Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Moody Blues, The
Label: Decca Records
Released: 1965
Length: 34:03
Rating: 2.5/5
»The Magnificent Moodies« was the R’n’B debut of prog-rock legends The Moody Blues, and it’s one the three original members, keyboardist/vocalist Mike Pinder, flautist/vocalist Ray Thomas and drummer/vocalist Graeme Edge, would probably rather forget these days, even though right from the start they had everything it took to become a first-rate pop-rock attraction. It was also their only record with guitarist/vocalist Denny Laine (who later became a longtime collaborator of Paul McCartney and his band Wings, as well as a member of Ginger Baker’s Airforce) and bassist/vocalist Clint Warwick in the lineup. Warwick decided to retire from music just a year after this album came out, while The Moody Blues soon ditched their fairly modest R’n’B and beat beginnings and became far more successful and innovative as one of prog rock’s most important pioneers.
»The Magnificent Moodies« was a collection of twelve more or less simple R’n’B, soul and beat tracks, only one of which runs longer than four minutes (»Can’t Nobody Love You«). It’s also mostly covers of other songwriters, with Laine and Pinder writing just four originals. No surprise, then, that exactly those four tracks, namely »Let Me Go«, »Stop«, »Thank You Baby« and »True Story«, count among the more memorable moments of this rather unexciting album, which is also dragged down by weak production. The standout is the melancholic and slightly gloomy »Let Me Go«, packed with subtle piano and flute arrangements that would play a bigger role on The Moody Blues’ later, prog-rock efforts.
The main vocal duties on »The Magnificent Moodies« were split between Laine and Thomas. Both James Brown covers, »I’ll Go Crazy« and »I Don’t Mind« (the latter also covered that same year by The Who on their studio debut »My Generation« (1965)), are anything but innovative and are classic reflections of the era in which they were played. By far the most recognizable track on this album, and the only hit single of the original The Moody Blues lineup, is the soul, blues and R’n’B hybrid »Go Now«, originally written by Larry Banks and Milton Bennett, which won over audiences back then with its hypnotic chorus and melancholic vibe.
One of the album’s better moments is also the cover of »It Ain’t Necessarily So«, originally by George and Ira Gershwin, since it’s steeped in subtle symphonic arrangements and gorgeous vocal harmonies, which makes it something of a stylistic peek at The Moody Blues’ near future. The harmonica-drenched blues-rocker »Bye Bye Bird«, a cover of a song by Sonny Boy Williamson II and Willie Dixon, definitely doesn’t leave the best impression at the end of the album. Back in 1964, before their debut even came out, The Moody Blues had already released a few R’n’B and beat singles, which later turned up as bonus tracks on various reissues of »The Magnificent Moodies«, but most of them are even less interesting than the regular material.
»The Magnificent Moodies« was a not-so-distinguished effort that, apart from the single »Go Now«, never even got the commercial success everyone expected. So over the next two years The Moody Blues went for a complete stylistic overhaul and turned into a practically different band. There’s very little on it that would entertain most Moody Blues fans and prog-rock lovers today, but it’s at least interesting from a historical point of view, since it laid the cornerstone for their later, far more interesting exploits. Laine and Warwick hit the road in 1966, replaced by guitarist/vocalist Justin Hayward and bassist/vocalist John Lodge, who are still in the band today and successfully steered The Moody Blues into their classic, symphonic prog-rock era.
Lineup
Denny Laine – guitar, harmonica, vocals
Mike Pinder – piano, organ, vocals
Clint Warwick – bass guitar, vocals
Ray Thomas – flute, percussion, vocals
Graeme Edge – drums, percussion, vocals
GUEST MUSICIAN:
Elaine Caswell – percussion
Production
Denny Corrdell and Alex Murray
Tracklist
1. I’ll Go Crazy
2. Something You Got
3. Go Now
4. Can’t Nobody Love You
5. I Don’t Mind
6. I’ve Got a Dream
7. Let Me Go
8. Stop!
9. Thank You Baby
10. It Ain’t Necessarily So
11. True Story
12. Bye Bye Bird
