Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: Notesfiles; site uicsl.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!ihnp4!inuxc!pur-ee!uiucdcs!uicsl!gmk
From: gmk@uicsl.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.music
Subject: Re: Moody Blues concert review - (nf)
Message-ID: <20500001@uicsl.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 13-Jul-84 12:04:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: uicsl.20500001
Posted: Fri Jul 13 12:04:00 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 15-Jul-84 02:00:08 EDT
References: <494@ccieng5.UUCP>
Lines: 38
Nf-ID: #R:ccieng5:-49400:uicsl:20500001:000:1664
Nf-From: uicsl!gmk    Jul 13 11:04:00 1984

#R:ccieng5:-49400:uicsl:20500001:000:1664
uicsl!gmk    Jul 13 11:04:00 1984

I saw the Moodies once in 1981 (after the release of "Long Distance
Voyager") and thought it was a very good show.
I agree that Patrick Moraz's talents are being wasted in this
group and would be overjoyed if he ever returned to YES.
I do like the way he has transformed the Moodies sound, however.
His lush keyboards and generous use of synthesizer (which
the MBs had never used before) were responsible more than
anything else for the brilliant sound of LDV.
I'm somewhat disappointed in "The Present", though.
It just doesn't seem to have the same magic.

The remaining members of the band have never been great musicians
but their strength has been in their songwriting, their arranging,
and their diversity. They were one of the first bands to use
a mellotron to achieve their famous orchestral sound and how many
other "pop" bands have complemented their array of basic
instruments with flute, harpsichord, sitar, and violin.
The Moodies (sans Moraz) don't play any instrument with
any virtuosity but they play a wide variety of different
instruments.
(There's a blurb on one of their early albums that they're
the "world's smallest symphony orchestra" and, before YES
came along, that was probably true.)

Back to their live performance: I was most impressed
with Ray Thomas. His flute solo on "Legend of a Mind"
was incredible. I left that concert with a much greater
respect for him as a musician.
His songs in recent years have become more introspective,
though, to the point of self-indulgent whining.
Compare "Veteran Cosmic Rocker" and "Sorry" to his
earlier masterpieces like "For My Lady" and "Nice to be Here".

Gary Koob
pur-ee!uiucdcs!uicsg!gmk