Has anyone seen the moody blues without Ray Thomas lately? If so, what do they sound like without him?
Well, they don't do as many of Ray's songs as they used to.... Obviously, we miss him, but life goes on, he had to retire for health reasons....but Norda Mullen--who has her own band--fills in nicely on flute and can sing quite a bit too! The only song of Ray's they still do now, IIRC, is "Are You Sitting Comfortably?," and that was a co-write with Justin. As for how they sound, they've got the gigs calculated down to the second, I'd swear....both shows I saw--Albany NY last November and Guilford NH this past June--seem to adhere to recent formula: a very set set list, with an Xmas song tossed in(one in June, four or five last fall, natch)....but for all that, it's a lively performance and they genuinely seem to love performing, and even if you know everything that's coming, it's still a great rush. If they come your way, go! Always uplifting, a little wistful, but mostly a great ride no matter how times I've heard them do "Ride My See-Saw"....