Moody Blues Thread

[KingLouieLouie76]

How does everyone feel about the "Moodys"? They are finally being inducted into the Rock-N-Roll HoF, but unfortunately just lost one of their foundding members in Ray Thomas. That's essentially been the pattern of their career, always bittersweet or marred by something in the process.

"Day of Future Pass" is always highly regarded as a masterpiece, but most claim it's essentially a "Sgt. Pepper" rip-off. And true they've since been mainly a singles band that flourished also throughout the 80s, but again quite a paradox in itself. Perhaps one of the most complex bands to figure out of all-time!

[Mallard No. 22]

They did have top ten albums in the UK in the psych-early prog period, as per e.g. Traffic and Family.

Though like The Bee Gees at said time, they are perhaps a deep listen.

[KingLouieLouie76]

They did have top ten albums in the UK in the psych-early prog period, as per e.g. Traffic and Family.

Though like The Bee Gees at said time, they are perhaps a deep listen.

Agreed...very album oriented indeed... Not too many singles... "Go Now", "Nights in White Satin", "Legend of a Mind" , "Wildest Dreams", and "Rock & Roll Band" spanning throughout their entire career. Yes.. they require a "deep listen" that is why not too many casual music fans got into them. I would also put Jethro Tull into that category to a certain degree.

[Mallard No. 22]

Yes, Jethro Tull were like that as well. The serious music fan is appreciative, though the passive one will probably not take to it.

[KingLouieLouie76]

Yes, Jethro Tull were like that as well. The serious music fan is appreciative, though the passive one will probably not take to it.

But lord those bands (including Moody Blues) albums have aged quite well and sound so modern, but unfortunately their more commercial singles didn't fair all too well. Their singles sometimes seemed rather forced to reach out to that casual listener who just couldn't comprehend the entire depth of their sound, especially the younger music lovers of today.

[Mallard No. 22]

Yes, it was around that time that prog artists abandoned singles. Commercial hits did not sit easily with the audience they were trying to reach.

This policy worked to a point, especially with Led Zeppelin, and Emerson Lake & Palmer.

Though I notice that when e.g. Traffic, Jethro Tull and Fleetwood Mac began to falter with hit singles, their album sales seemed to dip as well. Though there could be a number of reasons for this (internal strife, etc).

[KingLouieLouie76]

Yes, it was around that time that prog artists abandoned singles. Commercial hits did not sit easily with the audience they were trying to reach.

This policy worked to a point, especially with Led Zeppelin, and Emerson Lake & Palmer.

Though I notice that when e.g. Traffic, Jethro Tull and Fleetwood Mac began to falter with hit singles, their album sales seemed to dip as well. Though there could be a number of reasons for this (internal strife, etc).

Traffic faded due to medical issues that most of band were enduring later on, mainly due to their hectic scheduling demands, Jethro Tull seemed to stop recording songs that were worthy of being hit singles, and it depends on what incarnation of Fleetwood Mac you were referring to.

Also, most of those types of bands started to fade in the early 80s due to the advent of MTV. Asia (obviously one of the best ever supergroups) was probably the only progressive band to benefit from MTV... The band Yes to a certain extent, but they had to modify their sound to suit that style. Under Rabin they sold out some.

The Moody Blue's mid-80s output did benefit from exposure from MTV, but those songs again were "dumbed down" to fit that format and their success on there was short-lived.

[Mallard No. 22]

Fleetwood Mac - I was referring to the period just after Peter Green left. They had a low UK chart profile until 'Rumours'.

I think that by the mid 80s prog rock was very uncool - it had merely fallen from fashion, as music genres do a few years after their peak.

[KingLouieLouie76]

Fleetwood Mac - I was referring to the period just after Peter Green left. They had a low UK chart profile until 'Rumours'.

I think that by the mid 80s prog rock was very uncool - it had merely fallen from fashion, as music genres do a few years after their peak.

Oh.... I agree... the Bob Welch Fleetwood Mac era has always been vastly underrated and even some of those albums have aged better than some of the Buckingham/Nicks material.

Yeah... I agree... style over substance ruined prog-rock during the 80s, but thankfully there was a surge of it during the 90s, but that somewhat came to an abrupt halt.

[Forever Low Man]

Fleetwood Mac - I was referring to the period just after Peter Green left. They had a low UK chart profile until 'Rumours'.

I think that by the mid 80s prog rock was very uncool - it had merely fallen from fashion, as music genres do a few years after their peak.

Oh.... I agree... the Bob Welch Fleetwood Mac era has always been vastly underrated and even some of those albums have aged better than some of the Buckingham/Nicks material.

Yeah... I agree... style over substance ruined prog-rock during the 80s, but thankfully there was a surge of it during the 90s, but that somewhat came to an abrupt halt.

have you tried king gizz

[KingLouieLouie76]

have you tried king gizz

I'm afraid I haven't.... What's the one song/album you recommend I must check out first by them?

[Forever Low Man]

have you tried king gizz

I'm afraid I haven't.... What's the one song/album you recommend I must check out first by them?

i dont know, im not really a fan
i listened to their 5 albums from last year but they didnt stick with me

try nonagon infinity. i hear that's a good one.

[Mallard No. 22]

i listened to their 5 albums from last year but they didnt stick with me

that's a lot of albums in one year....

[Forever Low Man]

i listened to their 5 albums from last year but they didnt stick with me

that's a lot of albums in one year....

i mean i released 11 last year so

/flex

[Mallard No. 22]