To Our Children's Children's Children
| To Our Children's Children's Children | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 21 November 1969 | |||
| Recorded | May–September 1969 | |||
| Studio | Decca, London | |||
| Genre | Progressive rock | |||
| Length | 40:15 | |||
| Label | Threshold | |||
| Producer | Tony Clarke | |||
| the Moody Blues chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from To Our Children's Children's Children | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
To Our Children's Children's Children is the fifth album by the Moody Blues, released in November 1969. While the extracted single, "Watching and Waiting," did not do well in that market, To Our Children's Children's Children was critically well-received and sold well, reaching number 2 in the UK albums chart [2] and number 14 in the US, their best showing yet in that country.[3] "Gypsy (Of a Strange and Distant Time)" became a fan and album oriented rock radio favourite, despite never being released as a single, and remained in the band's concert setlist through the 1970s. The album was mixed and released in both stereo and quadraphonic.
Background
The album was the first released on the group's newly formed Threshold record label, which was named after the band's previous album from the same year, On the Threshold of a Dream. It was inspired by the 1969 moon landing.[4] In the opening track, "Higher and Higher", sound effects of a rocket launching begin the song and last for the first minute. The album was one of those listened to, on cassette tape, by the crew of Apollo 15 in 1971.[5] The album's lushly-produced sound meant that The Moody Blues were only able to perform "Gypsy" live at the time of its release, leading to a creative decision to strip back the production of their next album, A Question of Balance, so that they could perform more of its contents on stage.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Higher and Higher" | Graeme Edge | Pinder (narration) | 4:07 |
| 2. | "Eyes of a Child I" | John Lodge | Lodge | 3:24 |
| 3. | "Floating" | Ray Thomas | Thomas | 3:02 |
| 4. | "Eyes of a Child II" | Lodge | Lodge | 1:20 |
| 5. | "I Never Thought I'd Live to Be a Hundred" | Justin Hayward | Hayward | 1:05 |
| 6. | "Beyond" | Edge | instrumental | 2:59 |
| 7. | "Out and In" | Mike Pinder, Lodge | Pinder | 3:50 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Gypsy (Of a Strange and Distant Time)" | Hayward | Hayward | 3:33 |
| 2. | "Eternity Road" | Thomas | Thomas | 4:19 |
| 3. | "Candle of Life" | Lodge | Lodge, Hayward | 4:15 |
| 4. | "Sun Is Still Shining" | Pinder | Pinder | 3:40 |
| 5. | "I Never Thought I'd Live to Be a Million" | Hayward | Hayward | 0:34 |
| 6. | "Watching and Waiting" | Hayward, Thomas | Hayward | 4:16 |
Personnel
- Justin Hayward – vocals, guitars, sitar
- John Lodge – vocals, bass guitar, harp, acoustic guitar[citation needed]
- Ray Thomas – vocals, flute, tambourine, bass flute, oboe
- Graeme Edge – drums, percussion
- Mike Pinder – vocals, Mellotron, piano, EMS VCS 3, Hammond organ, acoustic guitar, celesta, double bass
Charts
| Chart (1969-1970) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[6] | 11 |
| French Albums (SNEP)[7] | 10 |
| Italian Albums (Musica e Dischi)[8] | 19 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[9] | 2 |
| US Billboard 200[10] | 14 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[11] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[12] | Gold | 500,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
- ^ To Our Children's Children's Children at AllMusic
- ^ "Moody Blues | Full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Official Charts. Retrieved 12 June 2016.
- ^ "The Moody Blues – Chart History | Billboard". Billboard. Retrieved 12 June 2016.
- ^ "Watch To Our Children's Children's Children - BFI Player". BFI Player. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
- ^ HSA Space Exploration and Aviation Auction Catalog #6000. Heritage Capital Corporation. 1 February 2008. ISBN 9781599672274.
- ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 3764". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
- ^ "Le Détail des Albums de chaque Artiste – M". Infodisc.fr (in French). Archived from the original on 22 October 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2012. Select Moody Blues from the menu, then press OK.
- ^ "Classifiche". Musica e Dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 27 May 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Album". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Moody Blues".
- ^ "The Moody Blues | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
- ^ "The Moody Blues Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – The Moody Blues – To Our Children's Children's Children". Music Canada.
- ^ "American album certifications – The Moody Blues – To Our Children's Children's Children". Recording Industry Association of America.
External links
- To Our Children's Children's Children at Discogs (list of releases)
