The Moody Blues - On the Threshold of a Dream (1969)

Dan:

We both have stories to tell about The Moody Blues' On the Threshold of a Dream. As I wrote in my "Father's Story" post, I first heard this album in graduate school while I was riding the campus bus. I quickly bought the album and its sequel, To Our Children's Children's Children, which was released in in the same year. The two preceding albums (Days of Future Passed and In Search of the Lost Chord) raised grand expectations for later albums. The "purple patch" of seven classic prog albums would continue through Seventh Sojourn (1972). New albums would then resume in 1978 with Octave, but much of the past excitement was gone with the later releases. 

The blueprint established by Days of Future Passed was perfected on Threshold, which begins with a whirring mechanical sound that leads to an argument between an innocent voice and a cynical robotic voice. The disagreement is resolved by a third voice advising the ingénue to "keep on thinking free," followed by a quick launch into "Lovely to See You," a simple song brimming with optimism. The remainder of side 1 includes four songs that don't advance the narrative as much as they reinforce the positive vibes of thinking free.

None of side 1 prepares us for side 2, which is one of the Moodies' finest moments on record. "Never Comes the Day" seems to question the premises on side 1. "Never comes the day for my love and me" and "If only you knew what's inside of me now, you wouldn't want to know me somehow" are lyrics that cast doubt on the power of love, even though they're partially resolved. "We alone will be alright in the end" restores hope as long we "give just a little bit more, take a little bit less from each other tonight." The next song, "Lazy Day," digresses into mundane daily routines - a set up for what happens next. 

With no particular provocation, listeners are then seduced into a dream-like state and transported to Camelot where the magician Merlin is about to cast his spell on them. So sit comfortably and prepare for the seven wonders of the world to be laid at your feet. "The Dream" follows as a short, recited poem emblematic of Moody Blues philosophy, ending with "live hand in hand and together we'll stand on the threshold of a dream." A symphony of mellotrons then takes us on "The Voyage," and sets us down gently. The mechanical whirr returns and fades away as the album comes to a close. 

Steve:

As mentioned in my "Son's Story" post, one of my earliest memories in life was listening to "The Voyage" while using a couple of spoons to conduct the Mellotron orchestra. I'm thankful that Dan trusted me enough with his stereo to let me play his records as a young child (age 4-5). Thanks Dad!  Without you I would not be here today, publishing my crucial thoughts about this 50-year-old album with a diminishing fandom on this world-wide platform; I could just as easily be blogging about less important things like retirement savings strategies or college basketball.

On the Threshold of a Dream is a further refinement of the continuous-play, conceptual approach the band began with Days of Future Passed. The orchestral parts, accomplished on their own with In Search of the Lost Chord, now provide even smoother and deeper sonic landscapes. The dramatic opening spoken word panorama of "In the Beginning" is their most frightening piece to date, utilizing a three-dimensional sonic space that seems to occur inside your skull. The entire "Are You Sitting Comfortably" > "The Dream" > "Have You Heard Pt 1" > "The Voyage" > "Have You Heard Pt 2" sequence expands this idea to a pan-musical dimension, moving easily between proto-new age ambience, voice-of-God poetry readings, mellow folk rock, and chaotic classical music. The end of this suite (and of the album) returns to the ring-modulated hum that started it all, continuing ad infinitum in a locked groove at the end of side 2.