THE MAGNIFICENT MOODIES [AKA: THE BEGINNING]

The Magnificent Moodies ? 1966 (3.5/5) 11 ? Best Song: Something You Got? No it's Can't Nobody Love You So many folks have taken a strong whiff of debut albums and sent them to the shredder. Either they're musical curios or 'paving the way for the future' or 'showing the band at their infancy'. That and a bag of potato chips, crackercack. The Magnificent Moodies is that and more ? spurned by failing Beatles imitations and some exquisite vocal harmonies, I dare say this might be one of the best debut albums from a less-than-wholly-noteworthy band ever. It sucks donkey nuts!

So let's ground ourselves in the debut for what it is and what it is not. It is NOT Rubber Soul and it is NOT Aftermath. It IS a nice collection of covers tunes and singing that is bogged down by what usually bogs down every 1960's release that isn't considered a GRAND CLASSIC TO END ALL CLASSICS BY THE ONE AND ONLY EDITOR IN CHIEF OF ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE, BECAUSE THEY KNOW MUSIC BETTER THAN YOU. That is to say ? it's just goddamn cover songs and a few hit singles that aren't much more than meets the eye (ear).

What makes me not rate this like the shitpile it would probably be if put in the hands of criminal cocksuckers like Rush is the diversity and the melodic strength. There's the sweet, harmonica pop of 'Can't Nobody Love You', which is truly a highlight in a sea of?decent songs. Seriously, I think I'm the only man on earth to actively enjoy this album to any real, feasible degree. It's still pap and inconsequential, but it's one of the few mid-sixties debut albums that actually give me a good time. Take that up yer bunghole. I just rated The Moody Blues' debut as high as Machine Head and Led Zeppelin's Debut. I'm bound for Hell!