The Magnificent Moodies [50th Anniversary]

by The Moody Blues

Overview

The pre-psychedelic Moody Blues were represented in England by this album, which is steeped in American soul. The covers include songs by James Brown, Willie Dixon, and Chris Kenner, plus the chart-busting "Go Now" (originally recorded by Bessie Banks), interspersed with a brace of originals by lead singer/guitarist Denny Laine and keyboardist Mike Pinder, and one Jeff Barry/Ellie Greenwich number, "I've Got a Dream." The shouters, like "I'll Go Crazy" and "Bye Bye Bird," will be the big surprises, showcasing the rawest sound by the group, but "I've Got a Dream" shows a lyrical, harmony-based sound that is vaguely reminiscent of the Four Tops (which is ironic, as that group later cut a single of the latter-day Moody Blues original "So Deep Within You"), while "Thank You Baby," a Laine/Pinder original, offers them doing a smooth, dance-oriented number with some catchy hooks. The group's sound is good and loud, and Laine was a phenomenal singer, though the band lacked the charisma and built-in excitement of such rivals as the Rolling Stones and the Animals. This album is more interesting than its American equivalent, but also not as good, since it leaves off such single sides as "Steal Your Heart Away" and the Pinder/Laine "From the Bottom of My Heart," the latter being the best side this version of the group ever recorded. ~ Bruce Eder

Product Details

Release Date:	01/13/2015
Label:	Esoteric Recordings
UPC:	5013929457447
Rank:	85698

Tracks

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
13. Lose Your Money (But Don't Lose Your Mind)
14. Steal Your Heart Away
15. Go Now! [First Version]
16. It's Easy Child
17. I Don't Want to Go on Without You
18. Time Is on My Side
19. From the Bottom of My Heart (I Love You)
20. And My Baby's Gone
21. Everyday
22. You Don't (All the Time)
23. Boulevard de Madelaine
24. This Is My House (But Nobody Calls)
25. People Gotta Go
26. Life's Not Life
27. He Can Win

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Moody Blues   Primary Artist
Rod Clark   Vocals,Bass
Graeme Edge   Drums
Ray Thomas   Flute,Vocals,Maracas,Harmonica,Tambourine
Denny Laine   Guitar,Vocals,Harmonica
Mike Pinder   Piano,Vocals
Clint Warwick   Bass,Vocals

Technical Credits

Sonny Boy Williamson II   Composer
Bert Russell   Composer
Gerald Chevin   Engineer
Greg Russo   Liner Notes
Larry Banks   Composer
James Brown   Composer
Fats Domino   Composer
Ellie Greenwich   Composer
George Gershwin   Composer
Ira Gershwin   Composer
DuBose Heyward   Composer
Pete Shelley   Composer
Robert Parker   Composer
Richard McLeese   Composer
Rufus Thomas   Composer
Phillip Mitchell   Composer
Jerry Ragovoy   Composer
Jerry Wexler   Composer
Michael Pinder   Composer
Milton Bennett   Composer
Norman Meade   Composer
Dave Bartholomew   Composer
Bert Berns   Composer
Chris Kenner   Composer
Jeff Barry   Composer
Denny Cordell   Producer,Session Producer
Denny Laine   Composer
Mike Pinder   Composer
Gus Dudgeon   Engineer
Willie Dixon   Composer
Alex Murray   Producer
Ben Wiseman   Mixing
Mark Powell   Mixing
Paul Brady   Composer
Traditional   Composer