Moody Blues "Days of Future Passed"

Kelli · 11-13-2012, 07:16 AM

Was going through some records the other day and this album came up so I thought I'd mention it to see if anyone else knows it. Days of Future Passed was always my favorite of my dad's records to listen to as a kid. Something about it always seemed magical - if you've never heard it, it's an album from the late 60s composed of a mix of classical music and rock n roll pieces with random bits of poetry in between... All of the songs seemed to flow together like one complete work of art or something, and it always blew me away. Especially the last lines of the poem at the end. Maybe you've heard the songs "Nights in White Satin" or "Tuesday Afternoon." Now that I listened to it again a few days ago and it's still got that kind of novelty feel to it - there really aren't any other albums you could easily compare it to.

Anyways just wanted to make this thread since I didn't see one already. You never see "Days of Future Passed" in any sort of Greatest Albums of All Time lists & for that I think it's underrated. Definitely one of my favorites!

Thoughts? Comments? Opinions?

nbakid2000 · 11-13-2012, 08:20 AM

I'm a huge Moody Blues fan (they're my favorite band) and this album isn't even their best. Their best album would have to be Children's Children or Threshold of a Dream. 'Days of Future Passed' can't even begin to compare, but for some reason it's the one that always gets referenced. It's overhyped, over-referenced, and overshadows the others (unfairly). I think it's the casual fans that always reference it for some reason, because that's the one that got the band started and is perhaps the most "well known" of any of their material. Personally, I never listen to it because they simply have much better material on the albums that came afterwards.

Don't get me wrong, it's an excellent album, but if you want to truly get blown away, listen to those two albums I mentioned. They will change your life.

Kelli · 11-13-2012, 09:25 AM

Aside from Days of Future Passed, the only other Moody Blues music I've ever listened to was a scratchy double-lp greatest hits record. Now that you said the one I mentioned isn't even their best album, I will definitely have to listen to the two you recommended!

(:

Screen13 · 11-13-2012, 01:02 PM

Lush production, hooks by the dozen, nice but occasionally cliche lyrics, and those poems you either like or laugh at (I'm part of the later). It's iconic, but it also helped unleash the pretentiousness that passed as meaningful in Pop Music. Still, "Nights in White Satin" is a damn good song, and possibly my favorite of the Heyward/Lodge Moodies, the top of a very good list. Shoving my cynical side away for a moment, it's a good album.

In short, the Mk2 Moodies formula starting to really work.

You could say that it was a good Date Album for the time, or something to show off that huge stereo system...or both.

The unsung star of the album for me was Producer Tony Clarke, who worked for Decca and had ideas that helped bring the band over to it's quality music wing, Deram, who was looking for a few modern acts. Using the Deramtic Sound System, a then-innovative system for a time that was filled with a lot of experiments in sound, the mix of band and orchestra with the quality of the songs was a right fit for what the label was aiming for. This album saved a good band already headed for the "Where Are They Now?" file, and having the right image for the music style also helped.

For the albums market of '67 already sparked by Sgt. Pepper, the growing US FM Rock Radio market, and those looking for adventurous sounds that did not go too much into the demonic freak out world, this hit the spot perfectly. It was a gamble that has to be applauded. They could have been great go-to Soundtrack musicians, but thankfully fate pointed them to the charts and stages where they belong.

There were to be more adventurous Moody Blues albums, but this is the iconic breakthrough.

Here's a good page describing Deram's Discography and the "Deramic Sound System." A very familiar face will great you at the top of the page, but his greatest successes were not with them. The DSS series had a fitting end with the Moodies next album - the label's iconic "system" with it's star band.

Deram Album Discography

nbakid2000 · 11-13-2012, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kelli

Aside from Days of Future Passed, the only other Moody Blues music I've ever listened to was a scratchy double-lp greatest hits record. Now that you said the one I mentioned isn't even their best album, I will definitely have to listen to the two you recommended!

(:

There are two distinct periods of The Moody Blues - the early first 7 albums and then they took an extended break and came back with a new pop sound. Both eras in my opinion are excellent. The first is better ("the core 7") but the second era is great if you like easily accessible rock/pop. If you want recommendations for either era, ask me and I will point you in the right direction.

A good 12 track greatest hits which I recommend is "The Story of the Moody Blues...Legend of a Band". Very good sampling of their various sounds and their most popular tracks.

Screen13 · 11-13-2012, 06:53 PM

Actually three - their first era was the one led by Denny Laine (Later of Paul McCartney's Wings) who focused on a more R&B flavor. The big hit of that era was the cover of "Go Now" that's still a favorite of British Beat of The Mid 60's. The Magnificent Moodies was the first album, but it's non-success made it easy to overlook.

For me, the first Heyward/Lodge era was Mk2, the seven albums they created with the Moodies sound that's the best known. There were a few couple of stand-alone singles released through 66-67 that announced this era, but were also overlooked. There was a compilation, Prelude, that is a good listen which includes several songs from that time including "Fly Me High" and "Love and Beauty" that hint to what was to come.

An easier to find 2-CD compilation of singles sides features possibly the best selection of rare sides and hits including "Boulevard de la Madeleine," from what I think was the last Laine-led single which was a major break away from the B&B style not on Prelude.

The third to me is Octave and after, keeping the Moodies name alive.

nbakid2000 · 11-13-2012, 07:25 PM

Right, they have some good material pre-'Days' but no one really considers or mentions that period as true Moody Blues. For the casual fan just getting into them, it's probably not worth the time since that period sounds nothing like what they're known for.

Kelli · 11-14-2012, 08:59 AM

So I went through the rest of my dad's record collection today (he recently gave me it when I bought a record player & thought I might be interested in the music he collected as a teenager) and found lots of great stuff. Thought you guys might like to hear that aside from Days of Future Passed he had This is the Moody Blues (the double compilation album I mentioned before), To Our Children's Children, Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, & Long Distance Voyager. Listened to Children's Children earlier and thought it was great - still have yet to listen to the last two but I should have some time tomorrow. Not sure what to expect but from what you guys are saying Long Distance Voyager should have a distinctly different sound from the earlier albums...

& about Denny Laine, I knew he was in Wings but never knew he was in the Moody Blues - well, at least the first album. Although from what I understand the majority of the song's on that first album were covers... So if Days of Future Passed was the breakthrough one, then that explains why it was really their only album I was familiar with.

nbakid2000 · 11-14-2012, 10:06 PM

I'm giving you a list of their best, well known "later period" songs so you can see what that era kinda sounds like. (I love all these songs, in fact, they're some of my favorite songs in history):

The live videos are from the FANTASTIC "Live at Red Rocks" from '92. If you watch or listen to a lot of their live stuff, they sound extremely close to the studio version. In this one, they used a symphony orchestra + Justin Hayward (main lead singer - at least in the later years) was suffering from a cold, so he sounds a bit off, but overall it's an amazing concert that I highly recommend getting on both CD and DVD.

On a side note, I've seen these guys 3 times in concert (they were my first ever concert) + I own every studio and live album + every DVD they have out + all solo albums + Blue Jays.

Blue Jays was recording during their extended break by the two lead guys - Justin Hayward and John Lodge. Great little album.

Kelli · 11-15-2012, 03:11 PM

^ Thanks for sharing those, I enjoyed them! Especially liked Steppin in a Slide Zone, No Lies, & the Voice performance... Despite what you said I thought the Red Rocks one sounded good. I'll definitely have to keep an eye out for their live stuff next time I'm out music shopping!

Earlier I asked my dad about them & was surprised to hear he's seen them 3 times in concert too (in the 80s). He said they were great. Only wish he would've showed me these albums sooner haha.

Anyways thanks for showing me some of the later songs... I'm guessing by "later period" you mean late 70s - 80s era albums? I was trying to compare this change in sound to a band I know more of and ended up thinking of Chicago's transition from fusion rock in the late 60s-70s to a more pop sound in the 80s... These bands aren't similar though so that's probably not a valid comparison. I'm just really surprised how different these songs were sounding from the earlier stuff I've listened to!

11-13-2012, 07:16 AM	#1 (permalink)
Kelli custom user title Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Cincinnati Posts: 304	Moody Blues "Days of Future Passed" Was going through some records the other day and this album came up so I thought I'd mention it to see if anyone else knows it. Days of Future Passed was always my favorite of my dad's records to listen to as a kid. Something about it always seemed magical - if you've never heard it, it's an album from the late 60s composed of a mix of classical music and rock n roll pieces with random bits of poetry in between... All of the songs seemed to flow together like one complete work of art or something, and it always blew me away. Especially the last lines of the poem at the end. Maybe you've heard the songs "Nights in White Satin" or "Tuesday Afternoon." Now that I listened to it again a few days ago and it's still got that kind of novelty feel to it - there really aren't any other albums you could easily compare it to. Anyways just wanted to make this thread since I didn't see one already. You never see "Days of Future Passed" in any sort of Greatest Albums of All Time lists & for that I think it's underrated. Definitely one of my favorites! Thoughts? Comments? Opinions?

11-13-2012, 08:20 AM	#2 (permalink)
nbakid2000 Music Addict Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 179	I'm a huge Moody Blues fan (they're my favorite band) and this album isn't even their best. Their best album would have to be Children's Children or Threshold of a Dream. 'Days of Future Passed' can't even begin to compare, but for some reason it's the one that always gets referenced. It's overhyped, over-referenced, and overshadows the others (unfairly). I think it's the casual fans that always reference it for some reason, because that's the one that got the band started and is perhaps the most "well known" of any of their material. Personally, I never listen to it because they simply have much better material on the albums that came afterwards. Don't get me wrong, it's an excellent album, but if you want to truly get blown away, listen to those two albums I mentioned. They will change your life. Last edited by nbakid2000; 11-13-2012 at 08:32 AM.

11-13-2012, 01:02 PM	#4 (permalink)
Screen13 Music Addict Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 1,388	Lush production, hooks by the dozen, nice but occasionally cliche lyrics, and those poems you either like or laugh at (I'm part of the later). It's iconic, but it also helped unleash the pretentiousness that passed as meaningful in Pop Music. Still, "Nights in White Satin" is a damn good song, and possibly my favorite of the Heyward/Lodge Moodies, the top of a very good list. Shoving my cynical side away for a moment, it's a good album. In short, the Mk2 Moodies formula starting to really work. You could say that it was a good Date Album for the time, or something to show off that huge stereo system...or both. The unsung star of the album for me was Producer Tony Clarke, who worked for Decca and had ideas that helped bring the band over to it's quality music wing, Deram, who was looking for a few modern acts. Using the Deramtic Sound System, a then-innovative system for a time that was filled with a lot of experiments in sound, the mix of band and orchestra with the quality of the songs was a right fit for what the label was aiming for. This album saved a good band already headed for the "Where Are They Now?" file, and having the right image for the music style also helped. For the albums market of '67 already sparked by Sgt. Pepper, the growing US FM Rock Radio market, and those looking for adventurous sounds that did not go too much into the demonic freak out world, this hit the spot perfectly. It was a gamble that has to be applauded. They could have been great go-to Soundtrack musicians, but thankfully fate pointed them to the charts and stages where they belong. There were to be more adventurous Moody Blues albums, but this is the iconic breakthrough. Here's a good page describing Deram's Discography and the "Deramic Sound System." A very familiar face will great you at the top of the page, but his greatest successes were not with them. The DSS series had a fitting end with the Moodies next album - the label's iconic "system" with it's star band. Deram Album Discography Last edited by Screen13; 11-13-2012 at 01:08 PM.

11-13-2012, 06:53 PM	#6 (permalink)
Screen13 Music Addict Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 1,388	Actually three - their first era was the one led by Denny Laine (Later of Paul McCartney's Wings) who focused on a more R&B flavor. The big hit of that era was the cover of "Go Now" that's still a favorite of British Beat of The Mid 60's. The Magnificent Moodies was the first album, but it's non-success made it easy to overlook. For me, the first Heyward/Lodge era was Mk2, the seven albums they created with the Moodies sound that's the best known. There were a few couple of stand-alone singles released through 66-67 that announced this era, but were also overlooked. There was a compilation, Prelude, that is a good listen which includes several songs from that time including "Fly Me High" and "Love and Beauty" that hint to what was to come. An easier to find 2-CD compilation of singles sides features possibly the best selection of rare sides and hits including "Boulevard de la Madeleine," from what I think was the last Laine-led single which was a major break away from the B&B style not on Prelude. The third to me is Octave and after, keeping the Moodies name alive. Last edited by Screen13; 11-17-2012 at 05:06 AM.

11-13-2012, 07:25 PM	#7 (permalink)
nbakid2000 Music Addict Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 179	Right, they have some good material pre-'Days' but no one really considers or mentions that period as true Moody Blues. For the casual fan just getting into them, it's probably not worth the time since that period sounds nothing like what they're known for. __________________

11-13-2012, 09:25 AM	#3 (permalink)
Kelli custom user title Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Cincinnati Posts: 304	Aside from Days of Future Passed, the only other Moody Blues music I've ever listened to was a scratchy double-lp greatest hits record. Now that you said the one I mentioned isn't even their best album, I will definitely have to listen to the two you recommended! (:

11-14-2012, 08:59 AM	#8 (permalink)
Kelli custom user title Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Cincinnati Posts: 304	So I went through the rest of my dad's record collection today (he recently gave me it when I bought a record player & thought I might be interested in the music he collected as a teenager) and found lots of great stuff. Thought you guys might like to hear that aside from Days of Future Passed he had This is the Moody Blues (the double compilation album I mentioned before), To Our Children's Children, Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, & Long Distance Voyager. Listened to Children's Children earlier and thought it was great - still have yet to listen to the last two but I should have some time tomorrow. Not sure what to expect but from what you guys are saying Long Distance Voyager should have a distinctly different sound from the earlier albums... & about Denny Laine, I knew he was in Wings but never knew he was in the Moody Blues - well, at least the first album. Although from what I understand the majority of the song's on that first album were covers... So if Days of Future Passed was the breakthrough one, then that explains why it was really their only album I was familiar with.

11-14-2012, 10:06 PM	#9 (permalink)
nbakid2000 Music Addict Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 179	I'm giving you a list of their best, well known "later period" songs so you can see what that era kinda sounds like. (I love all these songs, in fact, they're some of my favorite songs in history): The live videos are from the FANTASTIC "Live at Red Rocks" from '92. If you watch or listen to a lot of their live stuff, they sound extremely close to the studio version. In this one, they used a symphony orchestra + Justin Hayward (main lead singer - at least in the later years) was suffering from a cold, so he sounds a bit off, but overall it's an amazing concert that I highly recommend getting on both CD and DVD. On a side note, I've seen these guys 3 times in concert (they were my first ever concert) + I own every studio and live album + every DVD they have out + all solo albums + Blue Jays. Blue Jays was recording during their extended break by the two lead guys - Justin Hayward and John Lodge. Great little album. Last edited by nbakid2000; 11-14-2012 at 10:24 PM.

11-15-2012, 03:11 PM	#10 (permalink)
Kelli custom user title Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Cincinnati Posts: 304	^ Thanks for sharing those, I enjoyed them! Especially liked Steppin in a Slide Zone, No Lies, & the Voice performance... Despite what you said I thought the Red Rocks one sounded good. I'll definitely have to keep an eye out for their live stuff next time I'm out music shopping! Earlier I asked my dad about them & was surprised to hear he's seen them 3 times in concert too (in the 80s). He said they were great. Only wish he would've showed me these albums sooner haha. Anyways thanks for showing me some of the later songs... I'm guessing by "later period" you mean late 70s - 80s era albums? I was trying to compare this change in sound to a band I know more of and ended up thinking of Chicago's transition from fusion rock in the late 60s-70s to a more pop sound in the 80s... These bands aren't similar though so that's probably not a valid comparison. I'm just really surprised how different these songs were sounding from the earlier stuff I've listened to!