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I Don't Want To Go On Without You
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Really Haven't Got The Time
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The Moody Blues
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In Search Of The Lost Chord
The Magnificent Moodies
The Moody Blues Albums
The Moody Blues - Live: Lovely To See You [DVD]
Book :- The "Moody Blues" Companion
The Magnificent Moodies
Reissued 1964-66 albums. The band's debut LP, first issued in 1965 when they were
at the forefront of the British R&B boom. The British No.1 single 'Go Now' is included
whilst the seven bonus cuts include the hit singles 'I Don't Want To Go On Without
You', 'From The Bottom Of My Heart' and the rare 45 'Steel Your Heart Away.'
DAYS OF FUTURE PASSED is the Moody Blues' true contribution to rock history: the
most cohesive integration of rock songs with orchestral music ever produced. Asked
by Deram Records to create a rock reworking of Dvorak's "New World" Symphony, the
Moodies instead wrote their own symphony, a song cycle that describes the emotions
that accompany each part of the day, from dawn ("Dawn Is A Feeling") to night (the
classic "Nights In White Satin"). The songs are connected by lush orchestral passages
in which the basic musical themes are reworked. Meanwhile, the band had already begun
to sound like its own orchestra, using signature Mellotron string sounds, flutes,
tympani and multiple vocalists.
After helping lay the groundwork for concept albums and progressive rock with 1967's
orchestra-enhanced suite DAYS OF FUTURE PASSED, the Moodies retrenched for the follow-up.
They abandoned the orchestra but kept their sound as rich as before by playing a
multitude of instruments themselves, including everything from sitar to cello to
oboe. At the time, it was remarkable enough for these instruments to appear on a
rock record, much less to be played by the band itself. The string-laden conceptual
pieces of DAYS were replaced by shorter, more concise songs that leaned more toward
Beatlesque pop and displayed a pronounced Eastern influence.
Graham Edge's short spoken-word
pieces provide a properly arty framework for the Moodies' blend of swooping mellotron,
haunting flute, and rich, multi-tracked harmonies. The slightly Hollies-ish "Ride
my Seesaw", one of the band's strongest rockers, is a highlight. Flutist/vocalist
Ray Thomas provides the quirky Britishness so essential to '60s UK pop-rock with
his music-hall-on-acid number "Dr. Livingstone I Presume". The soaring harmonies
of "Legend of a Mind" work in praise of Timothy Leary and his "trips to astral planes".
IN SEARCH OF THELOST CHORD is the most exotic, trippy album in the Moodies' catalogue.
On The Threshold Of A Dream
To Our Children's Children's Children
Where this album's predecessor IN SEARCH OF THE LOST CHORD dipped deeply into Eastern-flavored
psychedelia, THRESHOLD is more of a straightforward rock record. Things open up experimentally
enough, with a spoken-word vignette over electronic drones, but this leads straight
into one of the Moodies' poppiest, most up-tempo songs, "Lovely to see You", which
would remain a concert favorite for decades. Even notoriously theatrical flautist/vocalist
Ray Thomas keeps his eccentricities in check on his effective ballad "Dear Diary".
Keyboardist
Mike Pinder takes a surprisingly lascivious vocal turn on the anomalous, leering
rocker "So Deep Within You". Justin Hayward provides the lion's share of ear-tickling
moments with pretty folk-rock tunes such as "Never Comes the Day" and "Are you Sitting
Comfortably", while the most adventurous piece "Have you Heard/The Voyage" extends
over three discrete tracks, featuring complex instrumental passages and lushharmonies.
THRESHOLD doesn't come off as an attempt to cater to the mainstream, it's just a
more song-based, less exotic recording than its predecessors.
The Very Best Of The Moody Blues
The Moodies were a prolific lot in the late '60s. This, the post-Denny Laine line
up's fourth album, was the second to be released in 1969. It was the group's most
mature, fully realized effort to date, arguably surpassing even the milestone DAYS
OF FUTURE PASSED in its elegance and vision. The Moodies were always capable of both
songcraft and experimentalism, but this was the first time they combined them both
successfully. Mike Pinder's dramatically arcing mellotron is the perfectly complement
to the group's lush vocal harmonies, which are coloured by rich acoustic guitar textures.
Things
open on a mind-bendingly psychedelic note with the electrical storm of "Higher and
Higher", but soon the waters calm. Justin Hayward's brief acoustic ballad "I Never
Thought I'd Live to be a Hundred" is among the band's loveliest tunes, and it leads
into "Beyond", an ambitious instrumental that is the Moodies at their most progressive.
Throughout the album, the mixture of winningly melodic balladry, poignant folk-rock
and ambitious prog-rock leanings combine for what is one of the Moody Blues' most
satisfying albums.
The Very Best Of The Moody Blues
Fans of the Moody Blues hungry for the band's intoxicatingly rich arrangements and
soaring melodies need look no further than this terrific compilation. What it lacks
in depth this collection makes up for in breadth, spanning the band's 30-year history
of hits from "Tuesday Afternoon (Forever Afternoon)" to "Your Wildest Dreams". Featuring
some of Justin Hayward and John Lodge's best songwriting and packed with performances
truly worthy of the superlative adjective greatest, this collection of hits delivers
the goods. --L A Smith
The legendary Moody Blues present this special musical collection, their first live
album without an orchestra, since their historic 1969 release The Moody Blues Live
+ 5. Recorded live at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles on June 11 during their 2005
World tour, in which they played New Zealand for the first time and returned to Australia,
this rare live recording is pure Moody Blues. With the Moodies' unique brand of music
that has kept them at the top of their profession for 40 years, and has maintained
them as one of the biggest live touring acts of all-time, this is a truly sparkling
performance from one of the world’s greatest and best-loved rock bands. Featuring
Justin Hayward on electric, acoustic guitar and vocals; John Lodge on bass, acoustic
guitar and vocals; and Graeme Edge on drums and percussion, the rock legends magically
perform selections from their incredible roster of musical masterpieces including
"Nights In White Satin," "I'm Just A Singer (In A Rock & Roll Band)" and "Your Wildest
Dreams," along with such rarely performed live gems as "Higher and Higher," "The
Actor" and "Are You Sitting Comfortably?" The Moodies are also joined by their friends
and colleagues Norda Mullen on flute and guitar, Gordon Marshall on drums and percussion,
Paul Bliss on keyboards, and Bernie Barlow on backing vocals and keyboards, making
it a magical night to remember. This concert offers Moody Blues fans all around the
world a chance to experience a live performance of their biggest and best hits. Song
List: 1. Lovely To See You, 2. Tuesday Afternoon, 3. Lean on Me (Tonight), 4. The
Actor, 5. Steppin' in a Slide Zone , 6. The Voice, 7. Talking Out of Turn, 8. I Know
You're Out There Somewhere, 9. The Story In Your Eyes, 10. Forever Autumn, 11. Your
Wildest Dreams, 12. Isn't Life Strange, 13. The Other Side of Life, 14. December
Snow, 15. Higher and Higher, 16. Are You Sitting Comfortably?, 17. I'm Just a Singer
(In a Rock & Roll Band), 18. Nights in White Satin, 19. Question, 20. Ride My See-Saw
A biographical profile of 'The Magnificent Moodies'; Includes 8-pages of full-colour
pics, plus 39 more photos; Plus discography, FAQs, website stuff, and much more;
Includes interviews with former Moodies Denny Laine and Clint Warwick, the Moody
Blue who wasn't Patrick Moraz, the missing Moody: Mike Pinder and the boys themselves:
Graeme Edge, Justin Hayward, John Lodge, and Ray Thomas. Around 500,000 Moody Blues
albums continue to sell each year, from the 60's classics Days of Future Passed,
through Long Distance Voyager, to the 1999 release Strange Times - all 29 albums
are reviewed here.
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