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I just took a walk in our first beautiful December, er, November Wisconsin
snow, and thought Id drop back home to write a bit about the Moody Blues
concert a couple weeks ago at The Riverside Theatre in Milwaukee. I only decided
to
go at the last minute, and was fortunate to find a 15nth row center seat
(right in front of Justin). The Riverside was "reopening," having recently been
taken over and rehabbed by the same people that turned the Pabst Theatre into
Milwaukee's premier concert venue through a miraculous restoration. (I just saw
The Musical Box perform The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway there, and next month
will see A Christmas Carol.) The man responsible for both was on hand and
received a hearty round of appreciative applause, though I still prefer the
Pabst
(which holds 1300 people as opposed to the Riverside's 2500.)
This was my first Moodies concert in almost 10 years, and it was
definitely a case of "sight for sore eyes" when they took the stage. Overall it
was a
great concert, though after puzzling over it through much of the show, I
decided that Ray Thomas' absence was felt much stronger than I would have
expected
(with the crystal clear sound quality, it was easy to evaluate). The vocal
harmonies were much diminished, with another high voice (the female backup
singer) not really filling in the gaps left by his deep, strong voice. I also
missed
Ray's songs as well, though the new flute player, Norda Mullen, was superb.
Here is the set list with a few comments.
1. Lovely To See You Again. Always a great opening number, though I would
still prefer if they used John Lodge's bizarre spoken word intro ("In The
Beginning") from that album, especially considering that they use the background
drone from it. It amazes me how little sense of dramatics the band has by
bypassing such an obviously great opening, considering that most Moodies fans
appreciate the whole Moodies package-- the poetry, the songs, the diversity of
writing styles, etc.
2. Tuesday Afternoon. Probably Justin's first great tune for the band.
3. Lean On Me. Do I detect some slippage in John's vocal range on this one?
This is a nice love song, though I don't remember which album it is from.
4. Never Comes The Day. This was the first "wow" surprise for me-- I adore
this song, and it sounded absolutely lovely. Justin's voice is in such fine
shape, and the acoustic guitar sounded as pretty as can be.
5. Steppin' in the Slide Zone. Not a favorite of mine, but a good boogie
number.
6. The Voice. One of Justin's greats (from the 90s?)
7. One More Time to Live. Another complete surprise. I thought the mellow
moments were incredible, but the complex multi-vocal parts were lacking the
intensity of the recorded version. Still, I'm hardly complaining-- this is one
of
those epic songs I was always shocked the band ignored onstage. I would love
to hear this done with Ray singing to see how much of a difference it would
have made. Still, the flute/vocal segments ("Look out of my window...see the
world passing by...") were incredible.
8. I Know You're Out There Somewhere. Part two of their video soap opera
period. A good song, but I never thought it was one of the highlights of
Justin's
writing, and I'm surprised to hear it at almost every show I've seen.
9. Story in Your Eyes. A rousing finish to the first half.
INTERMISSION.
10. Wildest Dreams. Part one of the video soap opera-- a great nostalgia
piece for the 60s generation.
11. Isn't Life Strange. Never tire of hearing this-- one of John's classic
songs, with both John and Justin swapping lead vocals. Life is strange, "unless
with love we write."
12. The Other Side of Life. Moodies attempt at a nasty groove-- OK, but not
one of my personal favorites.
13. December Snow. Oh yeah, I'm all about that Christmas/Winter solstice
album-- one of my favorite-all-time Moodies albums, right up there with the
classic 7 (Days of Future Passed through Seventh Sojourn). How I would love a
whole spotlight on this album, though just hearing this song with a backdrop of
Lucio De Giuseppe' superb cover art and falling snow will have to suffice.
Justin convinced me once again that the greatness of his songwriting was still
alive when I heard this song-- has a lovelier chorus ever come from him? This
man is a treasure to the world of popular music. And Norda Mullen took that
complex synthesizer line and transferred it to the flute with great finesse. One
of the concert's highlights.
14. Higher and Higher. Another jaw-dropping surprise, and a much needed
spotlight for Graeme Edge, the beleaguered drummer who needs a drummer.
15. Are You Sitting Comfortably. Another great surprise, and including a
superb flute solo by Norda Mullen. Another concert highlight.
16. I'm Just a Singer in a Rock and Roll Band. A great rocker expressing the
confusion that band felt over being seen as prophets.
17. Night in White Satin. What more can you say? One of the great love songs
of the 60s.
18. Questions. This is the first Moodies song I ever bought, as a 45 rpm
single. I was so captivated by its drama and contrasts, and never tire of
hearing
it. In the midst of the unfolding drama surrounding the Bush and Blair
administrations march to war, this song just becomes truer and truer. Keep
asking
questions about hate and death and war!
19. Ride My See Saw. A rousing finish.
That's all for now. It was great to re-connect with my Moody inner
child. No matter what decade you get into the Moody Blues, they seem to
perfectly
represent the innocence of the 60s cultural revolutions and idealism. Now I've
got to get some supper and head over to the nearby Barrymore Theatre to see
Matisyahu in concert. Nothing like some Hassidic Reggae rap to get your blood
moving on a cold night! --==-=- om-==-=- Nick