The Moody Blues

[SMiLE Brian]

The more "To Our Children's Children's Children" played live, the better. This album is one of my favorites with deep themes about time.

[Malc]

... and I'm guessing that by 73/74 the set list would've been long enough to fill out FOUR sides of vinyl 

[jimmy1949]

I love these guys too.Saw them as early as 1970 and at least 6 times since. They deserve to be in the Hall Of Fame.

[SMiLE Brian]

The remix of Days of Future Passed is very different than the original LP.

[nickdunning]

The remix of Days of Future Passed is very different than the original LP.

And the mono mix of 'DOFP' is different again - another one of those mid-1960's albums mixed seperately to mono and stereo. The mono mix is much punchier and I have it on vinyl.

The mono mix of 'In Search Of The Lost Chord' is also very different, and again superior, IMHO.

[SMiLE Brian]

The remix of Days of Future Passed is very different than the original LP.

And the mono mix of 'DOFP' is different again - another one of those mid-1960's albums mixed seperately to mono and stereo. The mono mix is much punchier and I have it on vinyl.

The mono mix of 'In Search Of The Lost Chord' is also very different, and again superior, IMHO.

I wonder if they could restore the original 1967 mix on CDs with fly-ins and other fixes used on the smile box set.

[Jason]

The original 1967 mix of Days of Future Passed never "ceased to exist"; it actually still exists but the band just doesn't want to do anything with it. A copy from a German production master has been circulating for years. It's about the closest we'll ever get.

[SMiLE Brian]

I should get that copy or I need to find a great sounding vinyl copy and do a needle drop with my ion turntable. I like the remix on CDs, I just want to hear the original mix with on my ipod with headphones to compare with the remix.

[vintagemusic]

Mike Pinder's studio in Malibu Ca, later called "Indigo Ranch" where they did Octave, was the nicest
studio I have ever seen, up on a hill overlooking the pacific ocean, it was several miles from the
nearest store, and about 40-50 miles north of Los Angeles proper. The studio had two guest houses
and an engineer living on the premises. You could comfortably sleep perhaps 8 people. It wasn't
the kind of studio, where you would just drop by for a two hour overdub session.

They had a nice kitchen, and you would move up there for a week or a month, Neil Young, a lot of
the "Country Rock" people worked up there, Oingo Boingo.

But yeah mudslides, fires, in fact i think the place burned down a couple years ago.

Pinder sold the place to Richard Kaplan and his partner Mike Hoffman., the tracking room was amazing
designed by Pinder and had no right angles, it was like a dome in Taj Mahal or something, peaceful
Bob cats and coyotes, there are actually a couple of houses nearby on the road, so its' remote, but
there is civilization within 25 minutes The Surfers Paradise cove and Brian Wilsons old malibu house
aren't that far away.


They had two beautiful Studer 24 tracks, some kind of old board with great eq, lots of outboard gear
a world class microphone collection, and Kaplan was a great engineer.

Whatever the problems with Octave and Mike Pinder, Pinder had some money, he owned a studio
which he probably sold for a mint.  I think he had had it with being in the Moody Blues, maybe with
The great comback and success of Long Distance Voyager, he started having regrets, maybe he was
shafted by the guys, but he wasn't exactly suffering, he was in such a remote location, there was no
way the other four guys from England were gonna be able to work with him, unless he moved closer

I really liked John Lodge's writing, and Ray Thomas occasiional Timothy Leary type song.

If Thomas health would allow, and Lodge, Hayward, Edge and Thomas could make an album that wasn't
totally dominated by Hayward songs, I would be delighted. I don't see that happening or Pinder getting
back in the band...

But if you had been to Pinders remote studio, and the drive up the hill just to get there, and the distance
from town, it was a dirt road with a cliff on one side, no one would be able to make that drive everyday
and be happy. And the studio though nice was rustic, bunk beds, you really have to be motivated, to
go up there, to work, and get along with each other, you can't just leave and get a pizza or see a movie

I don't think Pinder ever intended to come back, until after they had another hit

[SMiLE Brian]

Cool series of Videos from 2010 with Mike Pinder on the mellotron.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zmw8B1QWfpg&feature=relmfu

[SMiLE Brian]

Got in the Mark One moodies recently. Go Now shows Mike Pinder's talents on a regular piano.

[lee]

Just found this thread. Very cool. I just recently got into the Moody Blues through a friend within the last few months. I saw them live a few weeks ago and it was a really good show.

I only have vinyl copies of DOFP, ONTHOD, TOCCC and just bought EGBDF. I can't get over how great the last half of the TOCCC album is. Did they ever perform Candle of Light live? It's one of my favorites.

I was going to start picking up their cds as well and was wondering if anyone had opinions on the sacds. I do have a sacd player but I listen in stereo (not 5.1) so I was wondering if the sacds are worth the price or if you'd just go with the redbook cd reissues. I've read both are compressed so I'm torn on what to get.

[Jason]

The SACDs are worth the purchase since the original quadraphonic vinyls are harder to find. It's a shame they never were released outside of the EU. The Redbook reissues are fine as well. The band has been remastering all of the albums so far but they seemed to have stopped at The Present.

[lee]

Thanks for the info. I'll start getting the sacds while most of them are easy to find still.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

The Moodies vinyls are the way to go. They had top of the line pressings!

[SMiLE Brian]

The Moodies vinyls are the way to go. They had top of the line pressings!

I know, they all sound great except for some DOFP pressings from the 1970s.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

Yeah, the Deram pressings were trickier, but any with the Threshold label are fab!!!

I still swear by my old gold CD of DOFP

[onkster]

You're probably gonna hate me for this, but every once in a while "Your Wildest Dreams" gets stuck in my head, and I become obsessed with it. Those backing vocals send me to heaven.

[lee]

You're probably gonna hate me for this, but every once in a while "Your Wildest Dreams" gets stuck in my head, and I become obsessed with it. Those backing vocals send me to heaven.

I'm not a fan of 80s Moody Blues but I really dig that song. Catchy as hell.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

You're probably gonna hate me for this, but every once in a while "Your Wildest Dreams" gets stuck in my head, and I become obsessed with it. Those backing vocals send me to heaven.

I freaking love that song!!!!!! One of the greatest pop hits ever!!!!

I really really really did the triage of Long Distance Voyager, The Present, and The Other Side Of Life!