Been a Moody Blues fan since they first appeared on the scene. All the way back to the single "Go Now", which was light years from the progressive/symphonic music they were later to be associated ... with hits like "Nights In White Satin", "Tuesday Afternoon", Questions", and "The Story In Your Eyes". I recently discovered that during my transition from LP's to CDs I neglected to include three Moody Blue's LP's to my CD collection ... "Octave", "The Present" and "The Other Side Of Life". I immediately rectified that by placing an order to Amazon. And while I was at it I included the re-mastered versions of two classics "On The Threshold Of A Dream" and "Days Of Future Past". I had re-masters of the rest of their catalog.
So needless to say I've been spending the past week re-visiting the entire Moody discography. And I gotta' say ... what a great band to sit back and listen to while smoking your pipe. Those Classic Seven are unquestionably their best ("Days Of Future Past", "On The Threshold Of A Dream", "In Search Of The Lost Chord", "To Our Children's Children's Children", "A Question Of Balance", "Every Good Boy Deserves Favor", and "Seventh Sojourn"); but even those later period albums have some great tunes to whisk you away from the problems of the day. Were it not for music from bands like The Moody Blues and the other various prog/rock groups I've been listening to during my Covid-19 House Arrest, life would be unbearable.
Even been revisiting my own "Ghosts Of Pompeii" discography.
@ghostsofpompeii, my favorites have always been "Days of Future Past" and "Every Good Boy Deserves Favour." Reading your list reminded me how much I enjoyed the band. Some snow storm this winter I'm going to sit back and enjoy their catalogue. Thanks for the post!
@Balisong If you're going to wait for a snow storm you might consider their Christmas Album "December". I always forget about that one because I keep it with the Christmas music instead of my dedicated Moody Blues shelf. Same with the Jethro Tull Christmas album. Got it packed away with the Christmas music as well instead of the Tull shelf.
@ghostsofpompeii, just listened to "Thick as a Brick" inspired by all the political coverage. I spend the summer gardening and raising birds so there's no block of time to devote to marathon music!
@Balisong Music has been a big part of my life - so if I'm not watching TV I'm listening to music.
My wife and I usually play a game or two of Scrabble everyday just to keep our minds sharp - and we have music playing in the background.
And when I'm in the garage smoking, it goes without saying that there is music playing in the background.
Back when I was a kid I'd go to the local cinema every Saturday afternoon (admission was only a quarter), and it was there I discovered the magic and power of music in the movie soundtracks. I became aware that even cheezie horror and sci-fi flicks were made better by a decent film score. I might have been the only kid who could detect a film score from composer Bernard Herrmann well before I saw his name appear on the credits. Other kids my age were buying 45's of popular music while I spent most of my money on movie soundtrack LP's. Especially Bernard Herrmann scores for films like "Mysterious Island", "Journey To The Center Of The Earth", "7th Voyage Of Sinbad" and his many Hitchcock films. And I think it was my love for these big majestic scores that drew me to the progressive rock movement when it came on the scene. By the later part of the 60s' I was pretty bored by formula four chord rock and roll songs that dominated the AM airwaves and really got into those epic complex tracks from 70s' bands like YES, GENESIS, KING CRIMSON, PINK FLOYD, GENTLE GIANT and the like. And the majestic orchestral sounds of bands like THE MOODY BLUES. I even enjoyed foreign prog bands who sang in their native language. Hell, it's hard to understand the lyrics of a majority of American bands, so the language barrier was never a problem for me.
So when I first got into a band back in the 70s', progressive rock was the genre of music we were trying to emulate. My band VESUVIUS was a bit hit or miss in trying to capture the spirit of those groups. In order to get booked we'd have to write the occasional rock and roll number to keep people interested - but for the most part prog/rock is where I wanted to go. But by the time we attained the proficiency to tackle the complexities of the genre it was dying and punk and disco had taken over. It wasn't until decades after the band broke up and I created my solo project GHOSTS OF POMPEII that I was able to come close to writing and recording the style of music I enjoyed from those old 70s' prog, jazz fusion, and symphonic rock groups.
Which explains my love of music. And why you can hear it playing throughout the house most of the day.
I often wondered, God forbid, which of my senses I would miss more should I suddenly find myself deaf or blind. I love watching movies and TV shows, looking at nature, and experiencing all the wondrous things our eyes allow us to see - but I also love listening to music, the sound of voices ... conversing with my wife, and the ambient noises around us that we take for granted. That's a tough one, and something I hope I never have to experience. Because I sure want to make the choice.
@ghostsofpompeii, well said! When disco came to town I delved into blues rock and onto or back to jazz. My dad gave me a small Toshiba radio that I'd put under my pillow and listen to while falling asleep, I was six or seven at the time. Invariably I'd tune into a jazz station, Miles and Coltrane are still my favorites.
@Balisong Not quite sure how old you are ... but back when I was a kid in the late 50s' the first radio I owned was one of those Rocket Ship shaped crystal radios. The thing was really hit or miss when looking for a station ... there were no dials ... you changed the stations by raising or lowing the antenna. But considering it didn't need any batteries, it was the perfect radio for a kid with a minimal allowance. Think I got it at one of those Novelty Shops that were quite popular in the 50s' and 60s' ... and I'm sure it couldn't have cost more than a buck. And from what I remember it got it's best reception at night. Which was perfect for me because there was nothing better than laying in bed and drifting off while listening to music.
I was not even a twinkle in my fathers eye in the 50’s. That rocket ship is pretty cool👍🏻 I did have a Radio Shack crystal radio I built when I was a youngster though....I wonder where it is at🤔. I guess I will try to find it.
@ghostsofpompeii,, like a lot of Moody Blues material also, Funny you should mention “Go Now” it was my favorite back in that time and place. I’ve been looking for a remastered version of it but no luck. It’s sort of a lousy production on the original, not very clean, but I guess they did the best they could do with what they had in 1965.
@buflosab It's really surprising to discover how many of those old albums were recorded in two or four track studios. Even early Moody Blues stuff. My home studio studio was an 8 track digital - and trying to record with only eight tracks at your disposal was pretty limiting at times. Can you imagine having to mike all the drums on one track, then spreading guitars, bass, keyboards or horns and sax on two, and leaving one open for vocals. Now-a-days with multi-track studios with 48 track or more each individual drum and cymbal has a dedicated track. It's no wonder a lot of that really early 60s' stuff sounded a bit muddy.
In my earlier days, I used a Microsoft based sequencing program called CAKEWALK. At least it gave me the ability to produce some "decent" songs IMHO, and a CD... As a matter of fact, I just checked and I still have it. Probably won't work with Windows 10... but ah, those were the days...
I couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket. With major hearing loss, I can listen to a radio channel 1/2 off frequency with static and it does not make a difference..... to me......friends are driven bat$#!t crazy 😬
When I get home after a day of work, I tend to listen to Swing era music and wartime variety shows, such as "Command Performance", "Guest Star!" Or "The Big Show". When I do, I like to enjoy some C&D Crooner in my trusty 80's Peterson Aran. Pretty much my Sunday morning go-to as well. Weekday mornings as well as most days at work, (a luxury afforded me by the pleasure of working out of doors), I'm a fan of either good ol' Prince Albert or some hearty C&D Haunted Bookshop in a MM Country Gentleman while enjoying some Motörhead, Iron Maiden or classic Black Sabbath (both Ozzy and Dio) through my earbuds. Variety, after all, IS the spice of life!
@motie2, Thank you for that, it definitely sounds better, the only problem is I’m strictly a IPod man, like to have all my music that way. Unfortunately I’m not clever enough to know how to subtract the music from the videos. Have done it in the past with some questionable apps. Just afraid to get my computer infected. I know there must be a way to do it legitimately.
I never came across Shadofax (at least during lucid times) in my youth but found the album on Spotify. I added a link to my home screen and will give it a listen during an enjoyable pipe. Thanks for the recommendation!
Comments
Was the artist perchance R. Carlos Nakai?
I agree with your assessment of the seven.
Hey, I had the commie version: a “sputnik” radio of the same crystal radio design, internally.
Several remasters on Youtube.
At least it gave me the ability to produce some "decent" songs IMHO, and a CD...
As a matter of fact, I just checked and I still have it. Probably won't work with Windows 10... but ah, those were the days...
I have both in my music files on my computer......I have l,istened to them multiple times. Good stuff.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JV_PfGcPewY
And again: Watercourse Way was one of my favorite albums, back in the day. I never got the cd, and the vinyl disappeared from my memory.
I never came across Shadofax (at least during lucid times) in my youth but found the album on Spotify. I added a link to my home screen and will give it a listen during an enjoyable pipe. Thanks for the recommendation!
Psssst: Just for Love, by Quicksilver