Moody Blues : C/D, S/D

Search "Lovely to See You" for historical reference. Destroy all others.

Days of Future Passed: Kind of their breakthrough album with their 'classic' line-up with Justin Hayward and Jon Lodge (before this, they were one of those early 60s British beatrock bands with the ties, though they had a couple of hits with leader Denny Laine), recorded with the "London Festival Orchestra" (entirely made-up; basically, session orchestra musicians). Basically, the orchestra bits and band bits are generally separate, and overlay occasionally. The orchestra bits I find to be a bit filler, but some of the bands' tunes, even apart from the well-recognized "Nights in White Satin" and "Tuesday Afternoon" are great. Personal favorites: "Dawn Is a Feeling", "The Sunset", and the chorus/middle eight to "Time To Get Away".

In Search of the Lost Chord: Their follow-up to DoFP, them trying to prove they could go it alone, without the orchestra. I think this is their first with producer Tony Clarke, who produced all the albums of their classic period. This one is the most firmly steeped in the psychedelic period, but features some great songs, mostly from Hayward and Ray Thomas. The most well-known tracks on the album are "Ride My See-Saw" and "Legend of a Mind" ('Timothy Leary's dead...no, n-n-no, he's outside) Personal favorites: "Voices in the Sky", "Visions of Paradise".

On the Threshold of a Dream: The next couple of album continue the Beatles-emulation begun on Lost Chord, though less overtly psychedelic. Personal favorites: the opening ("In the Beginning") and "Lovely to See You"

To Our Children's Children's Children: All in all, this is my personal favorite album of theirs, just lots of beautiful songs throughout. Also, Hayward (the main hit-writer and most prolific writer, who since has dominated the band) seems to hang uncharacteristically in the background on this one. Jon Lodge's writing and Mike Pinder's mellotron own this baby. Personal faves: "Eyes of a Child 1 & 2", "Out and In", "Sun Is Still Shining", "Candle of Life", "Watching and Waiting"

A Question of Balance: This is their Let It Be (retreat from experimentation, strange content, wacky interludes, etc. From here on, they would become increasingly straightforward, with standard track lengths, more stripped down, etc. The hit on this album was "Question". Personal faves: "And the Tide Rushes In", "Minstrel's Song", "The Balance" (many might find it sappy, but I love it, myself).

Every Good Boy Deserves Favour: Hmm, I think it's the least of their 'classic' albums, but some good stuff. Favorites: "You Can Never Go Home", and my roommate in college and I adore the rather goofy last song, a typically melancholic Mike Pinder track called "My Song" (we used to improvise our own lyrics: "How can I tell you...aliens inside my brain...").

Seventh Sojourn: Apart from TOCCC, this is the next album I still play the most from them. Their last 'classic'-period album, the green leaf surrounded by the desert. Has a lot of despair to it, too (courtesy Mike Pinder), which is always a good thing. :) Favorites: "New Horizons", "You and I", "Land of Make Believe", "When You're a Free Man Again".

Octave: Made after a 5 or 6 year hiatus. The only studio album from them I've never heard (apart from their latest one, which I haven't gotten around to). Drummer Graeme Edge describes this one as "full of pain". Pinder's last album with the band (Edge says he freaked out on religion; Pinder says he just didn't like the album and didn't want to tour it). Also, Hayward had to talk producer Tony Clarke down from a cliff.

Long Distance Voyager: The strongest of their post-Pinder albums, made with Swiss keyboardist Patrick Moraz (formerly of Yes). I personally love it, again, some classic pop tunes mixing with some admittedly cheesy/dated stuff, and Moraz, though showing a fraction of his ability, does some great keyboard arranging. Favorites: "The Voice" (also the biggest hit from the album), "Meanwhile" (the Moodies go country; good electric piano sound from Moraz).

The Present: A bit more generic than LDV, but still generally acceptable. Favorites: Lodge's "Sitting at the Wheel", another country-rock kind of tune, "Meet Me Halfway" and Thomas' final song for a long time, "Sorry" (and preceded by the hilarious 'poem' "I Am").

The Other Side of Life: Features their biggest 'comeback' hit, "Your Wildest Dreams" (personally, I think it's a great pop tune, Hayward's melodies and Thomas' choir back-up...aahhhhHHHH). The rest of the album is awful.

Sur La Mer: Pretty forgettable, sounds very generic. The hit here was "I Know You're Out There Somewhere", which like "Your Wildest Dreams", leans heavily on "The Voice". Moraz obviously underutilized, Thomas and Edge pushed aside.

Keys to the Kingdom: Their worst, in my opinion. Too sugary even for my standards. Moraz was bored with them and ditched before completion, replaced effectively by a sequencer. If you can get past a song title like "I Bless the Wings that Bring You Back", then be my guest.

Strange Times: Their latest album, haven't heard all of it, but what little I've heard sounds a step up from Keys to the Kingdom (admittedly not a hard thing to do).

There ya go. If I could only pick three, it would be (in order): "To Our Children's Children's Children", "Seventh Sojourn" and (for historical reference) "Days of Future Passed".

.. You should probably listen to them and make up your own mind... I'd recommend anything from Days of Future Passed through to Seventh Sojourn.... Anything after that, you may as well buy a Foreigner record.

Blasting, billowing, bursting forth
With the power of ten billion butterfly sneezes,
Man with his flaming pyre
Has conquered the wayward breezes,
Climbing to tranquility far above the cloud,
Conceiving the heaven clear of misty shroud.

Higher and higher,
Now we've learned to play with fire,
We go higher
And higher
And higher.

Vast vision must improve our sight,
And perhaps at last we'll see
An end to our home's endless blight
And the beginning of the free.
Climb to tranquility, finding its real worth,
Conceiving the heavens flourishing on Earth.

Higher and higher,
Now we've learned to play with fire,
We go higher
And higher
And higher.

when the final night is over
and it's certain that the curtain's gonna fall
i can hide inside your sweet, sweet love
forevermore

and then that riff again! and then the piano outro!

I've been tempted to revive this thread late at night drunk a bunch of times.. the paucity of responses is depressing. "Legend Of A Mind" rools

S: "Cities" (B-side of "NiWS"), In Search of the Lost Chord, A Question of Balance, and Hayward's upbeat singles "Ride My See-Saw," "Lovely to See You," "Gypsy," "The Story in Your Eyes".

D: Days of Future Passed (ironically a Classic, but you've heard it enough already, no need to own it) also "I'm Just a Singer (in a Rock and Roll Band)," one of the hits from Seventh Sojourn.

I actually quite like Long Distance Voyager (a UK #1 album, if I recall correctly) and The Present. They're both slick, but totally tuneful and have aged much better than a lot of other 20-year-old albums. I like On the Threshold of a Dream but it's neither as weird as Lost Chord or as powerul as Question. (Listening to it now: evocative of aspects of Swinging London, imaginary transition scenes left on the cutting room from from Blow-Up.)

Can't stand "Go Now" or (predictably) the '80s stuff.

Hayward's upbeat singles "Ride My See-Saw"

I think Jon Lodge wrote that one, actually.

"I'm Just a Singer (in a Rock and Roll Band)"

Agree with you here. I've always found that one more than a little overrated (one of the weakest songs, actually, on Seventh Sojourn).

OTM

The only albums by them that I don't like much are "Keys to the Kingdom" (2 good songs) and "December" (2 good songs).

As for the material they made after Mike Pinder left, it was OK for a few years but the quality has been decreasing. Meaning their key material consists of the seven excellent albums they released from 1967 to 1972.

I realize I also have a real soft spot for "Driftwood"...

I normally wouldn't write about this but they were dope when they had Denny Laine. Get yourself a copy of the 1965 NME Awards and tell me who was the best band on.

The rest of that shit I wouldn't wipe my ass with (except it IS soft!).

Last few days, I've been going nuts over "Blue Guitar" -- for all the Moody's faults--not least of which is a tendency to mistake grandiosity for meaning--Hayward's voice is never one of them. Really, a wonderful, wonderful singer...

i have never heard this song before - it's pretty good! i can hear the 10cc influence
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ny5Jr6Zz8_4

Sorry - ech! Although the opening is a nice reminder that Justin could play some tasty lyrical guitar when he wanted to.

i'm surprised Geir doesn't at least like "go now" which is easily one of the best british invasion hits ever. pity denny laine never matched it in wings.

also, almost all moody blues albums = crap. and I like lots of bad music

i'm surprised Geir doesn't at least like "go now" which is easily one of the best british invasion hits ever.

It isn't. Terrible production, and not much of a melody either.

For the best "British Invasion" hits ever, look for (other than The Beatles), Hollies, Gerry & The Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas and similar stuff.

So, is the consensus that Children's Children and Seventh Sojourn are their two best? Aside from ...Lost Chord, which I had when I was 16 y/o, I've never really listened to them beyond hits and various singles...

"Beyond," btw, is totally Froese'd out...

I would say "On The Threshold Of a Dream" and "A Question Of Balance" are at least equally as good as the ones you mention. I actually consider the former their best album ever.

Clearly, John Mendelsohn disagrees, courtesy of his RS review in 1970:

Recently something of unexaggerable beauty came into my life, something that was to enthrall me musically and elevate me spiritually, to pour oil on the turgid waters of my soul, to diminish my worldly riches by four-odd dollars while increasing my hopes of attaining far greater riches in another world.

That unexaggerably beautiful something was a record album; not just any ordinary record album, mind you, but one offering to my weary ears an abundance of spiritual and other insights and poetry that recalled the best of—yes, I dare say it—Gibran, colossal Straussian orchestrations simulated by a mellotron and heavenly choirs comprising seemingly thousands of over-dubbed falsetto voices.

That unexaggerably beautiful record album was the Moody Blues' very newest testament, A Question of Balance.

Everything about this remarkable artistic achievement, up to and including its very marvelous cover (which was done in gouache, compellingly depicting the confusion that is currently rampant in this topsyturvy world of ours, and rumored to be scheduled for reproduction on Threshold's forthcoming official lunch-boxes), borders on the divine.

Don't think for a wink that the Moodies compose anything other than very groovy music, music that might at first seem capable of standing on its own despite its melodic and harmonic puerility. That the Moodies never hesitate to add the aforementioned mellotron orchestrations and gigantic multi-voice choruses is simply a testament to their really caring about giving their all.

And their heady, thoughtful, eminently poetic lyrics just cannot be topped when it comes to important stuff like the universe and man's plight and soon. They're always real sticklers about giving us all those rhymes (mind/find, free/me, man/understand) that we're fondest of, and, unlike so many of their contemporaries, have the balls to pose the "thousand million questions about hate and death and war" that all of us want answers to.

Me, I can meditate pleasurably for hours on such verses as: "Blackbird sitting in a tree observing what's below/Acorns falling to the ground/He'll stay and watch them grow," at the end emerging from my meditation a more enlightened, happier human being, one better equipped to confront an often confusing universe.

I am confident that if you give it a chance you, as I, will not in your record cabinet, but be moved to store this album rather within the cardboard shrine that houses your Nam myoho renge kyo scroll.

[Rcally, friends, doncha think is sad that this group—who, were they to quit regarding themselves as seers, hock their mellotrons, and let Justin Hayward do all the writing and singing, might make some damn fine straightforward rock and roll—think themselves above making fine straightforward rock and roll?] (RS 70)

JOHN MENDELSOHN

(Posted: Nov 12, 1970)

So, after a few days of listening to ...Children's Children, Seventh Sojourn and various other songs--"Driftwood," "Question," and "Blue Guitars," let it be said that I believe the Moodies are--despite my own belief up to only a few days ago--hideously underrated as songwriters, performers and arrangers.

Yes, some of the material is dated. Yes, some of the lyrics are trite. And yes, some of their material is kind of ridiculous.

But if nothing else, these guys were MASTER craftsmen. Hayward wrote some truly brilliant pop songs, while Pinder had some weird genius for orchestral texture. As noted, "Question" is a classic--and ought to be an undisputed one--while "Beyond" is some crazy Tangerine Dream/Ash Ra Tempel amalgam. If the significance of their lyrics was exaggerated at the time, their sense of post-Beatles melody is underrated today.

Something else, for sure...

John Mendelsohn is the worst rock critic I've ever read ever.

More like among the best. Pre-punk rock critics would never react negatively towards musical ambition and musical skills. And that was a good thing.

Danny Laine would go on to be involved with some good albums in the 70s. But that was because of working with the greatest songwriter ever. Moody Blues had to get rid of him to get good.

As my goal is now to keep this thread alive come hell or high water, I should add that Blue Jays' "Remember Me (My Friend)" is outstanding post-Beatles orchestral pop. Great, great chorus...

yeah actually some of these records are better than I remember them being. certainly most of the early 70's ones are better than "days of future passed". I don't know that any of them are better than the bee gees albums of the same time period and they kind of tread the same waters.

i'm curious about the live at the bbc comp.

also, I now remember that I had a tape of "long distance voyager" when I was young and I loved that album. but it doesn't wear well. I also had "the other side of life" but even at that young age I knew better than to think it was any good

<i>"Beyond" is some crazy Tangerine Dream/Ash Ra Tempel amalgam.</i>

OTM. Shit is deep.

This thread forced me to dig out that first run of albums and they are all pretty worthwhile. Lyrically questionable I suppose, but so is Zeppelin, Rush, Yes, and almost everyone else namechecked on this thread so far.

This thread also needs some YouTube clips:

"Tuesday Afternoon" live sometime in the late 60s.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjBvPHqO9KU

Fave part: Pinder running his Mellotron through a Marshall stack!

If the Moody Blues were an Elephant Six band in 1998, everyone would be gushing about them.

"Watch Out! The waiter is on acid!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_0yM7LSkdE

Ride My See Saw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAtFbQHdhOg

That's funny; I had a notion about the Moodys a year ago, that upon reexamination they might turn up relevant. But as I listened to my old records I realized they were kind of bad. They've got a quality, a sound, but it's kind of juvenile -- sort of like dungeons and dragons and romance novels. That's how they strike me in 2007, anyway.

Ok, still digging thru these first 7 records. Shamelessly love the chorus to "The Balance" -- and the poetry in the verses is kind of hilarious ("He saw an orange...he tasted it"). "Emily's Song" from Every Good Boy... is quite nice as well...

"Emily's Song" is wonderful, like Lennon meets Simon & Garfunkel...the Glockenspiel middle is simple and perfect.

Ok, now loving me some "Never Comes the Day" -- each of the three sections are aces, 1) the soft acoustic ballad verse, 2) the "If only you knew what's inside of me..." Scott Walker-esque section, and 3) the honking, rousing chorus w/ the harmonica.

Pretty great YouTube of it from 1970 here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dzRdyC0abA

i'm curious about the live at the bbc comp.

I got around to listening to this and I stand by my comment above. If some band was writing/playing/sounding like this now, they would be total indiepop darlings.

"Peak Hour" from the BBC comp just showed up on random play and Great Cthulhu it sounds like the Small Faces at 200mph.

If some band was writing/playing/sounding like this now, they would be total indiepop darlings.

Maybe, but would they be any good?

Better than...every other indiepop darling anyway...

After many a moon (or several dozens of, more like) I'm listening to these guys again tonite and - To Our Children's Children's Children,o wot a very fine record indeed. Well, most of it.

Was a time (sometime last century) when a pal of mine used to have a coupla of the early vinyls. Every Good Boy and On The Threshold Of A Dream, iirc. Found them kinda 'mh, nice' back then... Then I had myself the Octave LP when it came out - the openinig track was sorta good, I vaguely recall, but otherwise...

And now I consider getting a few more of those early albums - soonish :)

Desola ... tion!

Crea ... tion!

Comunicaaation!

Which is to say, classic.

Pre-1967: Dud
1967-1972: Classic
1975 onwards: Neither

I heard "Ride My See-Saw" on Youtube and really liked it.

I think they're the classic example of a band that has benefitted from the (deliberate) neglect from subsequent generations.

If you're too young to remember them at the time they sound very fresh in comparison to the over-exposed likes of The Beatles, Small Faces etc.

A tentative classic methinks.

One of my daughter's favorite kinds of mac-and-cheese is Shells and White Cheddar. This causes me to hum involuntarily whenever I take it off the shelf.

I read last night that these guys are Urantian. Is that true?

tbh this was on a list that stated Neil Peart's religion is Objectivism.

If some band was writing/playing/sounding like this now, they would be total indiepop darlings.

If they'd cut down on their production budgets/studio time and play/sing a bit out of time/tune on purpose, then maybe.

For reasons I can't quite describe, Thee Oh Sees remind me of the Moody Blue. Like a Moody Blues rock number with the central vocal track eliminated and the remaining sounds run through a tape delay.

I read last night that these guys are Urantian. Is that true?

If memory serves, I think Justin Hayward was mixed up in Urantia for some time but I don't know how recent that was. John Lodge has occasionally spoken about being Christian/avoiding drugs/being "born again" but not in any kind of dogmatic fashion IIRC.

If some band was writing/playing/sounding like this now, they would be total indiepop darlings.

When I think about The Moody Blues, "The Actor" always pops in my mind. It has to be my favorite song by them
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VDGwPiyLS8

do they really sound that much like far east family band?

anybody going?

http://www.moodiescruise.com/email/2013/10052012.html

So weird, I just queued up some Moody Blues on Spotify and then I see this. Not interested in the slightest, but I love the coincidence.

fuck i love this band ..

i mean seriously ..

60s psych vs 70s excess

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CqwECqxGf4

If you're too young to remember them at the time they sound very fresh in comparison to the over-exposed likes of The Beatles, Small Faces etc.

how true this is ...

"Pre-1967: Dud
1967-1972: Classic
1975 onwards: Neither

― Geir Hongro,

"

despite the lack of ILM love for this band, i say that this summary is totally spot on.

ilm hates the moody blues.

i listen and enjoyed the moody blues today.
i search ilm and reminded that i am the only person to post in this thread for years.
not wanting to go all geir, but, ilm is wrong.
for a few years these guys totally killed it.
oh, and the remastered editions sound fucking brilliant.

"Days of future passed" is a tremendous album, very well recorded.

"Ride my see saw" is so so classic, harrowing psychedelic propulsion

And I love that mid 80s synth-y hit of theirs, something so subtle and delicate and disarmingly catchy

In Search of the Lost Chord really blew me away last time I heard it, I forgot how many great melodies there were on that thing. "Voices in the Sky" is just one of the prettiest little songs ever written, really

from the EGBDF wiki entry:

The album was the last to feature only the Mellotron, as it would be assisted by the Chamberlin (another device that uses recorded tape to generate sound) on the Moody Blues' next studio album, 1972's Seventh Sojourn.

Never heard of the Chamberlin before, I guess it was a precursor of the mellotron? Wonder who else used it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?t=21&v=REwMm3tiN10

i have the albums up to and including EGBDF, so never heard 'seventh sojourn', but i know i will succumb one of these days.
but, i have yet to take the chance on any of the 80s material.

I listened to the debut after seeing the long Classic Artists documentary on them, it's a totally brilliant album and I definitely want everything up to Seventh Sojourn.

I wondered why I hadn't really heard much about them even though they were apparently very famous. Even recently someone said they were extremely overrated, but by who? A lot of the magazines I would have expected to suck their dicks on a regular basis rarely mentioned them.

This thread is mostly positive so I don't see evidence that the forum hates them. Awesome band.

One of the live performances on the documentary with a flute solo blown me away. I'm just hoping that's on their early albums.

I don't see evidence that the forum hates them

true .. i was drunk.

why late at night in the usa does ilm get all moody bluesy?

Something I found funny in the documentary was one member moving to America as soon as Labour won an election. I think it was one of the moustache guys I think.

Subtract the second "I think" at the end, I think.

I rarely want to hear one of these albums all the way through but the rare song is always great.

also Long Distance Voyager is probably their most underrated album.

Why such a long gap between Seventh Sojourn and Octave?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Moody_Blues

this seems to imply general band exhaustion

God, reading over this thread again makes me glad I wasn't there for the early shitty hater era of ilx.

Listening to In Search Of The Lost Chord, some really great songs but there's something that bothers me about the album as a whole.

I loved Bongwater's cover of "Ride My See-Saw" and the original is awesome too and much fuller sounding.

I quite dislike the tone of the vocals in "Dr Livingston, I Presume", I felt similarly about "Another Morning" on the previous album. I can't quite describe it but it's as if Ray Thomas is speaking in a brisk carefree manner, which shouldn't necessarily be a bad thing but I find it irritating. I hope he doesn't keep that manner later on.

Justin seems by far the best vocalist of them. All his songs on this are great.

Just seen that there are some versions of the early albums with way more bonus tracks. Hope the "standard" editions keep all the best stuff. The bonus tracks on Days Of Future Passed were fantastic.

Finished listening to it, it's very good mostly.

"The Actor" and "Visions Of Paradise" are pretty gorgeous.

The Peel show version of "The Best Way To Travel" has this clattering at the end that should have been on the album version.
Bonus tracks "A Simple Game" (Justin vocals version is better) and "What Am I Doing Here?" are great.

The Actor would be my #1 Moody Blues song

would be a definite top 10 of mine ..

In Search Of the Lost Chord is definitely a great album - I even wrote about it a few months ago. When people describe the sort of music that the Beatles made in their psychedelic period I often think of this one. It's been played out a lot but I still think "Voices in the Sky" is one of the most beautiful songs ever recorded.

Played on the radio? Are they far more popular in America, Like The Zombies?

Nice piece. I guessed they might be considered bandwagon jumpers too square to really get in deep with the eastern spiritualism (which is probably going to be looked back on less favourably than ever) and psychedelic stuff. I don't recall them really going into that stuff on the documentary. I bet a lot of people held their big garden party album launch against them.

As someone earlier in this thread says, people who are fresh to this band will probably really like them. I knew virtually nothing about them before I saw Tim Burton's Dark Shadows (of all things; my sister thought the song was the only good thing about the film and she doesn't really listen to this sort of music). I think I first heard of them in an early issue of Prog magazine and admittedly I was slightly put off them because they looked very Austin Powers in some photos.

I haven't listened to enough to really place them properly but right now I associate them with Procol Harum and Family.

Played on the radio? Are they far more popular in America, Like The Zombies?

I haven't listened much to classic rock radio in a decade or so but from what I recall they were played fairly frequently, more than just "Thursday" and "Nights" - iirc lots of their later, not-so-good stuff as well.

God, reading over this thread again makes me glad I wasn't there for the early shitty hater era of ilx.

Far too many ugly men with moustaches (who looked about 42 in 1967 so God knows what they look like now) in this band for my liking.

"the story in your eyes", "just a singer in a rock & roll band", "ride my see saw", and "lovely to see you" are still classic rock radio highlights

They're great. I bet they influenced a lot of bands, even if those bands wouldn't name drop the Moodies as an influence. Hawkwind, Genesis, Even Joy Division / early New Order have audible Moody Blues influences.

In Search of the Lost Chord is great all the way through, and stands up to A Saucerful of Secrets by Pink Floyd, Forever Changes by Love, Odessey and Oracle by The Zombies, and really anything from that milieu.

But I agree that there's something seemingly uncool about them -- maybe just the idea of them. But then I listen to them and remember how great they are!

Also, Mike Pinder's playing is probably the most iconic use of the Mellotron anywhere in rock history.

C/D: Classic!
S: In Search of the Lost Chord, To Our Children's Children's Children; D: Most of Days of Future Passed, Their 80s comeback.

In Search of the Lost Chord was the first LP my grandma gave me when she found out I had a turntable. Still had bongwater stains on it.

For the record, I think it's great. Sorta what I imagined the Beatles sounded like before I heard them. "Voices in the Sky" is still one of the prettiest songs ever written.

I fucking loathe this song.

Your loss, but I never really payed attention to the lyrics. I'm sure a lot of people love it.

Love this song

last week ordered the 2cd set 'this is .. ' cos its the easiest way to just kick back and listen to the best stuff by the band when they were at their peak.
last night after some booze I pressed play and had the best 90 mins I have had in ages.
brilliant band.

yea they definitely had enough material for an absolutely killer greatest hits. TOCCC is the only Moodys album that I think is actually great from start to finish. though their filler stuff is plenty fine too sometimes

yea they definitely had enough material for an absolutely killer greatest hits.

"This is .." is clearly the best comp as it covers the glory years, and has edits/revisions so that it flows making it the best to experience the hits and more as opposed to diving in deep.
that said, every time I heard a song I just wanted to hear the full album that the song had been lifted from.
brilliant band.

you are proper ace Alfred, but you are massively wrong re this one.

It's okay. The world usually orients itself to me after a generation!

I’ve always felt that while “Nights in White Satin” was understandably the Moodies’ most iconic song—with its orchestral sweep, maudlin sentiment and earnest Hayward vocal—that it’s still a good distance from their best work. I’d say I feel that way about Days of Future Past generally tho “Tuesday Afternoon” is great and that BBC take of “Peak Hour” mentioned upthread is killer.

"Hawkwind, Genesis, Even Joy Division / early New Order have audible Moody Blues influences."

what? no.

also when I was a kid I thought it was "Knights in White Satin" and the song always conjured up images of knights with jousts on horses wearing stunning satin white capes, and in fact it still does. The alternative, sweaty naked hippies rolling around on satin sheets, is too gross.

Hey Alfred you will still be wrong in one generation fwiw

Hahahahaha I had a feeling this thread revive would be from Alfred’s “Worst Songs Ever” blog. You didn’t even mention the “Breathe deep, the gathering gloom” poetry bit.

Your loathing is my joy

You gloom has gathered.

Ah Alfred you’re cool in my book

https://amuseofire.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/martini-toast1.jpg?w=329

Just saw your "Brand New Key" entry. It wasnt until this week I knew about the song except the Wurzels "Combine Harvester" cover of it, and that there was an irish singer that even did that version of the song before them. Because I heard Rasputina's version or "Brand New Key" and I loved it.

Going through another period of listening to their Core Seven ... I think one of the more underrated things about them is that they have five fairly distinctive songwriters --- each of whom was responsible for some notable pieces. Hayward of course did a lot of the famous balladry. Lodge did more of the rock tunes ("Ride My See-Saw," "I'm Just a Singer"), Edge wrote the spoken word stuff ("The Dream," "The Word," "The Balance," my personal fave), and Thomas wrote "Legend of a Mind."

Pinder was responsible for some of their more interesting and experimental stuff -- "Out and In," "Lost in a Lost World," the "Have You Heard Pt. 1"/"The Voyage"/"Have You Heard Pt. 2" suite, "My Song." His voice was used for all of Edge's spoken word stuff (I love it, too, as it's almost perfectly theatrical). And of course, he did all the Mellotron parts, which is probably their most lasting innovation in pop.

In Search of the Lost Chord sounded good today in the rain, particularly The Actor.

Best UK psych band imo

I prefer the band that had that song about the show on tramplolines and the guy who did the somerset through the hogshead of real fire.

great band.
nice write up of the band in this months mojo.
I really need to get their 7th album to complete the set of their classic era releases.

Lost Chord is pretty much exactly what I thought Sgt. Pepper was gonna sound like before I heard it

still think "Voices in the Sky" is the prettiest thing ever

when my grandma found out I was into collecting records she gave me a bunch of her old LPs, including 5 of the 7 good ones

finally picked up the other 2. I don't exactly love the Moody Blues but I know those 7 are always seen as sort of a set and it bothered me I didn't have them. though the price of used vinyl has skyrocketed in the last 10 years these are still cheap and plenty available.

now that I'm listening to them properly I think they're great. Days of Future Past seems a bit overrated and is almost too goofy to take seriously (outside of 3 really great tracks, maybe the Indian-sounding one as well). but the other six are quite excellent. it is amusing to me how a lot of popular music just reflects the popular drugs of the time. in that sense their music is plenty appealing to me. I dig the floaty psychedelic vibes. my grandma was (and as far as I know still is) a massive stoner so I can see why she spoke so highly of these boys.

one track I'm surprised not to see mentioned on this thread is "Are You Sitting Comfortably" - that flute/woodwind melody over Heyward's voice is just pure bliss

yeah, i still need to get the 7th of the set.
instead i picked up this 2cd compilation of their classic era which blends all the big tunes together (including edits that are unavailable elsewhere) making it the best compilation ever.

https://www.discogs.com/The-Moody-Blues-This-Is-The-Moody-Blues/release/6173718

ahh .. i said the same thing 2 years ago.
well, at least i am consistent.

"face piles and piles of trials with smiles"

How many of their albums are concept albums? A lot of bands get an inaccurate reputation for this but that's three in a row so far.

a friend pointed out that "On the Threshold of a Dream" is their last one on Deram records before they moved to Threshold, and it clearly should have been called "On the Threshold of a Deram." sadly he probably pointed this out more than forty years ago and i still to this day can't think of those records without thinking of that.

The "Have You Heard" two-parter is such bliss. What a great band.

Threshold is my favourite of their albums. It's not Hayward's peak, but Pinder's songs are very consistent. With Have You Heard, it's amusing how closely they pattern the arrangement after A Day in the Life.

All of their albums from Days of Future Past to Every Good Boy are putatively concept records, although each successive record is less tied into the concept other than the cover, title and maybe two or three of the lyrics.

Huh, I never noticed that but it's definitely true. I don't think Seventh Sojourn has any concept at all. Maybe I'm just missing it.

current favorite is "You Can Never Go Home". there's this bent mellotron chord that just hits me in the gut.

Yeah, by 1972 they were so exhausted that just getting a record in stores was enough of a unifying idea.

Pinder’s compositions sort of snuck up on me. I originally sort of wrote them off but almost all of the deep cuts I fell for were either written by him (Out and In) or featured his voice (The Balance) or his next level Mellotron work (Beyond).

this is a good resource if you're wondering about what Mellotron sounds they were using:

https://www.planetmellotron.com/revmoodies.htm

my local shop has some of the post-7th Sojourn LPs for very cheap, still not sure if I want to check them out. of all the 60's psych/art rock bands I think they were the least able to adapt to the 70s, even the stuff they did do in the early 70's has a very 1968 vibe to it. either way I grabbed the Caught Live LP (for $2.99) and will probably be listening to it tonight

Surprised that "The Voice" hasn't popped up as a needle drop in something like "Stranger Things."

otm, I love Long Distance Voyager so much, love that they just went all in on synth-pop for the next decade and totally pulled it off, maybe the most graceful transition for a psych/prog band from the sixties into the eighties?

how many psych prog bands even tried? I guess Pink Floyd did. Genesis technically started in the 60s but I'm gonna say they don't count.

Long Distance Voyager is indeed a surprisingly good album but I think it's their only one post-7th which is worth listening to at all. not that I've heard many of them. I have Octave and pretty much never want to listen to it.

In the very long Classic Artists documentary (which is great) there was a 90s performance of a song with an absolutely gorgeous flute solo and I had no idea of that was early or late material, I haven't got past the 60s yet.

I had the Yes documentary (which oddly treats Relayer like it was no big deal) and I really need to see the Jethro Tull one because these are usually at least 4 hours long, I wish there was much more but I think they only did Yes, Jethro Tull, Moody Blues, Cream and Jimi Hendrix. A shame.

In the Moody Blues documentary it was shown that Ian Anderson was considering joining the band for a while but they got another flute player

I think this was in the 90s too

its so weird that the Moodies were still a fairly well known pop culture phenomenon even well into the late 80s. did those later singles like "I Know You're Out There Somewhere" and "Your Wildest Dreams" actually get a lot of airplay? or were all the classic tunes still popular? (I certainly remember hearing them quite a bit in the 90s) just wondering because even their good ones tend to be landfill LPs nowadays, they're one of the few prog/psych bands of that era which just didn't seem to get re-evaluated at all.

Those two songs were both pretty big Top 40 hits, got MTV airplay etc.

They were all over the radio, iirc ("Your Wildest Dreams" hit number 9). As was America's "Magic," Alan Parsons "Eye in the Sky," etc. All sorts of future lite rock staples of that era. I heard an Air Supply song on the radio the other day, and I turned to my teen and said: this is what pop music often used to sound like.

My kids listen politely to the old man's tales of how great mid-70s music was.

Days of Future Passed remains a classic.

America had MoodysFever: "Gemini Dream" and "The Voice" got into the Top 40 in '81, and Long Distance Voyager actually hit #1 on the album chart.

raise your hand if your intro to the moodies was their cameo on the simpsons.

🙋

Heard "Your Wildest Dreams" all the time on AC radio in the 90s

of all the 60's psych/art rock bands I think they were the least able to adapt to the 70s, even the stuff they did do in the early 70's has a very 1968 vibe to it.

To be fair, they had a number 1 hit in 1972 with a song originally released in 1967, so they probably felt they had a mandate to keep that sound and spirit alive.

even their good ones tend to be landfill LPs nowadays, they're one of the few prog/psych bands of that era which just didn't seem to get re-evaluated at all.

True, but they sold a lot more than all the other bands of that ilk except Pink Floyd, so there were just more LPs sitting around to fill up the bins.

Forgot about "Go Now" - they do a nice cover, and I'm pleasantly surprised to find that I'm enjoying Denny Laine singing lead vocals on something:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z98rcKVLN-Q

That was one of his feature numbers on Wings Over America. The other was “Richard Cory” iirc.

listening to Threshold right now. every time I put it on I remember there's one song on it I absolutely love but never remember the name of. well I finally took note of it, it's "To Share Our Love". I really dig when this band does their psych rock Beach Boys thing, like on "Peak Hour" and "Ride Me See-Saw" and not much else. oooh and I forgot how massive the chorus of "Never Comes the Day" is. what a fuckin tune.

and then you've got "So Deep Within You" which somehow manages to predict the exact sound of the gross mid-70s Zappa stuff. except it says "I wanna touch your fire" instead of "girl I'm gonna grease up your oinker" or some shit.

"So Deep Within You" also recorded by the Four Tops! Though 70s Zappa would surely not cover everything in reverb to that extent, he loved dry close-miking.

Amazing album

and then you've got "So Deep Within You" which somehow manages to predict the exact sound of the gross mid-70s Zappa stuff. except it says "I wanna touch your fire" instead of "girl I'm gonna grease up your oinker" or some shit.

"So Deep Within You" also recorded by the Four Tops! Though 70s Zappa would surely not cover everything in reverb to that extent, he loved dry close-miking.

surprised that Every Good Boy Deserves Favour is the lowest rated on RYM of their classic albums. it's def as good as anything else they did if you ask me. it's way better than Question of Balance. though I admit maybe Question felt a bit more modern and clean while this goes back to their Lost Chord head-in-the-clouds psychedelia. can't imagine too many bands were still making music like this in 1971. also I can respect them going really out there on the first and last track - "My Song" is like a mini prog epic, albeit one from a band without a whole lot of techinical skill.

Fun fact, from Glenn Kenny’s book on Goodfellas: “Question” was considered for the soundtrack. I don’t know which scene, or if it was left off due to licensing, or if Scorsese just changed his mind or what. I can almost see it working as part of the May 11, 1980 sequence.

(He did use “Nights In White Satin” in Casino, and it worked perfectly.)

I don't really like any of the songs on EGBDF, it seems really tired and low-energy even by their standards (and not in a self-conscious, let's-write-songs-about-disillusionment way like the Pinder songs on Seventh Sojourn). Even "Story in Your Eyes" is a second-rate retread of the uptempo Hayward songs from the previous few records.

I agree it doesn't really have a strong single but there's a lot of really pretty moments on it, especially in the second half. mostly I'm just surprised people like Question of Balance more, if not for the title track I don't think I'd ever want to listen to that album.

personally I like it better than Days of Future Passed too. that album takes forever to get going and I really don't like most of the orchestration. mostly cuz it just reminds me of the really boring "retro" films my Dad would always watch.

Yes, the orchestrated segments of Days are a big mark against it. My pick of the big 7 is Threshold; though in honesty, any Moody Blues compilation (of that era) will have more good songs than any of their proper albums.

oh that's definitely true, the first CD I bought was a comp and it was really great but not in a way that made me wonder what the albums actually sounded like. then I saw them live and still recognized nearly every song they played so I figured maybe they just didn't have a lot of good deep cuts. hearing DoFP (which I'd always heard was the classic one) didn't really change my mind but Lost Chord kinda did. TOCCC was the one that really turned me around, it doesn't necessarily have my favorite material but for me track-for-track it's totally their best

My dad always had a cassette of Days Of Future Past and Seventh Sojourn in the car, but the first album I bought with my own money was the double This Is The Moody Blues comp. I still prefer its sequencing to the actual albums
https://www.discogs.com/release/2129159-The-Moody-Blues-This-Is-The-Moody-Blues

Yes, several of the records wheee around my house but that’s the one I latched on to. It felt like a very complete sixties epic, like White Album or Tommy more than a greatest hits.

some pretty crazy stories here. is the "brown note" thing really true? I thought that was an urban legend that just became an episode of South Park

https://www.loudersound.com/features/moody-blues-weird-fans-1960s

cracking article.
really enjoyed that and learnt loads that i had no idea about.
especially the whole thing re timothy leary.
i thought the song was because they personally knew him.
i love the moodies, but weirdly i know very little about them.
and, being honest, i kind of like it that way.

same, I thought it was some well-known lore that they used to hang out a bunch. surprising to me that the song was actually made during the Days of Future Past sessions, it would not have fit on that album at all. if I had to guess which track was from those sessions I'd say "Voices in the Sky".

still think In Search Of the Lost Chord is a total classic, one of those albums where I don't think it's their best but it's my personal favorite. idk if it's held up well exactly but it totally does feel like the sort of album a lot of teenagers got stoned to for the first time and I can respect that.

Moodies trivia: their 90s-era touring keyboardist was a founder member of hipster-adjacent folk-rock act Trees. Bonus trivia: he also wrote Kiki Dee's signature hit.

Bias Boshell is a heck of a rock and roll name

The long ass documentary is worth a watch. No great revelations but fun and I think it got me to buy their albums

Far too many ugly men with moustaches (who looked about 42 in 1967 so God knows what they look like now) in this band for my liking.

Four guys who look like West Bromwich Albion legend, Tony Brown, fronted by Tim Brooke Taylor is how I would characterize this band's look.

I'm not seeing this look as a problem myself

https://artist1.cdn107.com/08f/08fe9d2f776ad8199fc4ed945320db97_xl.jpg

I still hear Your Wildest Dreams while out and about at least twice a year.

Four guys who look like West Bromwich Albion legend, Tony Brown

I had always assumed that the falsetto backing vocals in "Nights in White Satin" were provided by session singers, and was vaguely amused to eventually discover that they were performed by these stolid-looking blokes.

xpost - That's because it's a jam. It came on my all-time faves playlist this morning on my way into work.

The long ass documentary is worth a watch. No great revelations but fun and I think it got me to buy their albums

No, it was a newer documentary, but amazing that there's more than one of them so long

Shit, Mike Pinder died:

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/mike-pinder-the-moody-blues-keyboardist-founding-member-dead-obit-1235010490/

RIP

Also I somehow never knew that Patrick Moraz was in The Moody Blues as well.

gotta be the guy who did the most to popularize the mellotron, for that alone he is a legend

his stuff was definitely the trippiest, always loved "The Sun is Still Shining"

His suite on side 2 of On the Threshold of a Dream is my pick for "most prog before prog" recording (even if it only predated King Crimson by six months).

Also I somehow never knew that Patrick Moraz was in The Moody Blues as well.

It resulted in The Music Trial of the Century!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0DoBkUTXHU

yeah the word "in" is doing a lot of work there

That is weird. On a song like "The Voice," Moraz is supplying like 80% of the instrumentation.

i have all of their classic era albums on cd.
however, this is the best option to listen to them imho ..

https://www.discogs.com/release/6173718-The-Moody-Blues-This-Is-The-Moody-Blues

hard to argue, as good as those albums are they make for a hell of a greatest hits comp which is how I got into them from the start. can't remember which one I had (it was a single CD and it started with "Go Now") but it was really good start to finish. they do have some really great deep cuts though.

RIP John Lodge

https://ultimateclassicrock.com/moody-blues-john-lodge-dies/

My favorite tune of his, co-written w Justin Hayward:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bheNRb3D0I

RIP. Always thought of the Moodys when I would drive along the John Lodge Freeway in Detroit.

What a horrible year, RIP.

spinning To Our Children's Children's Children in honor. terrific album, I think as great as anything that came out in '69. Lodge has "Candle of Life" on this which is I think my favorite song of his.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prlWGe2EHro

Bessie Banks sang “Go Now” before the Moody Blues. Both versions are good.

RIP John Lodge

Sorry but the Moody's version is not in the same universe as Bessie Banks.

Truth