For the health of underground rock, it’s vital that we find untapped resources to plunder. For those musicians reading with an interest in psych-pop, may I suggest the following Moody Blues deep cuts for your consideration and commentary. I ask you to focus on not only the music but the musicians’ presentation of their music, through Look and the video crew’s lighting and camera angles.
Let’s start with this track, “Om”. I’m a sucker for any ’60s band’s Eastern-style number, but the singers’ mix of moustaches and office-acceptable hair is was sets this clip apart from your standard post-“Within Without You” fare. The television crew’s production values also hold promise for today’s video-making bands. Check it out!
Next, another well-produced video clip, which kicks off with a nicely fetishized organ shot. What’s with the flute player in the tux? Why do the members of this band always look like they left their parents’ houses saying they were off to play a show with the school orchestra? Consider this new rock genre option, young bands of today: Mama’s Boy Rock.
Following is a later-period track called “Blue Guitar”. I could, like totally see some new band taking from this song and landing a spot on a future Wes Anderson or Paul Thomas Anderson soundtrack.
Here’s another lovely track, “Candle of Life”. How poignant would it be to hear this track while Gwyneth Paltrow sits by her bedroom window, with a reflection of her tear-stained mascara running alongside the raindrops running down the outside of the window. Wes Anderson and Sofia Coppola can duke it out for this idea!
I’m sorry but these fellows never did anything for me (not even Nights in White Satin…). To me this is all folk-ish music masquerading as “psych-pop”. I can get a chuckle out of their “look” in these videos but the music is pretty bland and boring to my ears.
Just the kind of response I’d expect from the “old guard.” Don’t think I’m not part of this old guard myself, but what I’m trying to do here is offer ideas to younger artists. They might see stuff in the Moody Blues that we missed the first time around.
I used to be a big fan of this stuff when I was an impressionable young suburban teenager. And then I heard bands like the Dead Milkmen and I was cured. Thank you Mr. Clean.
Mockcarr and I have included “Story In Your Eyes” in our set lists through the years. Let me tell you, sped up and played real loud, that song *smokes*. Hear for yourself, and imagine the stripped-down rock glory:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALVgKWqSIxU
Oh, and note that we never played the three-minute-twenty second intro — ludicrous! Talk about a song that does a *terrible* job stating its intentions!
HVB
Don’t the Moodies deserve some kind of lifetime achievment award for rug harmonies?
BigSteve asked:
Definitely!
The one song of theirs that I like a lot, beside “Go Now”, is “Ride My Seesaw”. Considering their longevity, they get very little shit for being such a cheesy band operating in a generally healthy environment.
Folk-as-psych sort of gets to what I think is going on with most of their songs, but there’s something else in there that knocks it all out of whack, too. Chamber music? I dunno, I bet The Moody Blues are all bards when they go to the Renaissance Fest every year. Oh, and they go every year. But you know, I can respect that, they get what they are. When King Crimson gets their RenFest gear together, they all dress up like knights. Maybe somebody has a jester costume and Fripp dresses up as Sir Francis Drake every other year.
I’m not completely against the Moody Blues, and I actually kinda like that “Blue Guitar” song in the clip above. I do think “Nights In White Satin” is ridiculous and can’t help but laugh at the spoken word parts. But I’ll cop to liking “Question” as-is, and there’s definitely a good song at least somewhere inside the likes “Ride Me Seesaw” and “Story In Your Eyes” that get bogged down by the excess. Perhaps someone in the band knew how to write a good song, but never learned how to stop writing one.
So yeah, terminally uncool, and everybody in the band should maybe avoid ever claiming to be “a singer in a rock ‘n roll band” in front of Congress, if they want to avoid an indictment. But as hrrundi points out, there’s occasionally some actual good stuff obscured in there, and indeed somebody could probably strike gold reworking or filing it down for a cover. In the meantime, Procol Harum and Lynne-era Move already do for me a lot better what I figure the Moody Blues were probably trying to accomplish.
It strikes me, Alexmagic, that the Moody Blues may be one of the first Prock bands in rock history. I’d be more sure if we could ever define exactly what Prock is.
I never got around to addressing their Look in these clips, as we were asked. Outside of Aquaman’s cameo appearance on the sitar, the dueling moustaches dominate the first clip. This is the kind of thing that makes me think bands may occasionally need to impose draft rules, and only one member gets to select something like a moustache off the board. Tuxedo Flute Guy (Ray Thomas?) probably wears his a little better, but our keyboard player here is sporting a moustache that much better reflects the overall “Square Guy Who Wandered Into A Swingin’ Key Party And Is Perplexed But Clumsily Intrigued” aesthetic that befits the band.
Actually, that starburst key-in show closing effect that runs over a full quarter of the entire clip is probably the best part. If someone was going to do one of those videos that emulate old clips, they’d be wise to steal that and the yellow credits.
By the Candle of Life clip, they’ve at least taken to openly adding billowy tunics to their wardrobe. I have no idea what’s going on with his pants, but I enjoy the respectfully playful flautist/organist interactions that go on around 2:18-2:30. You just don’t get much of that in your chamberfolkadelic rock combos these days.
I’m far from a fan of the Moody Blues, but I definitely have a soft spot for the “Days of Future Passed” album. “Peak Hour,” “Time To Get Away,” and “Twilight Time” are as good as anybody else’s psych-pop from that era. And I’ve never had anything against “Tuesday Afternoon” and “Nights in White Satin” either. Admittedly, the pickings get slimmer and slimmer after that album, but I’m definitely not ashamed to own it and listen to it from time to time.