EVERY GOOD BOY DESERVES FAVOUR

Again for me the concept of Moody is somewhat lost on me as most of the material seems , to me , uninteresting as my mind wanders around before the third number. This is of course well in the line of the previous album using the same recipe as ever and maybe that is the problem , here ........Just another Moody Blues album........

"Every Good Boy Deserves Favour" marks the 6th album by the MOOD'sters and also represents a shift from the mellotron to the moog drenched atmospheres. "EGBDF" is a wonderfully balanced album with some progressive moments, some higher energy pieces and even some softer ballads. What I have always found amazing is their discreet use of scales throughout the album which are built into the songs ("EGBDF" - piano and guitar tuning notes). Highly inspirational album full of grandeur and beauty.

An album filled with a childlike spirit, as each member takes a turn trying to sort out the world around them. The album starts with another portentous opening, "Procession," that sums up human history in three words: desolation, creation, communication. Fortunately, this heavy-handed opening is the exception, and JUSTIN HAYWARD quickly dispels the foreboding gloom with a terrific bit of post-BEATLES pop, "The Story In Your Eyes." That song, wisely chosen as the album's single, is easily the most memorable track on here. The remaining cuts on Every Good Boy Deserves Favour are warm and well-done, though few would have fared well if served alone as an entrée to the album. GRAEME EDGE's "After You Came" (which sounds uncannily like THE WHO at times) and RAY THOMAS' "Nice To Be Here" (possibly the 38 to Queen's 39?) are two of those members' better contributions to THE MOODIES canon, while JOHN LODGE adds a pair of very pretty tracks ("Emily's Song," "One More Time To Live") and MIKE PINDER closes the album on a high note with the ambitious "My Song." The tone here is generally soft and acoustic: flutes and guitars intermingle lazily, sleepy vocals gently prod our curiosity, pretty sounds abound. While there are obvious idiosyncracies unique to each author, it's THE MOODIES shared musical ideal that has the final say here.

Because this is a mellow album even by THE MOODIES' standards, it may take some time for the songs to sink in. For that effort, you'll be rewarded with a good album but not a great one. At the time, listeners were more in tune with this sort of casual introspection, making it another hugely popular record for the band, but listeners today may wonder what the fuss was all about.

FACE the music

This album came with a lovely gatefold sleeve, raising expectations of another great album from the band. It is indeed a fine work, but when compared to its peers, i.e. other Moody Blues albums, it is generally weaker.

Given the dominance of Justin Hayward and John Lodge, especially in terms of composition, it is ironic that it is the Graeme Edge track "After you came" which stands out as the best track. Here we have a fine Hayward guitar solo towards the end of the track, an all too rare pleasure.

"The story in your eyes" is a good traditional Moody Blues up tempo number, with some fine harmonies, but at under three minutes, the band fail to develop it to its full potential.

These tracks aside, there's nothing particularly memorable here. I would suggest that most people beyond the most ardent Moodies fans would have difficulty naming another track from the album off the top of their head.

A good, well produced album, which just falls short of the high standards set by the band themselves.

After their acoustic-oriented previous effort 'A Quetion of Balance', The Moody Blues gladly resumed their panache for keyboard technology (massive use of mellotron, that is) and impressive sonic variations in the context of song-format on 'Every Good Boy Deserves Favour': they even incorporated a Mini-Moog in their pretentious instrumental arsenal. But the start of the album is the least song-oriented thing the Moodies had done so far: 'Procession' is actually a historical procession through some passages of the hidtory of music, from basic tribal drumming (played through Moog effects) to African hymns to Hindu cadence to pastoral Renaissence to baroque harpsichord to Haendelian pipe organ to Tschaikovsky post-romantic grandeur... this amazing sequence links its grand finale to the catchy track 2 'The Story in Your Eyes' (the single'). Things get softer and more vulnerable with Thomas-penned semi-ballad 'Our Guessing Game', a beautiful tune qhich is treated and arranged with taste and not too much overload. The next two tracks are also personal, though I don't find them as moving as 'Our Guessing Game', since they are somehow quite formulaic: 'Emily's Song' is your regular acoustic ballad with some childlike ambience, and 'After You Came' is your Who-esque pop tune. Tha last four tracks fulfill the IMHO most accomplished sequence of this album's repertoire. 'One More Time to Live' is a cleverly harmonized reflection on the world's degradation, with a healthy touch of hope incorporated; 'Nice to be Here' is a Celtic tune that shows Thomas' flute and Hayward's lead guitar displaying an interesting dialogue while a bunch of high-spirited forestmen drum along in a playful Sunday kermesse; 'You Can Never Go Home' brings us back to the melancholy realms of Hayward's heart; and speaking about melancholy, not even Hayward can equal Pinder, whose mini-suite 'My Song' combines symphonic splendour and intellectual despair resulting in one of his most overwhelming efforts to the band's career. 'My Song' includes a mysterious, beautiful interlude where the Mini-Moog and flute set the pace for the chorale, which shines supported by a pompous symphonic wall of sound created by layers of mellotron, colours of lead guitar, and a rhythm section of drum kit, bass and tympani - what a way to close this album! I happen to enjoy this album almost as much as 'To Our Children's...' (my fav Moodies album), but I admit that 'Every Good Boy...' doesn't keep an evened level of energy and creativity.

This really should have been the band's masterpiece. From the lovely cover art (perhaps the best in the band's already exemplary collection) to the opening creation myth, accompanied by gorgeous instrumentation (including a nice little Brian May-type doubletracked lead fanfare), we are led to believe that the MOODY BLUES have finally produced the concept album they'd always seemed to be promising. It certainly keeps going well, seguing into the driving and memorable "Story in Your Eyes", but as the album continues, there's no doubt that this is simply another collection of good songs loosely bound together.

Not that that's a bad thing; this is just as much as a concept album as, say, "Sgt. Pepper". "Our Guessing Game" is requisite Ray Thomas simple sweetness, saturated with melody and harmony, and "Emily's Song" continues the lush loveliness with remarkable orchestration- I guess the layering of instruments they'd tried to escape from on the previous album was impossible to resist. "After You Came" hits fairly hard, in a WHO-inspired vein, and features some nice guitar work. "One More Time to Live" is tender and lush and pretentious as a MOODY BLUES song should be, hearkening back to the questing drama of "Procession" to keep the concept going. "Nice to be Here" (is there any doubt this is a Ray Thomas song?) is a cross between "Wind in the Willows" nursery rhyme psychedelia and Fogerty's "Looking Out My Back Door"- perhaps a little too childish for some, but fun nevertheless. "You Can Never Go Home", however, is a surging guitar-led anthem in the Justin Hayward style, mixing melancholy reflection with yearning romanticism. The final track, "My Song", is the toughest song on the album to digest; the lyrics of the first and last verse may make you cringe, but the vocals work well; the music jumps around from passage to passage, teasing you with sonic textures, but gradually builds to a wrenching climax.

Is it anything they haven't shown us before? Not really- the latter five of the "classic seven" MOODY BLUES albums are more or less interchangeable, but this one has the most lushly layered sonic signature- even compared to the orchestra on "Days of Future Passed". Is it overblown and pretentious? Sure, but there's still that endearing naivete and optimism to balance the grandeur. Is it "easy listening"? Well, it definitely belongs to the softer side of progressive rock, making even the ALAN PARSONS PROJECT seem edgy by comparison- but if you're in the mood to let your defenses down a bit and let the music wash over you, there's few albums that will be as comfortable and yet as evocative as "Every Good Boy Deserves Favor."

There's a pattern here and I don't like it. Procession is okay if you like wierd art instrumentals with a storyline. The whole "Desolation, Creation, Communication" thing is a bit trite and compared to their earlier poetry is really a bad effort as far as symbolism goes. Part of the band's charm for me was the cool poetry which seems to be going away quickly. "The Story in Your Eyes" is a pop song, but it's a rockin' heavy pop song and probably the best song on the album. Good strong writing on this song and a catchy rhythm make this CD go quickly into and out of my CD player. "Our Guessing Game" literally sounds like the theme to some crappy 70's television show. I can picture a family of kids with some emasculated father dancing and hugging each other to opening credits when this song is on, really, it isn't good. "Emily's Song" is a little better, but it isn't an awesome song or anything, a bit boring if not pretty. "After You Came" picks the album up a bit with some good rock. However, it lacks anything different to offer from the other pop rock bands in that era. Heck, if you want pop rock get "The Who" they do it well, and with more balls. This song seems to imitate it, and is a good song, not a great song, but a good song. The next song "One More Time to Live" is again, a good song but not a great song. It is almost a REALLY good song as opposed to a good song as the instrumentation finally comes to a level you might expect from this group. However the whole 'Desolation / Creation / Evolution / Polution / Saturation / Population / Annhilation' thing comes up again and again, it comes of as trite in comparison to their earlier works. If I could drown out the words and listen to just the music I would like this song better, but he has such a nice clear voice and announciates very strongly so alas, it is impossible. "Nice to be Here" is an okay song but may not be everyone's cup of tea. I happen to like folkish music so it is listenable to me, however not everyone may feel the same way about this tune. "You Can Never Go Home" to me was actually frustrating to listen to. The melody is mediocre and you hear these potential build ups in the music as if there would be a dramatic instrumental coming soon, but it dies down almost as if the music itself is impotent. A dramatic release to the tensly boring beginning would hav made this a great song but alas, no such luck they just drag it on for 4 minutes. "My Song" at the end is actually refreshing. There are some nice melodies and some very strange synths on this song that make it worth listening to. Overall, this album is not BAD, but it isn't a great album. There is alot missing here in comparison to their four star and five star efforts earlier. It is not a 2 star album though, it just isn't essential for your collection. Again, you can skip if you desire you only lose out on a couple of good tunes and a few mildly pleasing ones. There is nothing on this album you would sorely miss.

Rewritten review number 3.

I'm trying to be really really objective here, and it's really tough for me on this one. The Moodies have a special place in my heart. And this is arguably my favorite album of theirs. But we are on a prog website, and this album does not gel well with what we expect with prog. It is better than a 2, no doubt, but to put it at 4 here would be tough (which I did before). However, this is one of my favorite albums in my collection. Had this been a music site in general, it would have 5 stars. However, Days of Future Passed is most likely a 5 on this website.

If you consider yourself a Moodies fan, check this out for yourself. If you are a prog purist Moody Bloues fan, then this won't be your favorite, but if you can look at it for what it is, a masterful achievement, then we are in the same boat. Looking to get into the Moodies? Well, this is actually where I started with them. Your call. Start here or Days of Future Passed, I think. Anywho, it kills me, but 3/5 stars.

All right...before I get started in earnest with this review, I'd better go ahead and state that this is a prog-metaller's review of the MOODY BLUES...so consider that as you read, even though I see my assessment is lining up with the majority of those here. There was probably a time when I would've given 4 stars to this album along with Days of Future Passed, but when I re-listened in preparation for this review, I realized there was simply no way I could possibly contemplate it. I don't think I can award any lower, though, because this is probably one of their better albums that I've heard.

I've seen a lot of people trashing the opening track, "Procession", and I'm not going to join in on that. I actually think it was one of the better ideas they had, helped out by a new toy--a Moog synthesizer. The transitions through the different forms of music were quite fluid, including a half-tone pitch bend going from the a cappella chanting into the Asian/Arabic-styled music. The poetry from this part, while it doesn't seem like very much here, reprises very nicely on the album's strongest song, "One More Time to Live", where it's fleshed out and really goes a long way towards capturing the grandeur of history's cycles. There was another song that I greatly enjoy that I imagine will surprise people coming from me: "Our Guessing Game". Yes, it's sappy as RAY THOMAS' works tend to be, but I really find myself admiring the man's Broadway-trained voice that sounds rather shockingly like a ROGER WATERS who knows how to sing on key.

Some of the other songs, such as "The Story In Your Eyes", "After You Came", and "You Can Never Go Home" are mediocre but acceptable rockers...that is, if you're interested in early 70s pop. This has always been a problem with the MOODY BLUES but is particularly glaring here. I must also add here that I cannot stand HAYWARD's guitar tone on "After You Came" especially--it sounds far too country-and-western or folksy, and that's one of the few genres of music I have never been able to get used to or find anything likeable about. A few songs on this album were completely and utterly disposable: "Emily's Song" and to some extent (and I hate to say this given my like for THOMAS' work) "Nice To Be Here". Both of these were, to put it bluntly, vomitously sweet, most especially "Emily's Song". I find myself needing to throw on some PINK FLOYD or OPETH or something to clean my brain out after this one. Unfortunately, I think it was numbers like this that predict where the band will end up on their last, utterly miserable excuse for an album Strange Times.

While the production had improved from Threshold, I still had problems with some of the antiquated sounds. I've heard good uses of the Mellotron on other albums such as by PINK FLOYD and RUSH, but trying to put it this far in the foreground simply doesn't work at all, and it showed on "Nice to Be Here" (where the Mellotron horns sounded like a bad mariachi band) and especially on "My Song" (an attempt to replicate an entire orchestra). For those who have found SYMPHONY X's work in the 1990s to try to replicate an orchestra cringeworthy, hearing this will very much put it into perspective. The technology simply did not exist back then to do what they had in mind without a live orchestra, and I would've thought the MOODIES would use better judgment about it...another Days of Future Passed simply was not going to happen, no matter how much they forced it.

"Every Good Boy Deserves Favour" is probably the second best of the classical MB's albums (the first, the unforgettable "Days of Future Passed) and it all starts with the marvelous cover and the art work (something always highlighted in MB's works).

Songs are generally above the average, being noticeable the real rock 'Story in your eyes' and the sad and exquisite 'One more time to live', probably the most progressive of the album's tracks; 'Our guessing game' is also enjoyable, typical moodie song.

However the highest points are the romantic 'You can never go home', where Hayward's singing and guitar playing reach their peaks and the awesome mini-epic 'My song', really beautiful.

Deservedly recommended for all prog-fans. Total: 4.

For me this is the most difficult album to rate of the ‘big-7’. Like Seventh Sojourn, there is no central theme to the songs here, except that for the most part they are mildly pessimistic and depressing. John Lodge’s tribute to his newborn daughter (“Emily’s Song”) is the most noteable exception.

Starting off with the chant “Desolation”, followed by muffled (nuclear?) explosions (thunder perhaps?) and then either fallout or rain, depending on your perspective, the opening “Procession” gives way to the most driving guitar riffs of the album in “The Story in Your Eyes”, but what starts to sound like a phoenix-rising affirmation turns sour with the biting lyrics –

“But I’m frightened for the children, that the life that we are living is in vain, and the sunshine we’ve been waiting for will turn to rain.”

A pretty mixed message in the tepid ending as well:

“When the final line is over, and it's certain that the curtain's gonna’ fall - I can hide inside your sweet, sweet love forever more”.

Well, let’s hope.

“Our Guessing Game” is another Ray Thomas tune that reminds me a lot of “For My Lady” on Seventh Sojourn, only a bit more depressing. Thomas has this knack of making his songs all sound like sea-faring chants, with melodies that roll along with a peaceful ebb and flow. This one has a great affirmation as well –

“There are times when I think I've found the truth, and there are times when I know that I'm wrong.

But there are days when I try to hide my fear - Bless the days when I'm feeling strong”.

Indeed.

Lodge puts way too much pressure on his tiny daughter in “Emily’s Song” with the heart- wrenching poem –

“Through all that life can give to you, only true love will see you through - and will stand beside you now in what you say.

And in the morning of my life, and in the evening of my day, I will try to understand in what you say.

Take me into your world, alone I cannot go. For I've been here so long, you're leaving me behind.

Walk with me now into your land of fairy tales, and open up that book of pages in my mind”.

Good stuff there.

Graeme Edge serves up his own angst with a guitar-heavy Moodies’ standard in “After You Came” and what seems to be a lament of frustration in a very personal relationship –

“I've reached, reached the top of the wall - all I've found's another way to fall”.

“One More Time to Live” is a reprise of the opening track with a round of Moodies’ rap that can be considered a walk through the landscape of mankind’s history – “desolation – creation – evolution – pollution – saturation – population – annihilation – revolution – confusion – illusion – conclusion – starvation – degradation – humiliation – contemplation – inspiration – elation – salvation – communication – compassion”.

A pretty dated emotive outburst today, but this was pretty heavy stuff thirty-five years ago.

Thomas takes us to a nice quiet meadow to reflect on nature’s beauty in “Nice to Be Here” and what was kind of a hippie anthem during my childhood. Give peace a chance!

On the other extreme is the depressing truth of “You Can Never Go Home”, and truer words were never spoken. I really love the harmonic vocals of the whole band on the choruses on this song – they give off a really groovy feeling, and that is an emotion that has become almost obsolete and somewhat trite for today’s jaded generation, and that’s unfortunate.

Mike Pinder sums up the album with “My Song”, a kind of anthematic call-to-arms for the peacenik generation delivered up as only the Moodies can, with quiet introspective vocals and peaceful orchestration whose ending leaves me with the same sense of cautious optimism that the finale of Klaatu’s Hope does.

This album demonstrates best of all the early ones the Moodies’ talent for infusing a sense of world-weary but stubborn hopefulness in the ultimate goodness of mankind, and of our shared destiny to muddle our way through this thing called life together, for better or worse. Hopefully we’ll figure it all out someday. In the meantime, I think I’ll have another listen.

peace

Let me preface this review with the admission that back in the late 60s and early 70s I wasn't so much a fan of The Moody Blues as I was Justin Hayward. From the beginning it seemed that the songs I liked most were written and sung by him. The rest of the members' tunes always came off as Prog Lite to me and I never really understood the remarkable attraction that their albums held for the general public. But in those days almost every household had a Moody Blues LP or two in their collection so they definitely fulfilled a need for many. (Chicks in particular adored them) What Yes, King Crimson and ELP did for me these guys did for those who preferred something a lot more tame so that was their niche. "So how come you have several of their records in your possession?" you may rightly inquire. I'm not sure I ever paid money for one of their albums but through generous absorption and co-mingling with collections amassed by assorted girlfriends, roommates and wives over the decades I have somehow obtained several of their LPs. So there.

They always did know how to start off an album with a splash and this one is no exception. The Moog was still relatively new at the time and they feature it at the beginning to great effect. In fact, the group-penned "Procession" is admirably atmospheric and mysterious as they move through tribal drum patterns complete with primitive grunts and chants and construct collages using flute and sitar. You're thinking that this project might possibly be their breakthrough into a higher stratum of progressive music. The whole thing leads into Hayward's excellent "The Story in your Eyes" that has a memorable melody sung gracefully over a tight rhythm track. No wonder it's still a staple on classic rock radio stations. Ray Thomas' "Our Guessing Game" is next and, while it's actually one of his better efforts, the muddy mix underneath the vocal keeps the tune from escaping the throes of mediocrity.

John Lodge's "Emily's Song" follows and it has nicely layered three-part harmonies undoubtedly inspired by CS&N's huge success in that timeframe. Its folksy flavor works well here as his heartfelt ode to his daughter is touching and sincere. Graeme Edge's "After You Came" is adventurous with its varying feels but the song is just too weak overall to hold your interest for long. The only excitement comes at the end when Justin adds some growling power chords and sustained feedback. Lodge's "One More Time to Live" starts like a simple folk ditty, then turns into an overdone sing-along that takes itself way too seriously. One of the irritating things about this band is their insistence on burying the toneless drums so far down in the blend that the only clearly audible percussion instrument carrying the beat is the tambourine and this number is a prime example of that trait. I just don't get it. It's not rocket science, fellas, let's hear the snare.

I don't know if Ray was just naive to what was happening in the rock and roll world or what but "Nice to be Here" is another one of his cute and cuddly compositions that sounds like it should be on a children's record. Now there's nothing inherently wrong with that but it doesn't fit in with the tone of this album. I've heard people tell me that they find his work to be quaint and innocent but I don't. And the slurring Mellotron, in an attempt to make it sound like a steel guitar, is downright annoying along with Thomas' silly lines like "silver minnows were devising/water ballet so surprising/a mouse played daffodil/a mole came up blinking/underneath an owl who's thinking/how he came to be sat on a hill." Hot stuff, Ray.

In the nick of time along comes Hayward's "You Can Never Go Home," another gem that features a tasteful arrangement of gorgeous orchestration draped behind his charismatic vocal and an intriguing melody. It's a poignant song about starting over that retains its relevance even today. Mike Pinder's only tune to be included is "My Song" which ends the album. It starts well with just vocal and piano but then gets corny as all get out. There's a spacey segment with what sounds like a person breathing inside a space suit, then a symphonic section that would fit better in a Sergio Leone spaghetti western ensues before they repeat the initial verse/chorus structure and fade out. Ho hum.

In 1977 Justin released his first true solo album ("Songwriter") and my expectations were very high. To my dismay it was a bomb. So my long-held theory that he would have been much better off in distancing himself from the Moody Blues just didn't hold water any longer. For whatever reason Hayward's best material arose from his association with this band and it was those very songs that lifted their records up out of the mundane as is the case here. This album is better than some of their others but the inconsistent quality of the tunes is more noticeable than anything else. However, I must acknowledge the superb artwork. Who knows how many purchased this record simply because of the stunning cover and inside liner? Gotta give them points for that. 2.6 stars.

Like many other Classic 7 Moodies albums, this one is uneven: some boring minor songs but also some absolutely gorgeous classic tracks. And (un)like on some others, the overall theme gets a bit lost on the way. I suppose it's some sort of presentation on the history of man (thus reminding of To Our Children's Children's Children). The near-instrumental opener 'Procession' has only words like creation, annihilation, pollution, which get repeated in 'One more Time to Live'. And 'You Can Never Go Home' is surely a metaphorical notion about the development. If the whole album was on that very creative level, it would be a masterpiece.

'The Story in Your Eyes' is one of the best rockers by Hayward. Ray Thomas offers two really weak songs, 'Our Guessing Game' and 'Nice to Be Here'. The naiive prettiness of the lyrics on the latter would be forgivable but the song is so poor. The drummer Graeme Edge has written a good solid rock song 'After You Came', proving that he can write a mature SONG instead of a pathetic presentation of a poem. John Lodge wrote the tender 'Emily's Song' for his daughter, and it's too sweet for my taste.

Apart from 'Nice to...' the B-side is fantastic. The two songs mentioned in my first paragraph are among my MB favourites. Not any other band in the world could have made them; Barclay James Harvest could have tried... Mike Pinder offers only one song this time, but what a song. 'My Song' is among his best, and the instrumental section starring Mellotron gets the listener deeper, deeper in his inner cosmic visions. If only there weren't so weak tracks too on this fine album...

Incredible to think that it is still only 1971 and the catalogue of Moodey Blues material is already in abundance. Every Good Boy Deserves favour whilst interesting at times kind of loses it's appeal about half way through. Whether it is because it is too much of the same laid out musical formula or because the material is quite not up to scratch I am not too sure. I think the latter is the case. I do like the closer ' My Song' and the equally appealing ' After You Came' Two and a half stars is a fair rating for this album and still a recommendation for prog enthusiasts.

An uneven album which makes it clear that some band members have more to offer than others - a realisation that led to the group's dissolution.

After the overlong, overwrought introduction of 'Procession', JUSTIN HAYWARD demonstrates why he is regarded as one of the premier singer-songwriters of the 1970s. This man could have made gazillions of dollars on his own as a solo artist, yet his ambitions remained enfolded within THE MOODY BLUES' setup. 'The Story in Your Eyes' is perfect pop. I'm trying to think why anyone would dislike this song: vigorous, crunchy, wistful, not a wasted moment, crisp guitar work. This is followed by RAY THOMAS and 'Our Guessing Game', but the segue is tired and meaningless. There's no longer a real connection between these songs: even the 'concept' of the scales (Every Good Boy Deserves Favour = EGBDF) does little to weld a disparate collection together. This has none of the holistic impact of 'To Our Children's ...'. Yes, 'Our Guessing Game' is quite nice - actually, the chorus is spectacular aside from the obligatory LODGE falsetto - but it doesn't go anywhere.

The lugubrious 'Emily's Song' begins over the top of the previous song's fadeout, again no more than lip service paid to the album's integrity. This meandering soft-rock ballad features cellos and a quasi-music box solo, redefining the concept of gentle. 'After You Came' livens things up a little, but JOHN LODGE doesn't really have the bite of a PETE TOWNSEND. The same is true of 'One More Time To Live' - the album bogs down here, unfortunately, with LODGE harking back to the opening track. It was a mistake to let him domiate this album's heart, and the impetus is never regained. Certainly not with the sappy and overly whimsical 'Nice To Be Here', which just has to be a RAY THOMAS title. Look, this isn't half bad, but it's not what the album needed right now: this would have worked following 'The Story In Your Eyes'. Fortunately, HAYWARD is given another crack, and his second offering, though far too late, brings some passion back to the album. 'You Can Never Go Home' isn't one of his greatest tracks, but it's well above the average fare of this record.

A final paragraph for the last track, MIKE PINDER'S 'My Song'. PINDER has forsaken the Mellotron for the moog (though there is some Mellotron on this track, you'll struggle to hear any on the rest of the album), and he's clearly also forsaken any interest in songwriting ability or lyrical sophistication. This song is truly cringeworthy, with the dreadful words of a megalomaniac prophet (please, someone tell me he's taking the mickey) and a central section the aural equivalent of two tanks colliding, and is tacked on the end of the album no doubt to minimise the damage. PINDER is clearly by now a spare part, with a reluctance to move on past the hippie sentiments of the late 60s, and this, more than anything else, signals the beginning of the end for this wonderful period of THE MOODY BLUES.

Barely three stars.

The least I can say is that an opener as Procession is probably not the best way to start an album. It leads nowhere and only the last thirty seconds might be called a song.

The band reverts into his better known territories with "The Story in Your Eyes" although more upbeat as usual. The melancholic and at times syrupy mood is back with "Our Guessing Game". Very old fashioned. Sounds more as mid sixties ballad to be honest. Very childish (like "Emily's Song" and "Nice To Be Here").

I made this comment for some early BJH's songs as well : ballads were OK but once they tried to write some rockier songs, it was not always rewarding. I would say the same about "After You Came". A poor song IMO. Melody is painful and the whole sounds rather flat. The finale being even close to the heavy genre.

Good (nothing great here) moments are scarce on this album, which is quite a disappointment. Some songs are OK like "One More Time To Live" which features a pastoral flavour with some nice fluting. My favourite song of the album.

And even if "You Can Never Go Home" is a pleasant melody, it fails to really captivate me. Just another good Moodies song. As they have written a lot, I guess. And I tend to like the closing number as well. "My Song" should please any Moodies fan. But only those ones and that's the problem with this album. Too predicable, I'm afraid.

Five out of ten is my rating but I will downgrade it to two stars. I can't really call this a good album.

I am not an expert in The Moody Blues music as I have some collection of their albums plus my familiarity with what was very popular at that time: "Night In White Satin". When I saw the CD this album couple of months ago at local music store, I was impressed with the cover artwork and that was my chief reason to buy this album. Musically, I expected something conceptual and progressive. At first spin of the CD I did not understand what the band was trying to achieve with this album as most of the music presented here lack melodies and some of them lack harmony. But I did try to spin couple of times to get familiar with the music. It grew on me.

It starts with ambient and unstructured "Procession" (4:40) which musically it's very little to offer even though there are some organ work and clavinet which do not form a cohesive whole. It then moves to the psychedelic "The story in your eyes" (2:56) with The Beatles style followed with "Our guessing game" (3:34) in similar vein. The next track "Emily's song" (3:42) sounds better musically as it has stronger harmony compared to previous tracks. "After you came" (4:39) brings the album into upbeat music. This track has an interesting interlude in the middle of the track. The guitar work (electric) sounds good in filling the gaps between segments. "One more time to live" (5:41) starts nice with nice acoustic guitar followed with mellow vocal line. It continues nicely to next track "Nice to be here" (4:23) in similar vein. The electric guitar work here sounds something that (I believe) inspired Brian May of Queen. This is a good ballad track. "You can never go home" (4:14) is probably the most melodic song of this album. The song moves nicely in mellow style. The album closes with "My song" (6:19) where at the opening part there is Eastern nuance followed with nice string section and good melody. The acoustic guitar solo is also good.

Overall, this is a good album. The music is not something that stimulates you at first spin but with couple of spins it might grow on you as what I had experienced it. If you expect something that is obviously prog, you can hardly find here. Keep on proggin' ..!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

After the near-perfect "Question of Balance", the Moody Blues could have simply rehashed the winning formula, but they instead took a decidedly progressive turn. Not in the sense of contemporaries like Yes, ELP or Tull, but more in their willingness to eschew or at least twist conventional song structures. Unfortunately, where they do stick with the basic Moody Blues art form, a few of the tunes sound one-dimensional, making this also a more uneven Moodys album than its predecessor.

The opener, "Procession", proposes an impressive pan-cultural, even multimedia presentation. It includes shouts and chants as well as various brief electronically charged melodies, all in teaser form. The buildup and denouement into "Story in Your Eyes" is one of the group's more realized dramatizations, and "Story" itself one of their most convincingly terse rockers. Ray Thomas weighs in with the beautiful multilayered and affirming "Our Guessing Game". Unfortunately, while "Emily's Song" is pretty, it is also just a bit too pat, and we expect more from even a post-partum John Lodge, basking in the glow of his newborn. Graeme Edge's "After You Came" effectively irrigates that syrupy aftertaste with a rich and shape shifting rocker.

"One more Time to Live" is the sequel to the album's opener and also boasts several skilled changes in mood. During the more rocking parts the mellotron swirls about and recalls the excellent "Gypsy" from "To Our Children's..". "Nice to Be Here" is Thomas at his sing-song worst, like a children's song that even children would not like. Hayward is a relatively minor contributor this time around but he proves the opportunist, as "You Can Never Go Home" is a simply astounding mini epic of alternating themes, from acoustic ballad to anthemic rock to a spine tingling chorus, or verse, I'm not sure. And finally, Pinder's only offering is the very symphonic "My Song", mostly instrumental and monumentally significant. At times it measures up to the works of more overtly symphonic progressive acts like FOCUS (think "Le Clochard"), but mostly it is a unique amalgamation of the band's own vision of progressive rock, incorporating ethereal keys and flutes with conviction. It's also a great way to end a great album.

A couple of weaker cuts notwithstanding, "Every Good Boy" deserves to be heard.

"Every Good Boy Deserves Favour" is the 7th full-length studio album by UK progressive rock act The Moody Blues. The album was released through Threshold Records in July 1971. It´s the successor to "A Question of Balance" from August 1970. The original vinyl version featured 9 tracks while the 2007 remaster features two additional bonus tracks ("The Story in Your Eyes" (original version)" and "The Dreamer").

The album sees the band return to their more familiar orchestrated/layered style after the short experimentation with a more stripped down instrumentation and sound on "A Question of Balance (1970)". This means an omnipresence of mellotron and vocal harmonies/choirs, in addition to the regulear rock instrumentation of guitar, bass, and drums. The tracks are generally relatively simple vers/chorus structured, so the sophistication of the music is typically in the way the compositions are arranged.

The most experimental tracks on "Every Good Boy Deserves Favour" are the two songs bookending the album. Album opener "Procession" is a sound collage type of track. Definitely a bold move to open an album with a track like that. The 6:20 minutes long album closer "My song" is a slow building and epic track featuring an exquisite orchestral arrangement and epic melancholic song melodies. It´s a dynamic and dramatic track and it´s definitely one of the more progressive oriented tracks on the album. I´m reminded a little of contemporary Procol Harum. Another highlight and one of the standout tracks on the album is "One More Time to Live". It´s another epic track featuring both flute and a clever and grand orchestral arrangement.

House producer Tony Clarke has crafted a well sounding, organic, and detailed production, which suits the material perfectly, and upon conclusion "Every Good Boy Deserves Favour" is a good quality release by The Moody Blues. The most interesting tracks are the most progressive oriented tracks and unfortunately there aren´t that many of those, because when the band dable in more regular melodic and simple pop/rock territories they have a tendency to produce rather limb and forgettable material. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

I am often thinking that The Moody Blues is one of the bands you must love for being pleased with their music. I don't.

Usual classic early Moody Blues sound, many keyboards, some symphonic arrangements. Similar mid tempo songs, mellow, melodic, but not enough to be catchy. Strong folk roots. Big dose of bombastic orchestrations. Never annoying too much, but almost often boring songs.

And looking from now all album ( as many their albums) sound unbelievable dated. Some naive songs from your village aunt's collection...

You will hardly find there something more than just nostalgia and melancholy. Possibly, just not my cup of tea.

After releasing five very good albums in four years, the classic Moody Blues lineup was starting to sound tired on this album. It didn't surprise me when they disbanded (temporarily) after the following album.

The album starts out promising. Procession opens the album with a pastiche of quick musical ideas, showcasing many of the different aspects of the Moodies' music over the years. You hear their unique vocal harmonies, mellotron and synths, guitar, spacy stereo effects, and even some sitar. Then comes The Story In Your Eyes one of my favorite rock tunes by this band. And the album closes with My Song a three star symphonic rock piece.

The problem is that everything else in between those songs is just second (or even third) rate, compared with most of the band's material up to that point. After all these years, I find each of those songs just painful to sit through. Actually, back in the seventies when I first heard the album, I felt pretty much the same way.

I was never really impressed by this album, even though I've had it in my collection for almost a decade now. But after spinning it pretty much non-stop for the last couple of days it's safe to say that my opinion of this material is beginning to change!

I've never bothered too much with the opening track Procession, dismissing it simply as another shaky album opener on the Moody Blues' part. Surprisingly enough there was a lot of symbolism embedded into this nearly 5 minute long opening track and after exploring the composition's own Wikipedia website (see Procession (The Moody Blues song)) I really have to hand it to the Moodies for their ambition. Unfortunately it doesn't manifest itself well as a song, which is why I still can't enjoy listening to it all that much.

The Story In Your Eyes has always been an obvious favorite of mine, but now I'm not really sure if it's actually the best song of the bunch. The way Mike Pinder uses Mellotron on this relatively simple rock & roll number is simply amazing, plus we also have completely breathtaking lyrics to back it up. "But I'm frightened for your children that the live that we are living is in vain and the sunshine we've been waiting for will turn to rain" gives me goosebumps almost every time I hear it.

Our Guessing Game and Emily's Song takes the music, once again, into a mellow mode and work well as a break right before the next upbeat number After You Came. One More Time To Live is one track that I definitely managed to overlook in the past but am unlikely to do so again. This composition really becomes truly great when the harmonies kick in towards the second minute with repeat of the lyrical themes from Procession, great stuff to say the least!

Nice To Be Here is another one of those quirky childlike tunes that reminds me a lot of Morning: Another Morning off Days Of Future Passed and works well as a part of the loose setting that the rest of the album has been going for up to this point. The two final tracks turn the album to towards a grander sound that has so far been absent from the album's repertoire. You Can Never Go Home does manage to strike a solid balance between low-key ballad and the epic-like direction towards it's chorus sections while My Song goes all the way in the latter category.

Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, or simply EGBDF, was a big surprise revisit for me and I will definitely continue listening more to this album in the future! The fact that this was the last album by the Moody Blues where Mike Pinder predominately used Mellotron in his arrangements does make me sad, but it definitely makes a worthy ending to the wonderful streak of Proto-Prog albums of the late '60s/early '70s period.

***** star songs: The Story In Your Eyes (2:57) One More Time To Live (5:42)

**** star songs: Our Guessing Game (3:34) Emily's Song (3:42) After You Came (4:38) Nice To Be Here (4:24) You Can Never Go Home (4:15) My Song (6:25)

*** star songs: Procession (4:41)

At this point in time, The Moodies hadn't given up some of their more experimental and oddball traits, but like they were somewhat in the process of shedding their trippier aspects for a more mainstream approach to songwriting.

The opening track does not give any indication of that they were through with some of their more distinctive traits. It's those Moodies being Moodies for sure, as the album begins with what seems like a flying saucer landing on Earth, followed by the creation of life or something (I'm probably way off here) before the more interesting "communication" sequence begins. At this point the band gives us the evolution of music, starting with drum hitting accompanied by some "unga bunga" noises and gradually adding other elements and styles including sitar music, medieval flute melodies, harpsichords, symphonies (aka mellotrons) before finally guitars kick in at the song's climax to announce the arrival of rock, all in this one track! It's a good thing this album came out in 1971 or maybe we'd be subjected to the Moody Blues' interpretations of disco, hip-hop and finally atmospheric post black metal. I have to admit it would be cool to hear Ray Thomas boastfully rapping about how he's the best flute player in 'da game while dissing Ian Anderson as a "damn fool", but yeah, let's be happy the song ends with rock.

The Story In Your Eyes follows, and the album is looking to be a winner! It's short but seriously sweet with a cool ultra fuzzy guitar sound and some cool little soloing bits. Justin sings like he means it...this guy was friggin' worried about the future! Such a great number.

Then things start to slip. Not completely, as Our Guessing Game has a pretty busy chorus, but by the time we get to Emily's Song, we're dealing with the band morphing into Bread. I know it's a heartfelt ode to John's kid, but man it's mellow. After You Came picks things up with that cool guitar sound, an upbeat rhythm and a fun catchy chorus and One More Time To Live follows, which is also my second favorite track on the album after Story In Your Eyes. It starts off as just another Bread knockoff, but soon this organ gets louder and the vocals get stronger...then the tune gets all proggy and cool. Definitely one of John Lodge's best numbers. The rest of the album just blurs into soft rock mushiness to me, with the exception of a few sections of My Song, which is a decent enough piece but not Pinder's best.

As one of their seven important psychedelic era albums, it's one of the weaker ones, but it does possess a couple of serious gems to slap you out of dozing off.

Purely out of curiosity I had a look at the ProgArchives 'Top Albums' list while I was working on this review. As an avid follower of the band I don't suppose I can listen to the Moody Blues with a truly unprejudiced ear, and personally I don't place much credence on ratings in any case, but I do find it preposterous that there is not one Moodies album in PA's Top 250 albums. Hey-ho. Possibly one reason for that apparent anomaly is that their albums were often encumbered with some rather twee songs. On this album for example there's the John Lodge lullaby 'Emily's Song', written for his daughter, and Ray Thomas' 'Nice To Be Here' which centres on the antics of anthropomorphised animal characters. However fey, I do like the latter's imagery of an omphaloskeptic owl: 'A mole came up blinking / Underneath an owl who was thinking / How he came to be sat on a hill.'

Depending on your point of view songs like these might be seen as blemishes on the epidermis of 'pure' prog but on 'Every Good Boy Deserves Favour' they at least share that skin with some of the band's more progressive tracks, and after toying with a more stripped-down sound on 'A Question of Balance' the Moody Blues thankfully resorted to type with this album's rich textures and intricate details. With the exception of Graeme Edge's 'After You Came' every piece is drenched in Mellotron although this song does seem to share the same pessimistic tone that runs throughout the other tracks. 'The Story In You Eyes' is fraught with anxiety ('But I'm frightened for your children') and 'Our Guessing Game' speaks of self-doubt ('There are times when I think that I've found the truth / There are times when I know that I'm wrong'), whereas the words of Justin Hayward's multi-part ballad 'You Can Never Go Home' are at best ambiguous ('Weep no more for treasures you've been searching for in vain / 'Cos the truth is gently falling with the rain.')

The album title obviously relates to the mnemonic for the treble clef and the notes on its five- line grid. The opening track 'Procession' reinforces the musical concept with its portrayal of the evolution of music in parallel to nature, but mysteriously it begins with the sound-effect of a spaceship landing. The cry of 'Desolation!' heralds elemental rain and thunder, and from the fish pond of history comes the call of 'Creation!' Tribal drums are then accompanied by birdsong before prehistoric voices learn 'Communication', and after a pastiche of Eastern, Renaissance and Classical music we are propelled into outer space and the future with a blistering guitar riff and a seamless transition into 'The Story In Your Eyes'. Side 2 of the vinyl album opens with 'One More Time To Live', one of the band's trademark symphonic mini-epics and a song that reintroduces and develops the theme of man's progress hinted at on 'Procession'.

'Procession' was a group composition and apart from that there's only one Mike Pinder contribution here, although in this case it's very much a question of quality over quantity. 'My Song' contains a reference to aliens arriving on earth to help mankind and the song's instrumental passage could be interpreted as a journey through outer space, although I prefer to think of this track as an inner journey of self-discovery where Pinder goes through a transformation like Joseph Campbell's 'hero with a thousand faces'. Campbell argued that in primal society a shaman experiences a vision or hears a song that represents a summons but is in effect a psychological break-up. The shaman therefore has to undergo trials that result in psychological breakthrough and enable him to return safely to reality i.e. he has to sing his song: 'I'm gonna sing my song / And sing it all day long / A song that never ends.' The summons, or call to adventure, leads to the personal growth of the individual through a transformation of consciousness and the summons typically arises from some repressive environment or thought: 'The change in these past years / Has made me see our world / In many different ways.' Pinder's laconic style conveys a genuine sense of perplexity and solitariness as he stands alone at the doors of perception, before a Mellotron crescendo and militaristic drums depict his crossing of the threshold into the inner realm. Electronic effects and dimly audible breathing, like the inhaling of smoke from an opium pipe, represent him sinking into deep unconscious while tinkling sounds conjure images of the mythic sprite that brings magical aid to the hero on his journey. Flute and acoustic guitar herald his arrival in the strangely beautiful but dangerous land of the imagination, and three immense convulsions of heavenly choir, guitar and Mellotron represent his psychological trials there. The third of these outbursts brings about his apotheosis and the end of the journey, and with the reprise of the song's original theme Pinder is returned to the world of reality with the insight that brings inner peace: 'One day I hope we'll be / In perfect harmony / A planet with one mind.' 'My Song' is a wonderful visionary drama that is as radiant as the glistening jewel on the beautiful Phil Travers cover. It is a song that contains the Moodies' core messages of peace and compassion, although forty years after the band recorded this song we still find man building nations and regimes that he in turn invades and destroys.

The Moody Blues will probably forever be in the shadow of some imagined 'big six' of progressive bands, whosoever they might be. However if I'm not mistaken 'Every Good Boy Deserves Favour' enjoys the prestige of being the favourite Moodies' album of a certain wise Jedi. And I think that's all the recommendation this album needs.

"Every Good Boy Deserves Favour" is a very unusual album. 'Procession' opens the album unlike any other The Moody Blues album. After a very spacey opening and some howling wind with unusual cries of "Desolation, creation", and the sound of rain falling during a storm, we hear the twittering of birds and jungle noises, tom toms are heard, an African beat locks in and the cry of "Communication", tribal chants, opening a very weird album for The Moody Blues. An Arabian theme begins and then flute. The medieval music is joined by Hammond and mellotron. Finally twin guitars float upon the scene and an acoustic rhythm progressing to 'The Story In Your Eyes'. The song has an upbeat tempo and Hayward excellent on vocals. I like the melody and sunshiny brightness; positive and spirit lifting.

This is followed by very slow and dreamy romantic songs such as 'Emily's Song'. 'After You Came' is more like it in terms of rocking with heavy guitars. The exuberant vocals are excellent with full on harmonies and a strong rhythm. This is followed by 'One More Time To Live' that returns to the theme of "desolation, devastation, creation, communication, revelation, humiliation, inspiration, elation, salvation, communication and other -ations." The progressive Moodies are miles better than the sound they would adopt in later years. This is the best song on the album and is very creative.

African beats return for 'Nice To Be Here', and a pleasant melody with bass, flute and soft vocals. The electric guitar augments the overall atmosphere. The album really runs out of steam towards the end with very soft dreamy lulling songs such as 'You Can Never Go Home' and 'My Song', which does have an inventive ending with effects and crescendos with dreamscape atmospheres. It is still a solid album, though patchy in places, and way better than the more recent efforts. At least here the band are making a genuine effort to be progressive and innovative.

Where to begin on this fabulous album? In terms of favorites, this album lies between the masterpiece "Days of Future Passed" and "In Search of the Lost Chord". It is truly that good in my opinion, with delicate melodies, strong acoustic guitar, and and yet another solid lyrical journey.

The Moody Blues have come out of nowhere to be one of my very favorite bands. "Every Good Boy Deserves Favour" is a story about finding the good things in life, but only as a child can find them. It celebrates and bemoans the state of this world and the unfortunate children that must grow up and learn all about it. Lessons are learned, love is found, and dreams are produced. This album, then, is incredibly human and fantastically relatable.

The album, while not featuring the lush orchestration or the mellotron lines of previous works, completely stands on its own with moog atmospheres that are dense and so colorfully played out in my mind. Pinder offers these keys with a richness that simply dazzles me. However, Hayward on guitar is marvelous. His guitar work is deliberate, strong, and masterful. Lodge on bass impresses me, too, with his stumbling, groovy bass lines that are very audible and so catchy. Thomas and Edge, as usual, are both outstanding, too.

But, what do The Moody Blues do best? They write melodies. Very, very memorable ones. "Every Good Boy Deserves Favour" is no different, as every single track leaves a strong impression. From the strangely appropriate "Procession" to the beautiful flow of "The Story in Our Eyes", and from the delicacy of "Emily's Song" to the strong guitar work and rhythm of "After You Came", this album fires on all cylinders. Yet, the second half might be even stronger! Boasting the flute strains of "One More Time to Live", the funky mooginess of "Nice to Be Here", and the ballad "You Can Never Go Home", the album simply gets more incredible as it plays.

Finally, it ends with one of this band's very best song combinations, "My Song" and (on the remaster) "The Dreamer". The former is a melodically acute, piano-soaked song with a haunting, psychedelic interlude. The latter is a shorter, guitar-driven song with amazing melody and movement.

The Moody Blues need to be appreciated more, I believe. Albums such as "Every Good Boy Deserves Favour" are gems, full of some of the most beautiful music I've ever heard. I'm beginning to see their influence in many, many other bands, and I believe their influence will only get stronger as many young people I know are also in love with them. This album, then, is a masterwork, and only gets better with time.

The Moodies got that "back to basics" impulse out of their system on A Question of Balance, and then steered right back to their more maximalist approach on the followup. If Question was all about turning out songs which the band could reproduce in a similar manner on stage, Favour is all about extensively using the possibilities of the recording studio to take the listener on a journey that a stage show would (especially at the time) struggle to reproduce.

We kick off with Procession, a tour of all of time and the entire world in under five minutes, before we get right into that particular Moody blend of prog-pop with the charming The Story In Your Eyes. From here on out you get the usual blend of psychedelic-influenced pop and the accessible end of symphonic prog which the Moodies made their stock in trade.

They might have been far away from the cutting edge of prog - this came out the same year as Nursery Cryme, Tarkus, and The Yes Album, and it feels like Every Good Boy Deserves Favour is looking back to the 1960s more than any of those albums do. Nonetheless, if you loved the run of albums from In Search of the Lost Chord or To Our Children's Children's Children - when they had hit on their classic sound and genuinely were at the forefront of the progressive movement - then this provides more of that.