This is an intriguing album, and a valuable introduction for the uninitiated to the wild range of talents and interests of the various members of the band, and is a showcase for their musical virtuosity. From the opening tension-filled rock introduction of the idea of a world posing the question of how we survive, we suddenly switch to a dream-like sequence of songs set in a time in the future, and anyone seeing the original cover art understood all too well the otherwise implied notion of a world returned to a "Planet of the Apes" type wild and barren world vacated of rampant technology comfortable certainties. It builds on the earlier albums in the sense it follows the countercultural ideas as well as the precepts of outspoken critics of mainstream society like Lewis Mumford and others exploring the possibilities of a world gone beyond what science and technology can provide. The mood of thoughtful exploration of the issue is established, and we are in for another wondrous mind ride that the Moodies were so singularly famous for. The rest of the album focuses increasingly on aspects of this tension with an individual's needs and thoughts and ways of surviving a life of meaning in a post-apocalyptic future characterized by uncertainty and a devastated world.

This is classic stuff, with the lyrics, melodies, and extremely artful arrangements supporting the search for identity. My favorites here are "In The Eyes Of A Child", "Gypsy', and the haunting "Watching And Waiting". As always, they mine the range of modern rock with more panache and virtuosity than anyone else. This is classic Moody Blues material, and they mine this genre in a way uniquely their own. I would start with "In Search Of The Lost Chord", and work my way deliciously through "On The Threshold Of A Dream", this album, "To Our Childrens' Childrens' Children", and the fourth and final album, "A Question Of Balance", which comprises the real close of this phase of their concept album series. All of them are thoughtful, artistically well expressed, and a timeless celebration of what it means to be human. I highly recommend all their albums. Enjoy!


The Magnificent Moodies   April 20, 2001
Alan Caylow (USA)
14 out of 14 found this review helpful

Anybody who's ever criticized The Moody Blues for being too "fluffy" a rock band has obviously never heard this album. "To Our Children's Children's Children" is the Moody Blues' greatest achievement in their long, illustrious recording career, and it is also one of the greatest albums---rock OR otherwise---ever created by anyone. The band's music on "Children" is passionate, soulful, and spiritual, with fabulous songwriting, luscious production, beautiful vocals, memorable lyrics, and phenomenal playing by the band. THIS album truly is art-rock at it's most artful. What "Children" has in mighty abundance is *atmosphere*, and all five band members make wonderful, atmospheric songwriting contributions to the album. Want proof that the Moodies can rock with the best of them? Try Graeme Edge's supreme opener, "Higher & Higher," in which the band literally come CRASHING in through the speakers! The Moodies *totally* shred wallpaper on this thunderous gem (as they do with Edge's other powerful piece, the ominous "Beyond"). John Lodge's excellent "Eyes Of A Child" & "Candle Of Life" are both very lovely songs & certainly among his best. Ray Thomas contributes a pair of dreamy compositions too, the appropriately-titled "Floating" and the soaring "Eternity Road." Mellotron master Mike Pinder leaves a mighty impression with his perfect pair, "Out and In" & "Sun Is Still Shining." And finally, there's the one-and-only Justin Hayward: "Gypsy" is a passionate rocker, "I Never Thought I'd Live To Be A Hundred/Million" is simple but oh-so-sweet, and "Watching And Waiting," co-written with Thomas, is a truly haunting song, arguably Hayward's finest moment on record, and the perfect song to close this perfect album with. The Moodies have always made great music and continue to do so to this day, but "To Our Children's Children's Children" stands as their greatest musical statement, an album with SO much power & emotion that it will leave you awestruck. The Moody Blues made their mark with "Days Of Future Passed," but with "To Our Children's Children's Children," they made their masterpiece.


gypsygypsygypsy   February 5, 2002
oldbollweevil (Tokyo)
11 out of 17 found this review helpful

1969 was the year of the moon landing, which according to the liner notes in the remaster of this album influenced the band's decision to make space exploration the theme of their second album of the year. It was also a year after Kubrick's 2001, and you can tell it had a big influence on them. Space travel here is given its full metaphysical weight, and even the Cosmic Kid seems to make an appearance in "Eyes Of A Child."

Unfortunately, I think that on their fourth album in three years the band was stretching things a bit thin. They just don't have as many memorable songs here as they did on their previous efforts. Except for the brief "I Never Thought I'd Live To See...," the whole first side is pretty forgettable, tune-wise, although it's pleasant enough, with lots of the post-Sgt. Pepper symphonic prettiness that the Moodies did so well.

What saves the album is three songs on the second side. "Gypsy" never gets any airplay and wasn't included on the band's first best-of compilations, but it may just be my favorite Moody Blues song. A rocker about the loneliness of the space traveller--descendant of the Stones' "2000 Light Years From Home"--it combines a propulsive riff with keening orchestral noises to produce a truly haunting track.

This is followed by "Eternity Road," a complete change of tempo and mood. Space travel as spiritual journey, with an inventive melody and a rush of a chorus. The classical feel on the verses is fully integrated into the pop-rock context here--none of the jarring contrasts of their first album.

The next couple of songs are kinda silly, like the first side, but then the record concludes with "Watching And Waiting," a majestically moody Justin Hayward ballad. Evidently, the "concept" is supposed to culminate here, but more interesting to me is the mood it creates. Instead of a grand summation gesture, the song provides a curiously lonely, plaintive ending to the album. Very effective.

The remaster sounds great--the sound of the vinyl, what one reviewer here called "Phil Spector in outer space," really comes alive. And the packaging is nice, although I do miss the lyric sheet. Not the best Moody Blues album, but definitely worth getting for these three songs. 3/5 stars.


A Transcendent Classic   June 23, 2006
Mark D. Prouse (Riverdale (Bronx), NY)
10 out of 11 found this review helpful

The core of The Moody Blues catalog begins with the IN SEARCH OF THE LOST CHORD, continues through the classic, consecutive releases of ON THE THRESHHOLD OF A DREAM, TO OUR CHILDREN'S CHILDREN'S CHILDREN, EVERY GOOD BOY DESERVES FAVOUR, and A QUESTION OF BALANCE, and ends with SEVENTH SOJOURN. Without these truly great, psychedelic albums, given the spotty nature of virtually all of their later albums, this band would have been but a footnote in rock music history, if remembered at all. Their first few singles, including `Go Now,' almost don't count, as the personnel lineup was different, and their style was nothing like what was to come. Although DAYS OF FUTURE PAST contains some beautiful moments and includes one of the Moodys' biggest hits, `Nights In White Satin,' it wasn't until the next album, IN SEARCH OF THE LOST CHORD, that the Moody Blues found their groove. Each of the above-mentioned, best records was a concept album, with songs fading one into the next, often connected by brief instrumental and spoken interludes. They all revolved around a particular theme, with IN SEARCH beginning their journey with an exploration of spirituality and various forms of meditation. THRESHHOLD was intense and dreamlike, filled with storybook images of medieval kings & queens, wizards, knights and castles. The summit of the Moody Blues brief climb and subsequent, agonizingly slow and troubled descent was TO OUR CHILDREN'S CHILDREN'S CHILDREN, which was like a message from the past to the distant future. The grand sweep of this album is unparalleled in rock music, and is one of THE great concept albums of all time. From its beginning, spoken introduction to its gorgeous and melancholy final song, `Watching And Waiting,' it takes the listener on an unforgettable trek through time and space. Grand orchestral gestures are actually provided by the layering of Michael Pinder's mellotrons and Ray Thomas' flute, plus many other acoustic and electronic instruments and special effects, not the least of which is Hayward's fine guitar work. The wall of sound is thick enough to make Phil Spector proud, and yet there is a quality of air and space that is hard to describe. There was and is nothing else out there quite like this album. The next few Moody Blues records were also quite good, but they became increasingly less focused.

After the only sporadically brilliant OCTAVE, Michael Pinder left the group, and something in its sound was forever lost. The next few decades up to the present provided enough hits to keep the band going, and there was enough good stuff to keep the most loyal Moody Blues fans buying their albums, but after SEVENTH SOJOURN there was never another truly solid effort. Although this is sad, it was probably inevitable. Few of even the best groups have ever been able to produce more than one or two albums as nearly perfect as TO OUR CHILDREN'S CHILDREN'S CHILDREN, and the Moody Blues managed to make SIX. If they had retired after SEVENTH SOJOURN, their place in pop music history would still be secure. It's quite popular these days to diss The Moody Blues as an irrelevant relic, and I'm not really surprised. But give me this gorgeous, uplifting, melodic and visionary music any day, over the dark, sinister sounds and egotistical attitude of much of today's music. Call me an Old Hippie; I'll wear the badge with pride as I travel down `Eternity Road.'