The Smiley Smile Message Board

In June of 2013, the Moodies released this gargantuan 17-disc box set to celebrate their "45th" anniversary. It became a veteran cosmic rocker (out of print) with uncommon speed and the few copies out there fetch insane prices on third-party sites. I've managed to have a copy appear in my lap.

This set does not disappoint.

The first five discs are a much larger appreciation of the band's studio work than has ever been attempted before, although curiously lacking Go Now and From the Bottom of My Heart from the Mark I Denny Laine/Clint Warwick-era lineup; maybe not a HUGE omission, but those two were hits (albeit a small one in the case of the latter) on both sides of the pond. A serious overview of the band's career should not be missing those two tracks. To infuriate collectors further, the tracks from Days of Future Passed on the box are the original 1967 stereo mixes (you know, the ones the band claims are "damaged"). Some of the post-1983 selections are curious (I've never seen a fan rave about Slings and Arrows, River of Endless Love, or Say What You Mean). Sure, there isn't much in the way of previously unreleased studio rarities (a few mid-70s remixes for the attempted follow up to This Is the Moody Blues) but the box set does fill in a few holes from the band's guest appearances on compilation albums and includes a smattering of material released on other compilations and reissues but it doesn't catch them all (the Coca-Cola advertisements from 1968, Nights in White Satin in Spanish from 1987, and What Child Is This from a 1993 Christmas compilation are missing).

The next six discs are all live material with a complete reissue of Caught Live +5, the fabled Blue Jays live recording from England in 1975, a disc of highlights from Seattle in 1979, almost all of the 1983 Los Angeles gig, some highlights from Red Rocks, and further highlights from Birmingham in 1997. Those who collect bootlegs won't find as many surprises here but considering the fact that the Blue Jays gig didn't go around at all, this is the huge find.

Three of the DVDs are the 5.1 remixes of all of the Classic Seven albums, minus Lost Chord. Same as we had before on the 2006 SACD reissues. The other three DVDs are promotional videos and other random concert appearances. Nothing seen before, but it's good to have them in a complete official package.

The book that this set comes with is worth the price of admission.
Joe

I wasn't able to get a copy of the book, but what I've heard about the book is almost unanimously positive. Kind of sucks that the set is out of print...hopefully the band will release the previously unreleased concert recordings in separate sets.

They're heading out on an extensive tour shortly.  Product might magically appear/reappear.  GREAT group...although it seems that we over on this side of the pond 'get it' moreso than those over 'ome across the foam.

The Moodies are a great band!

 The Moody Blues were definitely on a roll 1967-72. Very prolific era. All the albums were good, but I like EVERY GOOD BOY DESERVES FAVOUR, OR FUDGE the least.