very philosophical as well and with this wonderful chorus, "listen to the one who sings of love".

What really happens with the Moody Blues is while their music is as good as from any other great band, they dare to say things that other bands don't, busy trying to catch the eyes of people just for commerciality. This five guys opened their own souls completely in every song in a way no band has ever done. That's why they are my favourites from all time.

The other two sharings from Justin Hayward apart from 'Question' are two: The great 'It's Up to You', a nice rocker with very optimistic words and music, and the wonderful 'Dawning is the Day' in which he seems to give advice to a person that's changing his life and finding a lot of new things in his own soul. It has a very soft part at the beginning, followed by a strong middle part that stounds as an intense and heartfelt one. The words are a bit of a resurrection, the whole song would be full of meaning in some times of your life.

Ray Thomas, the flute player, adds two songs, the superb ballad 'And The Tide Rushes In', which came after a fight with his wife, about which the producer, Tony Clarke, said that Ray should fight with his wife more often!! The last one, 'The Balance' is a collaboration between him and Graeme Edge, the drummer, who wrote the spoken words read by Mike Pinder. It's a tale about a man that rests below a tree at night and looking to the stars he finds the harmony and perfection of the Universe and changes his life forever.

If you feel touched by the meaning of this songs you are a fan of the Moody Blues already, 'cos their music is even better. Any of the 'Seven Classic' albums (from 1967 to 1972) is perfect for knowing this band. No other one has the same of a huge soul as the Moody Blues.