The Moody Blues put themselves into their own Hall of Fame with this release
(No. 18 in a continuing series on artists who should be in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, but are not)
By Phill Marder
“No major band has so relentlessly purveyed nonsense…were it not for their titanic success, in fact, they might easily be dismissed as an odd and overlong joke…it’s the artiness of their symphonic rock that’s truly crass, their self-importance offensive. Gods of 70s FM radio, they invented a sort of easy-listening psychedelia that resolutely combined the worst of both worlds.”
So wrote Paul Evans in the fourth edition of “The Rolling Stone Album Guide,” which then proceeded to rate the band’s big seven albums, the first getting a respectable three stars, the next six getting one and one-half stars, except for one which got just one star. The rating guide lists one star as “DISASTROUS: Albums in the range of one star or less are wastes of vital resources. Only masochists and completists need apply.”
Folks, now you know why the Moody Blues are not in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Now you also know why I stopped reading “Rolling Stone” about 40 years ago. My son-in-law, knowing my love for music, picked up this dribble in a bargain bin and gave it to me (it‘s the thought that counts), otherwise I never would have known just how wrong I was about the Moody Blues. All these years, I thought they were terrific, one of my favorite bands. Bought every album they made. Loved them all.
I know I’m not a completists, so I must be a masochist. Lots of you must be, too. After all, you bought these albums. Bought enough of them to push each of the big seven into the top 25. Bought enough to get four into the top 10. Bought enough to lift the seventh, aptly titled “Seventh Sojourn,” into the No. 1 position. Since each album did better chart wise than the previous, I must assume you liked the previous enough to want to buy the next. Either that or you all enjoy wasting vital resources.
Shame on you.
The Moodies magnificent string of seven gems began with “Days Of Future Passed,” which paired the group with The London Festival Orchestra and was followed by “In Search Of The Lost Chord,” “On The Threshold Of A Dream,” “To Our Children’s Children’s Children,” “A Question Of Balance,” “Every Good Boy Deserves Favour” and “Seventh Sojourn.” There were very few hit singles to buoy sales, “Nights In White Satin” being the biggest when it was re-released four years after its original appearance. Still, the albums dominated the U.S. charts.
On the British charts, the band had even more success, “Threshold,” “Every Good Boy” and “Question of Balance” all hitting No. 1.
You Brits. Such gluttons for punishment.
Spearheaded by guitarist Justin Hayward and bassist John Lodge, with drummer Graeme Edge, Ray Thomas on flute and keyboardist Mike Pinder, the Moody Blues produced a stream of magical, mystical, musical moments guaranteed to float you away. All five wrote and contributed vocals. Crass, offensive and an odd and overlong joke? Millions of fans certainly don’t think so. In fact, after the eighth album, “Octave,” became the first to show signs of a popularity slippage, 1981’s “Long Distance Voyager” brought the group back to the peak of the LP charts. And five years later, “The Other Side Of Life” reached No. 9.
Each of those two albums received an improved two-star rating from “Rolling Stone,” described as “FAIR TO POOR: Albums in the two-star category either fall below the artist’s established standard or are failures in and of themselves.” These two actually improved on the “artist’s established standard,” according to “Rolling Stone,” so one must conclude they “were failures.”
Every good group deserves failure.
It seems extremely unfair to have someone such as Evans reviewing a group or artist so beloved by so many. You don’t need to find a homer, but at least the reviewer should be fair and open-minded. After all, so many people can’t be that wrong, can they? And the same goes for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, which uses a small group of industry insiders to decide who gets in and who doesn’t, the only criteria being a career that began at least 25 years ago.
The dichotomy of who is great and who isn’t is never so clear as the contrast between Evans and the “Allmusic Guide’s” Bruce Eder, who described the Moodies as “…lush, lyrically and musically profound,” with “In Search Of The Lost Chord” “sublimely beautiful” and that LP and the follow-up “On The Threshold Of A Dream” “magnificent achievements.”
One critic calls them “crass and offensive,” another calls them “profound and magnificent.” It’s time the Hall of Fame criteria was altered to at least give some credence to the views of the public. Rock & Roll is our music, we say who we love by buying the music and paying for the concert tickets. Few bands have been as popular over the years as the Moody Blues. They belong in the Hall of Fame.
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While I now find their music unlistenable, I was a record buyer during the Moody Blues heyday & have to agree with their absence from the HOF being ridiculous. They were hugely successful over a long period of album releases, and as a 15-16 year old I thought of them as one of the great bands out there. In fact, artistically, we considered them far above other Progressive bands such as Yes, ELP, etc. (not above King Crimson, though!)
I will never tire of the Moodies music. They were ahead of their time, yet part of their time. They made my College Years bearable and actually taught me about love. EVERY song on every album was magnificent, which is what you get when everyone in the group writes a winner.
Like the writer of this piece, I never knew there were folks out there who hated them.
Moody Foo
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The Moody Blues should definately not ever be in the rock and roll hall of fame. Their contribution to music is so far superior to anything else in their time, to me it would be an insult to the genius of thier music to be lumped in with the Rolling Stones.
My wife and I witnessed again one of the great rock n roll bands last night in Clearwater, the Moody Blues. They are on tour again to celebrate 45 years. They brought the house down as they have done everytime I have seen them over the many years. After seeing many of this years rock and roll hall of fame inductees and contrasting their careers, music ( I consider lyrics a profound element of the bands essence) I find the decision to not include the Moody Blues silly, but then again I feel the same about the academy awards and grammys. I must be lost in that 60s, 70s and 80s period.
No words to discribe them! We have been with them for over 4 Decades!
They are #1 in our eyes! That it!!!
The Moody Blues are everyone’s guilty pleasure. To not include them is truly a joke. If you compare them with some of the non-acts that have been inducted recently simply shows how stupid the selection process really is. Stop stalling HOF and get on with it.
To have the Small Faces inducted into the R n R HOM today, April 2, 2012 must be a day late April Fool’s joke! To still not have the Moody Blues in and a one hit wonder band like the Faces is tragic! Is there a web site we can visit to sign a petition to have the Moody Blues inducted? Someone please start one!
Roy – try this link…http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/moodyblues/signatures.html
I agree with David on this one. It is a slap in the face to millions of world wide fans that the Moody’s are not in HOF, but then look at the other bands that are neglected such as Yes, Rush, ELO, Jethro Tull!!! Its a joke club just like the Academy Awards, etc.
I have seen 100′s of concerts and just about every band that has ever toured. (missed the Beatles I was slightly to young when then made the the rounds), but the Moody Blues rank right up there with always the best show’s year after year. Their music is interesting, ground breaking, rocking, socially conscience, pure.
I just attended my 6th Moody Blues concert Monday April 2, 2012. They still sound as great as ever ! They should have been inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame long ago . They have a long recording and live performance history. This current tour is in celebration of their 45 th anniversary. No they are not at the top of the billboard charts but they have sold over 70 million records and have a loyal following. DJ Berexa PGH, PA
The Moody Blues have always been my favorite band since the first time I heard them. I’ve listened to other bands and some of them suck. They are excellent singers and musicians period!! I can actually understand the words they are singing. Their sound isn’t brash and offensive. They should have been inducted into the R & R Hall Of Fame a long time ago. You have some bands you have inducted that are terrible. Apparently you like junk bands that don’t have substance.
I have every album they did in vinyl and all 7 of the SACDs.
I also had the quad reels to boot.
I know that my post will mean nothing, but it won’t stop me from trying. I grew upwith the Moody Blues. They defined my collge years and after. I have seen them many times in concert, and they are always great. I guess they aren’t loud enough or crude enough to get into the hall. As long as they are not in the HOF, then the validity of others in the Hall is very weak. Every year I vent about the snub, but some jerks don’t get it. It is so very frustrating. They were good 40 years ago, and they are good now. It is time to right the wrong!!
Your post means a lot. It means you have great taste. Keep an eye on the Goldmine Hall of Fame. We have great taste too! – Phill
I am sad that the best band to come out of the early days of rock and roll are still not in the HOF. Their music made me sad,happy,laugh and cry. I saw them last in Atlantic City and they brought me to tears with Knights in White Satin. After reviewing some of the inductees it makes me sad and mad that they have been ignored. I listen to their music every day of my life it brings me great joy
The R & R H of F is a bad joke.
The Moodys are one of the greatest bands of all time.
Your assessment of the Moody Blues is right on. Since their very early breakthrough with “Knights in White Satin” to the last album “Strange Times” the Moody Blues have graced us with music in a style rarely achieved by modern bands. I feel they deserve to be named in the legendary category with the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Elton John and many others to numerous to name. I have seen them many times in concert and always enjoyed their artistry.
Because the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has disrespected their breakthrough music, I for one will never support this Hall of Shame and regard it as not relevant.
Progessive Rock music has taken a large hit not only with the Moody Blues but also with such great legendary bands as Yes, Rush, and or course early Genesis.
I hope someone from the Hall of Shame reads this and maybe someday they will become the true Hall of Fame by including the Moody Blues and other progressive rock bands.
Thanks for allowing me to express my opinion on this very important issue.
Carl Hardy
Good Times Entertainemt
DJ Business
Thanks Carl – Keep an eye on the new Goldmine Rock Era Hall of Fame, where the truly great artists are sure to be recognized – Phill
Innovative, Influence, longevity (nearly 50 years), a very dedicated fan base, and a musical style that is uniquely their own. That’s is quite a resume. The Moody Blues are LONG OVERDUE for the honor.
Jann Wenner, Jon Landau and Dave Marsh haven’t a clue about Moody Blues music. If it’s not about sex or blues based, they haven’t the ability to get past their own narrowness. The Moody Blues classic 7 albums from 67-72 are all great. After that, besides Long Distance Voyager, their recordings have been average at best. But any of the “progressive goups” that came after the Moodies were all influenced by them in some way. I mean Yes, Genesis, Jethro Tull, King Crimson, Kansas, ELP were all influenced by them. Rock N Roll is not just about sex, and there is a spiritual dimension as addressed in all Moody Blues albums. They are the atchetype of what they do, and they did it as well as anybody for 5 years. They deserve to be in there, no question.
There is something very wrong with the way that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame does the voting. It seems like they want to attract fans of a wide age span rather than give credit to the most deserving in some kind of order. The Moody Blues should have been inducted years and years ago. Those who would vote against them please listen to “I’m Just a Singer In a Rock and Roll Band”, “Story in Your Eyes” “The Voice”, “Ride My See Saw” or a host of other songs. The Moody Blues were not a pop singles group during in the late sixties early seventies. They were a cool, album rock, college crowd band who pushed the envelope with their poetry, inventive melodies, creative instrumentation, and originality/uniqueness. To see bands from the 80
s get in ahead of them is ridiculous
The Moody Blues are simply too good for the Hall of Fame – they don’t need it and they don’t need to prove anything in my mind.