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Thread: What did each member contribute to the Moody Blues?

  1. #1

    What did each member contribute to the Moody Blues?

    Greater than the sum of its parts, obviously. But what did each individual member bring to the Moody Blues?

  2. #2
    What do you mean beyond the songwriting and instrumentation credits that are on each album?

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    I am thinking in particular of the quality of the songwriting and how the songs that each member contributed shaped the vision what the band should be.

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    Jazzbo manqué Mister Triscuits's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Iris View Post
    I am thinking in particular of the quality of the songwriting and how the songs that each member contributed shaped the vision what the band should be.

    I always think of Ray Thomas as the easy-listening guy, bringing either bouncy, childlike songs like "Dr. Livingstone, I Presume" and "Nice to Be Here," or crooning ballads like "And the Tide Rushes In" and "For My Lady." And yet he was also responsible for thee monster psychedelic song, "Legend of a Mind." Lodge seems to be the rock 'n' roll guy.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mister Triscuits View Post
    I always think of Ray Thomas as the easy-listening guy, bringing either bouncy, childlike songs like "Dr. Livingstone, I Presume" and "Nice to Be Here," or crooning ballads like "And the Tide Rushes In" and "For My Lady." And yet he was also responsible for thee monster psychedelic song, "Legend of a Mind." Lodge seems to be the rock 'n' roll guy.
    And let's not forget that monster tambourine!

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    In all seriousness, I'd say Justin Hayward was responsible for about 60-80 percent of what was good about the Moody Blues. Lodge and Thomas each wrote 2or 3 good songs, and Pinder and Edge were competent at their instruments but not creative forces.

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    Jazzbo manqué Mister Triscuits's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by dnieper View Post
    In all seriousness, I'd say Justin Hayward was responsible for about 60-80 percent of what was good about the Moody Blues. Lodge and Thomas each wrote 2or 3 good songs, and Pinder and Edge were competent at their instruments but not creative forces.
    Hayward is certainly the heart of the band. Don't completely agree about Pinder, who wrote some very cool songs, especially the magnificent "Have You Heard/The Voyage" and his contributions to Lost Chord, but he gets docked a point for the stupid anti-evolution line in "How Is It We Are Here."
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  9. #9
    Things were pretty close to fully democratic in the classic era-- Lost Chord even had an entire side with no Hayward songs (and it's still one of their greatest album sides). This of course changed in the reunion era, and it became very much a two-man operation by the time they stopped recording.

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by dnieper View Post
    In all seriousness, I'd say Justin Hayward was responsible for about 60-80 percent of what was good about the Moody Blues. Lodge and Thomas each wrote 2or 3 good songs, and Pinder and Edge were competent at their instruments but not creative forces.
    That actually was what was on my mind when I started the thread - but I wasn't sure whether I ought to say that I think Hayward was absolutely the key figure.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Iris View Post
    That actually was what was on my mind when I started the thread - but I wasn't sure whether I ought to say that I think Hayward was absolutely the key figure.
    From a songwriting standpoint, obviously. There's a documentary where Graham Edge -- when asked about Hayward's impact on the Moodies -- says something like, "Talk about putting in your thumb and pulling out a plum."

    But from a "what musical direction does the band go in" standpoint they seemed utterly democratic. Hayward didn't dominate that side, probably because he considered himself the "new guy." I think Mike Pinder had a lot to say about that, especially as the albums got more cosmic.
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  12. #12
    I would definitely say Hayward was the MVP, but they all contributed something unique to the DNA.
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  13. #13
    And as for John Lodge, though I wouldn't be bothered if I never heard I'm Just A Singer or even Isn't Life Strange again I would miss things like House of Four Doors, Candle Of Life and Out And In. Sweet songs those.

  14. #14
    It was the Pinder stuff that I used to really enjoy back in the day...especially How is it (we are here) and the Have you Heard suite. The Ray Thomas songs are always a bit funny with me...super cheesy, but they always work well in context - although it often sounds like some easy listening crooner at times. But I definitely always enjoyed that sense of each member bringing their own vibe to the record compositionally speaking.

    I also really love their insistence on crossfading EVERY track whether the key matches or not! So you get these cool and often weird tonal clashes as one song blends into another. XTC are the only other band that perhaps did that if I remember rightly?

    Matt.

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by Troopers For Sound View Post
    It was the Pinder stuff that I used to really enjoy back in the day...especially How is it (we are here) and the Have you Heard suite. The Ray Thomas songs are always a bit funny with me...super cheesy, but they always work well in context - although it often sounds like some easy listening crooner at times. But I definitely always enjoyed that sense of each member bringing their own vibe to the record compositionally speaking.

    I also really love their insistence on crossfading EVERY track whether the key matches or not! So you get these cool and often weird tonal clashes as one song blends into another. XTC are the only other band that perhaps did that if I remember rightly?

    Matt.
    The 2 disc compilation "This Is The Moody Blues" does that exceptionally well. I generally don't recommend greatest hits packages to get acquainted with artists, but this one is exceptional. It covers what many refer to as the "classic seven" albums by the band.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jubal View Post
    The 2 disc compilation "This Is The Moody Blues" does that exceptionally well. I generally don't recommend greatest hits packages to get acquainted with artists, but this one is exceptional.
    I couldn't agree more. I practically wore out the grooves of that set.
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    When Pinder went the more experimental side of the band went with him, but I suppose it wasn't much in evidence on Octave either.

    Thomas seems to have done little on The Other Side Of Life and Sur La Mer and I think the albums suffered from his absence. Some seriously dreary songs on those ('Talkin' Talkin', anyone?), although I do like the hits for what they are. That was the start of the move into full-time MOR, I would say.

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    Member bill g's Avatar
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    Justin Hayward and Mike Pinder wrote the things I think are easily the strongest overall. With the exception of 'Candle of Life' (Lodge) my 20 or 30 favorite tracks are all written by those 2. Normally, they contributed fairly equally during their classic period, with Hayward writing slightly more and Edge, less. Their most well known songs are typically Justin Hayward of course.

    Mike Pinder wrote 'My Song', 'Have You Heard/The Voyage', 'Lost in a Lost World', 'When You're A Free Man', I think co wrote 'Out and In', all really nice. The only one I don't care for as much of his is 'Melancholy Man', but then that isn't my favorite album anyway compared to the other classics.

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    Jazzbo manqué Mister Triscuits's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Iris View Post
    And as for John Lodge, though I wouldn't be bothered if I never heard I'm Just A Singer or even Isn't Life Strange again I would miss things like House of Four Doors, Candle Of Life and Out And In. Sweet songs those.
    Not to mention "Ride My See-Saw," one of my favorites. The whole ISOTLC album is for me the Moodies' pinnacle.
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    Studmuffin Scott Bails's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jubal View Post
    The 2 disc compilation "This Is The Moody Blues" does that exceptionally well. I generally don't recommend greatest hits packages to get acquainted with artists, but this one is exceptional. It covers what many refer to as the "classic seven" albums by the band.
    That is so well put-together.
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    I've been listening to the Moodies for 50 years......and I'm on the cusp of 60 years old and for some reason, this past year....the "First Seven" albums seem to have more meaning for me than ever before.....and I don't know why....
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    Member Paulrus's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Garyhead View Post
    I've been listening to the Moodies for 50 years......and I'm on the cusp of 60 years old and for some reason, this past year....the "First Seven" albums seem to have more meaning for me than ever before.....and I don't know why....
    Those albums did try to tackle those big "Life, the Universe, and Everything" sort of themes. And this was long before Yes which is one reason I always think of the Moodies as proto-Yes.
    I'm holding out for the Wilson-mixed 5.1 super-duper walletbuster special anniversary extra adjectives edition.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Garyhead View Post
    I've been listening to the Moodies for 50 years......and I'm on the cusp of 60 years old and for some reason, this past year....the "First Seven" albums seem to have more meaning for me than ever before.....and I don't know why....
    Yeah I think I'm enjoying them more now. Back in the day I almost preferred the band Providence on the same label, and more of an acoustic Moody Blues, but these days I'm really enjoying their albums, especially 'To Our Children's Children's Children throughout, and most all the Pinder and Hayward songs on the other albums. Songs like 'New Horizons', 'Land of Make Believe', 'My Song', 'When You're A Free Man', and 'The Actor' are absolute gems.

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    Parrots Ripped My Flesh Dave (in MA)'s Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mister Triscuits View Post
    I always think of Ray Thomas as the easy-listening guy, bringing either bouncy, childlike songs like "Dr. Livingstone, I Presume" and "Nice to Be Here," or crooning ballads like "And the Tide Rushes In" and "For My Lady." And yet he was also responsible for thee monster psychedelic song, "Legend of a Mind."

  25. #25
    Member Paulrus's Avatar
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    Sorry, but my favorite Ray Thomas reference is in this video at the 55:10 mark.

    I'm holding out for the Wilson-mixed 5.1 super-duper walletbuster special anniversary extra adjectives edition.

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