January 30,1974
The Forum, Inglewood, CA
Audience recording (Mike Millard Master Tapes via JEMS), decent sound quality
The Lost and Found Mike the MICrophone Tapes Volume 99
Available in both Lossless (FLAC) and Mp3 (320 kbps) versions
Here's more great progressive rock from the '70's, from a legendary band I have not previously featured, The Moody Blues. And keeping with presenting more of the recently made available recordings from taper Mike Millard, here is a show from 1974 (and one of the earliest Mike recorded), featuring a dynamic performance from The Moody Blues. The Moody Blues originally formed back in 1964, as more of a bluesy R&B band, and with a lineup that included Denny Laine. But after one hit single, one album (and several non-hit singles), Laine and the original bass player left the band in 1966. The Moodies then re-formed, adding Justin Hayward (guitars-vocals-songwriting) and John Lodge (bass-vocals-songwriting) to the remaining core of Mike Pinder (keyboards-vocals-songwriting), Ray Thomas (woodwinds-horns-vocals-songwriting), and Graeme Edge (drums-percussion-vocals-songwriting), which was the classic lineup that remained throughout their glory years. Having 5 singers and songwriters in the band (as well as accomplished multi-instrumentalists) was an embarrassment of riches, and they made the most of it, with their diversity of musical styles and vocal harmonies used wonderfully. Their first album with this new lineup was Days of Future Passed (1967), a concept album that was a masterful blend of classical orchestral music with pop/rock songs (highlighted by 'Nights in White Satin' and 'Tuesday Afternoon'), and which may have been the official start of progressive rock as a musical entity. Interestingly though, the album did not become a hit in the U.S. until several years later (after many 'days of future' had passed) in 1972. They followed that opus with a successive string (one each year) of groundbreaking hit albums of what would later be referred to as symphonic progressive rock, culminating in 1972 with Seventh Sojourn. Following extensive touring in 1973 early 1974, the band took an extended break, with band members exploring other musical projects (such as solo albums, other collaborations, etc.). The band would get back together in 1977 and continue recording through 1991, before another extended break. And throughout these years, they continued to have some success and occasional hit singles, but as with many other '70's prog rockers their 80's output was increasingly more pop and less prog, and their glory days were clearly in those late sixties to early 70's years. So, here's the great Moody Blues from their 1974 tour, with a set featuring many of their most famous songs. This recording from Mike Millard is not one of his best, as it was early in his recording days and he did not have the best equipment at this stage. Still, it is quite listenable and a very nice document of this period in the Moodies illustrious career.
Tracklist:
01 Intro
02 Higher And Higher
03 Out And In
04 The Story In Your Eyes
05 One More Time To Live
06 Tuesday Afternoon
07 Legend Of A Mind
08 Watching And Waiting
09 Eternity Road
10 Melancholy Man
11 Are You Sitting Comfortably?
12 The Dream
13 Have You Heard? part 1
14 The Voyage
15 Have You Heard? part 2
16 Nights In White Satin
17 I'm Just A Singer (In A Rock And Roll Band)
18 Question
19 Ride My Seesaw
FLAC - Moody Blues_1974-01-30_Inglewood(Millard)_FLAC.rar
