The Moody Blues Live: Lovely to See You

After the somewhat disappointing The Moody Blues Hall of Fame: Live from the Royal Albert Hall (VL-1/01), in which the popular (1960s-‘80s) classical rockers delivered a somewhat middling orchestra-backed concert, this 2005 performance from the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles finds the band stripped down to the semi-essentials, with core members Justin Hayward (guitar/vocals), John Lodge (bass/vocals) and Graeme Edge (drums) joined by a second drummer, a pair of keyboardists, and—on select tunes—Norda Mullen on flute during a 20-song set. Opening with “Lovely to See You,” the Moodies deliver a string of audience-pleasing hits, including “Tuesday Afternoon,” "The Story in Your Eyes," "I Know You're Out There Somewhere," "Your Wildest Dreams," and “The Voice,” among others, closing out strongly with the final four numbers: “I'm Just a Singer (In a Rock & Roll Band),” "Nights in White Satin," "Question," and "Ride My See-Saw." Although the show itself is predictably staid (drummer Edge exhibits more joie de vivre than either of the lead singers with his spirited rendition of “Higher and Higher”—if only the song itself were better), the sound—with DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1 and stereo options—is a cut above the aforementioned Royal Albert Hall concert, although Hayward's vocals continue to occasionally sound flat. Still, this is a solid offering overall, presenting a fine retrospective of the band's best. DVD extras include an amiable interview with the group. Recommended. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)[Blu-ray Review—July 22, 2008—Image, 106 min., not rated, $24.98—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 2005's The Moody Blues Live: Lovely to See You looks stunning and features a DTS-HD master audio 5.1 soundtrack. The only extra is an 18-minute interview with the band. Bottom line: looking and sounding good on Blu-ray, this will definitely appeal to Moody fans with BD players.]