Moody Blues 2017 Reunion Tour

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Om, Oct 12, 2015.

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  1. Tim Wilson

    Tim Wilson Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kaneohe, Oahu, HI
    Agreed. I have no problem with heritage acts touring only oldies with subsets of the original lineup. There's no one proper way to keep working in this business. I have my own preferences for how to manage this, but in general, I'd rather they all keep carrying on, and let the audiences sort out how to respond. The Moodies crowd I was in was certainly getting their money's worth, as did I. As a concert by the 2017 vintage Moody Blues, it was a good time.

    I was just wanting to put in perspective the notion of "performing the full album Days of Future Passed". They performed about 80% of it. The rest was taped playback, two songs for which the stage was empty, and the rest of the time, the band stood uncomfortably, although John Lodge paced a bit. Audiences who see the full orchestra versions will experience this differently of course!
     
  2. bRETT

    bRETT Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston MA
    I'm going to the show and expect to enjoy it....though I don't think it was a great artistic decision to do Days with no orchestra and no reunion, because hardcore fans will know what's missing and casual fans won't care about the rarely played songs. But the Moodies clearly made the decision to go all-oldies after the Strange Times album (unlike say, Yes, who at least always promise to do new material sometime), and you keep that in mind when seeing them now.
     
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  3. Billo

    Billo Forum Resident

    Location:
    Southern England
    The Moodies have indeed gone 'all oldies' as just a touring act it's true - rather a pity in a way as the group, even now minus Ray Thomas, surely still had enough talent and songwriting creativity within their ranks to continue as a decent three piece studio recording band, supported here and there instrumentally, (as Genesis did) even if not quite the same force they once were....

    from telling producer Tony Clarke to go ahead and 'book eight weeks studio time'...and having pretty much a free hand at Decca no.2 studio - even later on having their own Threshold studio (where 'Long Distance Voyager' was recorded in 1981)...they now forever claim it's 'all too expensive' etc.... and that 'the music biz has changed so much' (which didn't stop their fellow sixties classic outfit Procol Harum releasing their new studio album 'Novum' recently - or The Zombies either !)

    both Justin and John have done well received solo albums in recent years so the lack of any new Moodies albums seems to actually be quite deliberate rather than due to bad luck or a poor record company attitude etc...

    bear in mind that their last studio album 'December' was just an Christmas themed effort - sold with a 'best of' compilation CD ! - where they were 'told' to cover Bing Crosby's hit 'White Christmas' apparently much to Graeme Edge's deep disgust !

    even earlier both Edge and Thomas appeared to be 'sidelined' from 1988 onwards from the 'recording band' - tho' both were included on the last decent Moodies original studio album 'Strange Times' in 1999 albeit in largely cameo roles

    the Moraz court case on TV seemed to suggest it was very much a 'closed shop' re the songwriting and group direction, indeed Edge apparently later dismissed their (not that bad) studio album 'Keys of The Kingdom' (1991) as 'a load of old b*llocks !' (too harsh IF true as it had some great songs, some fine songs, and just the odd 'filler' track or two on it - as Hayward later openly admitted !)

    one BIG problem, despite 'best ofs' and 'live' sets, was the sheer vast time gap of nearly a decade between new studio albums - 'Keys of...' in 1991 and 'Strange Times' in 1999 - when much of their new group music purchasing base must have simply drifted away due to lost interest...

    as I said ending up as their own tribute band is perfectly o.k. and no doubt pleases people...but the trio COULD have still made studio albums, been more than just their own nostalgia act, and for this DOFP tour could have invited Pinder to make a 'one off' guest appearance at a orchestra accompanied show, plus got together with Pinder and Thomas for some photos etc - that would have interested the wider public more I'm sure and sold a few 'live' CDs/DVDs/Blu Rays etc...
     
    Last edited: Jun 5, 2017
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  4. Pierino

    Pierino Forum Resident

    Location:
    Canonsburg
    I suppose it's ^ a minor complaint, but surprising nevertheless, especially no band intros.
     
  5. bRETT

    bRETT Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston MA
    Not a bad version though. The Christmas album came out sounding like a Moodies album-- some very good original songs and stronger production, so I'd say it's at least as good a Moodies disc as the couple before it. (I'd say the same thing about the Tull Christmas album).
     
  6. zen

    zen Senior Member

    :agree: ...The 90's were the PBS (Red Rocks) era for the Moody Blues. The lack of creativity kinda broke my heart as a fan of the Moodies-Moraz era (1978-1991). They were on a roll (with four albums in seven years); and thanks to that era, it also turned me on to the core 7 period. Then bang! All because Moraz spoke his mind in Keyboard magazine. Wow.
     
    Last edited: Jun 5, 2017
  7. stevemoss

    stevemoss Forum Resident

    Seems like yes: The Moody Blues Setlist at The Show at Agua Caliente Casino, Rancho Mirage

    Set 1:
    I'm Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)
    The Voice
    Steppin' in a Slide Zone
    Say It With Love
    Nervous
    Your Wildest Dreams
    Isn't Life Strange
    I Know You're Out There Somewhere
    The Story in Your Eyes​

    Set 2 (Days of Future Passed):
    The Day Begins
    Morning Glory
    Dawn Is a Feeling (first known performance)
    Another Morning
    Peak Hour
    Tuesday Afternoon
    (Evening) Time to Get Away (first known performance)
    The Sunset
    Twilight Time
    Late Lament
    Nights in White Satin​

    Encore:
    Question
    Ride My See-Saw​
     
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  8. Billo

    Billo Forum Resident

    Location:
    Southern England
    Thanks - note just the five 80's onwards songs from the 'post Mike Pinder' era in the 22 song setlist I see....

    I'm sure a fine show of course
     
  9. bRETT

    bRETT Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston MA
    Two surprises anyway, and they've dropped perennials like "Other Side of Life" and "Gemini Dream."

    Wasn't the entire Days sequence supposed to have been performed in the early days?
     
  10. Billo

    Billo Forum Resident

    Location:
    Southern England
    so they have said - tho' Mike's 'Dawn is A Feeling' and Justin's 'Nights' and 'Tuesday Afternoon' were supposedly the first songs written for DOFP

    they continued to mix the songs in their early 'classic' Moodies shows days

    they later claimed they ditched ALL their original incarnation material from 1966 onwards and started afresh ...but they re-cut Mike's 'Really Haven't Got The Time' as the 'B' side of 'Fly Me High' in 1967 , sang a cover of The Animals hit 'Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood' in 1966 (a BBC radio version survives) plus from their first 1965 album 'I've Got A Dream' was still performed live and so too 'Bye Bye Bird' which was still in their concerts as late as 1968 sung by Ray Thomas
     
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  11. bRETT

    bRETT Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston MA
    And Justin apparently sang "Go Now" a couple of times, but there's no recorded proof of that.
     
  12. Billo

    Billo Forum Resident

    Location:
    Southern England
    Justin has said he sang 'Go Now'...then Ray sang it - finally they dropped it as no one could sing it as Denny Laine had

    not sure it's true - probably not - but I recall reading somewhere that Justin also sang it when Patrick Moraz first joined them - sounds very unlikely I know but I'm sure I read that in a music paper concert review circa 1978-79
     
  13. Nipper

    Nipper His Master's Voice

    Location:
    Wisconsin
    Is Justin singing Mike's and Ray's parts from DOFP?

    I saw them last October, and in addition to "Forever Afternoon (Tuesday?)" and "Nights In White Satin", they also played "Peak Hour", I'm assuming to help get tuned up for this year's 50th anniversary set list.
     
  14. Billo

    Billo Forum Resident

    Location:
    Southern England
    Justin actually sang most of 'Dawn is A Feeling' on DOFP in 1967...
    Mike sang the bridge section (I assume John will do that now ?)

    Probably John would sing Ray's songs and maybe Justin also sing 'The Sun Set' ??

    Jeremy Irons' 'floating head' sounds utterly silly tho'...lol
     
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  15. bRETT

    bRETT Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston MA
    Definitely didn't happen when I saw that tour.
     
  16. Tim Wilson

    Tim Wilson Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kaneohe, Oahu, HI
    It really was! Since this was my first time seeing them, it raised the question for me -- what have they been doing with the spoken part of "Nights in White Satin" in recent years?
     
  17. TheDailyBuzzherd

    TheDailyBuzzherd Forum Resident

    Location:
    Northeast USA

    GREAT review, Tim, thanks for this. I won't go, but have been following developments
    just in case "you-know-whos" make the scene. Won't happen, but, what do I know?



    What was he doing, knitting? :laugh: Couldn't resist.
     
  18. Dylancat

    Dylancat Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cincinnati, OH
    Tim

    Do you recall who sang on the Pinder Thomas songs
    Dawn is a Feeling
    Another Morning
    The sunset
    Twilight Time
     
  19. Dylancat

    Dylancat Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cincinnati, OH
    Found out.
    To those interested
    Here's who sang lead on these tracks

    Dawn is A Feeling. Hayward
    Another Morning. Lodge
    Sunset. Lodge
    Twilight Time. Hayward
     
  20. Tim Wilson

    Tim Wilson Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kaneohe, Oahu, HI
    That was an overly oblique reference to people who claim that he's "air drumming". I think he was really playing, though, which might be one reason he didn't speak during the show. :laugh:

    Thanks for this! I remembered the last two, but was completely blanking on the first two!
     
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  21. Billo

    Billo Forum Resident

    Location:
    Southern England
    it's no secret that Graeme Edge suffered a stroke a while back - hope he's much better now ! - and his voice is still a little 'slurred' on certain words hence getting in actor Jeremy Irons to narrate the two poems 'Morning Glory' and 'Late Lament'

    Mike Pinder of course originally narrated them back in 1967 on DOFP - why they haven't used that recording (?) which would at least 'feature' Mike as part of the show seems strange (down to money ?- excuse my cynicism here but after watching the televised Moraz court case...)

    even in 1967 they clearly felt Mike spoke the words so much better than Graeme - hence Mike spoke 'The Word', 'Higher and Higher' - and Mike was the 'inner man' voice on 'In The Beginning' (Justin being 'first man' and Graeme being the weird 'establishment' voices)

    Graeme was the very 'Brummie' (Birmingham England) accented voice on 'Departure' too - maybe his accent they felt was too strong to work on his poems ? - by 'Nothing Changes' in 1999 he sounds as if he now has dentures

    no surprise tho' they are all getting on a bit now, and a few rock stars are sadly having strokes now (Dave Davies of The Kinks had one) - a sad but inevitable fact of life as time goes on...

    normally 'Late Lament' has not been included as part of 'Nights in White Satin' in concerts

    I think they should have used Mike's original narration...with maybe a backdrop picture of the five of them as intro and outro - but I suspect they want it to be their 'current Moodies' featured as doing this show

    I see Justin and John are singing one of Ray's and one of Mike's songs each - Justin originally did sing 'Dawn' of course, interesting that John chose to sing 'The Sun Set' - which probably would suit his vocal style better and Justin does 'Twilight Time' accordingly that would fit his voice better

    on a 'Moodies cruise' they did a lovely acoustic version of Mike's 'Melancholy Man' which Graeme narrated part of and Justin then sang the bulk of the song with John doing a high harmony vocal

    listen to this Moodies tribute to Mike Pinder;

     
    Last edited: Jun 6, 2017
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  22. MikeVielhaber

    MikeVielhaber Forum Resident

    Location:
    Memphis, TN
    Did Hayward sing the bridge of Dawn is a Feeling too? He was the original singer of the rest of it anyway.
     
  23. Dylancat

    Dylancat Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cincinnati, OH
    Yes. He sang the entire song.
    Hayward also joined Lodge on parts of "Another Morning"
     
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  24. MikeVielhaber

    MikeVielhaber Forum Resident

    Location:
    Memphis, TN
    I'd be interested in seeing these renditions just for novelty of it.
     
  25. Billo

    Billo Forum Resident

    Location:
    Southern England
    some concerts are being recorded probably for a Blu Ray / DVD / CD release later

    'cold hearted orb that rules the night...
    as Jeremy Irons head floats to the right...!'
     
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