A Question of Balance

A Question of Balance
A Question of Balance
Studio album by The Moody Blues
Released	7 August 1970
Recorded	January – June 1970 at Decca Studios, West Hampstead, London
Genre	Progressive rock, folk rock
Length	38:41
Label	Threshold
Producer	Tony Clarke
The Moody Blues chronology
Singles from A Question of Balance
	"Question"; Released: 24 April 1970;

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]
Rolling Stone	(unrated)^[2]

A Question of Balance is the sixth album by The Moody Blues. The album was an attempt by the group to strip down their well-known lush, psychedelic sound in order to be able to better perform the songs in concert.^[3] Released in 1970, the album reached No. 1 in the United Kingdom and #3 in the United States.

In March 2006, the album was remastered into SACD format and repackaged with six extra tracks. In 2008, a remaster for standard audio CD was issued with the same bonus tracks.

Track listing[]

Side one
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Lead vocals	Length
1.	"Question"	Justin Hayward	Hayward	5:40
2.	"How Is It (We Are Here)"	Mike Pinder	Pinder	2:48
3.	"And the Tide Rushes In"	Ray Thomas	Thomas	2:57
4.	"Don't You Feel Small"	Graeme Edge	Hayward, Thomas, Pinder, John Lodge; whisper by Edge	2:40
5.	"Tortoise and the Hare"	Lodge	Lodge	3:23

Side two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Lead vocals	Length
6.	"It's Up to You"	Hayward	Hayward	3:11
7.	"Minstrel's Song"	Lodge	Lodge	4:27
8.	"Dawning Is the Day"	Hayward	Hayward	4:22
9.	"Melancholy Man"	Pinder	Pinder	5:49
10.	"The Balance"	Edge, Thomas	Pinder (narration)	3:33
Total length:				38:41

2006 SACD expanded edition and 2008 remaster bonus tracks
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
11.	"Mike's Number One" (previously unreleased)	Pinder	3:36
12.	"Question" (alternate version)	Hayward	6:08
13.	"Minstrel's Song" (original mix)	Lodge	4:35
14.	"It's Up to You" (original mix)	Hayward	3:19
15.	"Don't You Feel Small" (original mix)	Edge	3:02
16.	"Dawning Is the Day" (full original mix)	Hayward	4:36

Chart positions[]

Album[]

Year	Chart	Position
1970	UK Albums Chart^[4]	1
	Billboard 200	3
	Danish Albums Chart^[5]	7
1975
1975	Danish Albums Chart^[6]	17

Singles[]

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1970	"Question"	UK Singles Chart	2
1970	"Question"	Billboard Hot 100	21

The "Question" single released in the United States and Canada was a 4:55 edit of the song, in a substantially different mix from the album version that eliminated many of the Mellotron overdubs featured in the latter.

Personnel[]

Justin Hayward - vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, mandolin
John Lodge - vocals, bass
Ray Thomas - vocals, flute, tambourine
Graeme Edge - drums, percussion, whispered vocal on "Don't You Feel Small"
Mike Pinder - vocals, Mellotron, Moog synthesizer, piano, harpsichord, maracas, acoustic guitar

References[]

^ "A Question of Balance - The Moody Blues - Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
^ "The Moody Blues: A Question of Balance : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. 6 June 2008. Archived from the original on 6 June 2008. Retrieved 16 December 2017.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^ Reed, Ryan. "How Moody Blues Found New Urgency With 'A Question of Balance'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
^ "Number 1 Albums – 1970s". The Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 9 February 2008. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
^ "danskehitlister.dk". danskehitlister.dk. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
^ "danskehitlister.dk". danskehitlister.dk. Retrieved 16 December 2017.

External links[]

"A Question Of Balace" at discogs

[1] "A Question of Balance - The Moody Blues - Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 December 2017.

[2] "The Moody Blues: A Question of Balance : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. 6 June 2008. Archived from the original on 6 June 2008. Retrieved 16 December 2017.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)

[3] Reed, Ryan. "How Moody Blues Found New Urgency With 'A Question of Balance'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 4 May 2020.

[4] "Number 1 Albums – 1970s". The Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 9 February 2008. Retrieved 9 June 2011.

[5] "danskehitlister.dk". danskehitlister.dk. Retrieved 16 December 2017.

[6] "danskehitlister.dk". danskehitlister.dk. Retrieved 16 December 2017.

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hide v t The Moody Blues
Graeme Edge Justin Hayward John Lodge Ray Thomas Mike Pinder Denny Laine Clint Warwick Rodney Clark Patrick Moraz
Studio albums	The Magnificent Moodies Days of Future Passed In Search of the Lost Chord On the Threshold of a Dream To Our Children's Children's Children A Question of Balance Every Good Boy Deserves Favour Seventh Sojourn Octave Long Distance Voyager The Present The Other Side of Life Sur la Mer Keys of the Kingdom Strange Times December
Live albums	Caught Live + 5 A Night at Red Rocks with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra Hall of Fame Lovely to See You: Live Live at the BBC: 1967-1970 Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970 Days of Future Passed Live
Compilations	This Is The Moody Blues Voices in the Sky: The Best of The Moody Blues Prelude Greatest Hits Time Traveller The Best of The Moody Blues Anthology Gold An Introduction to The Moody Blues
Singles	"Go Now" "I Don't Want to Go On Without You" "Nights in White Satin" "Tuesday Afternoon" "Voices in the Sky" "Ride My See-Saw" "Never Comes the Day" "Watching and Waiting" "Question" "The Story in Your Eyes" "Isn't Life Strange" "I'm Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)" "Steppin' in a Slide Zone" "Driftwood" "Gemini Dream" "The Voice" "Talking Out of Turn" "Blue World" "Sitting at the Wheel" "Your Wildest Dreams" "The Other Side of Life" "I Know You're Out There Somewhere" "No More Lies" "Say It with Love" "Bless the Wings (That Bring You Back)" "English Sunset"
Related articles	Band members Discography Threshold Records Justin Hayward and Friends Sing the Moody Blues Classic Hits Moody Bluegrass Blue Jays