{"id":7703,"date":"2015-04-28T05:30:29","date_gmt":"2015-04-28T09:30:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/?p=7703"},"modified":"2015-04-28T05:30:29","modified_gmt":"2015-04-28T09:30:29","slug":"album-review-the-moody-blues-the-magnificent-moodies-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/2015\/04\/28\/album-review-the-moody-blues-the-magnificent-moodies-part-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Album Review: The Moody Blues — The Magnificent Moodies (Part 2)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Continued from Part One<\/a>..<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The early Moody Blues<\/strong> certainly deserved better success than they found. Their lack of chart action was certainly a factor in Denny Laine<\/strong>‘s departure. But during his time with the group, The Moody Blues recorded enough material for another album in a pair of sessions (one day in July 1964 and then a string of dates between April and September 1966, with Denny Cordell<\/strong> in the producer’s chair). Those previously unreleased sessions form half of the new The Magnificent Moodies<\/em> set’s second disc.<\/p>\n

An almost painfully slow reading of \u201cGo Now\u201d serves to point how right a decision it was to record and release the faster version we all know. The bits of studio chatter are fun for those (like myself) who enjoy studio outtakes and such, and remind listeners that in those days, a band tended to play their live set, live in the studio, for recording sessions with minimal overdub.<\/p>\n

A quite bizarre reading of the 23rd<\/sup> Psalm is one of this new box set’s great finds. Arranged by the entire group, the song finds Ray Thomas<\/strong><\/a> singing in a vaguely Elvis<\/strong> balladeer style while the band provides vocal accompaniment and some vaguely Merseybeat musical backing. Then the song lurches unexpectedly into an upbeat \u201cnegro spiritual\u201d arrangement, replete with handclapping. Talk about stylistic left-turns; it’s easy to understand why this track was left in the can for decades, but it’s an interesting curio to be sure.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/center>The BBC Saturday Club<\/em> tracks remind listeners yet again that The Moody Blues were a tight, impeccably rehearsed outfit; the BBC versions differ little from their official counterparts. Clearly they were given little time in the studio for either situation (Decca or BBC), but their songs and arrangements didn’t seem to require more time or effort than was given\/spent. \u201cFrom the Bottom of My Heart\u201d showcases Mike Pinder<\/strong><\/a>‘s piano and Thomas’ flute. While enjoyable, the group\u2019s reading of Rufus Thomas<\/strong><\/a>‘ \u201cJump Back\u201d is perhaps the least-convincing of their r&b excursions; likely part of their live set, no Decca studio version of the tune exists.<\/p>\n