The UK Connection-Moody Blues: Favorite & Least Favorite Albums

[@kenfrederick6223]

Awesome show. I was practically dragged along to see The Moody Blues in concert in the late 90's. I wasn't expecting much, but it turned out that they were great! Been a fan ever since. 🎸

[@matthewclark9652]

"Seventh Sojourn" is my favorite Moody Blues album!!

[@Fritha71]

I'm familiar with the Big Seven albums and my top 3 would be To Our Children's... Seventh Sojourn and In Search of the Lost Chord. Days of Future Passed has never made a huge impression on me... Anyway, I have to thank Simon (The Scatman) for making me listen to Long Distance Voyager for the first time ever this evening. Wow, what a great record!! And it's funny that Pete brought up ELO because LDV made me think of ELO a lot, specifically their album Time which ALSO came out in 1981 and happens to be my very favorite ELO album. Kind of strange, lol. Great episode, guys, The Moody Blues deserved to be acknowledged by the mighty UK Connection! Better luck with the beers next time, lol 😁

[@daveycretin664]

Kudos to Mr. Simon for picking Long Distance Voyager as one of his favourites! ( Cool, Pete just gave it some love - later on in the show - as well. )The first Moody Blues album l ever purchased - on vinyl - was Long Distance Voyager. No duff tracks, baby! I love it! Patrick Moraz, AKA “The Swiss Twiddler,” 😉 add some awesome textures, sounds and colours to the mix, too. A wonderful record, in my opinion. Did anyone ever notice the wee satellite, 🛰️ on the album cover, in the sky? Cheers from The Big Apple. ~ Davey Cretin, from Cretin Classics.

[@shaunogle530]

Great show. Favourites: Seventh Sojourn; Question of Balance. Least favourite, Sur la Mer; Keys of the Kingdom. Wildcard - Hayward and Lodge, BlueJays and the single Blue Guitar.

[@alfietomkins7829]

I love the Moody Blues, for me their best material was when Mike Pinder was in the band,(that Mellotron, wow) and all those different vocals of ,Hayward, Lodge, Thomas, Pinder and Edge, are just wonderful. I love Threshold of a dream and Days of future past. The later albums are great too

[@jimquinn5316]

Another brilliant show to celebrate your 100 shows! It's always a joy to listen to you folks

[@TranquilityFireReid]

Thanks Jim!

[@chetthebee1322]

Favorite: 1) To Our Children's Children's Children 2) On a Threshold of a Dream Least: 1) Sur le Mer 2) Strange Times Wild Card: This is the Moody Blues This "best of" album introduced me to The Moody Blues and contains their favorite song of mine; A Simple Game. A Simple Game was the B-Side of the Ride My See-Saw single.

[@paulolson6069]

@@chetthebee1322 my #1 as well

[@keithjones7390]

Mine too!

[@jimhawkes]

Great show as ever gents. For "Favourite", it's very hard to get past In Search of the Lost Chord and Days of Future Past, so I'm not going to even try . "Least Favourite" I would have to agree about "Keys of the Kingdom" and "Strange Times" definitely a great band going out with a whimper. For wildcard I would agree with Steven about the "Blue Jays" album. I would also have to give props to Justin Haywards version of "Forever Autumn", but not sure his contribution to "War of The Worlds" is big enough to qualify as a wilcald!

[@jerrypotente872]

Great show guys about a band that I feel is misunderstood and underrated. I agree with you that the Moody blues are not a true progressive rock band, but like Pete said they were as influential to the coming of classic progressive rock. as the Beatles Zappa or even Procol Harum! I love those first seven albums without Danny Lane but I have to pick my two personal favorites as ’ our children’s children’s children’, and the’ seventh sojourn’, who knows why?!! I also have the CD of the 2002 Royal Albert Hall show which I love and I’ve seen that many times now on Google as well. , OK mates.-keep up the good work!!!!!’

[@michaeldallaway1988]

Give this band time - everything needs repeated listens to get under your skin, but when they get there, wow. To Our Children's Children's Children should be talked about more often in discussion of all time great rock albums.

[@paulolson6069]

Yes, my favorite Moody Blues album

[@keithjones7390]

My favourite too, in my top five albums ever.

[@JimBagby74]

Love that one. Gypsy/Eternity Road/Candle of Life is a killer triple shot.

[@paulolson6069]

@@JimBagby74 absolutely, love that

[@michaeldallaway1988]

@@JimBagby74 I agree, and the concept of the album - 60s excitement about space travel - gives the whole album a dreamy, ethereal feel which I really love.

[@davidschecter5247]

Something often missed is that Ray's flute and Mike's Mellotron in the "rock songs" help link those pieces with the orchestral sections and make the album seamless. That's one of the reasons few other groups could even attempt something like this without renting some orchestral players to add to the "rock" part of the program.

[@trevdowson5810]

I’m loving the UK Connection, cheers lads.

[@TranquilityFireReid]

Thanks Trev!

[@ChrisRamsbottom]

The problem that Ray Thomas had with the Moodies during the 80s was... Tony Visconti. He hated him. Justin, however, is on record as saying he loved him, and I think John Lodge and Graeme Edge were happy to go along with the ride. They all enjoyed playing live, and that kept them all in the band until Ray's health gave him a convenient excuse to leave.

[@blackcatcentralmusic]

The best album is "To Our Children's Children's Children". Hard to choose a second among the core 7. Today I'll go with "On the Threshold of a Dream". Least favorite: "Keys to the Kingdom" and "Sur la Mer" although there are songs I like. Wildcard: The Blue Jays album is incredible, as good as the core 7.

[@keithjones7390]

Agree totally about choosing a second favourite after TOCCC. When it came to buying their later albums it was similar to other bands where you're thinking l hope it's as good as their early stuff, but knowing deep down that it's no going to be.

[@ericdinse5047]

Another great episode of "Fun With Dogs" ! 😄😅

[@robertklimczak2207]

Great show once again!

[@danp9092]

The cup is designed so that you can buy multiple drinks at the bar and then stack them at different angles, all the while only having to hold one handle whilst you have 10 or so beers in your hand. We have them at the football stadiums in Germany for example 🍻

[@NaughtyVampire-zf8pd]

Favorite albums are Days of Future Passed and A Question of Balance. Least fave is Strange Times. Wild Card goes to Long Distance Voyager for being the true comeback album and my fave outside the core seven.

[@marksimpson4258]

Brilliant show 👍 SOT ❤️

[@neurophile]

Favorites : Seventh Sojourn and A Question Of Balance Least favorites : Keys Of The Kingdom and Strange Times Wild Card : On Boulevard de la Madeleine (compilation released in The Netherlands maybe in 1967 of singles between the first album (Go Now) and Days Of Future Passed)

[@keithjones7390]

The Moody Blues were one of many bands whose earlier albums are my favourites. To Our Children's Children Children is their best for me, absolutely faultless. Post 'core seven' albums were patchy in comparison with a lot less to offer, its those early albums which l reach for when l want to listen to this wonderful band.

[@aldebaran4154]

I can't wait for this topic. I don't dislike any Moody Blues album. Excluding the Christmas and first album there's one I'm not too fond of but enjoy certain songs. I'll do my list when I can figure out what my other two least favorites will be.

[@Leo-ci9kc]

My 2 fave are DOFP and Seventh Sojurn. Least are The Magnificent Moodies and Stange Times. Thewild card is Blue Jays, although Ray solo are great. Thanks for this topic. The Moodies never get enough love. My favorite era is 60s and 70s but i do like the 80s too. They were very popular in the 80s

[@matthewclark9652]

Their album "To Our Children's Children's Children" was I thought that being a kids record!! (laughs) The song "Eyes Of A Child" is my favorite off that album.

[@keithjones7390]

My favourite album, just wonderful!

[@btfvinylmagic1180]

the first 9 albums are awesome. Long distance voyager Seven Sojourn Everygood boy deserve favour Fantastic

[@glerp10000000000]

Coincidentally...or not....I had a copy of Days Of Future Passed plop through my letterbox today. My only other Moodies albums are Seventh Sojourn and This Is The Moody Blues.

[@squid4104]

Great show guys...made me laugh...like Pete said the first few are all g8...I have a soft spot for EGBDF as Procession has always haunted me and the final track My Song is a lovely religious coda....

[@kamranmalik8546]

I’ve been listening to them a lot lately. All of their albums are tremendous maybe the first and final album aren’t all that. 1. Days of Future Passed 2. On The Threshold of a Dream 3. To Our Children’s Children’s Children 4. In Search of the Lost Chord 5. Seventh Sojourn 6. A Question of Balance 7. Every Good Boy Deserves Favour 8. Long Distance Voyager 9. The Other Side of Life 10. Sur La Mer 11. The Present 12. Octave 13. The Magnificent Moodies 14. Keys of the Kingdom 15. Strange Times 16. December

[@aldebaran4154]

You forgot Octave. 🙂

[@kamranmalik8546]

@@aldebaran4154 Totally forgot just edited, good album though

[@aldebaran4154]

Before watching here's my list, excluding the very first album and Christmas one. My favorite three: Long Distance Voyager, To Our Children's Children's Children and On the Threshold of a Dream. Least favorite: Sur la Mer (although I really like the song Deep), Keys to the Kingdom and Octave. My wild card would be Strange Times.

[@keithjones7390]

Those early 'core seven' albums are my favourite Moody Blues albums no question. I've bought a few of their later album too, Octave and Long Distance Voyager are two which go some way in capturing the magic of those early albums, but Keys to the Kingdom and Strange Times for me very poor in comparison. Those four later albums l mentioned there are the only one's I've got, so can't really comment on the others. God imagine if those later albums had been as good as the early ones!

[@aldebaran4154]

@@keithjones7390 Everything up to The Present is fine. After that it's mostly pop and pop rock. I gave Strange Times my wild card simply because, to me, it's the best of the last four albums and at least there's an effort to try to recapture some of the early years by having a Ray song and a Graeme Edge poem. I put Octave as one of my least favorites only because its place in the catalog make it a disappointment.There's one song I love and three songs I like and that's it. Long Distance Voyager got what they were trying to do on Octave and made it great. Thinking about it I probably should have named The Present as my wild card. 😃

[@kennycraig6769]

Steven I finally found Innis & Gunn Rum casket beer down here in England. It was in the local B&M. Really lovely beer.

[@TranquilityFireReid]

It's a cracker for sure Kenny!

[@johnnelson3665]

Progressive Pop. Love it!

[@3bwana]

My very first concert was The Moodies at the LA Forum 9/28/71…my dad who was was a huge Moodies fan took me along, I was four years old…I think he just wanted to expose his young son to some of his favorite music…I’m still a huge fan to this day and think of my dad whenever I listen to the core 7 Lps. I do love everything up thru ‘Long Distance Voyager’ but my top two favorite would be ‘A Question of Balance’ and ‘Seventh Sojourn’ , ‘On the Threshold of a Dream’ is my 3rd favorite… I don’t have two least favorite cause I don’t really know the later records that well though I can say I don’t care for the Tony Visconti produced ‘The Other Side of Life’, pretty crappy 80’s Moodies. My wild card choice without a doubt is the Hayward/Lodge release ‘Blue Jays’ including the bonus ‘Blue Guitar’ w/ 10cc backing Justin. The closing track from ‘Blue Jays’ ‘When You Wake Up’ is an all time top 20 Moodies related track for me…gorgeous stuff

[@stevefletcher6163]

Never listened to the Moody Blues, this has given me the inclination to give them a try. Hope it goes better than the BJH try I was persuaded into😅

[@keithjones7390]

Well l didn't have to be persuaded to listen to either band, love them both!

[@lippmb78]

Very interesting take from my favorite band of all time. I value their opinion on which albums are the greatest and the least. I have been listening to them for 30 years since 1994 I’ve been collecting CDs and albums( studios,live performances,solos etc)been going to concerts for every chance I get. If I get my opinion on this, I would say the first seven from Days of future passed to Seventh sojourn are the best albums ever made, well that’s my take from a big moodies fan ❤😊👍

[@jeffbuege6509]

"Oozing charisma". Brilliant.

[@benedictfarr7530]

Sorry, not Moody Blues related, but did any of your UK viewers notice that in the final episode of Professor Brian Cox’s ‘Solar System’ TV series he illustrated Saturn’s series of rings by using a vinyl copy of Dare’s brilliant AOR album ‘Out of the Silence’? He then showed the LP’s cover and the episode played out to ‘The Raindance’ from the album. Sounds like I made this up but it really happened.

[@JoelPrice253]

I'm only familiar with their early stuff: FAV--Days of Future Passed & To Our Children's Children LEAST--Magnificent Moodies & On the Threshold of a Dream WILD--Gold (2005 compilation) is pretty much all I need...

[@kevinthetruckdriver353]

Favorite: *The Present* Honorables: *Days of Future Past* *This is The Moody Blues* *Time Traveller* (5 CD Box Set) I'm not into Moody Blues albums. Besides hearing Satin & Tuesday from Days on AM radio. Heard their hit Singer in a Rock & Roll Band. Listened to Seventh Sojourn album from the public library. Few other tracks interest me but not. Then I purchase This is The Moody Blues compilation album. Discovered other songs I liked. Then Live + 5. Since at that time the Moody's was on hiatus. Then the Moody era I liked. The pop era. Skipped Octive. Didn't skipped Long Distance (vinyl first then cd) as it was the first Moody album I bought with the hit Gemini around time it was released. Then I just loved Present (cd) but hated the single Sitting at the Wheel. Purchased the next 5 cds. Mixed. Moody's do write a lot of fillers in my opinion. Was done after Kingdom.

[@garyjoyce2160]

1- To our Children’s Children’s CHILDREN/ 6️⃣9️⃣. 2- Days of future PASSED/ 6️⃣7️⃣( neck and neck for me with ). Seventh SOJOURN/7️⃣2️⃣. First 7. Albums / stellar. iMO. 👍💯

[@garyjoyce2160]

Correction / the 6️⃣7️⃣-7️⃣2️⃣ run. / tremendous. IMO

[@daicullinane7746]

My favourites: A Question of Balance and Every Good Boy Deserves Favour. Although the competition with Days, Search, Threshold, Children and Sojurn (which contains possibly my favourite track) was difficult. Avoiding the low hanging fruit. My least favourites are: Keys of the Kingdom Strange Times To be honest I didn't finish listening to these, as Pete said bland. I quite liked The Other Side of Life because of the cheese. The Wild Card is Long Distance Voyager.

[@gwts1171]

My Favorites: Long Distance Voyager (1981) & The Other Side of Life (1986) My Least Favorites: Days of Future Passed (1967) & On the Threshold of a Dream (1969) These are both fine albums, but I like the later stuff a bit more. Wildcard: Keys of the Kingdom (1991) I really like this album quite a lot.

[@keithjones7390]

It's great that everyone who is a fan of the Moody Blues can appreciate all their work. I can't imagine anybody preferring their later albums but that's just my opinion and it boils down to individual choice.

[@NaughtyVampire-zf8pd]

Days of Future Passed was the first prog album - - predating Court of the Crimson King by 2 years.

[@paulcollins5586]

Its classical jazz with pop bits, hardly prog and it doesnt rock.

[@franciskocher200]

Great show.😃👍

[@acj2789]

I don't think enough credit for 'Days of Future Passed' goes to Peter Knight. He really was an excellent composer/orchestrator, although he mostly worked in the light-music field. The way he knits together motifs from the songs, and leads you from one to the next, shows compositional mastery. The 'London Festival Orchestra' wasn't a permanently constituted orchestra. It was simply the name given to the collection of orchestral musicians assemble for the recording date.

[@chaddunn9621]

Great episode guys.

[@thelonestranger4226]

This might be the only time on SoT where there'll be The Moody Blues and fruity booze

[@TranquilityFireReid]

At least I liked The Moodies!

[@dhfenske]

Can anyone explain why In Search of the Lost Chord should not be classified as prog?

[@king.of.sunset.town.1]

Greetings from Greece , Athens

[@justamops]

Favorite: Days of Future Passed. Groundbreaking, beautiful, deeply emotional, always loved it. Second, probably In Search of…, but I have a soft spot for On the Threshold of a Dream. And I like Long Distance Voyager a great deal too - I enjoy it more than the last three of the classic seven. Patrick Moraz could do synthpop with the best of them, and “Meanwhile” is an overlooked yacht rock classic. Least favorite: I cannot stand Octave. A big part of it is the production, which I think sounds awful. I also dislike “Steppin’ in a Slide Zone” a great deal. But I think it’s an appropriate song, since in my view they were on a downward slide, like many prog artists were at the time. But no, I don’t really consider them prog. My view is that they were a proto-prog band who stayed proto-prog until they went pop in the ‘80s. They were a major influence on what became prog, so they can be kind of grandfathered in - but their music never developed the complication and virtuoso playing of the prog bands, and their lyrics, while philosophical, were always more straightforward and relatable than the flights of fantasy of Jon Anderson, Pete Sinfield, or Genesis. Enjoyed this show a lot, guys - thanks!

[@kennbrown4638]

FAVORITES 1. In Search of the Lost Chord 2. A Question of Balance LEAST FAVORITES 1. Keys to the Kingdom 2. Strange Times WILD CARD Long Distance Voyager

[@BloodyHeck]

I could list favorite and least favorite but even for least favorite it's like pizza, even the ones that aren't that great are still good. Even the ones that are typically at the bottom of people's lists, I still love.

[@keithjones7390]

I've enjoyed reading the comments on one of my favourite bands. It's even prompted me to order a CD today, Sur La Mer. I have to say that every post Seventh Sojourn album has disappointed me a little, Octave and Long Distance Voyager are probably close in quality to the 'core seven' but Keys to the Kingdom and Strange Times Fall short in every way unfortunately. Good reviews for Sur La Mer though, so hoping for a nice surprise. Mind you at just under £4, won't be too upset if l don't like it that much!

[@calummcgregor3662]

Be interested in your view of the mix / production ... I have the single CD version and version from the box set ... decent songs which, for me, are rendered almost unlistenable by mix / production ... needs somebody to dig out the master tapes and work some Stephen Wilson / Steven Taylor magic ... CMcG, Aberdeen, Scotland ... p.s. enjoyed Justin's show at Music Hall ten days ago ... great songs, well played ... good gig.

[@keithjones7390]

@@calummcgregor3662 👍

[@twiddless]

I would to be on this show! Give an irish perspective

[@garykelly9475]

This was quite tricky, as I'm not by inclination a huge MB fan, even though with a preference for more dissonance in my 'prog' like early ELP, VDGG, I have always enjoyed less rocky, more orchestral/symphonic prog with a huge love of Renaissance and BJH. The BJH preference by far outweighs any fandom for MB which may appear quite ironic given the iconic importance of MB in the development of prog and symphonic rock. Wild Card- Blue Jays/A Night at Red Rocks Least Fav- Strange Times, Keys to the Kingdom ( in large part due to the terrible treatment in handling the sacking of Moraz) Fav- Probably buck the most likely trend of both being from a combination of Days through Seventh. Long Distance Voyager. Moraz, an updated contemporary sound ditching the elements and sounds I find a bit twee, this is no brainer for me. Less likely as fav 2: the present. Moraz again ( even though he was never really deployed to best effect), killer lead off track (for me) Blue World and I am already heavily prejudiced here!

[@lutchlutive]

Hey Pete, will you be recording your 'what is it?' for the Alan Parsons Project?

[@eliotmccann2589]

As per Stephen's discussion at the 20:00- what are the Moody Blues? I vote Sophisti-pop.

[@RustyfaetheShire]

Really not familiar with the albums, so looking forward to the education, guys!

[@carlwmpylu]

The poor man's Barclay James Harvest. 🙂 My faves: . The Present . Sur La Mer I really enjoy the "classic" era but generally, I prefer their pop-rock stuff. My least faves: . The Magnificent Moodies (it does what it does well but it's but not my cup of sheep dip) . Seventh Sojourn (decent album but the one I listen to the least) Wild card: . December (a surprisingly enjoyable festive record)

[@keithjones7390]

Interesting reference to Barclay James Harvest. Another favourite band of mine who were unfairly dubbed the poor man's Moody Blues. No way at all, and l had to admire their decision to record the song of that title which really is a beautiful, and one of my favourite BJH songs.

[@carlwmpylu]

@@keithjones7390 Just a little josh based on the song. 🙂 Love both bands though I would probably give the edge to BJH.

[@docbobster]

My faves are Seventh Sojourn and Days of Future Passed -- the only two that have nothing that makes me wince. Every Good Boy comes close to those. Sadly, Chord, Dream, and Balance each have moments that make me cringe -- not just today (because they are dated) but even back in the 1970s. (Ray is usually the culprit.). I haven't listened to the ones after the classic Big 7 run, mostly on the basis of the bad reviews that scared me off, in the years where you couldn't just audit something by streaming it but actually had to shell out real money. One thing I'd like to amplify that doesn't get said often enough is that Justin Hayward has an incredible lead guitar sound -- a piercing dark sustain that is actually remarkably similar to many Robert Fripp solos.

[@kennycraig6769]

It's a wonder Simon wasn't breathalysed when he was scatting at traffic lights.😊

[@simonbrayfromsot1375]

Skibby dibby dap doo.

[@russw3736]

Simon's scatting is the new Bula Bula Quo

[@simonbrayfromsot1375]

That's not a compliment is it?

[@JimBagby74]

100% Prog.

[@stuartyoung4083]

Simon I'm shocked if not little bit disappointed drinking a beer from a plastic mug/cup thing on air. 😳

[@floyd75dylan]

Could this mean that you will finally be talking about the greatest band that's been talked about before? The Carpenters? I think he's mentioned Bee Gees a few times briefly, but I'm not sure you've talked about The Carpenters. Or what about Neil Diamond, Cat Stevens. I would say Cliff Richard, but I'm not sure that Pete knows his work, or the decades of torture he inflicted on the UK with his music especially at Christmas time.

[@GalaxyRover1020]

Early Classic 7 great, 80's era I dropped off. Bland commercial by the numbers pop rock. Bought "The Other Side Of Life" when it came out as I liked the title track and a few other tracks. If they recorded that album in 70's it would be better imo. Not a fan of the cheesy 80's synth pop sound this band adopted.

[@gobeethoth]

fun in the doghouse !?1?

[@SydBarrettArchives]

Really Pete? What else was pushing in 67? Pink Floyd, Hendrix, Cream, in America the Dead and Jefferson Airplane etc.

[@NaughtyVampire-zf8pd]

The Doors; Velvet Underground; Rolling Stones; The Who; Love . . .

[@TranquilityFireReid]

He was referring to pushing in progressive rock in '67.

[@srvuk]

Other than the obligatory Knights track, I have never seen the appeal of this band.

[@keithjones7390]

Did you spell Nights wrongly on purpose? 😅

[@benedictfarr7530]

Sorry, not Moody Blues related, but did any of your UK viewers notice that in the final episode of Professor Brian Cox’s ‘Solar System’ TV series he illustrated Saturn’s series of rings by using a vinyl copy of Dare’s brilliant AOR album ‘Out of the Silence’? He then showed the LP’s cover and the episode played out to ‘The Raindance’ from the album. Sounds like I made this up but it really happened.