Track listing
Show track credits
- A1 Free as a Dove 4:10
-
acoustic guitar, vocal
-
drums, percussion
-
Flym J. Johnsonbass
-
background vocals
-
Jeannie Kingbackground vocals
-
background vocals
-
electric guitar, acoustic guitar, harmony vocals, vocal arrangements
-
- A2 You'll Make It Through 3:50
-
piano, vocals, arp explorer
-
drums, percussion
-
background vocals
-
Jeannie Kingbackground vocals
-
background vocals
-
slide guitar, vocal
-
bass
-
organ
-
- A3 I Only Want to Love You 3:28
-
vocal, 12 string guitar, Mellotron
-
drums
-
Flym J. Johnsonbass
-
electric guitar
-
Susan McDonaldharp
-
- A4 Someone to Believe in 3:18
-
acoustic guitar, vocal
-
drums
-
upright bass
-
tenor saxophone, flute
-
- B1 Carry on 4:18
-
acoustic guitar, vocal
-
drums
-
Flym J. Johnsonbass
-
background vocals
-
Jeannie Kingbackground vocals
-
background vocals
-
electric guitar, vocal arrangements, chorus
-
organ
-
- B2 Air (instrumental) 2:19
-
12 string guitar
-
drums
-
Flym J. Johnsonbass
-
electric guitar, acoustic guitar
-
Michael Azevedocongas
-
Dean Olchflute
-
trumpet
-
tenor saxophone
-
- B3 Message 2:44
-
vocal, piano, electric piano, arp explorer
-
drums
-
Flym J. Johnsonbass
-
classical guitar, electric sitar
-
- B4 The Seed 1:02
-
arp explorer, voice
-
Susan McDonaldharp
-
Dean Olchshakuhachi
-
- B5 The Promise 6:02
-
vocals, 12 string guitar, Mellotron, arp explorer
-
drums
-
Flym J. Johnsonbass
-
electric guitar
-
Susan McDonaldharp
-
- Total length: 31:11
Rate/Catalog
Catalog
Set listening
Review
To rate, slide your finger across the stars from left to right.
5 Issues
- Release view [combined information for all issues]
-
The Promise [p] 33 rpm, Gatefold
-
The Promise 33 rpm, Gatefold
-
The Promise 33 rpm, Gatefold
-
-
1996 CD OSR0433
7 Reviews
Another Moody solo record released during their big hiatus. It's generally regarded as one the weaker ones but I actually quite like it. Pinder is a strong songwriter and he brings a great melodic flavor to the proceedings. It does have a stripped down Moodies vibe to it, like a more earthy and folky vibe. Don't know about others but I like it.
Published
ADVERTISEMENT
Michael 'Mike' Pinder's first solo album, released 1976, brings us some more proof that all the Moody Blues were in excellent songwriting condition during their famous hiatus as a band. Blue Jays by Justin Hayward & John Lodge remains the best of those in-between albums, but both Ray Thomas albums are very fine as well. And The Promise... I can't really say if this is any worse (or better) than the Ray Thomas albums. This is really high quality all the way through, if that one special song like "Remember Me My Friend" by Justin & John is missing. "Carry On" comes closest.
The lyrics on this album are... overblown. At first they feel just all right. I mean, Living in the Material World by George Harrison is one of my favourite albums of the whole 1970s; and while my own idea of spirituality is, well, what it is, it really doesn't feel wrong to have words like those, if you need to have words. The same fits Michael Pinder as well, you can't go wrong with lines like 'the Light has always been there ... we're a part of the Great Divine.' But the prophecies and declarations of the title track feel a little too much even for me. Luckily, while my mother tongue is not English and typically for the date the vocals aren't mixed very 'up', so I can listen to the song without too much emphasis on the lyrics and... enjoy.
Musically, The Promise is close to The Moody Blues and interestingly even closer to the style of Ray Thomas' 1975–6 solo albums. There are some progressive pop features, but mostly the music is midtempo pop rock, very 1970s, and often featuring some female vocals beside Mike's. The instrumental "Air" and the spoken-word "The Seed" may not be most essential as separate songs, but those are needed to give this album the dynamics and depth that is needs – to remind us that The Promise is not a Ringo Starr album, let's say. I have nothing against Ringo's 1970s albums, they are positively laid back stuff, but The Promise promises to be something more.
The lyrics on this album are... overblown. At first they feel just all right. I mean, Living in the Material World by George Harrison is one of my favourite albums of the whole 1970s; and while my own idea of spirituality is, well, what it is, it really doesn't feel wrong to have words like those, if you need to have words. The same fits Michael Pinder as well, you can't go wrong with lines like 'the Light has always been there ... we're a part of the Great Divine.' But the prophecies and declarations of the title track feel a little too much even for me. Luckily, while my mother tongue is not English and typically for the date the vocals aren't mixed very 'up', so I can listen to the song without too much emphasis on the lyrics and... enjoy.
Musically, The Promise is close to The Moody Blues and interestingly even closer to the style of Ray Thomas' 1975–6 solo albums. There are some progressive pop features, but mostly the music is midtempo pop rock, very 1970s, and often featuring some female vocals beside Mike's. The instrumental "Air" and the spoken-word "The Seed" may not be most essential as separate songs, but those are needed to give this album the dynamics and depth that is needs – to remind us that The Promise is not a Ringo Starr album, let's say. I have nothing against Ringo's 1970s albums, they are positively laid back stuff, but The Promise promises to be something more.
Published
This album, at first listen, and at first impression is a disappointment - especially for non-Moody followers. The sonic quality of the mix is dreadful & boring. I personally added tons of compression, some high end EQ while smoothing out the "thud" bass sound, and spruced it up with some echo - and Viola! -- it doesn't sound half-bad! Also this is one of those albums that gets better the more you play it. NOT RECOMMENDED for a curious, casual Moodies fan, but Pinder followers may find it somewhat worthy.
Published
The individual Moody Blues records can be kind of... _iffy_... and this one's no exception. The songs aren't bad, but they're lacking a little self-importance; kinda lightweight. The one shining moment is "The Promise," an extended composition with Pinder's trademark mysticism and eerily beautiful keyboard textures. Most of the rest is too... soft rock... to middle-of-the-road. Stylistically, it doesn't cater to his talents enough.
Published
ADVERTISEMENT
Y'know . . . . . I'd only played this once or maybe twice in the years since I got it and I'd always been of the impression that it fairly well just blew chunks. I had it on again, and maybe it isn't so bad after all. Yeah, the songs are nondescript, and meander a bit in places, but they're a little more funky than the Moodies, and this material is sorta funny in a happy, unintentional sort of way. There's even a short, light 'n' airy, sunny 70s kinda instrumental on side two. And of course, Pinder pulls out the ol' Moodies poetry-recital trick on "The Seed," which along with "Message" forms a mini-suite of sorts. And how can you go wrong with these lyrics, from "Carry On":
"A new thing is happening on this planet now/ We're hearing the Bhudda, the Christ and the Tao/ The mystery of music is mystery no more/ It powers the starships with colours of awe."
Time for Mighty Mike to get his props! (Even if there isn't as much 'tron here as I'd like.)
"A new thing is happening on this planet now/ We're hearing the Bhudda, the Christ and the Tao/ The mystery of music is mystery no more/ It powers the starships with colours of awe."
Time for Mighty Mike to get his props! (Even if there isn't as much 'tron here as I'd like.)
Published
A couple of pretty-good songs here, but hardly the collection I hoped for by the guy who wrote all those great Moody Blues classics.
Published
Votes are used to help determine the most interesting content on RYM.
Vote up content that is on-topic, within the rules/guidelines, and will likely stay relevant long-term.
Vote down content which breaks the rules.
Vote up content that is on-topic, within the rules/guidelines, and will likely stay relevant long-term.
Vote down content which breaks the rules.
Catalog
20 Sep 2023
1 Aug 2023
29 Jul 2023
26 Jun 2022
22 Jun 2022
31 May 2022
9 Dec 2021
-
A1
Free as a Dove
-
A2
You'll Make It Through
-
A3
I Only Want to Love You
-
A4
Someone to Believe in
-
B1
Carry on
-
B2
Air (instrumental)
-
B3
Message
-
B4
The Seed
-
B5
The Promise
14 Mar 2021
2 Feb 2021
7 Oct 2020
25 Jun 2020
4 Aug 2019
2 Aug 2019
20 Jul 2019
27 Feb 2019