25. Lost in a Lost World (1972)
Parent Album: Seventh Sojourn
This is one of the few Moody Blues songs that is one of my favorites and does not feature Justin Hayward's lead vocals.
For me The Moody Blues is all about Justin Hayward. His voice is one of those voices that sticks with you long after the song is over.
However "Lost in a Lost World" proves that The Moody Blues is simply a great band with or without the one-of-a-kind Justin Hayward.
I believe it's the lyrics. The song written by Mike Pinder (and sung by him) is a yearning for love and unity in a world of endless selfishness, war and grief. Pinder prophetically sings the message of hope, "love will find us in the end."
One last little tidbit of this song. When I hear Mike Pinder singing I right away think of early era (1969-1972) David Bowie. His voice has a very British sound about it.
24. Driftwood (1978)
Parent Album: Octave
"Octave" is the first Moody Blues album I purchased (I will dig a little deeper into this a little later in this blog post).
"Driftwood" immediately caught my fancy for two reasons; it was written by Justin Hayward and the lead vical was by Justin Hayward.
I love the overall dreamy feel of this song - a perfect vehicle for Hayward's mellifluous voice.
23. The Story in Your Eyes (1971)
Parent Album: Every Good Boy Deserves Favor
"The Story In Your Eyes" was one of The Moody Blues' biggest hits in the United States, having reached #23 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart. The chunky guitars and upbeat rock tone meets well with Justin Hayward's well timed lead vocals.
22. December Snow (2003)
Parent Album: December
"December" is The Moody Blues' Christmas themed album which plays more like your standard rock album than a holiday offering with bells, chimes, harps and choirs. Instead we hear guitars, bass, drums and keyboards backing Justin Hayward's always stellar vocals. It's what you would expect to hear from any later era Moody Blues album.
While the album is filled with highlight after highlight. It is "December Snow" which has captured my interest above the others. The song is a smooth flowing, perfectly sculptured orchestral pop tune which is easy to get lost in with the dreamy swirling keyboard parts.
21. Voices in the Sky (1968)
Parent Album: In Search of the Lost Chord
"Voices in the Sky" is a maical and peaceful song which is appropriately sung by Justin Hayward. Hayward's voice reflects the message in the lyrics and fits the mood of the music as does a blue sky on a sunny day.
I love the symbolism in Justin Hayward's lyrics as he describes the song of the birds (bluebird and nightingale) telling the story of the voices of the sky.
20. Cities (1967)
Parent Album: Non-album Track / B-side to "Nights in White Satin"
"Cities" is the polar opposite of "Voices in the Sky." Here Justin Hayward describes the impersonal cold and grey bustling of city life.
Hayward's vocal performance is peacefully balanced and measured and is somewhat ironic to the dour message of the lyrics.
"Cities" showed as a bonus track on the 2006 Deluxe Edition release of " Days of Future Passed."
19. Your Wildest Dreams (1986)
Parent Album: The Other Side of Life
Ironically, I dismissed this song as being lightweight back in 1986. Yes, compared to "Nights in White Satin" it is "lightweight" both lyrically and musically.
What makes this one of my favorite Moody Blues songs? It's the upbeat joyful sound of the music. The Moody Blues traded their earlier ethereal orchestral soundscape for a danceable new wave rhythm, which really worked well amongst the dance-pop hits of the mid 1980s.
And if the song, musically, isn't your cup of tea than Justin Hayward's vocal performance swoops right in and saves the day. After 20 years as The Moody Blues' frontman Hayward is singing as fantastical as ever displaying a renewed sense of energy and verve.
18. Blue World (1983)
Parent Album: The Present
Capitalizing on their success with 1981s "Long Distance Voyager, The Moody Blues refine their 1980s synthpop style for "Blue World" and treat us to a sunny optimistic new wave styled song that always feels good upon every play.
17. The Western Sky (2013)
Parent Album: Spirits of the Western Sky
Justin Hayward's solo album, "Spirits of the Western Sky," was released in February 2013, but I somehow missed the album and finally bought it in 2014. The album is surprisingly solid with the track "The Western Sky" being the standout track.
Justin Hayward and The Moody Blues have seen many era and have successfully tried their hand at various genre. What is amazing about "The Western Sky" is that it takes us back to an earlier period of The Moody Blues sound in which they blend acoustic instrumentation with ethereal thunders of sound.
The best part of the song is Justin Hayward's guitar work. He plays all the guitars acoustic, electric and otherwise. His guitar solo, in the middle, is systematically and carefully constructed to elicit feelings of victory and love.
16. Songwriter Pt. 2 (1977)
Parent Album: Songwriter
With its screaming guitars and echoey vocals this Justin Hayward solo song is a gem often overlooked.
15. A Face In The Crowd (1980)
Parent Album: Night Flight
"A Face In The Crowd" is from Justin's solo album "Night Flight" and while the album may not be his strongest effort, it is not without merit. Songs such as "Night Flight" and "Nearer To You" serve as predecessors to the synthpop sound The Moody Blues adopted on some of their biggest hits throughout the 1980s.
"A Face In The Crowd," however is a pure pop tune with a somewhat smooth island rhythm and a dazzling horn section which becomes the focus in the middle of the song. I call this song a "perfect pop tune."
14. The Voice (1981)
Parent Album: Long Distance Voyager
"Long Distance Vogayer" was The Moody Blues' proper comeback after their break which lasted from 1973 to 1977. True the 1978 album "Octave" sold extremely well around the world but the album did not produce the major hit singles as did "Long Distance Voyager."
"The Voice" is one of those major hits. The upbeat synthpop new wave rhythm helped propel the song up the charts. It made it to #15 in the US and #9 in Canada.
13. I'm Just A Singer (In A Rock and Roll Band) (1972)
Parent Album: Seventh Sojourn
I am a huge fan of classic rock. Give me a band like The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Supertramp, The Kinks, Yes, Led Zeppelin or The Who and I'm in music heaven. The Moody Blues are no exception and "I'm Just A Singer (In A Rock and Roll Band) is a prime example which confirms the fact that The Moody Blues can rock with the best of them.
John Lodge wrote the song and does the lead vocal but you definitely hear Justin Hayward singing along. The highlight of the song, for me, is Hayward's outstanding guitar work, especially his solos on electric guitar.
12. Ride My See-Saw (1968)
Parent Album: In Search of the Lost Chord
Another high energy classic rock entry from the band. As with "I'm Just A Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band), John Lodge wrote this one. But this time the vocals were credited to Ray Thomas, Mike Pinder, John Lodge and Justin Hayward.
Oddly, "Ride My See-Saw," which is considered a classic was only a moderate chart hit reaching #61 in the US and #42 in the UK. However in the Netherlands it made it to #12.
Justin Hayward's guitars and the group vocals make this song a special treat.
11. Gemini Dream (1981)
Parent Album: Long Distance Voyager
With the single "Gemini Dream" and the album "Long Distance Voyager" The Moody Blues jump headfirst into their foray of synthpop prog rock with hints of new wave and I loved it. I wasn't the only one who loved it. The album was #1 in both the US and Canada and was in the Top 10 in the UK, New Zealand and Norway.
Moody Blues broke a few musical barriers in that it was a popular dance club track and made it to #36 on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Songs chart.
10. Blue Guitar (1975)
Parent Album: Non-Album Track
"Blue Guitar" was originally released in September 1975 as a non-album track credited as by Justin Hayward and John Lodge. But was added to the Hayward and Lodge album "Blue Jays" upon its re-release on CD in 1987. "Blue Jays" was released in March 1975.
"Blue Jays" was recodrded during the five year hiatus after the tumultuous recording sessions of "Seventh Sojourn" which reached #1 in the US for The Moody Blues. Justin Hayward was under pressure from the record company to release something and "Blue Jays" was the result. Everything about the album, from the alvum cover to the mood of the music and the lead vocals, screams of The Moody Blues.
"Blue Guitar," credited as Hayward and Lodge was actually recorded by Hayward the band 10cc backing him. Hayward andc10cc recorded the song in 1973. In 1975 John Lodge added bass guitar and the song was released as a single.
Of course, with a title like "Blue Guitar," we know that the guitar plays a big role in shaping the song. Lol Creme's slide guitar augments Justin Hayward's lead guitar beautifully developing an emotionally charged dreamy sound.
9. Legend of a Mind (1968)
Parent Album: In Serch of the Lost Chord
I often compare "Legend of a Mind" to Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven," not some much for music composition, but for the fact that both songs were extremely popular album tracks which were not released as a single.
The line Timothy Leary's Dead" always stuck with me after hearing this song. I had heard it before but it wasn't until 1978 that I paid close attention to the song. I was 18 and really wasn't familiar with Timothy Leary, so I asked a few friends. One of the girls said he was a doctor who expermented with LSD. Though, I had never tried the drug, I became fascinated with the song.
The trippy "Legend of a Mind" is one of the great song compositions of the late 1960s. It contains several movements and varying time signatures as you would experience in a classical piece. The song very much represented the hippy movement of the era.
There is much in this song to love from the spacey harmony vocals to the deep bass. But there are definitely highlights that drive the song such as Mike Pinder's Mellotron which adds acdimension to the song which makes it pop out with an otherworldly layered sound. There's Justin Hayward's always excellent guitar work both electric and acostic. But it is Ray Thomas who stands out all around in this song. Ray Thomas wrote the song as well as performed the lead vocals. Most exciting is his two-minute flute solo which sent the song peacefully into a dreamlike dimension of etherealism.
8. Steppin' In A Slide Zone (1978)
Parent Album: Octave
"Octave" is where it all started for me. After hearing "Steppin' In A Slide Zone" on the radio, in the summer of 1978, I went out to buy the single. This became on of my favorite songs of the summer. A few eeeks later, I bought "Octave."
Of course, before "Octave," I knew of The Moody Blues" with their hits such as Tuesday Afternoon, "Ride My See-Saw" and "Nights in White Satin." But, I was just a little kid when those songs were hits (ages 7 through 12), my ears simply were not yet sophisticated enough for T h e Moody Blues. But lo and behold at the age of 18 I became a full-fledged fan beginning with "Octave," than "Days of Future Passed" and the rest is history.
7. Twilight Time (1967)
Parent Album: Days of Future Passed
"Twilight Time" is part of a suite titled "Evening" which includes "Time To Get Away" and "The Sunset."
"Twilight Time" was wriiten by Ray Thomas, who also provides the lead vocals with the rest of the band on backing vocals. The driving reverberating vocals sound very much like a Syd Barrett era Pink Floyd song and the dark foreboding drums create a driving proto-punk sound.
6. Isn't Life Strange (1972)
Parent Album: Seventh Sojourn
"Isn't Life Strange" is one of the most warm-hearted, thought provoking and beautiful songs that has ever graced this music listener's auditory senses.
This beautiful song is another masterpiece written by John Lodge with shared lead vocals by Lodge and Justin Hayward. The song features all the magical Moody Blues trademarks including a flute solo by Ray Thomas and Mike Pinder's effective Harmonium (small-sized organ).
The lyric, "A book without light, unless with love we write," implies that without love there is no light in the world.
5. Suitcase (1980)
Parent Album: Night Flight
How "Suitcase" was not considered for release as a single puzzles me. The two songs that were singles from "Night Flight" were both upbeat dancepop tunes, I'm sure effort to capitalize on the current trend. I personally feel the soul-stirring mournful "Suitcase" would have resonated more with music listeners at the time.
The song is a stripped down spacious acoustic song in which Justin Hayward plays guitar, bass, and drums as well as singing lead vocals. The song is all about Justin Hayward he sings the song with a pristine perfection filled with a wistful yearning blue-eyed soul that cuts smoothly right through to every vulnerable emotion.
4. Nostradamus (1977)
Parent Album: Songwriter
In his 50+ years career Justin Hayward has written many amazing songs. "Nostradamus" is one of his most amazing in all aspects from the deep thinking lyrics to the intricately complex yet seemingly simple musical composition.
"Nostradamus" is from Hayward's first proper solo album, "Songwriter," some call it his second due to his collaboration album from 1975 with John Lodge called "Blue Jays."
Nostradamus was a French astrologer and physician. His full name is Michel de Nostredame and was alive from 1503 to 1566. He is famous as a 'seer' who wrote collections of prophecies that have since become famous around the world. His best known book was called Les Propheties (The Prophecies) and first appeared in 1555. Since its first publication the book has rarely been out of print. Over the years, many people have come to believe that Nostradamus predicted a range of events in history.
Musically, "Nostradamus" is richly textured with layers upon layers of complex musicianship. The quiet yet thundering drums and mystical flute give the song a climax fitting for the song's lyrical theme. Justin Hayward's carefully crafted swirling strings arrangement sends the song soaring into a dimension of abstract fantasy. Hayward himself plays the fantastic flute on this song as well as adding drums, violin, cello and bass.
3. Tuesday Afternoon (1967)
Parent Album: Days of Future Passed
"Tuesday Afternoon" was the first Moody Blues song written by Justin Hayward to make it into the US Top 40. However, the song only made it to #24 despite receiving heavy airplay and becoming what many people consider a classic.
Justin Hayward's acoustic guitar, at the beginning, sets the song for its many time signature shifts and layers of musicianship. With this lead vocal (and all subsequent) it is evident that Justin Hayward is a natural born singer with a timbre and a presence that lifts above the rest. Justin Hayward is one of the finest vocal stylists of a generation and of all-time.
In my opinion " Tuesday Afternoon" is one of the most beautiful songs ever written.
2. Forever Autumn (1978)
Parent Album: Jeff Wayne's Musical Version Of The War Of The Worlds
An interesting tidbit about this song is that it began as the melody used for in a TV commercial for Legos toys in 1969. In 1972 Gary Osborne and Paul Vigrass, the original performers of the jingle, added lyrics and recorded the song for their album "Queues."
In 1976 Jeff Wayne set out to produce a musical re-creation of the H.G. Wells novel, "The War of the Worlds." In his quest Wayne wanted to include a love song that sounded like "Forever Autumn." In the end he decided to go right to the source and use "Forever Autumn." In choosing the vocalist for the song Jeff Wayne had commented that he "wanted that voice from Nights in White Satin," and therefore he commissioned Justin Hayward to sing "Forever Autumn" and one other song which would become known as, "Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds."
1. Nights in White Satin (1967)
Parent Album: Days of Future Passed
When I read about the monumentous success of the song "Night in White Satin," I actually become a bit upset. The song was super-successful, it reached the Top 10 throughout Europe, #1 in the Netherlands, Belgium and Canada, and #2 for two weeks in the US. The song was covered and made the charts by countless other musicians, most prominently Giorgio Moroder, The Dickies, Il Divo, and German singer Sandra. The song has been used at Theme Parks and in feature films. Why would I get upset because of this success? Surely this is a great song and deserves all the success it has achieved. But there's just one tiny (okay actually big) problem - Justin Hayward has made a very small share of songwriting royalties on this song and for that matter any song he's written between 1967 to 1974. At age 18, he signed an eight-year publishing contract as a songwriter with the skiffle artist and record producer Lonnie Donegan, a move Hayward later regretted, as it meant the rights to all his songs written before 1974 would always be owned by Donegan's Tyler Music. In otherwords "Nights in White Satin" has earned Lonnie Donegan (and now his family) millions upon millions in royalty dollars and that is only one song of many classics written by Justin Hayward during that early Moody Blues period. Just to get an idea Justin Hayward's worth is around $10 million, while Lonnie Donegan's estate is worth $360 million.
"Nights in White Satin" is a unique love song in that it's not a mushy type, "feelings woah woah feelings" love song but a classic rock tune which explores the emotions of unrequited love and conveyed in a masculine manner (anyway as sung by Justin Hayward).
This song is classic Moody Blues. It has every aspect present; a great flute solo by Ray Thomas, Mike Pinder's spacey Mellotron, thundering reverbs, the strumming of Justin Hayward's acoustic guitar and topping it all off is the haunting lead vocal by the one and only Justin Hayward.
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