Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Moody Blues, The
Label: Decca Records
Release: 1972
Running time: 39:29
Rating: 5/5
»Seventh Sojourn« was the seventh studio album from the classic The Moody Blues lineup and their eighth overall. As had pretty much become tradition for these legendary symphonic prog rock pioneers, who found themselves on the artistic and commercial Olympus of music in the early seventies, they experimented with new gains in the music technology of the day here too. To their trusty, beloved keyboard instrument the Mellotron, which they used to imitate the sound of an orchestra, they added a keyboard called the chamberlin on »Seventh Sojourn«, created by the musical inventor Harry Chamberlin. With this instrument, under the baton of keyboardist/vocalist Mike Pinder, they improved the breadth and persuasiveness of their orchestral arrangements even further, since the chamberlin had always been even better than the Mellotron at imitating the sound of an orchestra, even if it never reached the popularity of its ‘cousin’. Well, the chamberlin showed up for the first and last time on »Seventh Sojourn«, as it was soon replaced by more modern synthesizers.
»Seventh Sojourn« as a whole, in terms of composition, production and arrangement, is in many ways right up there among the very best of the Moodies’ studio work. They never managed to repeat this kind of perfection afterwards, which also makes it the last classic album of their ‘golden’ era, 1967-1972. The opening standard »Lost In The Lost World«, soaked in melodramatic orchestral arrangements, belongs to the string of pacifist Moody creations, of which there were quite a few in their career, as it’s a reckoning with all fratricidal conflicts. At the same time it touches on the old saying ‘the revolution devours its own children’ and on the problem of racism, which sadly is a constant in our ‘lost world’. Pinder’s vocal, which carries emotional calm and drama at once, in perfect balance, ties together an ethereal melody, while mighty symphonic curtains flow in the background and in an instant carry the listener into the middle of the devastated wasteland of human conflict.
»New Horizons«, where guitarist/vocalist Justin Hayward takes the vocal baton, is another excellent achievement, a genuine Moody classic with an epic chorus, dramatic drum transitions from Graeme Edge and ethereal orchestration on the Mellotron and chamberlin. Hayward’s emotional depth has always been the broadest of all the Moody vocalists, so it’s no surprise that plenty of people will immediately be reminded of their greatest classic »Nights In White Satin« by the vocal delivery on »New Horizons«.
»For My Lady« is a romantic love ballad with a folk rock touch, led by flutist/vocalist Ray Thomas, where lovely orchestral arrangements reign once again over a pleasant, hypnotic melody and Ray’s superb singing. It’s no surprise that it ranks among the most popular Moody classics with the legendary flutist as lead singer. On »Isn’t Life Strange«, which was also released as a hit single, bassist/vocalist John Lodge and Justin Hayward share the mic in perfect harmony. Their vocal harmonies, accompanied by lush orchestral waves on the chamberlin, pastoral flute passages in between and melancholic guitar phrases, create a truly epic mood. In the mighty chorus, Pinder and Thomas join Lodge and Hayward for the majestic vocal harmonies, and together they conjure up unforgettable ambient magic.
Steeped in a cheerful atmosphere, »You And Me« is yet another protest-pacifist track which, much like the popular classic »Question«, refers to the Vietnam conflict. Here Hayward once again takes the lead vocal, though the rest of the singing crew helps out on the chorus and the ending, while the orchestration in the background is once more extremely ethereal and hypnotic, and complements the quickened rhythm and witty guitar phrases superbly. The super melodic »The Land Of Make-Believe«, whose lyrics are about fantasizing about a utopian world, has a playful melody on acoustic guitar and flute, then gives more room to the electric guitar. The chorus of this rather complex creation, thanks to its luxurious orchestral arrangements and guitar variations, is once again exceptionally catchy under Hayward’s melodramatic vocal baton. The ethereal masterpiece »When You’re A Free Man«, yet another daydream about an ideal world, with keyboardist Pinder taking the lead vocal once more, is without a doubt the ambient high point of the whole album, with epic orchestral arrangements on the chamberlin reigning supreme. Hayward’s melancholic guitar slides blend beautifully with the symphonic waves and Pinder’s heart-wrenching vocal performance.
The closing evergreen »I’m Just a Singer (In a Rock And Roll Band)«, the album’s second hit single, is, lyrics- and bouncy-rhythm-wise, the most fun and cheeky track on »Seventh Sojourn«, as its message is a satire on the dim-witted belief of certain followers of the group that Moody music contains deep religious messages, while the band members are some kind of ‘new age’ gurus. John Lodge, who takes command at the mic here once again, wanted to use the lyrics to debunk these silly messianic fantasies by busting that funny myth, namely that the band members are simply ordinary mortals with no better philosophical answers to social problems than any similarly socially aware, independent-thinking people. Lodge even received an award from ASCAP for the excellent, satirical lyrics. The dramatic rhythm is constantly infused with mighty orchestration, complex vocal harmonies and cheeky guitar phrases. At its core, if you strip away all the complex arrangements, it’s an energetic rock’n’roller of the kind Lodge always loved to write.
»Seventh Sojourn« is a masterpiece from top to bottom and perhaps even the most polished achievement by the prog rock legends since »Days Of Future Passed« (1967), as the majestic orchestral arrangements never sounded better on any other The Moody Blues album, while the ambient magic is downright unbelievable the whole way through. The creative process around »Seventh Sojourn«, which easily took over the popularity charts of the day, was so demanding and exhausting that after the end of a world tour in 1974 the legendary group decided on a years-long break (during which the members devoted themselves to individual solo careers) and returned to the scene only in 1978 with the album »Octave«, the last achievement of the classic Moody lineup, on which they abandoned the use of the Mellotron and chamberlin, which also marked the end of their ‘golden’, romantic era.
Lineup
Justin Hayward – vocals, guitar
John Lodge – vocals, bass guitar
Ray Thomas – vocals, flute, tambourine
Graeme Edge – drums, percussion, backing vocals
Mike Pinder – vocals, chamberlin, Mellotron
Production
Tony Clarke
Track listing
1. Lost in a Lost World
2. New Horizons
3. For My Lady
4. Isn’t Life Strange
5. You and Me
6. The Land of Make-Believe
7. When You’re a Free Man
8. I’m Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)
