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Pleasant surprise

B. Bennett | Winston-Salem, NC | 10/20/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"i must admit that i was skeptical when i heard this cd was coming out. how in the world could moody blues music be translated into the NASHVILLE bluegrass sound??! i am a big moody fan, but only a casual fan of bluegrass music (i must be in the mood - no pun intended - to enjoy it). i was amazed to find how easily and how masterfully moody tunes could become acousticly oriented bluegrass. bluegrass, like most other genres of music, can come in a wide spectrum of forms - from purist to pop. not being an expert, i would have to say that the style would fit more into the "popular" bluegrass genre which would make it more palatable to the casual listener. i was delighted to find examples of moody songs from most of their long career, and not just focusing on the hits. this is a great cd and the performers interpret the songs very well. if i was a moody, i'd be flattered."

Nicely Done!

Lee R. Toman | Rochester, NY United States | 10/03/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Let me first say I don't listen to bluegrass music but I am a big Moody Blues fan. So when I heard this CD was coming out I was not sure if I would like it. I listened to some of the songs samples here on Amazon and liked what I heard, so I bought the CD. It is very good!



I was especially impressed with the quality of the singing and the musicianship. These people can really play!



They very much get into the songs. The feeling on It's Up To You and Nights in White Satin is very moving. The rendition of Legend of a Mind would make Ray Thomas proud! They even did one of my favorite songs, Land of Make Believe.



I recommend this to any one who is a Moody Blues fan. The songs are presented in a way that makes you understand them in a whole new light."

Moody Bluegrass Exceedes Expectations

Nashvillekat | Music City, USA | 10/03/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I am a fan of the Moody Blues and of Bluegrass music, however, all the various Nashville tributes can be hit or miss. One thing I've noticed over the years, is that those country/bluegrass tribs work best if the original rock music has well-crafted melodies and lyrics. Rock that relies more on the rhythm and bluesy feel of the music rarely translates as well. On that score, I felt the Moodies' tunes had a better than average shot of coming out all right.



When I opened the CD and saw who the musicians and singers involved were, my hopes were raised even more. It seems this was a real and longtime labor of love for producer/mandolinist, David Harvey. Hey, with John Cowan singing lead on 4 songs and Tim O'Brien lead on 2 how bad could it be? Truthfully, this CD exceeded all my expectations. Alison Brown performs on banjo, Tim May on guitar, Andrew Hall on dobro, Duncan Stuart on fiddle and even Alison Krause and Sam Bush pop in for some backing vocals. And that's just the short list. Hearing "Nights In White Satin" played on THREE mandolins and sung by Cowan and "Land of Make Believe" sung by O'Brien is worth the price of admission. All in all, this CD is a very nice surprise and listening to it is a genuine pleasure.



The following is a quote from the liner notes.



In the end, that's what good art is: a cathartic experience, not only for those who make it, but for those who see or hear it. What strikes a listener about "Moody Bluegrass" is, ultimately, the way that these performances reveal what is universal about these songs. "These are great songs, because they stand the test of time, they stand the whole different approach and different genre and different style of singer," Harvey says. He's right, and if that surprises us, the fault is no one's but ours. - Jon Weisberger, Nashville, Tennessee, May, 2004

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