Moody Blues : C/D, S/D

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.

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