Popular Culture (Music) 20120622: More Moody Blues – Octave

(4 pm. – promoted by ek hornbeck)

Last time we discussed the peak and decline of The Moody Blues and in particular the studio part of the album Caught Live + 5.  I was going to stop with their studio material at that point, but several readers asked me to complete the Mark II band by including the music and my critique of Octave, Mark II’s eighth studio album.

For details about the production, release, and artwork on this record, please use the link just provided.  I think that you can already tell that I am not wild about this record, but it does have its moments.

I do find it to be exceedingly weak in comparison with their canonical material, and the passing of the Mellotron and Chamberlin leaves it without the signature, hauntingly beautiful sound of The Moody Blues.  Another thing that really bothers me is that they had a studio musician to sit in, and to me that is the antithesis to the canonical albums.  His name was R. A. Martin, and he played the exceedingly annoying saxophone parts and some less annoying horns.  In any event, we should just jump into the music.

The first song is Lodge’s “Steppin’ in a Slide Zone”.  I find nothing remarkable about it at all.  It is vaguely psychedelic, but only on the surface.  There are none of the deep thoughts and self reflection that characterize a truly self probing song.  Please tell me the meaning of this song, because I can not find any.  It charted at #39 in the US but did not chart in the UK.  Hayward’s guitar is fine, but not outstanding.  The thing that distracts me the most are the electronic farts that Pinder got out of the synthesizer.  Compared to the wonderful sounds from his Mellotron and Chamberlin, these sounds are almost insulting.

I took a ride in a limousine

I took a road I’d never been

I met a stranger by the way

His coat was torn but his eyes were clear

Standing in a slide zone

I could be steppin’ in a slide zone

He told me where a river flows

He showed me how the apple grows

He told me of a magic stream

His face was worn but his eyes were clear

Standing in a slide zone

I could be steppin’ in a slide zone

Standing in a slide zone

I could be steppin’ through a time zone

He went to find a shooting star

Around the bend that’s where they are

I went along just for the ride

Suddenly I began to glide

Standing in a slide zone

I could be steppin’ through a time zone

The air raced by there was no sound

We drifted high above the ground

And then said you know this place

And then a smile lit up his face

Standing in a slide zone

I could be steppin’ in a slide zone

Standing in a slide zone

I could be steppin’ through a time zone

I turned my head and looked below

And there was something there I know

Suddenly I began to fall

I looked around and tried to call

Standing in a slide zone

He had me steppin’ in a time zone

Standing in a slide zone

Falling through a time zone

Help me please I thought I said

Then something happened in my head

Music came from all around

And I knew what I had found

Standing in a slide zone

Falling through a time zone

Steppin’ in a slide zone

He had me falling through a time zone

The Thomas song, “Under Moonshine”, was better.  The lyrics were more understandable, and we all here know about the references to the trees.  Thomas’s voice was in good form, but still the transition from the older instruments to synthesizer just leaves me cold.

The dawn crept into by room

And stole my dream

Now I’ll never know

Just what it means

Or what could have been

Yet still I try to lie

But I’m seen

Under moonshine that’s where I’ve been

Under moonshine I’m clearly seen

Under moonshine that’s where I’ve been

Under moonshine I’m clearly seen

Creator of dreams that melt with the sun

I’ll send you the things this man has done

He was a saint and a sinner rolled in one

But I miss now that he’s gone

I sure miss him now that he’s gone

Sure I feel the pain

Deep inside I pour like rain

Remember when you smile

Love’s in your eyes

The world keeps turning

The grass still grows green

The fruit on my tree

Is the biggest you’ve ever seen

Which way up you know when you’re down

They’ve gotta stand tall

With your feet on the ground

You must stand tall

With your feet on the ground

Or maybe I’m crazy

Also they say I’m lazy

But I’ll have my days

When I do as I please

For you won’t see the woods

While you’re a tree

No you’ll never see the woods

While you’re a tree

Yes I’m crazy

Also they say I’m lazy

But I’ll have my days

When I do as I please

You won’t see the woods

While you’re a tree

No you’ll never see the woods

While you’re a tree

The third song was Hayward’s “I Had to Fall in Love”, and it also falls short.  I am no different now than I was a couple of weeks ago, and normally I would be sobbing at the emotion that his lyrics usually give me.  This one just leaves me flat.  There seems to be no real emotion here, and the music is nondescript.

What mattered to me

Was the right to be free

Like I’ll be someday

I’m waiting for my heart to lead the way

The places I’ve seen

And the road in between

Make me wonder why

I’m searching for my dreams up in the sky

I heard the call

And in the mirror

I saw the writing on the wall

And I had to fall

In love with you

The face that I’ve known

Seems so lost and alone

When you’re far away

I’m comin’ for you baby right away

The places I’ve seen

And the roads in between

Make me wonder why

I’m searching for me dreams up in the sky

I heard the call

And in the mirror

I saw the writing on the wall

And I had to fall

In love with you

What mattered to me

Was the right to be free

Like I’ll be someday

I’m waiting for my heart to lead the way

So far we are zero for three!

A much better song is the rare Edge contribution, “I’ll be Level with You”.  I surmise that it is an ode to a small child, and this is the first one on Octave to have any kind of meaning for me.  As a matter of fact, it is pretty much the relation that I have with Eldest Son.  But it falls far short of the brilliance that The Moody Blues used to have.  I have a relationship with a five month old infant named Josiah who loves me to hold him and tend to him.  When he cries, just hand him to me and I calm him down and feed him, and he just looks at me and smiles.  The whole family next door know that I work wonders with him.  I love the little guy.

Little guy, little hands, little eyes and lots of time

What you gonna be what you gonna see

When your eyes are level with mine

I’ll be level with you

I don’t know what I would do

If I had to face the things that you’ve got coming down the line

Lots of luck, lots of health, lots of wealth, little pain

That’s what I want for you but there’s little I can do

To put you on the gravy train

I’ll be level with you

You’ll always end up coming through

But you’ll find yourself lost in space now and again

But you have to have a world you can live in

Not a world where all the hope is gone

And as long as we are here together

We must build a home for the free

Filled with pity

Not pain

That’s loving and sane

Not divided by hate

And living in spite

‘Til it’s too late

Life is here

Love will come in the end give it time

There’s wonders still to do and I know you’ll find it’s true

That yours will be bigger than mine

I’ll be level with you

The one thing I hope you will do is tell me about what

You’re doing from time to time

After this was the Hayward contribution, “Driftwood”.  It was sort of kind of like some of the canonical stuff, but the saxophone on the left was very distracting.  I do not know why they did that.  I ALMOST got emotional hearing it, but not quite.  The magic was gone.  I will continue to finish the critique of the album, but I am not very enthusiastic.

Just like the driftwood of a dream

Left of the seashore of sleep

Just like the words that wouldn’t rhyme

Lost in the desert of time

Time waits for no one at all

No, not even you

You thought you’d seen it all before

You really thought you knew

I don’t remember what was said

In the confusion that night

I only know what’s on my mind

What’s in the future we will decide

Time waits for no one at all

No, not even you

You thought you’d seen it all before

You really thought you knew

I’ve shattered the illusion

Of fortune and of fame

But darling now I know you

Life could never be the same

Oh no… don’t leave me driftwood

On the shore

Time waits for no one my love

No, not even you

You thought you’d seen it all before

You really thought you knew

I’ve shattered the illusion

Of forture and of fame

I’m waking up

I’m reaching up

I’m getting up from this game

Oh no… don’t leave me driftwood

On the shore

Oh no… don’t, don’t leave me driftwood

On the shore…

The first song on the second side is the is the Hayward piece called “Top Rank Suite”.  Again, the saxophone is annoying to me.  This song is really horrible for The Moody Blues, but better than lots of other music from 1978.  By the way, the Top Rank was a music club in Bristol.

Rain on the river

Turns the torrent to a flood

Swim or you’ll never rise above

Two lonely people

Can mend a broken heart

Love you’ll never fall apart

But can you tell me why?

They made a good bowl of chili at the jazz club

They played a good game of football in Mucron

They got everyone off at the Top Rank babe

If you could ever get into their suite

Avenue Tombola and Social

We just drove right on by

We were on our way to the big time babe

To the great gold record in the sky

Sun in the morning

Brings the flowers from a bud

Hail to the giver

Life and love

Two lonely people

Can mend a broken heart

Love you’ll never fall apart

But can you tell me why?

They made a good bowl of chili at the jazz club

They played a good game of football in Mucron

They got everyone off at the Top Rank babe

If you could ever get into their suite

Avenue Tombola and Social

We just drove right on by

We were on our way to the big time babe

To the great gold record in the sky

But can you tell me why?

The Thomas song “I’m Your Man” is the second song on the second side.  This is a better song, but still does not have The Moody Blues feel to it to me at least.  The synthesizer just does not have the capacity to move me like the Mellotron and the Chamberlin did.

Here I go again

Finding it so hard to explain

The way I feel when I hold you near

Still it hurts when you cry

Maybe you think love has passed you by

Don’t you know I need you so

But I guess you need to know

I’m just a man, that’s all I am

I’m just a man, that’s yours

I’m yours you know I’m yours

Life keeps changing key

I’ll look to you please look back at me

See I’m changing every day

Reaching out for happy days

But I’m just a man that’s all I am

I’m just a man I’m yours

I’m simply yours

Life keeps changing key

I’ll look to you please turn and look at me

You’ll see I’m changing every day

In my search for happy days

But then I’m just a man

That’s all I am

I’m just a man I’m yours

That’s yours, simply yours

See me as I am, for I’m just a man

I’m just a man but I’m yours

Oh I’m yours I’m simply yours

“Survival” by Lodge is the third song on this side.  This is the best song so far on the record, and sounds a bit more like the old band.  There is more emotion shown on it, and I actually did get a bit choked up when I listened to it a while ago.  Still, it does not have the magic that they used to have.

Shadows of night falling over my head

People walking

Passing me by

Shadows of dreams falling out of the blue

People talking

What can I do

Where do I go from here

Where do I go from here

I could give you any dream and watch it grow

I could take you for a ride but you would know

I could tell you every answer that I know

It wouldn’t be much tho’

It wouldn’t be anything you didn’t know

But

Survival

Nothing more than survival

Shadows of days hanging endless in time

Slowly fading

Passing us by

Shadows of worlds disappearing from view

People asking

What could we do?

Where do I go from here

Where do I go from here

If I gave you every dream they would grow

If I took you for a ride would you know

If I told you every answer that I know

It wouldn’t be much tho’

It wouldn’t be anything you didn’t know

But survival

In you love, I have all that

I need for

survival

With your love I have all that

I need for

Survival

With our love we have all that

We need for

Survival

The sole (and very last) contribution by Pinder is the very nice “One Step into the Light”, and it is the forth song on the second side.  This is closer to the mysticism of the old days, and I like the song very much except for the lack of Mellotron.  I like the song and wonder if it were written some time earlier.  Anyhow, it is one of the better tracks on the album.

One thing that I find ironic (and the reason that I wonder if it were written earlier) is the last few lines.  This is it:  “There’s one thing I can do

Play my Mellotron for you…”., but there is no Mellotron in it!

One step into the light

One step away from night

It’s the hardest step you’re gonna take

The ship to take you there

Is waiting at the head

Of the stairs that lead up through your opening mind

Above the dark despair

Shines a light that we can share

Close your eyes and look up in between your brows

Then slowly breathing in

Feel the LIFE FORCE streaming in

Hold it there, then send it back to him

All the old things are returning

Cosmic circles ever turning

All the truth we’ve been yearning for

Life is our saviour, saviour, saviour, save your soul

The river of LIVING BREATH

Is flowing through the SUN

He was there before the earth began

The world will drag on you

Use his love to pull you through

Find the mission of YOUR LIFE and start to BE

All the old things are returning

Cosmic circles ever turning

All the truth we’ve been yearning for

Life is our saviour, saviour, saviour, save your soul

There’s one thing I can do

Play my Mellotron for you

Try to blow away your city blues

Your dreams are not unfound

Get your feet back on the ground

The TRUTH will set us FREE, we cannot lose

We cannot love, we just have to CHOOSE

The last song on the last Mark II (but diluted) Moody Blues record is the Hayward piece “The Day We Meet Again”.  OK, this one made me bawl.  In my case the word “years” should be translated to “days”.  And she and I WILL meet again, and all of the nonsense shall be forgotten.  This particular song needed few strings, so the Mellotron was not as much missed.  Hayward was excellent on vocals and on guitar.  The sentiment was close to the classic Moody Blues of old, and I identify very much with many things, in particular to doing certain unhealthy activities by oneself.

The day we meet again

I’ll be waiting there

I’ll be waiting there for you

Cos the years have been so lonely

Like a dog without a home

It’s dangerous when you find out

You’ve been drinking on your own

The day we meet again

We will walk in peace

Thru the garden down the road

Where the mist of time is lifting

See it rising in the air

Like the shadow I was chasing

When I looked it wasn’t there

Oh no

But just in case you’re wondering

What was really on my mind

It wasn’t what you took my love

It’s what you left behind

And just in case you’re wondering

Will it really be the same

You know we’re only living for

The day me meet again

So hold on – and don’t let go

Time heals – you know – I know

The day we meet again

I’ll be waiting there

I’ll be waiting there for you

Cos the years have been so lonely

Like a dog without a home

It’s dangerous when you find out

You’ve been drinking on your own

The day we meet again

We will walk in peace

Thru the garden down the road

Where the mist of time is lifting

See it rising in the air

Like the shadow I was chasing

When I looked it wasn’t there

Hold on baby don’t let go

This concludes the treatment by me of the very last album by Mark II of The Moody Blues, except for comments.  As you can tell, I was not impressed very much by Octave.  I found it insipid and really a poor effort compared to the previous seven works.  However, it did have its moments.

I do not intend to finish the series about The Moody Blues with such a downer, however.  I plan two more installments, one about the very few songs after the departure of Pinder that I thought were of merit, and another one that showcases some of their excellent early, live work.  I would not finish on a bad note (punintentional).  However, I do not intend to go into great detail about their later work.

My relationship with The Moody Blues is bittersweet.  I love them very much in some respects, but really resent the caricature of themselves that they made later.  Octave may have been their nadir, because some later work was very much superior to it.  However, I just sort of got tired of trying to sort out the good from the bad later on, because sorting out was not required when they were at their zenith.  Perhaps I am saying this because of a really bad emotional place that I find myself in now, but I think that I would have been just as likely to say the same thing months ago or months from now.

Warmest regards,

Doc, aka Dr. David W. Smith

Crossposted at

The Stars Hollow Gazette,

Daily Kos, and

firefly-dreaming