The Moody Blues have always been there as a sixties thing, but only with a couple of insipid hit singles, excluding the rather good Questions, but including the dire Nights In White Satin, the signal to leave the bar at university discos.
It's a complete mystery why my technique of drinking heavily in the bar until the slower numbers started, then stumbling on to the dance floor failed to impress the young ladies present, and proved so unsuccessful.
But many speak of the Moody Blues as a psychedelic band, even a proto-prog outfit, so I've decided to take the plunge, despite having been singularly unimpressed with the later output of Hayward, Lodge et al.
It starts well. The bombastic intro to Higher And Higher works well before a progtastic opening song, continuing into Eyes Of A Child, a pleasant enough little song, which is a bit twee, but likeable, with a theme which returns later. Floating, by contrast, is utterly horrible - a sickly sweet sub-nursery tune.
I Never Thought I'd Live To Be A Hundred (23 years to go yet, Justin!) is an interesting short interlude, and is followed by quite a Krautrock-like instrumental, Beyond, possibly my high point on the album. It's certainly the last track of interest - Gypsy is grandiose, and quite listenable but Out And In is dull, Circle Of Life is bland, and while Sun Is Still Shining is a bit brighter (and there's even a sitar in there!) the excruciating Watching And Waiting takes us to an end.
I can see why the Moodies are mentioned as early psych/prog exponents, but there's too much middle-of-the-road slop for my tastes. I recently picked up another of their 'classics' - I'm hoping for more inspired stuff there
2* - There are a couple of really good and interesting bits on this album, but too much that's bland.
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