ELO v. Moody Blues

[heidiho]

You hear many references of the how ELO was influenced by the Beatles as
well as some other sounds of the 60s, but one thing I haven't heard
discussed before is what I feel is a musical kinship between ELO and the
Moody Blues. Not only do the groups share a threadbare common origin
(geneologically speaking) in the late 60s, but I think they've led
interesting if not very parallel musical careers (up to a certain point in
time, of course) of existing in the same space artistically.

The basest similarity is easy to define. They're both art rock groups,
both employing a layered musical sound and lots of classical
instrumentation. ELO may have pioneered the use of strings as an
integrated musical sound, but we see from Days of Future Passed in 67 how
the Moodies used a symphonic sound to bridge the songs. Of course, the
Moodies used strings and such to enrich the sound -- ELO used it as a
mainstay (until 1980 at least) as well as incorporating strings into the
live act. Career-wise, the Moodies got a leg up in establishing themselves
while ELO was forming, then took a sort-of siesta while ELO became really
big in the middle 70s. And while ELO favored melodic hooks and a slick,
aggressive pop sound the Moodies were always lyrically more poetic and
contemplative in a way we haven't seen from any group since.

I write this because I hear songs like Your Wildest Dream and Gemini Dream
and others from their 80s resurgence and think how much they sound like a
Jeff Lynne-inspired tune that you can't help but notice a similarity. Did
ELO inspire the Moodies? Did the Moodies lead ELO down the symphonic rock
path? And of course I wonder why the Moodies have lasted so long (they
HAVE to be the longest lived band out there, save for the Stones)...and we
all know that has to do with them being more of a complete band rather
than a one-man-led (Jeff) band.

Thoughts?

[Marco van Buuren]

----- Original Message -----
From: heidiho <eldo...@elonet.com>
<cut>
> I write this because I hear songs like Your Wildest Dream and Gemini Dream
> and others from their 80s resurgence and think how much they sound like a
> Jeff Lynne-inspired tune that you can't help but notice a similarity.

<cut>

I agree with you completely about "Gemini Dream". It sounds very much like
Jeff to me.
This is why it is my favourate Moody song I guess. There are also some Queen
songs that sound very ELO-ish.
It seems logical to me bands influence each other.

Marco

[Michael Barsky]

I'm a big fan of both groups, and have also noticed some similarities,
especially in the early 1980s. One could also argue that the theme-album
concept of Eldorado was similar to the early Moodies.

What especially interesting is that both bands are from Birmingham.

I once read a very brief interview with Jeff Lynne from around 1972 (in
Melody Maker, I believe), where we was critical of the Moodies. I think
they also crossed paths at the 1986 Heartbeat benefit concert.

heidiho <eldo...@elonet.com> wrote in message
news:eldorado-020...@tayaus-138-69.ev1.net...

[e.watkins]

Does anyone know when the Track 'Indian Queen' was recorded ,and which album
it was intended to be on??.

[dian...@my-deja.com]

In article <8or2qt$g2l$1...@nereid.worldonline.nl>,

I too agree about the Mooodies and ELO. In fact, I remember while
listening to the radio with some friend, back in 1981, waiting to hear
ELO's new release, a song came on and we jumped, got all excited cause
we thought that it was ELO. It was the Moody Blues "Gemnini Dream" It
was such an ELOish song to me. Aslo I noticed that on the Time album,
the song "Ticket To The Moon", that the little bridge part where they
sing, "Fly, Fly, through a troubled sky, up to a new world shinning
bright, wo wo", to me has a Queen influence to it. I kind of to me
soounds like Queen on that part.

dianna_l
>

Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.

[Norma Marino]

Moody blues started in 60's. ELO almost 10 years later.

[Bice]

You know you're responding to a 22 year old conversation, right?

But that 10 year gap didn't sound right to me so I Googled it - Moody
Blues first album was "The Magnificent Moodies" in 1965, but their
first album to actually make any noise on the charts was "Days of
Future Passed" in 1967.

ELO's self-titled album ("No Answer" in the US) came out in 1971.

So that's at most 6 years, and really only about 4 years after the
Moody Blues got popular. And one could make the argument that ELO was
really a continuation of the Move, which narrows the gap even further.

-- Bob


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