I first bought a Moody Blues album in 1967. It was Days of Future Passed, the blend of rock and symphonic music. Over the years, I continued to buy and listen to the Moody Blues.
Echoes is a 2-CD set that presents a variety of Moody Blues music although you’re going to notice many of their “hits” are NOT included. The most recognizable song is “Another Brick in the Wall (Part Two)” from The Wall. Over the years, the Moody Blues tried a number of musical experiments. Some worked, some didn’t. If you’re a Moody Blues fan, you probably already have Echoes. If you’re a causal fan, Echoes will present a spectrum of Moody Blues music, a cross-section of their oeuvre that you are unlikely to find elsewhere in their discography. Are you a Moody Blues fan? GRADE: A
Tracklist
| 1-1 | Astronomy DomineVocals – Richard Wright, Syd BarrettVocals – Richard Wright, Syd Barrett | 4:10 | |
| 1-2 | See Emily PlayVocals – Syd BarrettVocals – Syd Barrett | 2:47 | |
| 1-3 | The Happiest Days Of Our LivesVocals – Roger WatersVocals – Roger Waters | 1:38 | |
| 1-4 | Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2)Vocals – David Gilmour, The Children Of Islington Green School*, Roger WatersVocals – David Gilmour, The Children Of Islington Green School*, Roger Waters | 4:01 | |
| 1-5 | EchoesVocals – David Gilmour, Richard WrightVocals – David Gilmour, Richard Wright | 16:30 | |
| 1-6 | Hey YouFretless Bass – David GilmourVocals – David Gilmour, Roger WatersFretless Bass – David GilmourVocals – David Gilmour, Roger Waters | 4:39 | |
| 1-7 | MaroonedBass – Guy PrattKeyboards [Additional] – Jon CarinBass – Guy PrattKeyboards [Additional] – Jon Carin | 2:02 | |
| 1-8 | The Great Gig In The SkyVocals – Clare TorryVocals – Clare Torry | 4:40 | |
| 1-9 | Set The Controls For The Heart Of The SunVocals – Roger WatersVocals – Roger Waters | 5:20 | |
| 1-10 | MoneySaxophone – Dick ParryVocals – David GilmourSaxophone – Dick ParryVocals – David Gilmour | 6:29 | |
| 1-11 | Keep TalkingBacking Vocals – Carol Kenyon, Durga McBroom, Jackie Sheridan, Rebecca Leigh-White, Sam BrownBass – Guy PrattDrum Programming [Programmed Percussion] – Gary WallisKeyboards [Additional] – Jon CarinVocals – David GilmourVoice [Featuring The Voice Of], Featuring – Stephen HawkingBacking Vocals – Carol Kenyon, Durga McBroom, Jackie Sheridan, Rebecca Leigh-White, Sam BrownBass – Guy PrattDrum Programming [Programmed Percussion] – Gary WallisKeyboards [Additional] – Jon CarinVocals – David GilmourVoice [Featuring The Voice Of], Featuring – Stephen Hawking | 5:57 | |
| 1-12 | SheepVocals – Roger WatersVocals – Roger Waters | 9:46 | |
| 1-13 | SorrowBacking Vocals – Carmen Twillie, Darlene Koldenhaven*, Donnie Gerrard*, Phyllis St. JamesBass – Tony LevinKeyboards [Additional] – Jon CarinVocals, Drum Programming – David GilmourBacking Vocals – Carmen Twillie, Darlene Koldenhaven*, Donnie Gerrard*, Phyllis St. JamesBass – Tony LevinKeyboards [Additional] – Jon CarinVocals, Drum Programming – David Gilmour | 8:45 | |
| 2-1 | Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts 1-7)Backing Vocals – Carlena Williams, Venetta FieldsSaxophone – Dick ParryVocals – Roger WatersBacking Vocals – Carlena Williams, Venetta FieldsSaxophone – Dick ParryVocals – Roger Waters | 17:32 | |
| 2-2 | TimeBacking Vocals – Barry St. John, Doris Troy, Leslie Duncan*, Liza StrikeVocals – David Gilmour, Richard WrightBacking Vocals – Barry St. John, Doris Troy, Leslie Duncan*, Liza StrikeVocals – David Gilmour, Richard Wright | 6:48 | |
| 2-3 | The Fletcher Memorial HomeArranged By [Orchestra], Conductor, Piano – Michael KamenProducer – James Guthrie, Michael KamenVocals – Roger WatersArranged By [Orchestra], Conductor, Piano – Michael KamenProducer – James Guthrie, Michael KamenVocals – Roger Waters | 4:07 | |
| 2-4 | Comfortably NumbOrchestrated By – Bob Ezrin, Michael KamenVocals – David Gilmour, Roger WatersOrchestrated By – Bob Ezrin, Michael KamenVocals – David Gilmour, Roger Waters | 6:53 | |
| 2-5 | When The Tigers Broke FreeArranged By [Orchestra], Conductor – Michael KamenConductor [The Pontardulais Male Voice Choir Led By] – Noel Davis*Producer – James Guthrie, Michael KamenVocals – Roger WatersArranged By [Orchestra], Conductor – Michael KamenConductor [The Pontardulais Male Voice Choir Led By] – Noel Davis*Producer – James Guthrie, Michael KamenVocals – Roger Waters | 3:42 | |
| 2-6 | One Of These DaysBass [Double Tracked] – David Gilmour, Roger WatersVoice [Vocal Phrase] – Nick MasonBass [Double Tracked] – David Gilmour, Roger WatersVoice [Vocal Phrase] – Nick Mason | 5:14 | |
| 2-7 | Us And ThemBacking Vocals – Barry St. John, Doris Troy, Leslie Duncan*, Liza StrikeSaxophone – Dick ParryVocals – David GilmourBacking Vocals – Barry St. John, Doris Troy, Leslie Duncan*, Liza StrikeSaxophone – Dick ParryVocals – David Gilmour | 7:51 | |
| 2-8 | Learning To FlyBacking Vocals – Carmen Twillie, Darlene Koldenhaven*, Donnie Gerrard*, Phyllis St. JamesBass – Tony LevinKeyboards – Jon CarinPercussion – Steve FormanVocals – David GilmourBacking Vocals – Carmen Twillie, Darlene Koldenhaven*, Donnie Gerrard*, Phyllis St. JamesBass – Tony LevinKeyboards – Jon CarinPercussion – Steve FormanVocals – David Gilmour | 4:50 | |
| 2-9 | Arnold LayneProducer – Joe BoydVocals – Syd BarrettProducer – Joe BoydVocals – Syd Barrett | 2:52 | |
| 2-10 | Wish You Were HereVocals – David GilmourVocals – David Gilmour | 5:21 | |
| 2-11 | Jugband BluesVocals – Syd BarrettVocals – Syd Barrett | 2:56 | |
| 2-12 | High HopesArranged By [Orchestra] – Edward Shearmur, Michael KamenPiano – Jon CarinVocals, Bass – David GilmourArranged By [Orchestra] – Edward Shearmur, Michael KamenPiano – Jon CarinVocals, Bass – David Gilmour | 6:59 | |
| 2-13 | BikeVocals – Syd BarrettVocals – Syd Barrett | 3:24 |
George, you’ve conflated Pink Floyd and Moody Blues a bit here…not the most incomprehensible of errors…though I generally prefer PF to MB.
But it does explain the relative lack of Moody Blues hits on the album!
I liked the early Moody Blues of the album GO NOW and their covers of R&B and such rather better than the attempts at poetry and pop-progressive rock of their greater success; the early Pink Floyd were often more energized than their hugely successful work later on…I certainly think their tribute album to Syd Barrett, WISH YOU WERE HERE, was the best of their post-Barret albums.
I’m still more a Zombies fan than of either of these bands, and of King Crimson (despite the atrocious attempts at poetic lyrics on the first couple/few KC albums), on either side of both the Blues and the Floyd. (Though, sadly, Argent, the primary follow-up band to the Zombies before their reunions, bore me almost as much as Led Zeppelin does, particularly when compared to the Yardbirds the latter sprung from.) Pentangle might be on the third side of these pop-proggies, leaning of course into the folk-rock of Fairport Convention et al. as well.
Todd, that’s what happens when I work on posts late in the day. Yes, my fogged mind blurred Moody Blues with Pink Floyd (or am I going Color Blind?).
“Wish You Were Here” is better, by me, than any original Moody Blues songs…but Pink Floyd couldn’t match it much, either…
To me, the Moody Blues were OK, but I haven’t listened to them intentionally in ages, although their stuff does occasionally pop up on Sirius. But I loved Pink Floyd then and, 50+ years later, I still do.
Michael, I have both Moody Blues and Pink Floyd CDs in abundance. My recent problem is keeping them straight…
So which is it, Moody Blues or Pink Floyd? Because now you have me really confused. I did like the Moody Blues in the ’60s “Go Now” and DAYS OF FUTURE PASSED years. Don’t listen to them these days. Was never a Pink Floyd fan. And I dislike Roger Waters personally.
Jeff, my tired brain goofed up with confusing Moody Blues with Pink Floyd. Roger Waters seems to be a lightning rod for distaste.
Aren’t you going to re-do the post??????? So it makes sense…..
Rick, I’ll try to make sense next Thursday with the Moody Blues. Right now, there’s a six-man construction team building a deck in our backyard. Too many saws and hammering to think!
All sympathies there. We’re about to get our old deck replaced…thinking of going with plastic, since the house is set up so the deck never gets much direct sunlight, and the wood is constantly plagued with moss. Very Moody Bluesish, in all senses. The plastic will be prone to mold, I suspect. Grr.
Todd, our new deck is constructed of TimberTech, a new composite material.
I’m not much of a Pink Floyd fan, but I love the Moody Blues (Justin Hayward is one of my many secret husbands), but as others have noted, your post today appears to be about Pink Floyd, not the Moody Blues—were we actually discussing the latter, I’d have plenty more to say.
Deb, sorry for the confusion. I have a Moody Blues CD in the posting queue so hold on to those comments until next week!
Just don’t confuse Simply Red with Green Day!
Deb, I’ll try not to confuse:
Black Sabbath.
Blue Oyster Cult.
Red Rider.
Blue October.
White Zombie.
White Lion.
Maroon 5.
Enjoy that deck! Come to think of it, it’ll probably be Diane who enjoys it, as your allergies will keep you inside.
Rick, Diane’s Deck will not be a place you’ll find me. I’m an A/C man all the way!
Or Deep Purple.
Rick, I think Purple is my favorite color!
Sadly I must be the least well-informed person of my generation on the subject of rock music. The radio was on but my head was somewhere else most of the time.
Patti, my mother and father had the radio on all day long. But, I listened to rock & roll stations on my transistor radio.
I liked Pink Floyd but didn’t love them. Never cared much for the Moody Blues. I was never a big fan of prog rock. Yes, Can and King Crimson pretty much left me cold.
Steve, I was never a King Crimson fan, either.
Try particularly the last version of King Crimson sometime…albums such as BEAT and THREE OF A PERFECT PAIR. Rather different from the early KC, certainly less ponderous. Though also spiky, in a way Pink Floyd and Moody Blues would avoid. The music of early KC was good by me, if a bit heavyhanded at times…the lyrics were ridiculous. Spinal Tap-level.
Listening to the GO NOW tracks again for the first time in years…with Denny Laine then at the heart of the band,…I still like these recordings vastly better than the likes of DAYS OF FUTURE PASSED and its successors.
Todd, I have GO NOW around here someplace.
Like Moody Blues a lot. Only Pink Floyd song I remember is “Money”. Never listened to the “Wall” album more than once.
Rick, THE WALL tour came to Buffalo but I skipped it.
Out of the prog rock brigade Pink Floyd was the greatest. I didn’t like Can or King Crimson either, but probably liked Yes more than the Moody Blues.
Michael, I’ll have to re-listen to some YES albums before I make up my mind if I prefer them to the Moody Blues.
They are totally different bands. Yes is a progressive band with long instrumental breaks. Moody Blues were more of a songwriters band. I didn’t like either very much. Thought Days of Future Past pretentious.
Steve, DAYS OF FUTURE PAST caused a lot of interest back in the Sixties with the blend of Rock and Symphonic music.
This brings up fond memories, just a bit OT, hope not too much.
Pink Floyd and Roger Waters were always one of my favourites. I might have told this story before but it’s so good. When I met my “new girl” in 2007 her family was a bit sceptical – two oldsters (over 60 years) claiming to have fallen in love? So some of her family members were a bit sceptical. Then I got a Xmas card from her oldest son with two tickets to Roger Waters – The Wall. I asked her how can we manage that?
It’s more than 250 km from where we live …
And she said: Look again! And I saw a confirmation for one night at a hotel in Budapest directly across the road. Then I knew that the family had accepted me …
It was one of the best shows I’ve ever been to – and the audience was also fantastic! You could hear many different languages, from people all over Europe, including a lot of Americans probably working there.
And the mood was so positive.
Wolf, friends have seen THE WALL an loved it like you did!
I bought each new Moody Blues album as it came out, but didn’t buy any Pink Floyd. I borrowed my brother’s lps and made a cassette of my favorite tracks. I bought ECHOES, the cd listed here, when it came out and liked it. I played it so often that I decided to start buying Pink Floyd cds, one or two a year. Still got a ways to go.
As for the other groups mentioned in the comments here, Yes is my favorite band, King Crimson I like a lot (saw them for the first time just before the pandemic and they were amazing), Can I heard occasionally but they were never on my radar.
Jeff, all of our tastes are modified by Time. Todd’s comments on King Crimson are tempting me to re-listen to those CDs and maybe acquire some of the later ones I don’t own. And, I need to dig out my YES CDs, too.
I saw The Moody Blues when they were part of a Murray the K’s 1965 Xmas concert, along with a bunch of other acts. The MB’s were so new they only had Go Now to their name and for a second song did a Rolling Stones impression.
Bob, when I took Patrick and Katie to a MATCHBOX 20 concert, they were so new they played six or seven songs…and they ran out of new songs. MATCHBOX 20 started re-playing the songs they started their concert with!