Although they don't get nearly enough credit, the Moody Blues[1] were—and are—an incredible band.
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They have a string of albums—from 1967's Days ofAlthough they don't get nearly enough credit, the Moody Blues[1] were—and are—an incredible band.
They have a string of albums—from 1967's Days of Future Passed to 1972's Seventh Sojourn—that are just as groundbreaking, polished, substantial and powerful as anything released by any other rock band during that time. And we do mean any other rock band.
They had it all, including an ace guitarist named Justin Hayward[2], who could write—and sing—the most beautiful, heart-crushing melodies, plus a talented bassist, John Lodge[3], who also wrote and sang some of the band's most memorable songs. Best of all, perhaps, is the fact that every member of the band's classic lineup—Hayward, Lodge, Ray Thomas, Graeme Edge[4] and Mike Pinder[5]—wrote and sang tunes that are now considered vital pieces of the band's classic (1967 to 1972) oeuvre.
The Moody Blues, who are still helmed by Lodge, Edge and Hayward (whose voice, like that of the Monkees' Micky Dolenz and Bad Company's Paul Rodgers, simply laughs in the face of age), are currently hitting the road to celebrate the 50th anniversary of [6]Days of Future Passed[7]. That's the album—recorded with the London Festival Orchestra[8]—that spawned "Tuesday Afternoon" and "Nights in White Satin"—lush, sweet-sounding songs that turned out to be just the tip of the Moodies' innovative, complex and ornate iceberg.
In honor of a great band, we hereby bring you a guide to the 25 (or so) greatest classic Moody Blues songs. By classic, we—once again—mean music released from 1967 through 1972, although we've included vital songs from before and after that dreamy, Mellotron-packed era.
So...are you sitting comfortably?
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The Magnificent Moodies |