Posted August 7, 20232 yr Birmingham group The Moody Blues started out as an R&B/beat band. Their debut album from 1965, 'The Magnificent Moodies', included the number 1 single 'Go Now'. With Denny Laine and Clint Warwick leaving the group and being replaced by Justin Hayward and John Lodge, they went in a completely different direction in 1967 for their second album 'Days Of Future Passed'. The group's record company, Decca, wanted them to record a rock version of Antonín Dvořák's Symphony No. 9 with an orchestra, to showcase their new 'Deramic Sound' recording system, but that idea was quickly shelved without Decca's knowledge in favour of a song cycle they had already written, parts of which had already been performed live. The songs from the album all fit around the concept of a day in the life of ordinary people, starting at dawn and finishing in the night. The band recorded their parts in one studio while the orchestra did theirs in the studio next door. The result is a wonderful mixture of pop, rock and classical music, the likes of which had never been attempted before and could be looked at now as the first progressive rock album. The LP is a continuous piece of music so I don't really want to pick out any tracks but the obvious highlights are 'Nights In White Satin' and 'Tuesday Afternoon' (titled 'The Night' and 'The Afternoon' on the album). The Decca executives were not happy after hearing the completed album played back to them and finding there was no trace of Dvořák but their American offshoot label were more enthusiastic and the album eventually spent 103 weeks on the US chart, reaching a peak of number 3 in 1972. In the UK, it only got to number 27 but has been revered much more in retrospect as a landmark album from the 1960s.
August 7, 20232 yr Never heard the album! Nights In White Satin is, of course, famous. A hit in '68, in '72 (and including the USA) and again in '79, and is quite brilliant. They never did anything quite as brilliant again, in terms of a single track, but I liked everything they did, esp Ride My See Saw, Isnt Life Strange, I'm Just A Singer In A Rock n Roll Band and even their 80's US hit singles, a bit synth MOR pop. Saw them in concert a few years back, and cracking they were, and mustn't forget side projects from Justin hayward & John Losdge Blue Guitar, and Justin's Jeff Wayne classics Forever Autumn and Eve Of The War. Denny Laine wrote Say You Don't Mind for Colin "Zombies" Blunstone, and had a hand in a minor group of the 70's called Wings. Not bad going really!
August 9, 20232 yr Author I'm going to leave the listenthrough for this to next week as Suedehead is on holiday and he might like to attend. I think Jade might be on holiday as well.
August 14, 20232 yr Author The synctube listenthrough for this album will be on Thursday at about 8.30pm.
August 17, 20232 yr Author Just to confirm, this is still happening at 8.30 (if enough people turn up).
August 17, 20232 yr Oops sorry I completely forgot about this :( (although I was busy with some other stuff anyway)
August 17, 20232 yr Author I might try this listenthrough again as part of a double bill with one of the other mods' albums the next time they do one. It was just me and Suedehead so we just played some of our own favourite songs.
August 18, 20232 yr Sorry I missed it Rollo, I was out delivering birthday gifts in rural Dorset before they go off on holiday. Got a fabulous view of floodlit Corfe Castle on the way back, but sadly no Nights In White Satin, just Night In Bright Light-On :) Hope to catch the next fixture but due to a friend holiday visiting if it's during the Bank Holiday week after next Thursday I might be out again! :) Story Of The Blues BTW, is Wah epic. Sadly it would prob get banned as a BJSC entry. But you never know the full length version might not..... :lol:
August 18, 20232 yr I’ll be happy to choose one to double up Rollo. I’m manic at the moment until our bathroom is (finally) finished but I’ll try to choose something this weekend and then maybe a listen through next Tuesday or Weds?
August 19, 20232 yr Author Tuesday or Wednesday would be fine with me if there's no clash with the BJSC listenthroughs.
August 22, 20232 yr Sorry I didn't get chance to do this Rollo - I took my laptop with me and then used all the power in the Sunday #2s listen through before realising I hadn't taken my charger. If we want to do a listen through, my choice was going to be Homogenic by Björk
August 22, 20232 yr Author No worries, there's no hurry. There are listenthroughs on Wednesday and Thursday for BJSC and Gorillaz and two more next week for the BJSC final and a spinoff so maybe we can find a day for this in two weeks time.
August 22, 20232 yr I might come along to this, do only know the two ones I know of theirs and one specifically is excellent but I'd be up for checking out more of their stuff!
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