Moody Blues Octave Genres:Pop, Rock, Classic Rock Digitally remastered and expanded edition of this classic 1978 album from the British Pop/Rock band includes five bonus live tracks and a 16 page booklet. The Moody Blues may not be mentioned in the same breath as The Kink... more »s, The Who, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, but they are more than deserving of being compared to those influential bands. From their beginnings in the '60s to the millennium, The Moody Blues have continued to create exceptional music and expand their devoted fanbase with each new generation. Universal. 2008.« less
Digitally remastered and expanded edition of this classic 1978 album from the British Pop/Rock band includes five bonus live tracks and a 16 page booklet. The Moody Blues may not be mentioned in the same breath as The Kinks, The Who, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, but they are more than deserving of being compared to those influential bands. From their beginnings in the '60s to the millennium, The Moody Blues have continued to create exceptional music and expand their devoted fanbase with each new generation. Universal. 2008.
Member CD Reviews
Michelle D. from HAMPDEN, ME Reviewed on 3/29/2021...
Wow! I've just finished listening to this and the first thought was 'How do the Moody Blues not have a classic 8?' This album is so good! Steppin' In A slide Zone is one of my favorite Moody Blues songs. Driftwood is really great, as is I'm Your Man. Survival is very nice to listen to. Top Rank Quite is cool. I'll be level with you is phenomenal. This is a really great album. BUT it does have it's weak points. I don't really like any others except for the ones that I mentioned above. It would be five stars, but it's 4 1/2 because of the other songs. The live cuts as bonuses aren't that good either. I think that bumps it down even further to four stars. A good album and I would recommend it to anyone.
1. Steppin' In A Slide Zone
2. Under Moonshine
3. Had To Fall In Love
4. I'll Be Level With You
5. Driftwood
6. Top Rank Suite
7. I'm Your Man
8. Survival
9. One Step Into The light
10. The Day We Meet Again
BONUSES
11. Steppin' In A Slide Zone (Live, Seattle 1979)
12. I'm Your Man (Live, Seattle 1979)
13. Top Rank Suite (Live, Seattle 1979)
14.Driftwood (Live, Seattle 1979)
15. The Day We Meet Again (Live, Houston 1978)
CD Reviews
Steppin' In A Slide Zone
Dark Star-The Other One | The Bus To Never Ever Land | 11/19/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"At last, one of the Moodies most underrated albums gets a remaster. Unfortunately, this album has gotten some bad press ever since it was released in '78 which is sad given the fact that the songs are actually very strong for the most part. This was the first album for the band after their "break" in '73/'74 and the first album since Seventh Sojourn in '72. There had been a bunch of solo albums and side projects during those years and hopes were running high when it was annouced that the band was reuniting for this album. It reached a fever pitch the year before when Caught Live +5 was released. With this album, the band's sound is altered slightly with very little mellotron and more synth. Some at the time saw this as a chance to fit in with late '70's radio although to me, this seems a direction that the band was headed in anyway.
As far as the songs themselves, John's Steppin' In A Slide Zone flat out rocks and Survival is a pretty ballad. Justin's has three strong ballads in Had To Fall In Love, Driftwood and The Day We Meet Again. Ray turns in two classics with Under Moonshine and I'm Your Man while both Michael and Graeme turn in greats in on One Step Into The Light and I'll Be Level With You. This was also Mike's last album as he decided to leave during the recording sessions.
This remastered version also includes five live songs recorded at two shows on the album's tour. While I really like these, I should point out that they are simple two track recordings more than likely taken from a simple cassette master. In other words, it's good sounding bootleg stuff."
Strong remastering effort
Skip Global | 11/29/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Regardless of one's opinion about this particular album, I must say that I am very pleased with the remastering by Hayward / Parodi. Many sounds burried in the previous CD release are now clearly apparent. Also, the cymbals and guitars have much more definition and zing. The whole presentation now finally comes to life and doesn't sound like they are playing somewhere on the next mountain top. Warning to vinyl lovers: this disc still has that "edgy" CD sound at times, albeit it is very slight. Why this wasn't this released as a hybrid SACD with its more analogue sound qualities is beyond me. And why no 5.1 remix...oh well."
Remastered at last!
David A. Likuski | Oakland, Ca. USA | 02/17/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I was reading Justin Hayward's archive of "happenings", and was stoked (and very relieved) that this album was not overlooked...the 15+ year wait is over!! It is in my shopping cart now here on Amazon, and I will finish my order as soon as I finish typing this!
If I read a previous review correctly (but please correct me if not), it is good to know that the original (LP-shortened) version of Survival is on here, as the 5+ minute one has always seemed too long to me. This album is the soundtrack of a computer slideshow of my first 5 years, from 1975-1980. Once I started remembering the songs better after a few listens, I felt as if I was time-warped, and viewing old slides of the time this music was recorded justified that. Songs such as Under Moonshine, HTFILove, IBLWYou, Driftwood, IYMan, OSITLight, and TDWMAgain are so...retro (for lack of a better word!). The others that I didn't mention are all great in their own way, but those stand out the most, in this case.
Octave may remain underrated, compared to the C7, probably forever, but it is a must-have if you are a "real" Moodies fan! :-)"
End Of Journey
Mark A. Fitzgerald | Pittsburgh, Pa. United States | 12/29/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I began my love for the Moody Blues in 1981 with their 1981 album "Long Distance Voyager,' having been attracted by the hit singles ("Gemini Dream," and "The Voice'). I feel like my journey through all their pop material has ended in 1978, with "Octave." This album has a little of everything, from love, to personhood, to hard times, to enlightenment. I think it's very "graspable" to someone who likes a seventies sound, and music with some depth of feeling and meaning. This new version is great; "J.H." did an excellent job of restoring the sound, which is considerably stronger than the original recording, I believe. The five live tracks come from the following year to the release, and the band sounds quite strong (and happy); I think any Moodies fan will like these extra gems, that reflect the recorded versions in interesting ways. Charting the development of the group members, and particularly Heyward and Thomas marks part of the interest of intrigue: I would highly recommend this collection of songs and performances!
Michelle D. from HAMPDEN, ME