On the Threshold of a Dream

Bruce Beatlefan (November 21, 2011)

"On the Threshold of a Dream" is an enormously popular album among Moody Blues fans: it became their first #1 album in their homeland, and is heavily represented in their compilation albums (especially "This is the Moody Blues"). Following the brilliant "In Search of the Lost Chord", this album presents a now familiar album format of songs written by all the band's members, evocative spoken-word tracks giving the album a unified sound, and a track list which suggest a common theme, giving their fans a comfort level unique to that group. It is with some trepidation, therefore, that I review this album in a negative light. What the members of the group brought to the table this time around simply does not add up to a strong album; it is by far the weakest collection of songs from any of their "Classic Seven" albums, comparing much more closely to the largely unpopular mid-1980's albums.

In fact, listening to the album gives me the distinct impression that two members, John Lodge and Michael Pinder, were unable to whomp up the requisite two new songs for inclusion and were forced to reach back into their file of discards ("Send Me No Wine", "To Share Our Love", and "So Deep Within You") to fill the album out. Pinder compensates with the ambitious and adventurous triptych of songs to complete the theme of the album, but even "Have You Heard I, II/The Voyage" is a below average melody which fails to engage my ear.

Graeme Edge sparkles with a humorous spoken-word opening which segues brilliantly with the superb "Lovely to See You" (Justin Hayward) to get the album off to a strong start. For the second album in a row, Justin Hayward and Ray Thomas team up to weave their magic with "Are You Sitting Comfortably", but these are enchanted islands set in a midst of a well-intentioned but uninspired collection.

The worst offender is Ray Thomas: his two songs make me cringe! It might be in part because he was the good soldier who wrote his songs to fit with the album's loose "concept" (which, stated in brief, is how mankind's aspirations for spiritual wholeness are waylaid by the mundane demands of everyday life). Thomas's two songs are actually pretty well-written, expressing two lives which are rendered inert through insensitive solipsism ("Dear Diary") and self-indulgent indolence ("Lazy Day"). My problem is mixing the childlike melodies typical of Thomas with lyrics which lack the vivid word pictures of previous songs ("Another Morning" and "Visions of Paradise"); instead, the lyrics are dull and sound hastily assembled. In fairness, I need to add that among most fans, these remain fairly popular songs from Ray Thomas's library, but they are among my least favorite songs of his.

Now I do need to add the disclaimer that my comments compare "On the Threshold of a Dream" to other Moody Blues albums; I would still rather listen to this modest collection than 90% of anything else out there. With this album you still have the sincere wholesomeness of their vision, the impeccable production of their music, and imagination and beauty. What you don't have here are songs that are very good, according to the very high bar that has been set by the preceding two albums.