MOODY BLUES &
POLITICS OF THE GENRE

A body of work that transcends in excess of four decades will almost always reach the apex of peak moments by an enshrinement for and by noted appreciation to the masses. 

Picture property of Don Aters

The legacy of the Moody Blues and the various configurations are the dint that verifies their impact on the genre for all these forty-four years.  From the embryonic days of Go Now and the nascent approach when internal changes occurred, the band continued through the halcyon days of the counter culture, the decadence and political strife of the sixties and seventies, the identity crisis of the eighties and the banality of music through most of the nineties.  Often thought of as an anomaly of the genre, the culmination of classical, contemporary, and folk music has been instrumental in defining the band as one of the most endearing of The British Invasion and to the music community in general.

From the days of Mike Pinder, Graeme Edge, Clint Warwick, Denny Laine & Ray Thomas to the 1967 additions of Justin Hayward & John Lodge and the ancillary acquisition of Patrick Moraz, the coda of The Moody Blues has remained stellar as verified by their recent appearance in Indianapolis, i.e., The Marat Theatre.

These are the musicians that have captured the magic for all these years, the habitués of lyrical brilliance and yet, dismissed on a regimented basis from the rightful place in the pantheons of immortality at The Hall Of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. 

Fifty-five millions units that are inclusive of such tunes as Go Now, Just A Singer In A Rock n’ Roll Band, Question, In Your Wildest Dreams, I Know You’re Out There Somewhere, Ride My See-Saw, Timothy Leary Is Dead, Knights In White Satin and the list goes on forever.

Picture property of Don Aters

The band continues to astound, garner a younger audience and yet reach the masses through the power of their music and still, consistently ignored by the politics of those who rule in terms of criteria to be nominated for Hall Of Fame entry.  With the format that allows bands of nominal musical ability that are already enshrined the ability to vote, the pioneering bands with multiple harmonies and those who were most influential to the iconic bands of the last forty years will soon be lost in the media shuffle.  Bombastic, banality bands of the eighties and nineties will most assuredly vote for those of the same ilk and noted legends such as The Hollies, Gerry & The Pacemakers, or even the American equivalent, i.e., The Beau Brummels, The Buckinghams or Moby Grape will languish in virtual obscurity.  Perhaps it is now left in the hands of the artist community to see that the rightful place of this now legendary band reaches its finest hour by a collective input of the fans.  As once told to me by Sam Andrew of Big Brother & The Holding Company; "It is better to be looked over than overlooked”.

The format is in definite need of revision and the exclusion of The Moody Blues from The Hall Of Fame is indeed criminal at very best.  I suggest that all who read this editorial submit their personal queries to those in charge of The Hall Of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.

As always
Cheers