tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269925294673930988.post2308191814954121755..comments2023-11-22T09:17:05.368-08:00Comments on TAD's Back-Up Plan: #544: The Moodies!TADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853931230081777310noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269925294673930988.post-46896588603268485752012-04-11T15:04:17.589-07:002012-04-11T15:04:17.589-07:00Well TAD, you beat me to the Moodies overview ;)Well TAD, you beat me to the Moodies overview ;)R S Crabbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11763473179086750283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269925294673930988.post-49272133032745792532012-04-10T20:58:05.326-07:002012-04-10T20:58:05.326-07:00Crabby: Yeah, forgot about the Four Tops' vers...Crabby: Yeah, forgot about the Four Tops' version of "Simple Game," I'd liketa hear that someday....<br />"Go Now" still sounds pretty great. I 1nce had a German 2-record import of the Moodies' earliest stuff, called A DREAM -- had "Go Now" & "Cities," "Fly Me High," lots more. But mosta it was 2 watered-down Dave Clark Five 4 me. Course 3 trax from it R on TIME TRAVELLER....<br />Never heard the live trax on CAUGHT LIVE +5, but heard the studio side, which I thot was pretty forgettable....<br />Nice response -- looks like you coulda done your own Moodies post....TADhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13853931230081777310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4269925294673930988.post-27431745327524487282012-04-10T08:57:43.840-07:002012-04-10T08:57:43.840-07:00Hey TAD
Ya know I had to comment on the Moodies s...Hey TAD<br /><br />Ya know I had to comment on the Moodies since they were a big part of my growing up years.<br /><br />I'm surprised you didn't mention anything bout the Denny Laine years although they were a different band. The Magnificant Moodies is a decent overview but tends to be more blues driven, of course they never topped Go Now.<br /><br />Of the Classic 7, Children's etc remains my all time fave. Yep it's bit moody and dark on some of the tracks, and side 2 has the better of the songs, even Mike Pender (the weakest link) gave a nice rocker in Sun Is Still Shining before Watching n Waiting ends things on a high. At times Pender could write a rocker (Thinking is the best way to travel) but most he wrote were stinkers Have You Heard hasn't aged very well, Om (although I can listen to it better than you) and Melenholy Man and My Song just bore the hell out of me.<br /><br />However, The Moody Blues and the Four Tops teamed up to do a version of Simple Game which might be the most odd Motown single out there.<br /><br />Tony Clarke's out and in production made the albums stand out for good or bad and for every ballad, they could write a rocker, After You Came, their most heavy song ever made, You And Me a close second. Still I think Days Of Future Past, A Question OF Balance and On A Thereshold Of Dream and Children's are my go to albums.<br /><br />Later years Octave had some decent songs on side 1 but the other side showed a lack of direction and Day We Meet Again again fell flat on these ears. Long Distance Voyager has gotten better with age, I still have reservations on The Present, I'm sure you still like that album more than me. After that, they got too lite pop for me to care. A hard to find comp called Prelude, collects forgotten failed but great singles (Fly Me High, Leave This Man Alone, Cities) although with the studio leftovers off Live Plus 5, even the throwaways have some sort of value (Gimi A Little Something). For the live albums, Live At The Isle Of Wright 1970 gets the nod over Live Plus 5, but interesting to hear Gypsy and Mike Pender's Mellotron not working the way its supposed to be.<br /><br />The 2 reissues of The Moody Blues Catalog does have bonus tracks, the best again falls on Days Of Future Past that does have the mono 45s that were found on Prelude. Has better sound too. I remember when the 1st generation CDs came out, the sound was blah but heard good things about the 2nd reissue but I went out and upgraded to the third reissues. Guess that makes me a fan eh? ;)R S Crabbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11763473179086750283noreply@blogger.com