Monday, February 23, 2009

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING MO BETTER-- THE MOODY BLUES

The real progenitors of a whole genre of rock music called symphonic rock were the Moody Blues. After an early hit in the mid-60s ('Go Now') they hit their stride when Justin Heyward became their lead singer answering a want ad in the Times! By 1970 they had already had an enormous number one hit 'Night's in White Satin' ( a song that was to be no. 1 three separate times, including 20 years apart), which was the featured song on an album they recorded with the London Symphony. Both ELO and ElP not to mention King Crimson in its early years were deeply indebted to the Moodies who kept on putting out remarkable concept albums of symphonic rock. Without question something was lost when Mike Pender, the mellotron player (the precursor to the synthesizer, Moog or otherwise)quit the band, but the group has soldiered on into the present with a remarkable discography and lots of memorable songs. I have seen them on several occasions, and they were always marvelous, even if now they are a bit long in the tooth. The first few clips are from when they were just hitting their stride in 1970, taken from a long lost memorable concert they did in a little club in Paris. Enjoy.









2 comments:

  1. I've long loved the Moody Blues since I began listening to them as a young teen in the mid 70's.

    Thanks for posting!

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  2. It's funny that you should mention Symphonic Rock... my son John (a senior at the University of TN) is working on just such a piece now for the UT Studio Orchestra.

    He did a version which he titled "Phantom of the (Rock) Opera" for his h/s band as his senior project.

    His website is www.aeolianjazz.com

    Interesting - Methodism and music - what a combination!

    betty
    www.prayerlogue.blogspot.com

    (PS - I just got my Wesley Study Bible. Although I often prefer the NASB, I love this Bible!)

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