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Posts tagged Mike Pinder
Mike Pinder – Promise (1976) (@256)
16 Apr 2010
Thanks to Bragi Taliesin for the contribution.
(Review from amazon, allmusic rateyourmusic.com)
During his years with the Moody Blues, Pinder was known for the lush, dense sounds he generated from his Mellotrons, which he modified so extensively by the beginning of the 1970s, that they became known unofficially as “Pinder-trons”; and for his compositions, which were frequently steeped in a brand of mysticism that recalled the English Romantic poets.
During the group’s mid-’70s hiatus, Pinder recorded a solo album, The Promise, which grafted elements of what would later be called new age music onto his established romantic sound.
It seems Pinder used his famed Mellotron mostly for ‘ornamental’ effects, and actually went with an Arp synth for the ‘string’ sounds on “You’ll Make It Through”. There’s very much of a jazz flavor to the flute-laden “Someone To Believe In”, as well as a heavy gospel vibe on “You’ll Make It Through” and on the coda of “Free As A Dove”. His vocals are generally mellow and typically earnest.
The material is sort of funny in a happy, unintentional sort of way. There’s even a short, light ‘n’ airy, sunny 70s instrumental on side two. Pinder pulls out the old Moodies poetry-recital trick on “The Seed”, which along with “Message” forms a mini-suite of sorts.
There are two bonus tracks in this edition of the album, first one is a remake of ‘One Step Into the Light’ originally from the Moody Blues’ Octave album. The other, ‘Island to Island’ is an unreleased track from the 80s.
Track List:
01. Free As A Dove – 4:11
02. You’ll Make It Through – 3:51
03. Only Want To Love You – 3:25
04. Someone To Believe In – 3:17
05. Carry On – 4:16
06. Air (Instrumental) – 2:19
07. Message – 2:45
08. The Seed – 1:24
09. The Promise – 6:04
10. One Step Into The Light (Bonus) – 5:44
11. Island To Island (Bonus) – 3:14
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Moody Blues – Caught Live +5 (1969) (@256)
25 Mar 2010
(Review from allmusic, wikipedia)
Caught Live + 5 is a 1977 Moody Blues double album consisting of a December 12, 1969 live show at the Royal Albert Hall and five previously unreleased studio recordings from the same time period.
The unofficial word among fans is that several of the group members were under the influence of controlled substances during the show and were, thus, less sharp than they might otherwise have been, though you’d never know it from the results here.
The 1969 Royal Albert Hall show sounds a lot better on this CD edition than it did on the LP, with a closeness that was never evident before — Justin Hayward’s guitar and Mike Pinder’s various Mellotrons, in particular, sound really crisp, and all of the singing comes out with more detail as well.
Their repertory at this time came primarily from “Days of Future Passed”, “In Search of the Lost Chord” and “On the Threshold of a Dream”, plus “Gypsy”, the one number from “To Our Children’s Children’s Children” — their then new album — that they actually performed live; the latter is also the opening number, and Hayward’s guitar work is most impressive, whether he’s playing the melody in the opening, or crunching out chords on the break.
“The Sunset” from Days of Future Passed, is a showcase for Pinder’s Mellotrons, the keyboard player slowly weaving lush Arabesques and misteriosos while Hayward strums out muted chords, Graeme Edge’s drums impersonate the sound of a tabla and Ray Thomas’ flute hovers above it all with its lilting phrases. “Dr. Livingston, I Presume” lightens the tone with a more witty, whimsical side of psychedelia that still allows Pinder a chance to show off the Mellotron’s range and Hayward a surprisingly hard-rocking solo — one audience member, in particular, seems taken with it all, punctuating the crescendos with shrieks of appreciation that don’t detract a bit from the listening.
Edge’s nimble playing is most impressive on “Peak Hour,” a frenetically paced number off of Days of Future Passed, and the other highlights of the set include the hits “Tuesday Afternoon” and “Nights in White Satin,” and the closing suite from On the Threshold of a Dream, which works well despite Pinder’s being limited to just two keyboards — one scarcely misses the grand piano, and the opening sequence, “Are You Sitting Comfortably,” gives Thomas’ flute its best showcase.
The group is tight throughout, both in their playing and singing, and the show ends on a hard-rocking note with “Legend of a Mind” and “Ride My See-Saw” — and the former is a great vehicle for John Lodge’s bass work.
As for the studio cuts, they’re salvaged from failed album sessions in 1967 and 1968, and they’re not bad songs — “Gimme a Little Something” has a great opening verse, guitar part, and chorus, even if it doesn’t quite hold together perfectly as a song, and “King and Queen” and “What Am I Doing Here” both have hauntingly beautiful melodies. But they’re also not quite up to the standard of what the group released during that period, and work best in a historical, archival context, which is how they were issued.
Line-up:
- Justin Hayward / guitars, vocals
- John Lodge / bass guitar, vocals
- Michael Pinder / keyboards, vocals
- Ray Thomas / harmonica, flute, vocals
- Graeme Edge / drums, percussion
Track List:
01. Gypsy – 4:03
02. The Sunset – 4:33
03. Dr. Livingstone, I Presume – 3:23
04. Never Comes The Day – 5:39
05. Peak Hour – 5:13
06. Tuesday Afternoon – 4:51
07. Are You Sitting Comfortably – 4:21
08. The Dream – 0:58
09. Have You Heard Part 1 – 1:22
10. The Voyage – 3:37
11. Have You Heard Part 2 – 2:33
12. Nights In White Satin – 5:55
13. Legend Of A Mind – 7:05
14. Ride My See-Saw – 4:30
15. Gimme A Little Somethin’ (Bonus Studio) – 3:13
16. Please Think About It (Bonus Studio) – 3:44
17. Long Summer Days (Bonus Studio) – 3:12
18. King And Queen (Bonus Studio) – 3:55
19. What Am I Doing Here (Bonus Studio) – 3:33
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Moody Blues – Live At The Isle Of Wight Festival 1970 (@256)
24 Mar 2010
(Review from amazon, about.com)
British art-rock pioneers the Moody Blues are captured in concert at their peak here, in a performance from the momentous Isle of Wight festival.
The Moodies were a hugely talented live band, no small feat considering the circumstances: the complexity of both their vocal harmonies and their instrumentation, and the fact that the electronic gadgetry they pioneered was still in its infancy, and demanded first-take perfection when performing live.
In spite of the challenges of pulling off complicated music in front of 600,000 people, the band seems relaxed and comfortable in this performance. Even when the vocals get a little out of sync at one point, they shake it off with a laugh and a quick one-liner and keep moving.
Proving that there was a powerful live unit beneath those big orchestral arrangements, the album displays several sides of the band’s musical personality. From the psychedelic pop of “Legend of a Mind” to the proto-prog epic “Nights in White Satin” and the concise rocker “Question”, this is a multifaceted sound in full flight, buoyed by keysman Mike Pinder’s distinctive Mellotron work.
Line-up:
- Justin Hayward / vocals, guitar
- Ray Thomas / vocals, flute
- Mike Pinder / mellotron
- John Lodge / bass
- Graeme Edge / drums
Track List:
01. Gypsy – 3:16
02. The Sunset – 3:59
03. Tuesday Afternoon – 4:18
04. Minstrel’s Song – 4:25
05. Never Comes The Day – 4:45
06. Tortoise And The Hare – 3:29
07. Question – 5:44
08. Melancholy Man – 5:32
09. Are You Sitting Comfortably – 3:45
10. The Dream – 1:41
11. Have You Heard (Parts 1 And 2) – 7:56
12. Nights In White Satin – 5:00
13. Legend Of A Mind – 6:37
14. Ride My See Saw – 3:36
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Moody Blues – Seventh Sojourn (1972) (@256)
17 Jul 2009
(Review from progarchives.com, wikipedia)
In Seventh Sojourn, The Moody Blues replaced the Mellotron with a keyboard called the Chamberlin, a device similar to the Mellotron created by the original inventor of the device, Harry Chamberlin. It could simulate orchestral sounds more realistically and easily than the Mellotron.
“Isn’t life strange” was a huge hit single from the album, which consolidated the success the band enjoyed with their previous single “Question”. It is a beautiful 3 verse 3 chorus ballad with lush orchestration. It may seem like sacrilege to say so, but there a Bee Gees feel to the song in terms of structure and sound. It
“I’m just a singer (in a rock and roll band”) was the other hit single taken from the album, and finds the band in full heads down Status Quo mood. The song starts like an old steam train, with Graham Edge on drums winding up the pace gradually from a standing start to a frantic runaway train. Edge then maintains that driving pace over a wall of sound, with brief all encompassing stops only serving to emphasise the sheer power and volume of the piece. If your toes don’t tap along with this one, check if your legs have fallen off!
Ray Thomas contribution “For my lady” is a lovely sea shanty influenced song, while “New Horizons” is a softer “Watching and waiting” type song with more traditional Moodies sound.
These then are the highlights, but the album as a whole is coherent, and melodic from start to finish. This apparently belies the rather difficult atmosphere within the band during the recordings.
In the spring of 1974, after completing a tour of Asia, the group took an extended break — originally announced as a permanent break-up — Justin Hayward being the only one eager to go on. By this point the other band members were feeling exhausted and overshadowed.
Line-up:
- Justin Hayward / guitars, vocals
- John Lodge / bass guitar, vocals
- Michael Pinder / keyboards, vocals
- Ray Thomas / harmonica, flute, vocals
- Graeme Edge / drums, percussion
Track List:
01. Lost In A Lost World – 4:41
02. New Horizons – 5:10
03. For My Lady – 3:57
04. Isn’t Life Strange – 6:10
05. You And Me – 4:19
06. The Land Of Make-Believe – 4:50
07. When You’re A Free Man – 6:05
08. I’m Just A Singer (In A Rock And Roll Band) – 4:17
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Moody Blues – Every Good Boy Deserves Favour (1971) (@256)
16 Jul 2009
(Review from progarchives.com)
From the lovely cover art to the opening creation myth, accompanied by gorgeous instrumentation (including a nice little Brian May-type doubletracked lead fanfare), we are led to believe that the Moody Blues have finally produced the concept album they’d always seemed to be promising. It certainly keeps going well, seguing into the driving and memorable “Story in Your Eyes”, but as the album continues, there’s no doubt that this is simply another collection of good songs loosely bound together.
Not that that’s a bad thing; this is just as much as a concept album as, say, “Sgt. Pepper”. “Our Guessing Game” is requisite Ray Thomas simple sweetness, saturated with melody and harmony, and “Emily’s Song” continues the lush loveliness with remarkable orchestration. “After You Came” hits fairly hard, in a Who-inspired vein, and features some nice guitar work. “One More Time to Live” is tender and lush and pretentious as a Moody Blues song should be, hearkening back to the questing drama of “Procession” to keep the concept going.
“Nice to be Here” (is there any doubt this is a Ray Thomas song?) is a cross between “Wind in the Willows” nursery rhyme psychedelia and Fogerty’s “Looking Out My Back Door”- perhaps a little too childish for some, but fun nevertheless. “You Can Never Go Home”, however, is a surging guitar-led anthem in the Justin Hayward style, mixing melancholy reflection with yearning romanticism. The final track, “My Song”, is the toughest song on the album to digest; the lyrics of the first and last verse may make you cringe, but the vocals work well; the music jumps around from passage to passage, teasing you with sonic textures, but gradually builds to a wrenching climax.
Is it anything they haven’t shown us before? Not really- the latter five of the “classic seven” Moody Blues albums are more or less interchangeable, but this one has the most lushly layered sonic signature- even compared to the orchestra on “Days of Future Passed”. Is it overblown and pretentious? Sure, but there’s still that endearing naivete and optimism to balance the grandeur. Is it “easy listening”? Well, it definitely belongs to the softer side of progressive rock, making even the Alan Parsons Project seem edgy by comparison- but if you’re in the mood to let your defenses down a bit and let the music wash over you, there’s few albums that will be as comfortable and yet as evocative as “Every Good Boy Deserves Favor”.
Line-up:
- Justin Hayward / guitars, vocals
- John Lodge / bass guitar, vocals
- Michael Pinder / keyboards, vocals
- Ray Thomas / harmonica, flute, vocals
- Graeme Edge / drums, percussion
Track List:
01. Procession – 4:40
02. The Story In Your Eyes – 2:56
03. Our Guessing Game – 3:34
04. Emily’s Song – 3:42
05. After You Came – 4:39
06. One More Time To Live – 5:41
07. Nice To Be Here – 4:23
08. You Can Never Go Home – 4:14
09. My Song – 6:19
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Moody Blues – Live at the BBC (1967-1970) (@256)
14 Jul 2009
(Review from amazon)
While this assemblage of the BBC tracks is called “Live At The BBC 67-70″ there is more. The second disc is audio from TV tapings.
If you are a Moody Blues fan, this album gives you another side of the band. The track listings couldn’t be a better representation of the collective genius from the group. Not only are the hits and radio tracks available for your enjoyment but some of the more esoteric and underrated tunes (“Best Way To Travel”, “Visions Of Paradise, and “The Actor”). “Best Way To Travel” has never received the acclaim it deserves. The cover of the Animals hit “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” was greatly constructed.
The back-to-back combination of “Tuesday Afternoon” and “Ride My See-Saw” offers enough exquisite beauty to enthrall the harshest critic but “Lovely To See You (With the acoustic guitar sounding as if it is in your living room) could accelerate the pulse of the most docile individual.
As you sample the choice cuts don’t forget to digest the short version of “Nights In White Satin” clocking in a shade over three minutes.”
Could you ever get enough versions of “Gypsy”? Its inclusion here only solidifies it’s golden splendor.
Forty-one tracks for your pleasure. Are you sitting comfortably?
Line-up:
- Justin Hayward / guitars
- John Lodge / bass
- Mike Pinder / keyboards
- Ray Thomas / flutes & sax
- Graeme Edge / drums
Track List:
CD1
01. Fly Me High – 3:00
02. Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood – 2:23
03. Love and Beauty – 2:12
04. Leave This Man Alone – 2:52
05. Peak Hour – 3:21
06. Nights in White Satin – 4:22
07. Fly Me High – 2:45
08. Twilight Time (Evening) – 2:08
09. Dr. Livingston, I Presume – 2:58
10. Voices in the Sky – 2:50
11. Ride My See-Saw – 3:49
12. Best Way to Travel – 3:38
13. Voices in the Sky – 3:53
14. Dr. Livingston, I Presume – 2:58
15. Peak Hour – 3:29
16. Tuesday Afternoon – 3:24
17. Ride My See-Saw – 2:28
18. Lovely to See You – 2:25
19. Never Comes the Day – 4:33
20. To Share Our Love – 2:21
21. Send Me No Wine – 2:40
22. So Deep Within You – 3:06
23. Lovely to See You – 2:15
CD2
01. Nights in White Satin – 4:40
02. Morning: Another Morning – 2:58
03. Ride My See-Saw – 3:46
04. Dr. Livingston, I Presume – 3:01
05. House of Four Doors – 5:56
06. Voices in the Sky – 3:23
07. Best Way to Travel – 3:22
08. Visions of Paradise – 1:14
09. Actor – 1:50
10. Gypsy – 3:07
11. Sun Set – 3:47
12. Never Comes the Day – 4:21
13. Are You Sitting Comfortably – 3:00
14. Poem: The Dream – 0:52
15. Have You Heard – 5:42
16. Nights in White Satin – 3:03
17. Legend of a Mind – 4:34
18. Question – 4:54
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Moody Blues – To Our Children's Children's Children (1969) (@256)
13 Jul 2009
(Review from progarchives.com)
Moody Blues revert to a generally mellower style for this album, in fact at times they seem so laid back their heads must be touching the ground!
“Higher and higher” which opens the album briefly belies this, with its (strangely enough) ascending, upbeat melody, but the following “Eyes of a child”, establishes the dominant pace for the album.
There is though, much to enjoy here. “Candle of life” has a Bee Gees feel to it, with swirling orchestration, and a lovely piano backing (it made an excellent B side for “Question” when released as a single). “Watching and Waiting”, which the band had apparently expected to be a huge hit single, is a wonderfully melodic number, which washes over the listener in gentle waves of breathing keyboards.
That pretty much goes for the rest of the album. It’s hardly challenging and not really very progressive, but it is highly melodic and hugely relaxing, one for low lights and good company.
Line-up:
- Michael Pinder / keyboards, vocals
- Ray Thomas / harmonica, flute, vocals
- Graeme Edge / drums, percussion
- Justin Hayward / guitars, vocals
- John Lodge / bass guitar, vocals
Track List:
01. Higher And Higher – 4:06
02. Eyes Of A Child I – 3:23
03. Floating – 3:01
04. Eyes Of A Child II – 1:21
05. I Never Thought I’d Live To Be A Hundred – 1:05
06. Beyond – 2:58
07. Out And In – 3:48
08. Gypsy – 3:33
09. Eternity Road – 4:18
10. Candle Of Life – 4:17
11. Sun Is Still Shining – 3:37
12. I Never Thought I’d Live To Be A Million – 0:33
13. Watching And Waiting – 4:15
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Moody Blues – Magnificent Moodies (1965) (@256)
12 Jul 2009
(Review from amazon, wikipedia, progarchives.com)
Moody Blues was founded in 1964 by Michael Pinder and Ray Thomas. They initially performed a rhythm and blues-based sound in Birmingham. Their debut album hit the streets in 1965.
The style of music on “Magnificent Moodies” differs greatly from what most people expect from a Moody Blues album. The sound is R’n'B influenced and rather naive and simple. The songs are all single length (2-3 minutes long). The song titles reflect the lyric themes very obviously.
“I’ll Go Crazy/ Something you got” are good examples of the early sound with the tortued vocals of Laine and “I don’t mind” featuring the vocal/piano powers of Mike Pinder. While “From the Bottom of my heart” and “Stop” two great Pinder/Laine originals, allow for the recognition of the maturing writing talents and vocal harmonies which would later become hallmarks of the band.
This edition of the album also includes 14 bonus tracks from the same era.
Laine and Warwick left the group in 1966, and were replaced by guitarist Justin Hayward and bassist John Lodge, as the band inspired and evolved the progressive rock style.
Line-up:
- Michael Pinder / keyboards and vocals
- Ray Thomas / bass, flute, vocals
- Graeme Edge / drums
- Denny Laine / guitar, vocals
- Elaine Caswell / percussion
- Clint Warwick / bass
Track List:
01. I’ll Go Crazy – 2:11
02. Something You Got – 2:52
03. Go Now! – 3:14
04. Can’t Nobody Love You – 4:03
05. I Don’t Mind – 3:27
06. I’ve Got A Dream – 2:52
07. Let Me Go – 3:13
08. Stop – 2:05
09. Thank You Baby – 2:30
10. It Ain’t Necessarily So – 3:21
11. True Story – 1:45
12. Bye Bye Bird – 2:50
13. People Gotta Go (Bonus) – 2:32
14. Steal Your Love Away (Bonus) – 2:15
15. Lose Your Money (But Don’t Lose Your Mind) (Bonus) – 2:00
16. It’s Easy Child (Bonus) – 3:13
17. I Don’t Want To Go On Without You (Bonus) – 2:46
18. Time Is On My Side (Bonus) – 3:03
19. From The Bottom Of My Heart (I Love You) (Bonus) – 3:28
20. And My Baby’s Gone (Bonus) – 2:21
21. Everyday (Bonus) – 1:49
22. You Don’t (All The Time) (Bonus) – 2:21
23. Boulevard De La Madelaine (Bonus) – 2:56
24. This Is My House (But Nobody Calls) (Bonus) – 2:35
25. Life’s Not Live (Bonus) – 2:35
26. He Can Win (Bonus) – 2:25
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Moody Blues – On The Threshold Of A Dream (1969) (@256)
12 Jul 2007
(Review from progarchives.com, vintageprog.com)
If you haven’t heard this album yet, you’re in for a treat.
Alluding to the listener’s likely state of mind, “On The Threshold of a Dream” features a brilliant succession of songs, instrumental segues and spoken poems. I haven’t heard a more cogent case for Moody Blues’ unusual approach to songwriting — allowing each of the five members to follow their own muse within the context of a group effort — than on this album.
What ties “Threshold” together is its swift pacing, using seamless segues to connect the band’s individual contributions into a cohesive whole. This technique prevents a musical morass from forming, a problem that plagued subsequent albums.
“Threshold” is symphonic and beautiful with great atmosphere, and the mellotron sounds heavenly. It proves that you don’t necessarily need 1200 time-changes in each song to make good music.
Line-up:
- Justin Hayward / guitars, vocals
- John Lodge / bass guitar, vocals
- Michael Pinder / keyboards, vocals
- Ray Thomas / harmonica, flute, vocals
- Graeme Edge / drums, percussion
Track List:
01. In the beginning (2:07)
02. Lovely to see you (2:34)
03. Dear diary (3:56)
04. Send me no wine (2:21)
05. To share our love (2:53)
06. So deep within you (3:07)
07. Never comes the day (4:43)
08. Lazy day (2:43)
09. Are you sitting comfortably? (3:30)
10. The dream (0:57)
11. Have you heard? pt. 1 (1:28)
12. The voyage (4:10)
13. Have you heard? pt. 2 (2:26)
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Moody Blues – A Question of Balance (1970) (@256)
16 Apr 2007
(Review from vintageprog.com)
The Moodies entered the ’70s with another strong album. Actually, all the albums they released in their classic period (1967-1972) are good. The album opens with the symphonic energy of “Question”, one of the very best tracks Hayward ever wrote. Ray Thomas also contributed with one of his best tracks ever: “The Tide Rushes In”. John Lodge seemed like always to be in a happier mood than the rest of the band and wrote the energetic “Tortoise and the Hare” and the cheerful and slightly folk-influenced “Minstrel’s Song” for the album. Pinder’s “Melancholic Man” gets a little bit too repetitive. Fortunately, his other contribution “How Is It? (We are Here)” is much better. Another great Moody Blues album. It’s not so much more to say.
Line-up:
- Justin Hayward / guitars, vocals
- John Lodge / bass guitar, vocals
- Michael Pinder / keyboards, vocals
- Ray Thomas / harmonica, flute, vocals
- Graeme Edge / drums, percussion
Track List:
01. Question (5:43)
02. How Is It (We Are Here) (2:44)
03. And The Tide Rushes In (2:57)
04. Don’t You Feel Small (2:37)
05. Tortoise and the Hare (3:19)
06. It’s Up to You (3:11)
07. Minstrel’s Song (4:27)
08. Dawning is the Day (4:21)
09. Melancholy Man (5:45)
10. The Balance (3:28)
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Moody Blues – Days of Future Passed (1967) (@256)
14 Feb 2007
Moody Blues – Days of Future Passed (1967) (@256)
(Review from progarchives.com)
“Days of Future Passed” really has stood up well to the test of time, due in no small part to the imaginative orchestration. This may not have been the first album to use the orchestra in this way (that is a well worn debate for the forum), but it arguably the most significant.
While “Days of Future Passed” was not the first Moody Blues release (many think it was), the band had effectively reinvented themselves since the pop orientated early work of the “Go now” era, the most significant change being the arrival of Justin Hayward. Hayward’s unique voice and guitar dexterity immediately gave the band the sound which we now associate so closely with them.
“Days of future passed” came about as a result of the Moody Blues record label Decca wishing to promote their new serious music subsidiary Deram. The idea was to demonstrate how far the recording process had come, with the introduction of such facilities as stereo and hi-fi. The band were afforded a generous amount of latitude to do their own thing, the use of the orchestra constituting a major investment and leap of faith on the part of the record company. It’s hard to see such a willingness by a record company, to take a risk of this nature, happening in today’s corporate environment.
It’s hard now to appreciate just how original this album was at the time of its release. The success of “Nights in white satin” as a single helped to boost sales significantly. Heard within the context of the album though, it makes for a superb finale. The track also contains a wonderful flute solo by the criminally under-recognised Ray Thomas, complemented by some superb bass work by John Lodge. Graham Edge adds one of his captivating soliloquies just before the final orchestral burst. As an aside, the “Cold hearted orb which rules the night” referred to by Edge is a television, the reference to it “removing the colours from our sight” reflecting the fact that the album predates the introduction of colour TV for the masses!
Justin Hayward’s vocals are excellent throughout, but especially on the atmospheric “Tuesday Afternoon”. The album is best listened to as a complete piece although tracks such as the two mentioned do sound great in isolation.
There’s little indication here of the direction the band would follow on later releases. Their instrumental prowess is largely stifled by the orchestra, but this is a superb album by any standards.
Line-up:
- Graeme Edge / drums
- Justin Hayward / guitars, vocals
- John Lodge / bass, acoustic guitar, vocals
- Michael Pinder / keyboards, vocals, mellotron
- Ray Thomas / flute, vocals
- The London Festival Orchestra: conducted by Peter Knight
Track List:
01. The Day Begins (5:49)
02. Dawn: Dawn is a Feeling (3:49)
03. Morning: Another Morning (3:40)
04. Lunch break: Peak Hour (5:16)
05. Tuesday Afternoon (Forever Afternoon) (8:48)
06. Evening: The Sun Set: Twilight Time (6:14)
07. Night: Nights in White Satin (7:38)
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Moody Blues – In Search of the Lost Chord (1968) (@320)
07 Jan 2007
(Review from progarchives.com)
The first album by the band as a rock group, as opposed to the virtually unrelated pop outfit of the 60’s (“Go now”), and their subsequent (excellent) one off orchestral project, “Days of Future passed”.
Inevitably much of the music now sounds somewhat dated. For example, the poppy “Ride my see-saw”, displays all the innocence of the flower power era, but in prog terms when seen in isolation is simplistic. There are however strong indications of high quality music which was to come.
“The actor” is a more structured piece with two distinct time signatures, which allows Justin Hayward to display his admirable vocal talents, backed by those now famous perfect harmonies.
Ray Thomas’ usually contributes one or two compositions to each album, on which he takes lead vocals. Had it not been for the fact that Justin Hayward has such a wonderful and distinctive voice, we would perhaps have enjoyed the privilege of hearing Thomas’ captivating vocals on a greater proposition of the band’s output. Here, Thomas’ contribution “Legend of a mind” is his tribute to 60’s guru Timothy Leary. This trippy, flute driven piece is actually quite progressive, but once again now sounds rather dated.
In all, the hippy, flower power influences are strong here, but that does not detract from quality of the music, which remains thoroughly enjoyable.
Line-up:
- Graeme Edge / drums
- Justin Hayward / guitars, vocals
- John Lodge / bass, acoustic guitar, vocals
- Michael Pinder / keyboards, vocals, mellotron
- Ray Thomas / flute, vocals
Track List:
01. Departure (0:44)
02. Ride my see-saw (3:38)
03. Dr. Livingstone, I presume? (2:58)
04. House of four doors (4:12)
05. Legend of a mind (6:36)
06. House of four doors, pt.2 (1:47)
07. Voices in the sky (3:25)
08. The best way to travel (3:14)
09. Visions of paradise (4:15)
10. The actor (4:39)
11. The word (0:48)
12. Om (5:44)
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