The Moody Blues - The Magnificent Moodies .jpg)
Esoteric Recordings
http://www.esotericrecordings.com/newreleases.html
Rating: B
Before the Moody Blues were making music that 1960s hippies were bending their minds to, they were just one of many groups in the new rock and roll scene of the day. Now, 50 (as in FIFTY FREAKING YEARS) later, their debut album has been remastered and re-released with tons of rare bonus tracks!
The Moodies, when this album was released, consisted of Denny Laine, Ray Thomas, Mike Pinder, Clint Warwick and Graeme Edge... notice Justin Hayward and John Lodge are nowhere to be found. Suffice it to say, if this batch of Moody's had gone on and never picked up those two 'other' guys we may not be even doing this review! Still, at the end of the day, this is, at least historically, an important album. It shows the beginnings of one of the top rock bands of their era.
The record company certainly saw the importance of the origin of the Moody's as they have released a total gem of a package. This sucker is everything the fans, the band members and their family members could ever want. There is the original album, tons of bonus tracks, a truck load of unreleased versions of songs and even a commercial featuring the band! The small box set even includes photographs, a poster and in-depth liner notes about the album.
While most songs on the album will not be readily known by many rock fans, Moody Blues nuts will relish in this collectors version of their debut.
This one receives a high positive rating for the packaging, the bones tracks (especially the band's 1964 sessions at Olympic Studios) and the rarities more than the original album!
If the box set is too much for one to take in, there is also a single CD edition, which features 15 bonus tracks (drawn from the band’s singles released between 1964 & 1966).
TWO DISC CLAMSHELL BOX EDITION:
“The Magnificent Moodies” – Released in July 1965
1. I’ll Go Crazy (Brown)
2. Something You Got ( Kenner)
3. Go Now (Banks / Bennett)
4. Can’t Nobody Love You (Mitchell)
5. I Don’t Mind (Brown)
6. I’ve Got a Dream (Barry / Greenwich)
7. Let Me Go (Laine / Pinder)
8. Stop (Laine / Pinder)
9. Thank You Baby (Laine / Pinder)
10. It Ain’t Necessarily So (Gershwin / Gershwin / Heyward)
11. True Story (Laine / Pinder)
12. Bye Bye Bird (Williamson / Dixon)
Bonus tracks:
13. Lose Your Money (But Don’t Lose Your Mind) (Laine / Pinder)
14. Steal Your Heart Away (Parker) A & B-side of single – Released in September 1964
15. Go Now! (first version)
Recorded at Olympic Studios on 24th July 1964 – Previously unreleased
16. It’s Easy Child (Sandler / Bennett / Redd) B-side of single – Released as November 1964
17. I Don’t Want to Go On Without You (Berns / Wexler)
18. Time is on My Side (Meade / Norman) A & B-side of single – Released as in February 1965
19. From the Bottom of My Heart (I Love You) (Laine / Pinder)
20. And My Baby’s Gone (Laine / Pinder) A & B-side of single – Released as in May 1965
21. Everyday (Laine / Pinder)
22. You Don’t (All the Time) (Laine / Pinder) A & B-side of single – Released in October 1965
23. Boulevard de Madeleine (Laine / Pinder)
24. This is My House (But Nobody Calls) (Laine / Pinder)
A & B-side of single – Released in October 1966
25. People Gotta Go (Laine / Pinder) Taken from the “Boulevard de Madeleine” EP – Released in France in October 1966
26. Life’s Not Life (Laine / Pinder)
27. He Can Win (Laine / Pinder) A & B-side of single – Released in January 1967
CD Two:
Previously unreleased Studio Sessions & BBC Radio Sessions:
1. Go Now! (second version) (Banks / Bennett)
2. Lose Your Money (But Don’t Lose Your Mind) (early version) (Laine / Pinder)
3. Steal Your Heart Away (first version) (Parker)
4. I’ll Go Crazy (first version) (Brown)
5. You Better Move On (Alexander)
6. Can’t Nobody Love You (first version) (Mitchell)
7. 23rd Psalm (Trad. Arr. Laine / Pinder / Thomas / Edge / Warwick) Recorded and mixed at Olympic Studios on 24th July 1964Produced by Alex Murray
8. Go Now (Banks / Bennett)
9. I Don’t Want to Go On Without You (Berns / Wexler)
10. I’ll Go Crazy (Brown) “Saturday Club” session – BBC Light Programme Recorded 12th April 1965
11. From the Bottom of My Heart (I Love You) (Laine / Pinder)
12. Jump Back (Rufus Thomas) “Saturday Club” session – BBC Light Programme Recorded 3rd May 1965
13. I’ve Got a Dream (Barry / Greenwich)
14. And My Baby’s Gone (Laine / Pinder)“Saturday Club” session – BBC Light Programme Recorded 1st June 1965
15. It’s Easy Child (Sandler / Bennett / Redd)
|16. Stop (Laine / Pinder)
17. Everyday (Laine / Pinder) “Saturday Club” session – BBC Light Programme Recorded 21st September 1965
18. Interview with Ray Thomas and Graeme Edge /You Don’t (All the Time) (Laine / Pinder)
19. I Want You to Know (Domino / Bartholomew) “Saturday Club” session – BBC Light Programme Recorded 9th November 1965
20. Coca Cola Radio Commercial 1965
The 1966 Denny Cordell sessions – Previously unreleased:
21. Sad Song (Laine / Pinder)
22. This is My House (But Nobody Calls) (first version) (Laine / Pinder) Recorded at Advision studios – 5th April 1966
23. How Can We Hang on to a Dream (first version) (Hardin) Recorded at Advision studios – 5th July 1966
24. How Can We Hang on to a Dream (remake) (Hardin) Recorded at Decca studio No. 2, West Hampstead – 15th July 1966
25. Jago & Jilly (Laine / Pinder) Recorded at Decca studio No. 2, West Hampstead – 18th August 1966
26. We’re Broken (Laine / Pinder) Recorded at Decca studio No. 2, West Hampstead – 19th August 1966
27. I Really Haven’t Got the Time (September 1966 version) (Pinder)
28. Red Wine (Laine / Pinder)
29. This is My House (But Nobody Calls) (stereo mix) (Laine / Pinder) Recorded at Decca studio No. 2, West Hampstead – 8th September 1966
By Jeb Wright
