The Moody Blues - The Story Of The Moody Blues...Legend Of A Band (1990)

With a career as illustrious as the Moody Blues, it's difficult to group together all their best material on a single disc, but Legend of a Band acts as a brief yet pleasant jaunt through some of their most popular work. While some of their early material is deemed slightly progressive because of lengthy keyboard suites and instrumental runs, it wasn't until the mid- to late '70s that their music began to take a more rock & roll-oriented path. Even though only 12 songs make up this hits collection, they do offer a definitive cross section of their music. The early tracks, which include classics like "Tuesday Afternoon," "Question," and "The Story in Your Eyes," as well as their highest-charting single, the dreamy "Nights in White Satin," aptly display their late-'60, early-'70s sound. It was songs such as these that melded a fairy-tale guitar feel and wavy synthesizer washes with Justin Hayward's fragile voice. This set also includes their late-'80s hits which contained a slightly edgier rock & roll sound, with a touch more bite on the guitars and friendlier, catchier choruses. Songs like "I Know You're Out There Somewhere" and "Your Wildest Dreams" come from the last years of their career, but still carry a certain magic that rides on Hayward's velvety singing. The Moody Blues' sound is one that is truly unique because of their curved melodies and glossy guitar/keyboard flow, unlike many bands of their era. This compilation acts as an excellent introduction for someone who is curious about their music.