The Present
| The Present | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by The Moody Blues | ||||
| Released | 2 September 1983 | |||
| Recorded | 8 March 1982 - 10 December 1982 at Strawberry Studios South | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 41:47 | |||
| Label | Threshold Records | |||
| Producer | Pip Williams | |||
| The Moody Blues chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Present | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| Rolling Stone | [2] |
The Present is the eleventh studio album by The Moody Blues, released in 1983. 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.[citation needed] 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).
Original Track Listing
Side One
- "Blue World" (Justin Hayward) — 5:20
- "Meet Me Halfway" (Hayward, John Lodge) — 4:08
- "Sitting at the Wheel" (Lodge) — 5:40
- "Going Nowhere" (Graeme Edge) — 5:33
Side Two
- "Hole in the World" (Lodge) — 1:54
- "Under My Feet" (Lodge) — 4:51
- "It's Cold Outside of Your Heart" (Hayward) — 4:27
- "Running Water" (Hayward) — 3:23
- "I Am" (Ray Thomas) — 1:40
- "Sorry" (Thomas) — 5:02
2008 remastered CD expanded edition
- "Blue World" (Single Edit)" — 3:38
- "Sitting at the Wheel (Steve Greenberg Remix)" — 7:32
Personnel
The Moody Blues
- Justin Hayward — vocals, guitar
- John Lodge — vocals, bass guitar
- Ray Thomas — vocals, harmonica, flute
- Graeme Edge — drums
- Patrick Moraz — keyboards
Additional personnel
- Pip Williams — sequencing
Charts
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 |
| Pop Singles | 62 | ||
| Billboard Hot 100 | 62 | ||
| "Sitting at the Wheel" | Mainstream Rock | 3 | |
| Pop Singles | 27 | ||
| Billboard Hot 100 | 92 |
References
- ↑ Connolly, Dave. The Present at AllMusic
- ↑ Somay, Errol (1983-10-27). "The Moody Blues: The Present : Music Reviews". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2008-06-06. Retrieved 2012-09-04.