Top 10: Underrated Moody Blues Songs

There are a lot of things that I could have made my first top ten list about. But why did I choose the Moody Blues?

First and foremost, the Moody Blues are, in truth, a huge part of my childhood, if not my life. There is not a single part of my life that does not have a lyric by Justin Hayward (Guitar/vocals), John Lodge (Bass/vocals), Mike Pinder (Mellotron/Vocals), Ray Thomas (Flute/Vocals) or Graeme Edge (Drums/Spoken Word) as part of the backing soundtrack that is my existence.


And secondly, they're mostly labeled as a "classic rock" or "pop rock" band, when in fact, they are not. Sure, their formation in the 1960's was under the pretense of an R&B/rock formation, but by the time the band exchanged some founding members with Hayward and Lodge, they had started to discover their sound. And with the release of Days of Future Past (their eponymous release to many of their fans), they became ensconced in the genre that would later prove their most fruitful: symphonic progressive rock.


Now, with those quick notions out of the way, on to my list!


#10: English Sunset (ALBUM - Strange Times): Limited in many fans minds as a poor attempt to connect to a younger audience, this song caught me off guard at first. "Is that a drum machine I hear?" was one of the first things I said when my mom first picked up the album. An electronic beat, with many vocal layers and computer generated distortion effects will catch those listeners who have catty-cornered the band's previous works by surprise. The next thing any thorough listener will by surprised at are the lyrics. Dry British satire doesn't even begin to describe the style Hayward used to convey the message of growing up in post-WWII England. Example:

We keep the faith alive

In everything we do

And at the end of the road

We still keep coming through

And though it's sad and sorry

What else can we do

It's an English sunset

An English sunset.

You see what I mean? Coupled with Hayward's distant but distinct guitar soaring throughout, it's no surprise the song was thrown out as "unnecessary" by many long time fans. Interesting song that deserves more than one listen through, if only to see how much work went into it.

#09: Haunted (ALBUM - Strange Times): Believe it or not, I did not want to put these two back to back on my list. But when you look at the Strange Times album as a whole, it is, unfortunately, one of the weaker parts of their catalog. Singling out any (or all) of their weakest areas is not what I'm about, so I focus on the good. And this song is definitely good. A dispirited tune about lost love, it is accentuated with flourishes of chimes and bells to carry the breadth of time and how it relates to the true impact of losing someone and asking yourself the question "what did I do wrong?" The chimes also represent raindrops, matching the rumble of drums in the background. The lyrics eventually crescendo with the instruments coupling the fact that yes, life does in fact go on. and eventually lead to the peak note that is done by Hayward, and it is done, as the song implies, alone. Extending and haunting the listener into letting the song sink in.

#08: And The Tide Rushes In (ALBUM - A Question of Balance): Without a doubt, Balance has to be my favorite Moody album. And Tide has to be one of the most beautiful songs the Moodies have made. A song about just being human, a reflection of what it means to be human, a poem of what we're just supposed to do with each other, it's all these things and more. A ballad to be sure, but a ballad that isn't just meant to impress us is a hard thing to do. And this song pulls it off well.

#07: Meanwhile (ALBUM - Long Distance Voyager): Created when the Moody Blues started turning their ears to more mainstream friendly material, Long Distance Voyager is a catch-all for the various sounds that make up their catalog. A song about realizing what mistakes you've made in your life and where things went wrong. It's in an entirely upbeat style, but it's not what it implies to be. The lyrics are filled with quite downplayed realizations of just how much a person screwed up, and lost the girl he was in love with, and also is running away from the things that made him lose her in the first place. Not quite the song you expect, but catchy enough for you to start singing it to yourself at odd moments, and even then, you won't beat yourself over it.

#06: It's Up To You (ALBUM - A Question of Balance): A nice rock tune, with countrified-tinges adding just the right amount of electric attitude. A song about finding love, and convincing yourself it's the real thing, despite what anybody else says. Hayward's guitar is in full force here, providing enough swagger and gentle strength to convince any adoring girl that he is right. Not to mention the driving beat of Graeme's drums, and the dancing bass line John very skillfully picks out, and you have a song that is GUARANTEED to at least get your head to start bobbing.

#05: Veteran Cosmic Rocker (ALBUM - Long Distance voyager): This is definitely one of the "Grand Pieces" the band made. A song about a Star getting ready to get on stage and perform, this song would have been awesome to see live, but unfortunately never was. A grand journey through everything the band accentuated their songs with, from playful "Eastern" progressions, to a full chorus to a throwaway reverse track, which is definitely a nod to the Beatles. And for those wondering what the reverse track is, you'll have to listen to it and figure out what happens, anyway...

04: Gypsy (ALBUM - To Our Children's Children's Children): Definitely one of my favorite Moody Blues songs, I think this song has a lot to offer newer artists. Although it's ultimate theme is much in keeping with Space Oddity by David Bowie, this song is all about what could be accomplished, even if the outcome is ultimately disastrous. Spacey in it's approach, the song relies on the concept of reverb and space (har dee har) of overall sound. A driving beat that couples with the bass line definitely represents the traveler's heartbeat, while the mellotron provides the overarching celestial body of which the singer, in a panic and very sorrowful of what is occurring to him, is in truth screaming about. Very well made tune that really should be reconsidered for those trying to get into the genre of "Progressive rock".

03: The Swallow (ALBUM - Strange Times): This song is just plain perfect. Beautiful orchestration coupled with an acoustic guitar is the first thing that comes to you. Then, when drums and then vocals come in, everything just fits and feels natural. The song is about just being okay with where your at, with who you're with and who you are. In effect, it's about growing up. And you know, that's okay. The composition itself is also very grown up in its approach, feeling almost exactly like a Lennon/McCartney tune if they decided to, you know, Let It Be (Okay, I promise. That's the only pun I'll use). A fitting song for an otherwise derisive album for many fans.

02: Highway (ALBUM - Time Traveler [Otherwise, unreleased]): The forgotten Moody Blues song. No, seriously. Originally, the band thought the song didn't deserve to be put on an album, so it was left in their archives until released on the Time Traveler boxed set. The lyrics are reaffirming. The message, encouraging. A walking rhythm for the drums bounces the meaning through, while the waltzing bass on the downbeat provides that extra flourish that completely makes the entire song a crowd pleaser. Here's something different, bagpipes and banjo in a rock song? Yeah, they're both found in here, and they don't detract from the song at all.

01: Other Side of Life (ALBUM - The Other Side of Life): This is the song that every fan can hear in their heads right now. As it's a relatively dark song, it took a lot of fans by surprise. Heavy on synth and drum machine samples that can be recreated live, this song is all about the seduction and allure of what a rock show is. It's also about someone finding out who he really is, and how everybody else sees him. Yeah, that second part is not necessarily as true to me as the first, but whatever. This song is phenomenal. I've exposed this song to professional musicians who have never heard it before, and they were astounded as to how much could be done with it, and how amazing the overall song was. Simply put: this song is probably one of the most worthy when putting the Moody Blues into perspective.

To cap off this list, here is the original video for the Other Side of Life. Enjoy, but don't mind the fact Ray Thomas looks like a tugboat captain. It was the Eighties.