The Moody Blues' first '70s album showed that the group harbored no intention of abandoning the '60s aesthetic that had served them in such good stead. Mike Pinder's Mellotron continued to add symphonic shadings to an amiable blend of ballads and rockers, with lyrics mixing the philosophical, the metaphysical, and the emotional in a way that suggested the Age of Aquarius might go on indefinitely. Despite the driving feel of such tunes as "Question" and "Tortoise and the Hare," the Moodies had no qualms about unleashing tender, wistfully melodic tunes like "And the Tide Rushes In" during an era when breast-beating hard rock was all the rage.