The Present

The Present
Studio album by The Moody Blues
Released 28 August 1983 (UK)
2 September 1983 (US)
Recorded 8 March - 10 December 1982
Strawberry Studios South
Genre Rock
Length 41:47
Label Threshold Records
Producer Pip Williams
The Moody Blues chronology
Long Distance Voyager
(1981)		 The Present
(1983)		 The Other Side of Life
(1986)
Singles from The Present
  1. "Blue World"
    Released: August 1983
  2. "Sitting at the Wheel"
    Released: November 1983
  3. "Running Water"
    Released: March 1984
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [1]

The Present is the eleventh album by The Moody Blues. It is the second album of the Patrick Moraz era. It had three minor hit singles, "Blue World" (#62) , "Sitting at the Wheel" (#27) and "Running Water". The album itself features strong compositions, but with a track order designed to capitalise on the legacy of the more successful Long Distance Voyager, with Justin Hayward's songs at the beginning and Ray Thomas' as finales.

The Present also became, in 1983, the first compact disc manufactured worldwide. In November 2008, the album was remastered and released on CD with two extra tracks.

The cover is a pastiche of Maxfield Parrish's famous painting Daybreak, with some subtle details: The crossed arms of the standing child is said to symbolise the roman numeral X, this being the Moody Blues' tenth album (with Lodge and Hayward).

Contents

Track listing

Side One

  1. "Blue World" (Justin Hayward) - 5:20
  2. "Meet Me Halfway" (Hayward, John Lodge) - 4:08
  3. "Sitting at the Wheel" (Lodge) - 5:40
  4. "Going Nowhere" (Graeme Edge) - 5:33

Side Two

  1. "Hole in the World" (Lodge) - 1:54
  2. "Under My Feet" (Lodge) - 4:51
  3. "It's Cold Outside of Your Heart" (Hayward) - 4:27
  4. "Running Water" (Hayward) - 3:23
  5. "I Am" (Ray Thomas) - 1:40
  6. "Sorry" (Thomas) - 5:02

2008 Remastered CD Expanded Edition

  1. Blue World (Single Edit) - 3:38
  2. Sitting at the Wheel (Steve Greenberg Remix) - 3:49

Personnel

Chart positions

Album - Billboard (North America)

Year Chart Position
1983 Pop Albums 26

Singles - Billboard (North America)

Year Single Chart Position
1983 "Blue World" Mainstream Rock 32
1983 "Blue World" Pop Singles 62
1983 "Blue World" Billboard Hot 100 62
1983 "Sitting at the Wheel" Mainstream Rock 3
1983 "Sitting at the Wheel" Pop Singles 27
1983 "Sitting at the Wheel" Billboard Hot 100 92

References

  1. ^ Connolly, Dave. The Present at Allmusic

External links

The Moody Blues
Studio albums
Live albums
Compilations
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